Anyone Looking For A Smokin' Deal On A Lexus?

…because my friend’s Lexus is going back to the dealership since he is fed up with his experience.

First, I want to say that I don’t believe that this one experience should reflect upon the entire company. I’ve been in a Lexus showroom once or twice (love the IS series) and I’ve met some of the most professional sales staff I’ve ever run into. I also happen to think that most Toyota vehicles (which includes Lexus) are amazing vehicles from a quality standpoint. What’s happening with my friend won’t put me off considering a Lexus or Toyota down the road.

…having said that, this particular ordeal (which you can read from the beginning here) went from bad to worse. Nine days after being asked to pay up the $2200 (and after hearing my friends’ response which was “No, I won’t pay any more and if you don’t like it the car is in my driveway if you won’t honour the contract”) he gets an ominous phone call indicating that a new contract was being couriered and that it NEEDED to be signed right away. There was no mention of what changes were in this new contract.

Needless to say, my friend was not just going to sign it and asked to have it faxed over so he could take a look at it first. He left a message for the person who had called, but no response until the next day at 3pm. She still hadn’t sent over the fax, and still wasn’t explaining what was being sent that “had” to be signed. My friend asked to speak directly to the sales managerand when my friend told him the whole story and that someone had asked for more money, this was all news to the sales manager. The sales manager understood the frustration, and tried to address the situation, but it was too late at this point.

Now after talking to the manager, it turns out that the new contract that had to be signed was actually in good faith in that it included a change that stated that the dealership would provide the $2200 themselves so that the lease agreement with Lexus Finance could go through. Apparently the rush to get a new contract signed was a requirement of Lexus Finance who simply would’ve rejected the lease agreement with the security deposit stated on the original contract. So the dealership was trying to do the right thing it seems, but by indicating that a contract had to be rushed over immediately for signing (without telling my friend what the changes to the contract were) was also very frustrating. Had the person who indicated this new contract had to be signed immediately just indicated the contents of the new contract, chances are my friend would’ve signed it. But when he asked (since it seemed very strange that someone had to be sent over right away to get the signature), they refused to tell him this. So imagine someone doing that to you – how would you feel? Annoyed?

My friend told the sales manager that the experience up until then was enough. Since the original contract is not being honoured the dealership would have to take back the car. That they offered to pay the difference in the security deposit was appropriate, but that they bungled up in the delivery of that offer is nothing less than head-scratching.

So to make a long story, short: there will be a smokin’ deal on a 2008 Lexus GS350 (blue) as of Monday (or thereabouts) since it is now technically a USED car.

I’ll post further updates as I get them…