Willis Ford Bait and switch Smyrna, Delaware

This is the email that I sent to the contact furnished by the Better Business Bureau

"I am sending you this email because you are listed on the Better Business Bureau website as the contact for customer complaints. I recently purchased a 2011 Ford Fusion SE on 6/30/11 from Willis Ford in Smyrna from salesman Frank Lauro. The reason that I'm extremely disgruntled and dissatisfied starts like this. On 6/29/11 I stopped in at the dealership to look at a Ford Fusion because I was intrigued by the factory incentives that were being offerred, the factory was offerring 0% and $500 cashback on 2011 Ford Fusions, I spoke with a salesman and was looking at this vehicle http://willisford.com/new/Ford/Fusion/SE/2011/Smyrna-Dover-DE.

The sticker price was $24,330 there was also an incentive for that particular vehicle posted on the windshield of 6% off of the sticker price. I told the salesman that I would be back the next day with my wife for a test drive. My Wife and I arrived at the dealership at 11:30AM and was met by salesman Frank Lauro, we then proceeded to let them take my vehicle back for inspection for a trade in value quote while another salesman accompanied my Wife and I on a test drive. When we came back we sat down at the desk and the price for the vehicle that was relayed to me was $22,830 and a trade in value for my 2007 Honda Civic of $9000.

I stated that I was happy with the price of the vehicle but I was not willing to accept $9000 for my trade, especially beings that I furnished documentation from the Kelley Blue book website that stated my trade was worth $10750, we negotiated a trade in value of $10500 and agreed to purchase the vehicle. After our credit was ran Ford Motor Credit approved us at tier 3 financing of 3.9% for 72 months with a payment of $440 a month assuming that this was based off of the purchase price of the vehicle of $22830. My Wife and I went in to the finance managers office and signed the paperwork and after a view demonstrations of our newly purchased vehicle we were off.

Later that evening I decided to look over all of the paper work, while browsing over my copy of the contract I noticed the the purchase price of the vehicle was over $24000 and not the $22830 what was verbally agreed upon, to say the least I was LIVID. This afternoon I went back to the dealership with my paperwork and wanted an explanation as to why I was not given the price that was verbally agreed upon with salesman Frank Lauro, the finance manager and another individual who apparrently approved the loan stated that because we came in at tier 3 financing that we didn't qualify for $1500 factory rebate, Ford is not currently running any other promotions other than the special financing and the $500 cash back (the $500 factory rebate I did receive, ironic isn't it?)

At that time I new I was not going to get anywhere with these individuals. I have been in sales and finance for many years and even with all of my knowledge, I got caught up in the perverbial "Bait and Switch." I surmise that they were trying to recoupe the extra money that I requested for my trade, but regardless of my summation we made an agreement and it was not honored, your management staff then lied to me straight in my face about fairy tales of not qualifying for ficticious factory rebates. So here in lies our dilemma, I've contacted the Better Business Bureau and initiated a complaint, I've also contacted the Delaware Consumer Protection Agency. If I am not reimbursed and if the situation is not remedied my next step is to contact my attorney and file a complaint with the Justice of Peace and file a civil suit against Willis Ford Inc.

My next step after that is write to the News Journal, Smyrna Times, The Middletown Transcript and the Dover Post and give them a well thought out and articulated article about how Willis Ford in Smyrna, De is an extremely shady dealership, articulate my personal experience with your company, and let public opinion take over from there. If your company would like to come to an amiable agreement and remedy this situation with just your company and I being involved you may reach me anytime at 302 *******, rest assured that if I don't hear from your company then your company will be hearing from my attorney's office."

Regards,