Dealership wrecks $55k Camaro ZL1

[Rogue One]

Initially I was going to post this under the others vehicle forum, but thought that General Chat would bring it to a larger audience. This dealership is just 20 minutes from my house. Apparently you can't trust anyone.

Chevy Camaro ZL1 owner fights dealership that totaled his car

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/ ... 36602.html

At 580 hp and a starting price of $55,000, the Chevy Camaro ZL1 ranks as the top dog of the Camaro lineup (at least until the Z/28 hits the track.) For Camaro enthusiasts like John Hooper, author of six books on the history of Camaros, it's a dream car — or at least was a dream car, until an employee at a Chevy dealership totaled his ZL1 on an unauthorized joyride. Nearly a month later, Hooper and the dealership have yet to agree on how much that particular top dog was worth.
Something about Camaros seems to bring out the dark side of the dealer service department; recall the man who hid a voice recorder in the door pocket of his Camaro SS and caught mechanics doing burn-outs. According to Hooper's posts on the Camaro5 forum, he had taken his 2012 Camaro ZL1 to First State Chevy in Georgetown, Del., for warranty work on a paint issue. On Dec. 15, a Sunday, one of the dealer's employees took the keys from the closed dealership and went for a spin — that ended when the ZL1 sheared off a telephone pole.

The next day, the dealership told Hooper about the incident, and by the end of that week, the car had been declared a total loss. Since then, Hooper and First State have been unable to reach an accord over how to replace the ZL1.

To First State's credit, it immediately fired the employee who took the car and tried to pursue charges against him — but local officials said since the car was in the dealership's legal possession at the time of the crash, no crime was committed. Hooper's ZL1 had about 10,000 miles on it, and while First State has offered other used ZL1s as replacements, Hooper has said those cars were not worth as much as his example was pre-crash.

Hooper told the Cape Gazette of Lewes, Del., today that while the dealership has given them a loaner to drive, they are still making payments on the ZL1 while it sits in a salvage yard. “We're losing sleep over this, time off from work, and this still isn't resolved,” Hooper told the paper. “This is so ethically and morally wrong it isn't funny.”

[LocAL_anarchy]

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=333504

"I traded in my 2011 SS2 Camaro and sold my 1969 Camaro SS in pristine condition to buy the ZL1. I will never be able to afford another new ZL1, and basically I don't think I should have to be put in the position to have to buy a new one. We trusted the dealership to use vigilance while our car was in their possession. We can't even have charges pressed against their employee for theft because the car was not in OUR possession when stolen."

[themadscientist]

Seems pretty ****in simple to me.

Dealership owner puts on his car salesman duds, sits down personally with this customer. He starts by offering him refreshments and then opens by apologizing for the behavior of his former employee and that as the responsible person for said behavior through the employ of that individual he is personally embarrassed and flat pissed off for the customer that this has happened.

Then he continues by saying that the outstanding cost of the car is wiped clean regardless, the dealership will eat it. Further, the previously paid balance will be presented to him by cashiers check at the conclusion of the meeting.

If the customer does not wish to do business with the dealership anymore, his wishes are completely understood and they are sincerely sorry to lose his business. Another check for $5000.00 will be cut towards the down payment of his next vehicle as soon as he has found it and got the competing dealer ready to close the deal. It will be hand delivered to the competing dealer by the highest-ranking person working when the call is received.

If, however, the customer sees fit to give the dealership the opportunity to serve him again despite their admitted serious failing, the owner will help him configure a brand new Camaro Z/28 that will be ordered personally by the owner immediately. The car will be priced at zero markup over dealer cost.

All a business has to do to know how to take care of a customer is to give a ****.

[LocAL_anarchy]

@TMS... Exactly!! Such is not the case, though. Just read that entire thread. 32 pages of ignorance and anger from keyboard lawyers and tough guys, with 17 posts of enlightenment from the OP/victim. But that community did rally around him, and hopefully this ends on a positive note. The guys name is John R. Hooper. Published author of 6 technical books on first gen Camaros. I was amused when the trolls on that forum thought he was fake and a noob because he had only one post when he started his thread, and then he ends up being a Camaro expert with a legit story. They comment bombarded the dealership's Facebook page, killed them on Yelp, posted on every forum and website they could, especially Jalponik. Made a false FB profile of the dealership in satire.

The dealer is being a real scumbag. I've had something similar happen to me a few months ago, so I am following this closely.

[Jmoore124]

The sad thing is this type of joyride happens all the time at dealerships and shops. That is the reason I will never have my car worked on by someone I do not personally know and trust. Its a sham that the kid who had to learn this lesson is not able to be held more responsible for his actions. Either way the owner will get screwed. He had exactly what he wanted and it was taken from him.

[Heavy]

lol i love how dealerships think they can get away with this garbage....somebody send these ***holes the link to the dobbs honda thread, or the sti paint guy, or the lambo incident in canada. Just give the guy a new car before it gets out of hand. Situations like this is why i will never buy from a dealer again, that and my undying hatred for shady car salesmen... GFY

[Bubba1]

lol i love how dealerships think they can get away with this garbage....somebody send these ***holes the link to the dobbs honda thread, or the sti paint guy, or the lambo incident in canada. Just give the guy a new car before it gets out of hand. Situations like this is why i will never buy from a dealer again, that and my undying hatred for shady car salesmen... GFY

I agree, the dealer does not realize the power of negative publicity as it appears this story has gone viral. Clearly the dealer's ownership has not yet realized it would far be cheaper for them in the long run if they simply replace the almost new car their employee wrecked with a brand new one instead of trying to chintz the victim, especially when you consider the dealer does not pay MSRP for that car. They may possibly win a battle and save a few thousand dollars if a they replace it with a used one, but they'll lose the war (and far more money) by not being able to sell or service cars to pretty much anyone that learns about this story and is repulsed by their behavior.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

somebody send these ***holes the link to the dobbs honda thread

dobbs-honda-in-memphis-tn-screwed-me-bu ... 87851.html

We're up to the #4 google result for "Dobbs Honda, Memphis"

[WDRacing]

This guy I know would wait 6 months, then smash all the windows in the dealership. He's also fond of sitting at a distance and lobbing in ball bearings with his wrist rocket.

[Heavy]

well that didnt take long... boneheads

http://jalopnik.com/owner-of-camaro-zl1 ... 1501366861

[Rogue One]

Thanks for the update!

[themadscientist]

So another dealer did what the offending one would not? That dealer needs to get some customer karma, the good kind. The orginal dealer has the other kind coming.

[sx moneypit]

It's bullsh*t that his own insurance is having to cover the cost.

[Jesda]

well that didnt take long... boneheads

http://jalopnik.com/owner-of-camaro-zl1 ... 1501366861

Best comment:
"If dealership management does not understand the power of social media they are woefully inadequate to run a hot dog stand, much less a multi-million dollar business."

Like the Dobbs Honda situation, these boneheads in the business need to wake up to the power of forums and instant, widespread communication. Reputation is a fragile thing in this world. You have to protect it with every resource you have [by respecting the customer and being reasonable] or you sink.

[Dattebayo]

It's bullsh*t that his own insurance is having to cover the cost.

Actually, it's bullsh*t that he has to lift a finger about it at all! He should be getting free blowjobs and beer after a fiasco like that.

And the dealer actually had the nerve to COMPLAIN about how they got treated after he made his post on the internet?

[themadscientist]

If that was my business I would be giving the customer something to remember my former employee by, his balls.