Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a flyer in the mail early December for a sale and prize giveaway. I called the number on the flyer with my winning code and told it was a winner. I then confirmed with them over the phone that I had in fact won the 85” television TV at my code matched with and was told yes. Because of this information, I made the 30minute drive to the dealership to claim my prize. I was then told that my prize was a Bluetooth speaker and not the tv as advertised and confirmed. I then spoke to the manager and we called the call center to listen to the recorded conversation. The lady said they keep phone calls for 2 days in their system. I made the call on Dec 9 @ 4pm and arrived at the dealership on Dec 11 @ 4:00pm. The call center then called the manager back and said they can’t find the conversation. I then asked for names so that I could file complaints with the fair trade commission and better business bureau. They then asked me to leave the dealership so I did. I want to stress that I would not have made that long drive and wasted half a tank of gas if I did not have the confirmation of winning that specific prize. From the moment I arrived and attempted to claim my prize I was met with nothing but condescension, attitude, and general poor behavior. The flyers they sent were a perfect example of false advertising and predatory deceptive business practices.

  Business response

  12/12/2024

  When the individual was in the dealership and complained about the prize he had won and stated that he was told he won a T.V. we reached out the call center he said told him he won the T.V.  The supervisor of the call center stated that they don't tell anyone they won a T.V. or any other prizes since the Confirmation Code the individual receives has to be matched to the Confirmation Code that is posted at the Dealership to find out what prize they win.  If you look at the flier the gentleman attached, you will find that the prizes are in the middle with different Confirmation Codes that must be matched to the Code they scratch off on the rights side.  To the Left of the box, almost touching it is a box that clearly states in capital letters "Order of winning numbers does not match the order of the winning prizes.  Confirmation code determines actual prize won".  There is nothing misleading, EVERY individual gets the prize their Confirmation Code matches just as it is printed in the flier. 

  Thank you,

   

  Customer response

  12/12/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The manager wanted to prove his call center didn’t tell me that I won the TV when, in fact, they did.  He called the call center manager and she said she would check the recording.  She returned his call telling him they could not find my call, which I suspect was hidden or deleted in purpose because I was indeed told I had won the TV on the flyer.  The manager got quiet and spoke with the call center manager further.  It was at this point I was ganged up on my several different employees and was intimidated into leaving before they would give me the prize I was told on the phone I would be getting.  

  The whole process was predatory and deceptive and I expect to be compensated for my long journey to the dealership.  I would not have traveled that far if I had not gotten the confirmation that I won my TV prize.

  I'm hopeful the dealership will admit they were wrong and do the honorable and honest thing.

  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 8/22/24 our 2015 Chevrolet Cruze was towed to Fosters Chevrolet after it broke down with a coolant leak. on 8/23/24 Fosters repaired it for a thermostat, water outlet, and bleed hose under warranty. We paid our part of $277.27 for that repair. My son drove it until 9/6/24 when we noted it to have a warning light on saying the engine was hot. He pulled over and the coolant reservoir was noted to be empty indicating a continued leak. We added coolant and drove back to Fosters, as they instructed, where we were told the next day that there "was an air bubble" in the system causing the low coolant level, and to bring the vehicle back in 1 week for re-check. After driving it for 1 week, the coolant level was again observed low, there was a burning smell, and a puddle under the vehicle. We returned to the dealership on 9/13/24. After one and a half weeks Fosters found that the head gasket was leaking, turbo cooler needed replaced, and the cylinder needed replaced. Due to what the warranty company said was over heating, the cylinder was not paid for. I was never given a cost estimate for my part of the repair after asking multiple times. In the end, the total bill was about $3000, with the warranty paying $2000, however I had to pay 718.14 to get my vehicle returned to me. I feel that I should not have had to pay for the remainder of the bill for 2 reasons. #1 I was never given an estimate of charges to me, even after asking multiple times both by phone and in person; and #2 Per a second mechanic looking at the parts that had been removed and the timeline, it is obvious that Fosters did not correctly diagnose my vehicle the first time, thus causing further damage to the engine, which voided the warranty and also caused damage that otherwise would not have needed to be repaired. We maintain that they missed the turbo cooler leak, which was the probable component that was still leaking from the first repair. I would like my money back for this bill.

  Business response

  10/23/2024

  The vehicle was initially towed in with an engine overheating issue.  The vehicle was checked and found that the thermostat was stuck causing overheating.  In addition, the water outlet was also found to be cracked along with the bleed hose on the cooling tank leaking.   The thermostat, water outlet and the coolant tank were replaced.  The vehicle was test driven and inspected with no other leaks detected.  The customer called on the 6th of September roughly 2 weeks later stating that the vehicle was low on coolant. The vehicle was inspected again for leaks with none being found.  The technician then pressurized the system which allowed him to check the heating system as well, and the cooling system for combustion gases which tells weather the head gaskets are leaking and there were no leaks found.   Since no leaks were found we believed the coolant system had air in it and when the air exited the system the coolant level would have dropped.  The customer was not billed for this visit and asked to check back in a week to retest again.  The customer brought the vehicle back on the September 13th for the inspection and stated that they found a small puddle of coolant under the vehicle that morning.  The coolant was checked and found to be low.   The vehicle was checked again with no leaks detected.  The system was then pressurized again with no leaks detected so the technician let the vehicle sit pressurized overnight and inspected the next day with a bore scope inside the cylinder and found tiny droplets of coolant.   The customer was told that that the repair was going to be over $3000.00 initially and we would contact her warranty company to see what they were going to cover.  The service manager contacted the customer after speaking with the warranty company and explained to her that the warranty company was covering the majority of the bill, but we didn't know exactly how much she would be responsible for outside of the deductible ($100.00) and the taxes.   

  This vehicles leak was so minimal that he system even in a 14–16-hour period it didn't lose enough pressure to determine it was leaking.   This leak was unique since you very rarely (almost never) have to inspect the inside of a cylinder head to find them.  Fortunately the technician that worked on it was experienced and been in the industry for 40 plus years to have considered this possibility.  

   

  Customer response

  10/25/2024

  
  Complaint: 22440182
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am aware of ALL of the information provided I. The response from the business.  The fact that the Foster Chevrolet had difficulties in diagnosing the issue with my vehicle supports the fact that the delay in finding the actual problem the first time the vehicle was repaired ultimately led to further problems and potential damage to my vehicle. This damage caused a partial denial of my warranty to cover the entire repair which is why I had to pay a substantial sum to have my car returned to me. It is that amount that I would like refunded. Further I was NEVER told the cost of the repair that I would be responsible for prior to the work being done, which is unethical and not appropriate customer service. I would still like I resolution to this matter.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On January 26th, I had an oil change performed. By June 22nd, despite having driven less than 2000 miles since the oil change, I noticed oil on the ground due to a loose oil drain plug that was only finger-tight. I tightened it to prevent further leaks. On July 2nd, I took the car to the shop to have the oil drain plug re-tapped to resolve the issue. However, the shop incorrectly attributed the leak to an "excessive" issue with the valve cover gasket and did not address the drain plug as I requested. Insisting on the re-tapping of the drain plug, I retrieved the car.The following day, July 3rd, I discovered oil had leaked all over the driveway again. After draining the oil to prevent further spillage, I found a 14mm 1.5 double oversized bolt with Teflon tape wrapped around itclear evidence of the issue with the drain plug. Upon contacting the shop for assistance, I was told they needed to escalate the matter. Meanwhile, I had no choice but to seek help elsewhere to fix the problem promptly, as I needed the vehicle for Fourth of July plans.Addressing the situation required the correct tap, the appropriate bolt, and just an hour of labor. Driving the vehicle in this condition not once but twice was not acceptable; while the first oversight might have been a mistake, the second occurrence was negligent. I'd like to receive compensation for 1 hour labor @ $65/hr and 5 quarts of oil @ $8.78 for a total of $108.90 for having the plug tapped and refilled with oil.

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  The Service manager is contacting the customer to advise him that after reviewing the history we are going to refund the customer the $108.00.

  Customer response

  08/13/2024

  "Dear Foster Chevrolet of Sandusky,
  I am writing to follow up on a complaint I previously filed with the Better Business Bureau regarding an issue with an oil change service performed at your dealership on January 26th.
  
  After filing my complaint, I was contacted by your service manager on July 18, 2024, who inquired if I had any documentation from the individual who performed the subsequent repairs and asked how much compensation I was seeking. I provided this information, and the service manager mentioned that he would need to look into the matter further and get back to me.
  
  It has now been several weeks since that conversation, and despite leaving a follow-up message on July 29, 2024, requesting a callback, I have not received any further communication or resolution from your dealership or the service manager.
  
  In addition to the specific compensation of $108.90, which covers 1 hour of labor at $65 and 5 quarts of oil at $8.78 each, I believe that additional compensation is warranted due to the inconvenience and frustration caused by the overall handling of this issue. The lack of attention to detail, both in the initial service and the subsequent follow-up, has been unacceptable and has caused undue stress and inconvenience.
  
  I respectfully request a prompt response and resolution to this matter, including consideration of compensation for the overall poor service experience. I value the opportunity to resolve this issue amicably and look forward to your prompt attention.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  08/26/2024

  We sent a check to ************** the week before last.  I reached out to him today to see whether he received it.   If he didn't, we will stop payment on that check and issue another one.

  Customer response

  08/26/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I received a check to compensate only for one hour of labor and 5 quarts of oil and nothing additional.  They will have no other business with me nor I with them. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been working with ********/***** and the Manager ****. They promised me a lease deal, ran my credit, approved my application, used my GM employee number, had me switch my insurance over and the car is to be delivered in the next couple hours when I get a phone call from the Manager **** that they cannot honor the deal anymore. All this after this same day I was asked to download the app, add the vehicle and start it from my phone! They did a bait and switch at the 11th hour. They took advantage of me as a woman and gave me no other options. I did everything that was asked of me until the final moment of when the car is to be delivered. The only other thing I can do is file a complaint against them with the state for this unethical behavior. I have fallen victim to there scams and am mortified that a dealership that has been there since 1955 can treat a customer like this!

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  This was nothing more than an honest mistake with the customers trade in value. We sincerely apologize.

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ran my credit 6 times for hard inquiries and said that it shouldn't have happened due to ohios laws and still hasn't fixed it. Sold me a car with a broken air conditioning system and the manager said they will fix it because it was missed during the inspection. They put freon in it and called it good but it was not fixed. Then air conditioning clutch broke and they claimed its a totally separate issue and charged me 1250 bucks to fix it. After arguing with them that they were wrong they took 20% off the bill and then shredded the original bill and said have a nice day.

  Business response

  07/14/2022

  The customers vehicle was serviced and inspected prior to the purchase on 03/03/2022.  The first service visit was on 04/22/2022 for an oil change and tire rotation.  On 04/29/2022 the customer brought the vehicle in complaining that the A/C was not blowing cold.  The technician added freon and dye to the system, checked for leaks and found no visual leaks.  The A/C was blowing cold so the vehicle was returned to the customer.  On 06/28/2022 the customer brought the vehicle in complaining of a noise, burning odor and  A/C not working.  The vehicle was diagnosed and found that the compressor not working due to the clutch on the compressor being broken.  The A/C condenser was replaced, system recharged and the A/C was working properly.  When the customer was picking up his vehicle he was concerned that the A/C issue was related to the previous A/C repair.  We explained to the customer that the compressor was working properly when it was in for the previous repair (two months earlier) and there was no way of knowing/diagnosing that it was going to break.  We did discount the repair since he had previous issues with the vehicle.   It is very unfortunate that the compressor broke but again there was no way of knowing it was going to break while diagnosing the A/C on the first repair two months earlier.     

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩