Woody GMC Buick Naperville WOODY GMC BUICK NAPERVILLE - STAY AWAY!! PREDATORY LENDING/FINANCING Naperville Illinois

 My wife and I leased a 2013 GMC Terrain in July 2013.  We stopped in just to look and very quickly found ourselves getting what we thought was a fantastic deal.  The salesman was very nice, and I should also note that I have no issues with our salesperson before getting into this complaint.  It was not anything that he did but rather, the actions of a finance manager, sales manager, and owner that lead to this complaint.  My family and I have exhausted all of our options with the BBB as well as the IL State Attorney's office (Lisa Madigan).  Our only option left per the state office is to go to small claims court, which we don't have money to do.  I'm simply writing this as a caution to anyone seriously considering buying from this dealer.

As I stated, we leased a "newish" GMC Terrain from Woody GMC in July 2013.   We initially started negotiating on a new GMC Terrain but decided that it was simply too much and we did not want to spend that much.  We were in the process of walking away from the deal and suddenly they had an idea.  They had a 2013 dealer demo with 3,300 miles that they could lease us to save us a few thousand dollars (so says the saleman and manager).  So, being interested in what they could do I said let's see what you can do for us.   They were able to work up the figures to where we were getting an acceptable amount for our trade as well as a fair price for their technically used car.  We had our then 1.5 year old daughter with us at the time so we were really trying to get out of there quickly after agreeing to a price.  The issue came when it seemed like it was taking them forever to put together the deal.  A screaming little girl is not something anyone wants to deal with, so very kindly I say, it is time for us to go.  I have to get my daughter home.  Well, they pushed and pushed, and our tensions got higher and higher.  I should have stuck to my guns and just come back later, which would have saved me a good amount of money in hindsight.

But I didn't, and now I am in the position that I'm in right now writing this note for people to see.  Where the creative accounting comes in was at the signing table.   While the final payment number was close to what we had agreed to, I asked the finance manager why the price of his car was showing as high as it was.  We were after all, leasing a used Terrain, not a new one.  Oh, he says, that is "just how we have to account for it".  Well, that was mistake number #1 for me.  I also ask about the trade figure, and he gives me the same type of response.  Now, I work in the banking industry which is highly regulated when it comes to predatory lending.  Switching numbers at closing and blatently lying to consumers is a major violoation.  That is not something that is highly regulated in the car industry unfortunately.

So we signed the papers and ran out of there......shame on us, I know.  Its my own fault, and I have accepted the consequences of making a poor car deal, and also for allowing them to work us over they way they did.  Not long after the deal was done, I really began digging through the paperwork to see if everything added up.  And what I found was that it obviously did not.  I even made repeated attempts to get in touch with the sales manager, and drove in to speak with him.  Granted, about 2 months after leasing the car I lost my job so that added to everything but has nothing to do with the story here.  We spoke and he assured me that he would try to help.  Nothing ever happened.  I got in touch with the owner as well, Mr. Stephen Woodring.  I was only able to get in touch with him after Mr. Woodring responded to our BBB complaints.  He seemed to take a very concerned approach, or so it seemed.  Honestly, that was all just an act to try and appease the BBB.  I called him on his cell phone after he left it with the BBB for me to call.  Well, I call him and the first conversation we have is about 10 seconds.  He tells me he is in the middle of a deal and that I should come in to see him.  After responding more than 3 times to the BBB and the complaints that have been filed you would think that he would take more time.  That was not the case.  I explained to him on our brief call that I wanted to have a conversation about the deal before coming in and explain exactly what had happened.   He then said he would call me afterwards but that was a call I never got.

From that point on, Mr Woodring dodged all calls and messages.  Not one time did he ever pick up the phone to call and discuss what his managers had done on our deal.  He has no concern for the customers coming in his doors and has no intentions of developing any long term business, at least in our case.  His response the State and to the BBB was simply that "he tried to help but I was not willing".   There is a difference Mr. Woodring between not being willing, and not getting the opportunity to have a conversation.  If you truly value your business and customers, then all you had to do was pick up the phone and have a conversation.   It is sad that you do business this way and a true reflection of who you are as a man.   You may have won the battle, but people like you eventually have things like this catch up with them.  People talk and people read reviews like this.   This is not the rantings of an uneducated, bitter person.  My hope is that people will read this and see it for what it is.  Beware of what you get involved with at Woody GMC in Naperville.   Lesson here is, don't sign anything you don't feel comfortable with.  Shame on me for allowing this to happen.  But in defense, when you are very direct questions about the papers that you are signing, you expect to get honest answers.  That never happened.  We will never set foot on that dealer floor again, unless it is to turn in our lease.  Since having the complaints filed, I have heard nothing but bad things about things that went on behind the scenes at Woody.  Our salesman on the deal, even called us from another dealer to apologize to us for how Woody had treated us.  That salesman left Woody for another dealer and was aware of similar issues.  Changing final figures in a closing room, or immediately prior to closing, is predatory lending. Someone needs to put a stop to Woody's poor business practices.