Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 02May2022, I purchased a Tow-Behind Mirror Kit for my 2022 Chevrolet **** Trail Boss at the cost of $730.00 from Stevinson Chevrolet located in ********, **. I also purchased two Harness sets which connect the mirrors to the interior controls. As required, I provided the **************** with my vehicle *** number so that the order was accurate to my specific vehicle. I scheduled the installation of the mirrors with the Stevinson Chevrolet service department for 17May2022 to have the mirrors installed (upon their delivery), along with a few other service items during same service visit. After the completion of the service, the ****************** notified me that the mirror harness sets do not configure to my truck. They went onto say that while the mirrors do fit, the harness sets do not and therefore will not operate in my truck appropriately. At that time, I planned to return the mirrors and harnesses. Upon my conversation with the **************** Manager, he notified me that they would not return the Harness sets because they do not return electronic components and it would be a 25% re-stocking fee to return the mirrors. He suggested I keep the mirrors and wait for GM to come out with an updated Harness bundle, at which time they would install the mirrors with the new harness bundle set. He did not say when GM would come out with a harness set, but to check back every couple of months to see if there were any updates. I opted to keep the mirrors to prevent the 25% restocking fee and check back with the **************** every so-often to see if/when there was an update. I left the harness sets at the **************** since they were of no use to me whatsoever.Over the course of the year, I called into the Stevinson Chevrolet **************** every so often to see if there were updates, to which the answer was consistently no, we have not heard from GM about a Harness configuration update, check back again. During my last inquiry with ******** Parts Manager in May 2023, he declared that GM will not be making a Harness update for my truck. At that point, once I learned this new information, I requested a refund for my mirrors. This is when the tone of the conversation changed with them.The Parts Manager told me that he would not refund the mirrors that I purchased directly from him because it was now 12 months since I purchased these mirrors. I reminded him that he was the one who suggested I hold onto them once GM came out with the update Harness set in effort to mitigate the 25% restocking fee, to which I agreed based on the information I had at that time. He then told me that I purchased these mirrors knowing that they wouldnt fit my car and told me that I stated that I planned to reconfigure the mirrors myself to make them fit. Not only did I never make this ridiculous statement, nor do I have the tools or skillset to consider making such a modification, but I already had service appointment scheduled with their dealership to perform this service, and that theres a paper trail showing just that. Upon that service visit, the service department did attempt to perform the work, which is when I learned that the mirror harness sets dont fit. This conversation with this abhorrent Parts Manager went back and forth for close to an hour, throughout of which he was extraordinarily defensive and continued to blame me for purchasing these mirrors. I reminded him several times that, at the time of purchasing these mirrors from him, I provided him with the *** number and that I ordered these *** parts directly from him to have the same dealership (Stevinson Chevrolet) ****************** install them. I also reminded him that he suggested I hold onto these mirrors to wait for an update so that I dont have to incur the 25% restocking fee. I am still unclear how any of this would ever be my fault. Additionally, to blatantly lie to me, telling me that I told him I planned to modify my brand new truck to reconfigure the electronics to make these mirrors work, is completely nonsense. I already had a service with his service department pre-scheduled for this mirror installation. His final response was that since I waited for 12 months to return these mirrors that he will not allow me to return these mirrors at all not even with a 25% restocking fee. I finally had enough of the talking in circles with this Parts Manager; the bottom line was that he would not take the mirrors back and there would be NO REFUND. My desired outcome was simply for them to refund the *** parts I purchased from them based on their ordering error.One additional point to note the **************** did refund me the Harness Set, even though he told me they wouldnt return them since they were an electronic part. My contention is with the $730 Mirrors that they would not refund. He shouldve refunded both the harness sets and the mirrors with no restocking, given that he sold them to me and they did not fit. Not sure how it get any more clear that this was his mistake.I then got in touch with the General Manager of ******** Chevrolet and presented to him the history of the situation. In short, he declared that I shouldve returned the mirrors and accepted the 25% restocking fee at the time of discovering the Harness sets wouldnt configure to my truck. I pleaded with him that the Parts Manager suggested that I wait to see when GM would come out with the updated Harness set, which allowed me to bypass the 25% restocking fee and repurchase of the mirrors once GM made parts updates for the harness set (which we now know wont actually ever actually happen). After another round of talking in circles with someone who clearly didnt care about their customer, the General Manager concluded that this was my fault for ordering these mirrors and for not returning them and taking the 25% restocking loss.Next, I called another dealership to inquire about these mirrors. I provided the Parts Representative with the vehicle *** and the mirror part number in question. The representative at this other dealership said that neither these mirrors nor the harnesses shouldve ever been sold to me, and that my *** does not support any Accessory Mirrors. At that time, I briefed him with my situation, at which point he suggested I bring this up with the General Manager at Stevinson Chevrolet. I explained to him that had already gotten turned away by the General Manager, to which is response was shocked and appalled that they would handle the situation as they have.Needless to say, I will discontinue all service, parts ordering, and new car purchases from Stevinson Chevrolet. For the Parts Manager to treat a customer the way he has is utterly unacceptable. For the General Manager to ignore my concern is equally unacceptable. Clearly, this dealership is content with these repulsive actions to their customers. Its highly unlikely that anybody in my network will ever purchase from Stevinson Chevrolet based on my extremely negative experience with them.

  Business response

  06/22/2023

  ******************** did order and purchase Chevrolet mirrors and wiring harnesses over the parts counter from our dealership because the tow mirrors and wiring harnesses were not available to order from the factory (GM) for his vehicle at the time of purchase.
  
  We did use his Vehicle Identification Number at the time of his order to inform him that we will not guarantee these parts will fit his vehicle because the part numbers did not match what was available from GM to fit his vehicle.
  
  ******************** willingly moved forward with the purchase after being informed that the parts were not made for his vehicle and there was no guarantee of fitment.
  
  The parts arrived and our service department attempted the installation only to find out that the mirrors fit the vehicle but the wiring harnesses did not.  We, Stevinson Chevrolet, extended goodwill at that moment to ******************** by refunding the cost for the wiring harnesses ($385 non-returnable to GM) for Mr. ********* bad decision to knowingly order parts that did not fit his vehicle after being advised that there was not a guarantee of fitment prior to ordering.  We did inform him that there would be a restocking fee if he wanted to return the mirrors at that time.  ******************** decided to keep the mirrors and not pay a restocking fee.
  
  Over a year later, ******************** reached out to me regarding returning the mirrors he purchase.  After listening to ********************, and reviewing the interactions with our Parts team and considering the previous Goodwill extended by Stevinson Chevrolet, I concluded that ******************** was given the opportunity to return the mirrors at the time of installation for a restocking fee and no further action was necessary on our part.
  
  
  All the Best,
   
  ***********************
  General Manager | Stevinson Chevrolet
  

  
  

  Customer response

  07/17/2023

  Stevinson Chevrolet's response:
  We did use his Vehicle Identification Number at the time of his order to inform him that we will not guarantee these parts will fit his vehicle because the part numbers did not match what was available from GM to fit his vehicle.
  
  My response:
  This statement is the core of the discrepancy at hand.  I was never informed that the parts would not fit.  I simply ordered the mirrors and harness sets per the parts manager recommendation and then held onto them also per the parts managers suggestion.  It wasnt until the time of service that their service department notified me that the harness sets dont fit my car.  Everything I stated in my original statement of complaint is true and accurate and there is no need to restate it again in this final response.  This is the first time Ive ever prepared a compliant to the BBB or any other regulatory agency.  This is not worth my time.  Im only doing this because their actions were so egregious, and now theyre blatantly lying, and I think its important to let the public know how they treated a loyal customer.
  

  
  

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