On October 23, my 85 pound 83 year old mother purchased a car from Jim Glover Chevrolet in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This occurred three days after salesman and sales manager were told that a deal could not be made until family agreed. They were also told that any car purchased must have anti-lock brakes and side airbags.
My mother went to the dealership (alone) to get a trade-in value on her 2005 Buick LaCrosse CXL with 2,200 actual miles on the odometer. She wanted to trade it in because she did not feel comfortable driving the car because she was too small and sat too low for good visability. She had no intention of buying a car but after five hours she left with a 2007 Chevrolet HHR LS.
My mother arrived at the dealership at 2:00pm and did not leave until 7:15pm. She had not eaten since breakfast and she repeatedly stated she did not want to buy a car that day. Sales Manager Melvin (Red) Mitchell kept telling her, "let's get this deal done today, I have a buyer for your car".
She declined instruction on the car because she wanted to get home before dark. She told them she did not drive at night. She was so upset and distracted after driving away in her new car she became lost in a town she has lived in for over 52 years. My family had to drive her home.
The car my mother purchased did not have antilock brakes and it was not the car she thought she was buying. She has never made a car deal alone. My father died two years ago after 62 years of marriage and he handled all the financial affairs.
My mother was so upset the next day, she did not get out of bed. She was embarrassed about her inability to walk away when that is what she wanted to do. She was most upset because she trusted the salesmen she was working with.
Four days after the sale I met with the sales manager but we were unable to arrive at an amicable solution.
Did Jim Glover Chevrolet do anything illegal? Probably not. Did they use what some would call "shrewd" sales technique to complete a deal? I believe they thought so. Did they show respect for an elderly woman who obviously needed assistance from family? Absolutely not!!! Shame, shame, shame on you Jim Glover Chevrolet!
0 comments