Norris Ford Auto Dealership ripoff Unethical Consumer Practices Sexual Harassment & Misconduct Baltimore Maryland

December 10, 2002

Unethical Consumer Practices, Sexual Harassment & Misconduct

In mid September I went to Norris Ford car dealership located at 901 Merritt Blvd. Dundalk, MD 21222 to possibly purchase a vehicle. I had met one of the salesmen through a mutual friend. She had also purchased a vehicle there and told me that her friend and salesman Thom Ihle could help me. I told him I could put $1000.00 down.
I had originally wanted a used mini-van. Mr. Ihle took me over to the used car lot and showed me a used mini-van. At which time I also met the finance manager Will Watson.
I had brought in my paperwork and was told Will would be working on getting financing for me.
On my initial consultation with Mr. Watson, he was pleasant and professional. However, his male office staff left something to be desired regarding professionalism. They were peeking in the window, making gestures, whistling and even a phone call which was flirtatious in nature, in which Mr. Watson told me the staff was teasing him about being with such a pretty woman in his office. I disregarded the behavior and focused on the financing information. When I left I also received the same behavior from the staff outside his office. I then disregarded the behavior and chalked it up to immature behavior.

I had received several calls requesting additional information from Thom Ihle and all were professional and friendly in nature. I received a call about a week after my initial consultation from Thom Ihle telling me that Ford Motor Credit would not approve me for a used car. I would have to go for a new car because they have a point grading system and I need the additional rebate on the vehicle to have the equity in the vehicle. That Ford Motor Credit would only go into a loan situation with the vehicle having equity in case of a default and that this was standard on new loans with people who have very little credit.

Within a few days I came back in with a friend of mine Dorena Lynn Williamson (nee Wagner) and choose a new vehicle that would suit my needs. I chose a 2002 Ford Winstar. Thom Ihle told me that I would get a $2000.00 cash rebate from ford and this would be my equity and down payment. I was thrilled. He told me that sometimes finance managers can pull favors.
I thought at the time he was just a wonderfully helpful finance team that was helping me because it was the nature of their business, they would make a decent commission and the residual sales they could get from being so helpful.

My friend witnessed the entire transaction. Regarding the rebate/down payment. When we left my friend also witnessed the behavior of the male staff acting inappropriately towards us, with the same whistling and gestures that I had witnessed on a previous visit. We were a little stunned that this was so blatant but chose to ignore the behavior of a few when other behavior from Mr. Ihle and Mr. Watson had been appropriate up until that time.

On October 2, 2002, I came in to pick up my vehicle. I met with Thom Ihle, Will Watson was not in that day so my paper work and another finance manager would handle the actual signing of the documents.

I had to complete some preliminary paper work with Thom Ihle; he needed copies of my license, insurance card and Social Security card. He then asked me for something that surprised me. He told me he needed a check for $2000.00. I was stunned and said for what?
He told me that I would not be able to take possession of the vehicle without the $2000.00 rebate and it had not come in yet. Unless the paperwork was whole, I couldnt have the vehicle.
I told him I had just closed my account and couldnt write him a check. He became irritated and said can someone else write you a check. We wont cash it. We will return it to you, or void or tear it up what ever you want to do. We just have to have it to make the deal go through. I told him I dont have anyone I can ask to write me a $2000.00 check. He then asked me if I still had checks from the one I just closed. I did in the car but was very leery about his request and he repeated the terms again. I went and got the checks and wrote one but after writing it I wrote, Void on it.
He came back and said I could not do that and the check must say Down Payment in order for the paperwork to be correct. He was very convincing and my back was against the wall. I believed him and did as he requested and rewrote the check. At this point he made a comment to me that Will Watson had worked very hard and pulled a favors to get the vehicle financed for me and I needed to make sure I thanked hi. I said my goodness I will definitely call him and do so. Thom Ihle than said No, I mean you really need to thank him. I said OK; I can stop and see him when I pick up my tags. Just then the other finance manager popped out and told Mr. Ihle he was ready to do my paperwork.

I then went in with the finance manager and signed all the paperwork. The paper work had down payment written on it of $2000.00. Afterwards when I wanted it clarified, Thom Ihle explained to me that a cash rebate is your cash down. I didnt even negotiate very much over the price because I wanted the vehicle and appreciated the extra work done to get financing. The sticker price was $27,775.00 my purchase price was $26,497.15.

Thom Ihle then escorted me to me new van because he said there were a few things he wanted to show me about the vehicle. So he started showing me the features of the vehicle and then asked me if I had a few hours. I thought to myself, still not getting it, Oh my, goodness I have been here a couple of hours already, I thought they still need to finish something on the van and was dreading having to wait any longer. I started protesting and told him no I have to meet some friends for dinner, I had people actually waiting for me. But before I could actually compute what was actually being asked of me. Mr. Ihle said Do you remember in there when I said you really needed to Thank Will for all of his help in getting your vehicle financed? I said yes Mr. Ihle, said Well he wants to have sex with you in exchange for the favor. I told him No way you have got to be kidding me. And was quite upset and angry. Thom Still had the keys to my Van and he said wait a minute Ill be right back He walked over to a pick up truck that had pulled up on the Norris Ford parking lot. It wasnt until the truck pulled away and Will Watson leaned his head out and said. I hope you like your Van, Tommys going to talk to you about it and he sped off before I could comment. Thom Ihle came back over to my vehicle. He could see I was upset and angry. I told him what in the world give you the right to ask me to do that. I would never trade sex in exchange for anyones special favor. Thom then started telling me that Will was not a bad guy but had a bad marriage and that he was clean and disease free and he wouldnt put me with someone who wasnt. My head was spinning. I said how did he know I was here. Thom told me when I had called earlier in the day to tell them I would be in sometime that evening. They had arranged a place Will and I to go and have sex, after I received the van. Thom told me he had called Will Watson while I was in with the finance managers office signing the papers and let him know I was there and he drove to Norris Ford. He said he told Will to leave because I wasnt going to be able to make it tonight.
I was told him very angrily; under no terms was this ever going to happen. He then tried to apologize and tell me that will was not a bad guy he was just having marital problems and wasnt getting any at him and that he (Thom) was not a bad guy either he was just trying to help us both out. I told Thom this conversation is through and took the keys from him and left the Norris Ford Premises. I was so distressed I could barely drive. I drove to where I was meeting my friends and walked in crying hysterically. I didnt know what to do. My friend I met with was Carol Church, Ernie Fair and Warren Blair. All three of them were angry over the incident. They wanted to go down to the dealership after them. But I feared retribution, it was a hard to obtain auto loan and they had 3 days to rescind the agreement. I was now living in fear of several things. I was afraid to answer my phone at work, my husband who was out of town at the time, I feared telling him because I was afraid of his reaction. I feared retaliation if I didnt oblige. I felt humiliated and violated. I wanted no contact ever again with Norris Ford.

I started getting phone calls from Thom Ihle at Norris Ford, Thinking they were related to the sexual misconduct incident, I ducked the calls. Finally he called Carol Church and told her he was calling because my Check had bounced for the down payment and I need to call him.
I refused to talk to him and talked with the sales manager Steve on October 19. 2002. Steve told me that there was no rebate and that the check was for the down payment. I told him about my conversation with Thom Ihle and he told me he didnt care that I had to make the payment or something bad was going to happen. I told him I would pay but that I was writing a letter to Ford because this company had now fraudulently had me write a check, and didnt give me the rebate as promised and advertised. They were extorting the money from me and I believe would have been fine if I had complied with the sexual exchange. I told him that the practices of the Norris Ford Dealership were underhanded and unscrupulous.
On October 22, 2002 (attached) I wrote a letter to Norris Ford and to Ford Motor Credit. I wanted nothing to do with a business that had committed what in my mind is fraud, deceit, extortion and sexual misconduct. I wanted only to deal with Ford Motor Credit themselves and bypass the dealer. I no longer trusted them. I explained to Norris Ford I no longer wanted contact with them and the payment, which they had gotten from me under false pretenses, would be mailed to Ford Motor Credit along.
After writing the letter I decided to call Ford Motor Credit and Lodge a complaint and explain what I was going to do with the check. I told them that this was unfair because I didnt have this kind of money. They told me not to mail them the check to them but they would take my complaint and escalate it to someone to handle the dealer misconduct complaint I lodged. That if necessary the contract could be re-written
I sent the complaint in writing and had called several times during the month on November 2002 and was told it was still under review and that a copy was sent to Customer Relationship Manager located at the dealership that represented Ford and would meditate the situation.

On December 4th, 2002 Norris Ford repossessed my vehicle. Not a letter or a phone call. I had assumed the entire mess was in arbitration.
On this day I called Jeff Grossman, the General Manager at Norris Ford and explained the whole situation. He said he had gotten my letter and complaint but wasnt going to do anything about it. He said he couldnt control what his people did in their personal life. I told him the entire incident took place on company property during company business. He said he couldnt get involved with that. But he demanded payment for the check to be received in his office by the next day. I was unable to do this. I called Ford Motor Credit and explained the gravity of the situation they told me to file a stolen vehicle report which I did, (attached) and they told me they would escalate it again to the Customer Relations Manager. I called Norris Ford My self and left a message for that person. Subsequently, Lisa Daniels called me back and I explained the whole scenario. She was appalled and was going to speak with her manager. I found something to be very strange during that conversation is that the complaints I lodge at Ford Motor Credit are sent TO THE DEALER. And the procedure is for them to handle the dispute. Lisa Daniels called me back later to tell me that her manager Mike Nistrom told her she was not allowed to talk to me regarding this complaint and he wouldnt talk to me either and to refer me back to the dealership. I called David Cooke, part owner, of Norris Ford, he was sympathetic and surprised and said he would call me back. He didnt so I called him back. He told me he could not comment on this and referred back to the dealerships general manager Jeff Grossman.
I was going in a vicious circle. I again called Ford and they told that that was in correct and someone had lied to me (SURPRISE, SURPRISE). This is the exact kind of thing she would handle.

I lodged another complaint at Ford Motor Credit in which I was told would be escalated to the department who handles unethical dealer practices.

Still On December 4th, I Finally called Jeff Grossman back again, seemingly having no other recourse and spoke with him. This time he offered me another surprising alternative. He told me he would take the vehicle back (Now 2 months old with 5,000 miles on it) at a substantial loss. He would cancel my account with Ford Motor Credit and make the deal go away. He said it would be like the deal never existed and would have no bearing on my credit. All I would need to do was turn in the title we could internalize the entire incident in exchange for my silence.

Well Red Flags here. Why would a dealership do this if there were no wrong doing?
I intend to file a recovery warrant here in Tennessee this week. (I needed to get some paperwork from Maryland to do) and When I return to Maryland for the Holidays I will file sexual harassment
Charges and suit in Maryland. I was told I could not do it in Tennessee where I live now.

This dealer needs to be exposed; Buyer Beware is a far cry from what should be said about this dealer. One of my biggest concerns now is regarding the sexual favors exchange. What about those 17 & 18-year-old girls or woman who can be more easily victimized then myself. Someone should warn, you wife, your sister, your daughter, your mother, and every woman to beware of unethical & illegal practices that they might end up in.

I also thought of myself as business savvy. I am an educated Corporate Accountant for a major Maryland business.

I am also filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau, Maryland Consumer affairs and the online Rip-Off Report.
I am hoping your office will assist me in preventing sexual misconduct as well as stop any ethical practices regarding this dealership.

Dawne
Baltimore, Maryland
U.S.A.

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