Feeling Ripped of at Kelowna Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.

 I am very angry.  I made it clear to the salesperson that I had two vehicles to trade in for a truck that I was interested in.  I told him clearly that I was willing to deal if I could trade in both vehicles and pay an additional $10,000.  The vehicles included a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk (80,000 km) with flat tow braking gear and 8000 lb warn winch and 2008 HD Ford F150 XL with club cab, 8' box, bed liner, canopy, and roof rack.  We talked for an hour, went for a test drive, talked some more, and he had my jeep reviewed for its value.

I returned home with the jeep and came back later that afternoon with my half-ton to have it inspected as well.  The salesperson could have talked to me about the value of the jeep, raised some concerns, but instead went on as if there were no issues.  As a result, my hopes got raised and, in my mind,  I was developing future plans for using the truck to go camping this summer.  

I was told a 2016 model was coming in and I wanted to see it and the one I test drove before making a decision.  He indicated that would be fine.  I have been left holding the bag before and wrote a note for him to sign stating that both would be available for me the next day.  He took it to a manager and came back indicating it wouldn't be signed.  That made me somewhat annoyed, but I could put a deposit on it if I wanted to hold it.  That's what I did.

I was told the price was around $49,000 but reduced to $46,000.  I was pretty sure that it was listed on their website for $44,000.  He didn't think so, but also did not take the time to verify that.  At home, I found the listing and discovered I was right.  I printed it out to show him the next morning.

At home that night I spent a lot of time researching the truck we were considering buying.  In fact, I didn't sleep well and was up several times spending a few more hours looking at information.  There were some performance and engine issues that needed to be addressed.  I also discovered that, in spite of a posted 12,500 pound towing capacity, the fact was that anything over 7,000 pounds would put enormous pressure on the oil cooler and could lead to engine failure.  

Another reason to be mad; there was no mention of there being any risk to the vehicle when towing which was one of the main things I wanted to do.  I have been there before when Ford sold me an Explorer to tow a trailer with; the guy was only too happy to make a sale in spite of the fact that it was a bad match.  A few years later we had an accident and lost everything, probably because the salesman would not disclose concerns.  A proper truck would have been the best.  It was just a way to make money.

So there are a few red flags now, but I am hoping that we can make something work.  I show up for our 12:30 appointment and we spend more time talking about the things I found out during my research.  He was aware of the engine problems and limitations of the vehicles but never said anything.  That's a concern.  He was aware of the lawsuit regarding the 2014-2016 models for environmental anti-pollution programming on the vehicles; never mentioned it.  

The whole thing fell apart when he mentioned, in passing, that the difference between trade-ins and purchase was greatly different than the $10,000 I discussed earlier.  Clearly, he was wanting to underplay the issue to hook me into making a purchase beyond my budget.  That information should have been upfront and direct.  To me, that was the end of the whole thing.  I got up and left.  I haven't got my $500 back yet (deposit) and I really want an apology from the salesperson.

I feel cheated and belittled.  I think that the salesman was more interested in making a sale than he was in helping me find a product that would be right for us.  The worse part is that he could have put us in danger because it would not meet our towing needs and there would be a risk of engine failure.  

I am very angry with Kelowna Chrysler, the salesman, and the lack of clarity.  There was no communication between people (wrong price), no sharing of concerns for long towing (safety), and a lack of being above board in negotiating.  It appears to me that Kelowna Chrysler values money over service.  I doubt I will ever go back.

Eric Svendsen