Toxix's 2017 Corvette - A Terrible Experience with Georgian Chevrolet

Toxix

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This post will look familiar to those of you that have commented or read my introductory post. This is the review I have submitted to Google Reviews, Yellow Pages, Facebook as well as DealerRater.

This is going to be a painful one to write based on my experience picking up a brand new 2017 2LT Corvette w/ the Z51 from Georgian Chevrolet in Barrie. Considering how I wanted my Corvette equipped (Had to be Torch Red, needed navigation, transparent roof, manual etc, etc) Working with Georgian Chevy was one of my very few options, the other one being in Laval, QC.

To save yourself a long read, I will give you the short story here: I have backed out of the deal, all the papers are marked as void and have just received my refund, I am refusing to take this, my dream car from Georgian Chevy.

• Approval was completed
• The deposit was put down
• All necessary paperwork was signed and completed
• I even had one of the keys to the car


On a positive note, Georgian was able to offer me what I thought was a fair price on my trade in (2014 Mustang GT) This is where the good stuff ends. Now on to the bad news and the events that have unfolded to get myself a Corvette that is 2 hours drive away.

The original pickup date was supposed to have been Monday, March 27th, I had my test drive on Saturday where I identified the problem with the transmission. It was shifting from 3rd to neutral on deceleration without my hand on the shifter; The salesman insisted (and even argued to an extent) that this was normal due it being in Transport Mode. Now, I know a little bit about cars, a little bit about parts and gears to know that there is no way they would release this car to a customer or even more importantly to someone for a test drive in Transport Mode if this is how it acted. Again, he argued and insisted and guaranteed that this will be fixed once removed out of Transport Mode.

They were supposed to take it out of Transport Mode and resolve the issues by Monday, March 27th pickup. This was delayed because they found out the issue was NOT Transport Mode as I had called it. It was a 3rd gear issue and there was a service bulletin already for it which they were unaware of. So now the sales rep had called me and informed me that they had to order 20 different parts and I was given the ETA of repair completion by Friday March 31st and pickup of the vehicle on Saturday April 1st. Saturday came and went, I was not called nor was I updated throughout the week without having asked for an update; I had to keep asking and pressing for updates. I was told finally that it would be ready for pickup Monday April 1st.

Having booked a half day off of work because the dealer is an hour and a half away. Just as I was packing my things and almost out the door I emailed Georgian Chevy to inform them I was on the way. Several minutes later I receive an email telling me that the issue has not been resolved and now the transmission after having been cracked open and repaired already is now making a loud clicking noise. They didn't keep me up to date, they didn't keep me informed - I almost drove all the way to get no car back.

Upon asking for an update on my vehicle, I was told "You're not my only customer" this was the last straw for me. I am paying near $100,000 for a vehicle that has needed to be repaired twice already, I am being treated without respect, emails are being ignored. Not only was the service horrendous, I didn't want to take on a brand new car that has already had issues this dealer was not able to repair the first time around.

I had to walk away. This had bad news written all over it. Buyers, I want to make it evident and share my experience, take note of the stress and wasted time trying to make my dream car happen. I strongly suggest you to take your business elsewhere, especially when buying a higher end vehicle such as a Corvette.

Here are some pics of the Corvette I almost went home with:

xKPesJf.jpg


69qaYZU.jpg


axc95R5.jpg


LlWjqSE.jpg


p6NzZmE.jpg


GWwi7Zr.jpg


7HzhrzB.jpg


I0gujrC.jpg


CCF Team, the C7 Vette remains my dream car. I think I have something lined up but will not post/share anything once confirmed on paper. Wish me luck, lets hope this other dealer is able to work something out.
 
There is no question that you did the right thing walking away from this one. I worked in sales the last 35 years of my working life and it disappoints me to know that some people do not take the job seriously. There is no excuse for a rep to be uneducated and unresponsive, you should have been treated as his only customer, what was important to you should have been to him or her as well.

Interesting that I saw Georgian's ad on the side of 400 yesterday telling all about their Corvette inventory.

Again best of luck finding the dream car. Seems like a lot of dealers have a bunch of inventory.
 
There is something I wanted to add that I omitted from my review because I felt it would be information that some people wouldn't understand.
My sales guy, Larry, kept saying that Transport Mode was causing the gearing issue. He was telling me that the blue T on the dash was showing that it was in transport mode.

I later found out that the blue T on the dash was to identify that the vehicle was in a drive mode....It was in Touring Mode and the rep, either unknowingly or trying to make stuff up was telling me that T was in transport mode. Unbelievable.
I truly am glad I got away from this one.

Shout to @Manny@Dasilva for being there for me and being available to help me with a few things. He has definitely earned a customer.
 
Lol.... Your Google review will hit them hardest. They may contact you and offer a few things to remove it. This occurred with me. GM and other companies monitor these reviews carefully and come back to the dealer asking for answers.
 
Sorry to hear about your bad experience but you absolutely made the right call in walking away. If a salesman ever said to me "you are not my only customer" my answer would be a quick "you are not the only person to buy a 100k vette from".
 
Up late ... just got back from my GM Corvette Owner Experience ... hard to wind down ...

This is a well conceived decent thread Toxix (that definitely should help for you to prospect along).
(Without me saying ... but I will ... Any new Corvette Salesperson / Sales Manager at a Dealership that can help this man,
should attempt to reach out with an effort of showing how a sale is better performed as I am confident that there are good people out there!)

I do see something in the pics that is far too common and rather destructive to a sale from a customer's point of view.
... so here's my additional 2 cents in this thread...
I must say that, in Alberta, I have been impressed as most GM Dealerships now have Sold tags that say "Sold to Nice People" and some with a smiley face too!
It's a display of appreciation by the entire Dealership that is open with privacy and respect toward the customer.
It is very obvious that the Sold Sign of this Dealership is permitted to only congratulate "Larry" ... and "Larry" apparently embraces it by writing his name for an arrogant display on (what used to be) "your car". As far as I am concerned, after more than 20 new GM purchases in my lifetime, "Larry's" name should only be written on a Sales Team Selling Chart on a white board in the General Sales Manager's Office. It really is the only place where it would matter for somebody to really care! GM must consider to mandate a Dealer New Vehicle Buying Policy on this in order compliment the assurance that GM appreciates every New GM Vehicle Buyer (because they do)!
I could go on and on ... but ... this thread has plenty of meat on it ... Good Job "Larry" ..... not ! ... and the others in the "sales support" in the Dealership obviously followed his lead.

Thank you to Toxix! You have invested a lot of time trying to get this particular Corvette (before, during & after the fact)
 
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It is a good point and after reading what you wrote SNIII I completely agree with you. It is like when you meet a person who always says "I did this" and "I built this" when you know for a fact he was a part of a team that did the workt and anyone who isn't full of themselves will use the "We did this" and "We built that" vernacular. I run into this in my business with people all the time and it shows very quickly and blatantly the type of person you are dealing with. In Toxix's situation it shows the philosophy and mindset of the dealership as that always flows from the top down in any organization.
 
Up late ... just got back from my GM Corvette Owner Experience ... hard to wind down ...

This is a well conceived decent thread Toxix (that definitely should help for you to prospect along).
(Without me saying ... but I will ... Any new Corvette Salesperson / Sales Manager at a Dealership that can help this man,
should attempt to reach out with an effort of showing how a sale is better performed as I am confident that there are good people out there!)

I do see something in the pics that is far too common and rather destructive to a sale from a customer's point of view.
... so here's my additional 2 cents in this thread...
I must say that, in Alberta, I have been impressed as most GM Dealerships now have Sold tags that say "Sold to Nice People" and some with a smiley face too!
It's a display of appreciation by the entire Dealership that is open with privacy and respect toward the customer.
It is very obvious that the Sold Sign of this Dealership is permitted to only congratulate "Larry" ... and "Larry" apparently embraces it by writing his name for an arrogant display on (what used to be) "your car". As far as I am concerned, after more than 20 new GM purchases in my lifetime, "Larry's" name should only be written on a Sales Team Selling Chart on a white board in the General Sales Manager's Office. It really is the only place where it would matter for somebody to really care! GM must consider to mandate a Dealer New Vehicle Buying Policy on this in order compliment the assurance that GM appreciates every New GM Vehicle Buyer (because they do)!
I could go on and on ... but ... this thread has plenty of meat on it ... Good Job "Larry" ..... not ! ... and the others in the "sales support" in the Dealership obviously followed his lead.

Thank you to Toxix! You have invested a lot of time trying to get this particular Corvette (before, during & after the fact)

It is a good point and after reading what you wrote SNIII I completely agree with you. It is like when you meet a person who always says "I did this" and "I built this" when you know for a fact he was a part of a team that did the workt and anyone who isn't full of themselves will use the "We did this" and "We built that" vernacular. I run into this in my business with people all the time and it shows very quickly and blatantly the type of person you are dealing with. In Toxix's situation it shows the philosophy and mindset of the dealership as that always flows from the top down in any organization.

well said. both of you...:thumbs:
 
Like most others, I am shocked by the comment that you are not their only customer. Wow.

As for the dealer stating the car is in Transport Mode and that it's normal for it to pop out of gear, here's an oldie but a goodie phone call.
 
As a "team member" in light residential construction, I run my business by at least 3 very simple rules ...
1. "There are people who do the work and people who take the credit and it is far better to take part in doing the work because there is less competition"
2. "Do not critique without a suggestion of resolve"
3. "Never abandon integrity when being on the wrong-side-of-the-fan"
I'm sure there are plenty more ......
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This post will look familiar to those of you that have commented or read my introductory post. This is the review I have submitted to Google Reviews, Yellow Pages, Facebook as well as DealerRater.

This is going to be a painful one to write based on my experience picking up a brand new 2017 2LT Corvette w/ the Z51 from Georgian Chevrolet in Barrie. Considering how I wanted my Corvette equipped (Had to be Torch Red, needed navigation, transparent roof, manual etc, etc) Working with Georgian Chevy was one of my very few options, the other one being in Laval, QC.

To save yourself a long read, I will give you the short story here: I have backed out of the deal, all the papers are marked as void and have just received my refund, I am refusing to take this, my dream car from Georgian Chevy.

• Approval was completed
• The deposit was put down
• All necessary paperwork was signed and completed
• I even had one of the keys to the car


On a positive note, Georgian was able to offer me what I thought was a fair price on my trade in (2014 Mustang GT) This is where the good stuff ends. Now on to the bad news and the events that have unfolded to get myself a Corvette that is 2 hours drive away.

The original pickup date was supposed to have been Monday, March 27th, I had my test drive on Saturday where I identified the problem with the transmission. It was shifting from 3rd to neutral on deceleration without my hand on the shifter; The salesman insisted (and even argued to an extent) that this was normal due it being in Transport Mode. Now, I know a little bit about cars, a little bit about parts and gears to know that there is no way they would release this car to a customer or even more importantly to someone for a test drive in Transport Mode if this is how it acted. Again, he argued and insisted and guaranteed that this will be fixed once removed out of Transport Mode.

They were supposed to take it out of Transport Mode and resolve the issues by Monday, March 27th pickup. This was delayed because they found out the issue was NOT Transport Mode as I had called it. It was a 3rd gear issue and there was a service bulletin already for it which they were unaware of. So now the sales rep had called me and informed me that they had to order 20 different parts and I was given the ETA of repair completion by Friday March 31st and pickup of the vehicle on Saturday April 1st. Saturday came and went, I was not called nor was I updated throughout the week without having asked for an update; I had to keep asking and pressing for updates. I was told finally that it would be ready for pickup Monday April 1st.

Having booked a half day off of work because the dealer is an hour and a half away. Just as I was packing my things and almost out the door I emailed Georgian Chevy to inform them I was on the way. Several minutes later I receive an email telling me that the issue has not been resolved and now the transmission after having been cracked open and repaired already is now making a loud clicking noise. They didn't keep me up to date, they didn't keep me informed - I almost drove all the way to get no car back.

Upon asking for an update on my vehicle, I was told "You're not my only customer" this was the last straw for me. I am paying near $100,000 for a vehicle that has needed to be repaired twice already, I am being treated without respect, emails are being ignored. Not only was the service horrendous, I didn't want to take on a brand new car that has already had issues this dealer was not able to repair the first time around.

I had to walk away. This had bad news written all over it. Buyers, I want to make it evident and share my experience, take note of the stress and wasted time trying to make my dream car happen. I strongly suggest you to take your business elsewhere, especially when buying a higher end vehicle such as a Corvette.

Here are some pics of the Corvette I almost went home with:

xKPesJf.jpg


69qaYZU.jpg


axc95R5.jpg


LlWjqSE.jpg


p6NzZmE.jpg


GWwi7Zr.jpg


7HzhrzB.jpg


I0gujrC.jpg


CCF Team, the C7 Vette remains my dream car. I think I have something lined up but will not post/share anything once confirmed on paper. Wish me luck, lets hope this other dealer is able to work something out.
 
This post will look familiar to those of you that have commented or read my introductory post. This is the review I have submitted to Google Reviews, Yellow Pages, Facebook as well as DealerRater.

This is going to be a painful one to write based on my experience picking up a brand new 2017 2LT Corvette w/ the Z51 from Georgian Chevrolet in Barrie. Considering how I wanted my Corvette equipped (Had to be Torch Red, needed navigation, transparent roof, manual etc, etc) Working with Georgian Chevy was one of my very few options, the other one being in Laval, QC.

To save yourself a long read, I will give you the short story here: I have backed out of the deal, all the papers are marked as void and have just received my refund, I am refusing to take this, my dream car from Georgian Chevy.

• Approval was completed
• The deposit was put down
• All necessary paperwork was signed and completed
• I even had one of the keys to the car


On a positive note, Georgian was able to offer me what I thought was a fair price on my trade in (2014 Mustang GT) This is where the good stuff ends. Now on to the bad news and the events that have unfolded to get myself a Corvette that is 2 hours drive away.

The original pickup date was supposed to have been Monday, March 27th, I had my test drive on Saturday where I identified the problem with the transmission. It was shifting from 3rd to neutral on deceleration without my hand on the shifter; The salesman insisted (and even argued to an extent) that this was normal due it being in Transport Mode. Now, I know a little bit about cars, a little bit about parts and gears to know that there is no way they would release this car to a customer or even more importantly to someone for a test drive in Transport Mode if this is how it acted. Again, he argued and insisted and guaranteed that this will be fixed once removed out of Transport Mode.

They were supposed to take it out of Transport Mode and resolve the issues by Monday, March 27th pickup. This was delayed because they found out the issue was NOT Transport Mode as I had called it. It was a 3rd gear issue and there was a service bulletin already for it which they were unaware of. So now the sales rep had called me and informed me that they had to order 20 different parts and I was given the ETA of repair completion by Friday March 31st and pickup of the vehicle on Saturday April 1st. Saturday came and went, I was not called nor was I updated throughout the week without having asked for an update; I had to keep asking and pressing for updates. I was told finally that it would be ready for pickup Monday April 1st.

Having booked a half day off of work because the dealer is an hour and a half away. Just as I was packing my things and almost out the door I emailed Georgian Chevy to inform them I was on the way. Several minutes later I receive an email telling me that the issue has not been resolved and now the transmission after having been cracked open and repaired already is now making a loud clicking noise. They didn't keep me up to date, they didn't keep me informed - I almost drove all the way to get no car back.

Upon asking for an update on my vehicle, I was told "You're not my only customer" this was the last straw for me. I am paying near $100,000 for a vehicle that has needed to be repaired twice already, I am being treated without respect, emails are being ignored. Not only was the service horrendous, I didn't want to take on a brand new car that has already had issues this dealer was not able to repair the first time around.

I had to walk away. This had bad news written all over it. Buyers, I want to make it evident and share my experience, take note of the stress and wasted time trying to make my dream car happen. I strongly suggest you to take your business elsewhere, especially when buying a higher end vehicle such as a Corvette.

Here are some pics of the Corvette I almost went home with:

xKPesJf.jpg


69qaYZU.jpg


axc95R5.jpg


LlWjqSE.jpg


p6NzZmE.jpg


GWwi7Zr.jpg


7HzhrzB.jpg


I0gujrC.jpg


CCF Team, the C7 Vette remains my dream car. I think I have something lined up but will not post/share anything once confirmed on paper. Wish me luck, lets hope this other dealer is able to work something out.
It really sucks that you had that experience and a lousy dealership. I picked my new 2017 Z51 a week ago from Anderson GM in Woodstock which is my fourth car from them. The service was amazing and I would not buy anywhere else. Give Jerry a call he might be able to hook you up and I do recall that Macmaster chev in London had the exact car that you had ordered in stock a few weeks ago.
Good luck with you search. Mine is amazing to drive!
 
From my experience and everything that I have heard over the years, GM's biggest problem is right at the salesman-customer level. Most car salesmen are clueless and I say that in all sincerity. The last time we bought a new vehicle was 2005. We walked out of two dealerships when the salesmen started playing games. My father-in -law was a car salesman and I learned a lot of the tricks to look out for from him. With the third dealership, we met Rob Nicholas. GM got rid of that dealership during their restructuring in 2008-2009 and Rob moved on to Thomas Pontiac in Cobourg, Ontario. He was a no pressure salesman working to sell us what WE wanted. To this day, he still sends a Christmas card and calls on my wife's birthday to wish her well and ask how we are doing with the same vehicle after all these years. He is a no pressure salesman, looks after his customers and, amazingly, was their top salesman. I recommend him at every opportunity because salesmen like him seem to be rare. If they even remotely start playing games, walk away. There are good sales people around if you look.
 
Toxix,

Sorry to hear about your experience. I think you were absolutely right to walk away from this deal, this dealership and this car. I have been a professional sales person for over 25 years. If I heard of one of my Sales Reps doing this, I would definitely get rid of them real fast. I can work with lower sales performance and people learning & developing, but I can not tolerate anyone misleading customers. This is a top down problem. There are some great sales people out there that will treat you right and create the experience your looking for (and willing to pay for)!

Continue being patient. It will be well worth the wait.
 
Thank you Spence, Keith, Radiohead and everyone else for the feedback.
I am now working with Gateway Chevrolet, whom is a supporting vendor on this forum to get myself a Corvette.

Backstory on this one, the streak of bad news and failure to meet expectations from Georgian Chevy, I decided to reach out to Dwayne W Hanson at the 11th hour just to see what my options were, I noticed he hasn't been very active in the club but I figured what the heck, give it a shot.

He replied almost immediately and we were already on the phone within minutes of having sent a PM in this club. This is more than I can say of Georgian Chevy already, heh. I told him what I was looking for, right down to the options and he assured me that he would do some digging and running around to find out who had stock of a 7 Speed Torch Red 2017 3LT Z51. I also expressed concern on nobody being able to match Georgian's offering for my modified 2014 Mustang GT. He told me not to worry about this too much, given my history so far, I worried anyways.

Monday was the day I was supposed to pick up my Vette from Georgian, Friday is when I started speaking with Dwayne. We were on a very tight deadline here and Dwayne was pressed for time because I was picking up a car that he was searching for in a couple of days. He ensured me that they would be able to place a new order and I could something that I want, brand new, fresh off the plant instead of a vehicle that was sitting on the dealership lot for 100+ days (Side question: Any idea why this car was sitting there for 100+ days? I didn't think Vettes lasted this long on a dealer lot)

Monday came, the deal for my 2LT Z51 fell through as you all know already. Dwayne at the very last minute was able to set me up with the George (General Sales Manager), Masih (Business Manager) and Mike (Remarketing Director) at Gateway Chevy where they took my Mustang for a test drive, introduced me to the their team, had me sit down in their office and help work out a deal.

A decision needed to be made as at this point Georgian told me to wait for Wednesday where they would flatbed the Vette to my home and then flatbed the Mustang back or I could place a new order at Gateway.

One week later, I have obviously left Georgian in the dust I should have an update from. Gateway by sometime tomorrow where I will post an update!
 
Sounding good so far Toxix. Here's hoping for the happy ending....errrr.... for the Corvette deal that is....:confused:
 
Best of luck. It really should not be this hard to buy a car.
 
I think it's in all of our collective best interests to replace @Toxix 's avatar pic sooner rather than later.

It should go well for you. Dwayne is pretty responsive. @Dwayne W. Hanson


I agree on the avatar picture change.:thumbs:... And since we are on the subject, when will we see another avatar pic change? Don't Panic though... we can wait a bit longer...:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

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