Lindsay Ford - Maryland. Issues getting license plates

[matt5058]

Not sure if this is the right forum to post this in but I need to rant and see if anyone has any input or has dealt with something similar. I moved to DC in early July and within a week or so, I bought my 2014 Mustang GT, brand new from Lindsay Ford in Silver Spring, Maryland. The experience buying the car wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either and after a few hours of haggling and waiting for paperwork, I was just happy to drive my new Mustang off the lot. As the time for my temp tags to expire neared, I contacted the dealership and asked what was going on. They told me they didn't have a copy of my driver's license, which I know I had already given them, and that was the reason for the delay. It gets down to crunch time and I start communicating with them that I need to be able to drive my car and my tags are expiring soon. They eventually get me a new set of temp tags, at the last minute, and finally tell me that my application for plates was rejected because I don't have a DC driver's license. I still had my CO driver's license...Ok fine, my fault for not knowing that I suppose.

I deal with the nightmare that is the DC DMV, give up my CO license, pay the fee, and get a temp license (which I was told is sufficient for getting DC plates). I send a copy to the dealership and then when I receive my actual license, I send them a copy of that as well, while consistently reminding them that my second set of temp tags is going to expire. They assure me they'll take care of it and that I'll get my plates. Sure enough, plates don't come and they have to express mail me a third set of temp tags. This set of tags expires in 20 days...and I've sent three emails this week, as well as made a phone call and left a voicemail to let them know I'd like to receive my license plates and that I've been more than patient throughout this whole process.


For those who don't want to read the novel above....TL;DR: I bought my car in July. It's now December. I'm on my third set of temp tags and the dealership has been unresponsive for the past two weeks, despite the expiration date for my THIRD set of temp tags coming up soon. :mj:

Anyone else deal with this or a similar issue? Any advice? I'm trying to avoid starting anything dramatic but I'm tempted to contact Ford and the Better Business Bureau, and also to write some reviews online about this experience.

 

[Zemedici]

go up there, talk to the GM, explain what's going on.

Whambam i bet you have a tag the next day.

 

[matt5058]

I've exchanged emails with the general manager....and his excuse was, I shit you not, that they used to be a really crappy dealership and now they are getting better and getting lots of sales, so they are behind on some things, but they are improving.

:nonono:

 

[Zemedici]

I've exchanged emails with the general manager....and his excuse was, I shit you not, that they used to be a really crappy dealership and now they are getting better and getting lots of sales, so they are behind on some things, but they are improving.

:nonono:

email is one thing, but GOING UP THERE is another story. Its one thing to bullshit someone over email, another thing when the person's in your face, ya know?

 

[matt5058]

Yeah I haven't had time to go in person because I've been working a lot recently but I plan to go soon, possibly today or tomorrow.

 

[kevinatfms]

I worked as a tech for Lindsay Ford and can tell you 100% that they are the worst dealer in the DMV area. PM me if you need assistance as i know a few people left and might be able to push them to get it completed correctly.

 

[matt5058]

Kevin, thanks for your input and for your help via PMs.

To update the thread, here's the latest...

I called again on Friday, this time just to try and get in touch with anyone who could help, and was planning to go up there if I didn't get through. I spoke to someone who said he was a sales manager named Mike, didn't catch his last name, and he said he'd look into it and get back to me shortly. He never called back but I received an email from a guy named Kyle Bacon, who has been in some of the past email exchanges earlier this year. Kyle's explanation was that they still hadn't received the title from the bank and that Sherry, the tag and title clerk, who I've been attempting to deal with, would look into it on Monday. I send an email back thanking him for the update but asking why this wasn't communicated earlier and why I'm only received responses after multiple phone calls and emails. No response.

Today I sent another email to Kyle, Sherri, and the General Manager, after speaking to the bank (Wells Fargo) and told them I'd asked Wells Fargo to send a copy of the title to the dealer. Apparently the guy at the bank had no idea what he was talking about, because finally Sherry got back to me and said

I contacted Wells Fargo. They can’t send me a copy of the title because it’s an electronic lien. They informed me that they are putting in a request to release the electronic lien. I’m going to the VA dmv on Wednedsay, I will confirm that it’s been released. Once it’s released, the title will be mailed to our dealership from Richmond. When we receive the title, I will send someone the same day to the DC DMV to process your tag work.

No apology, no explanation for the lack of communication. Pretty pathetic display of customer service. I asked her if I'd get the plates before Dec. 29th (when my current temp tags expire), and her response was that she "was told 7 to 10 business days". This is the same explanation she gave me back in early November before the month of communication blackout. Needless to say, I wrote a pretty scathing email back and haven't received a reply back. I will most likely be reporting this dealer to the BBB and to Ford's National Office, as well as writing some poor reviews on whatever sites come up in the searches, if it matters at all. If anything, maybe someone will learn from my experience and steer clear.

 

[kevinatfms]

They truly are horrendous. I bought a 2015 Fiesta ST and it was nothing but nightmares from the start. This dealer changed from the days when i worked for them. All the stand up salesmen/ladies are gone and the people there now are into snake oil and blind tactics. This will be the last time i set foot at my old dealer. Sorry to all the techs that worked there. They were the best around.

 

[matt5058]

It's been three months since my last post about this situation and I still don't have a set of plates, 8 months after buying the car.

Upon further investigation (me calling the bank repeatedly to figure out where my title was), it was confirmed that the entire issue was a result of the guy at the dealership who I submitted my DC driver's license to, not passing the information to the tag and title clerk, resulting in them titling the car in Virginia under a status that would require me to register the vehicle myself. Nobody could tell me this until I found out that the title was in Virginia and then asked the bank to contact the dealership. Even after that, it took three weeks for the title to be sent from Virginia to the DC DMV, then because I've had the car so long and it isn't even considered new anymore (new cars don't require an inspection for registration in DC) I had to take the car to the DC DMV to have it inspected. It passed of course and then I notified the dealership that the DC DMV had inspected the car. This took place two weeks ago and I still don't have my plates, after being assured multiple times by the tag and title clerk that they would be sending a runner to get the plates and then have them FedEx'd overnight to my home.

I contacted the general manager, Mike Engle, again today and said that it is unreal that my plates are still not on my car and it's been 8 months. His response:

"We are 100% committed to getting this done.

I assure you that we have spared no expense nor taken short cuts. Unfortunately the miscommunication on the license created a huge problem for all of us.

I will keep you posted."

This is ****ing absurd. It's become comical at this point.

 

[kevinatfms]

I got my plates about 45 days after i bought the car. Took longer than i thought it was going to take as my last set of plates came within 2 weeks.

I hope you contact Ford about this. Did you get the survey yet? Threaten them with a bad survey and they will go to the ends of the earth to fix it as it will bring the dealer score down with a bad review. They tried to bribe me to give them a good review by telling me they would send me a $200 gift card for FRPP parts. I told them ill wait till i have the gift card before submitting the review. Its been more than a month since they last contacted me....**** EM. Sent the survey the next day with a huge note saying it was the worst dealership experience i have ever had.

 

[Zemedici]

8 months and still no plates. good lord.

 

[kevinatfms]

Well as much as i hate dealing with certain individuals at Lindsay they finally came through with a decent deal with my wife and I. She wanted a 2015 Edge Sport in tuxedo black with the 401a package. Sheehy Ford of Gaithersburg wouldnt budge off the MSRP so we called Lindsay as a last resort and they came through with 2k+ off MSRP and had the exact truck sitting on the lot. They came down to what i wanted and gave us the financing that we wanted which was nice departure from the norm.

So we scooped it up. Thread with pictures in the ecoboost engine forum of this site. I will update when we get the tags and hope it doesnt take more than the 30 day temp tags.

If anyone wants to communicate with someone with some brains at Lindsay please give Tom LaGrave a call. He is a good guy who will treat you right. You can drop my name too just PM me before hand so i can contact him and let him know that you will be giving him a call.