Sorry for the long post, but here is the text of a letter that I'm sending to Toyota Motor Corp regarding my experience with South Bay Toyota: Last June, I received a flyer in the mail describing an Early Lease Termination Special from South Bay Toyota, which was set to end on June 28, 2007. The offer included the following: Payment of all Termination Fees and Damages to the turned-in car, and the option to roll the final lease payment(s) into a new Toyota lease. The offer was in conjunction with an online contest, which I entered. I was planning on leasing a Prius, once my current Volvo lease expired in September, so I thought it would be worth exploring to see if it would be of value to give up the Volvo early. By coincidence, my mother, XXX, wanted to buy a Prius, so I made an appointment for both of us with Tina Froodge in Fleet Sales. The first time we met, we talked exclusively about financial matters and lease options. We were both present at the meeting, and were witness to all arrangements on both cars. Ms. Froodge and I thoroughly discussed the early termination offer. I even brought the flyer with me so that we could discuss all points of the offer. We ended the meeting with Ms. Froodge ordering two Priuses for us. My decision to end my lease early was solely based upon the terms of the special offer. On June 27, we picked up the Priuses, signed paperwork, and left. My lease included the roll-in of two Volvo lease payments. Since I turned in my Volvo, I assumed that the termination fees and any damages would be absorbed by South Bay Toyota per the offer that was extended to me. A month later, I began receiving bills from US Bank (holder of my Volvo lease), attempting to collect their final payment for the Volvo. I immediately called Ms. Froodge, who assured me that it would be taken care of. I had many conversations over the next 5-6 weeks with both the dealership and US Bank regarding this bill, and eventually realized that Ms. Froodge had been talking about the lease payments, and I was talking about the termination fees. In a final effort to clear up this matter, I personally went to South Bay Toyota to try to resolve the problem prior to the account being sent to collections. I met with Ms. Froodge and the General Sales Manager, Nicolas Cardin. Mr. Cardin had, from the start, a disinterested and condescending tone. He asked Ms. Froodge if I had discussed the early termination offer with her, and she denied ever speaking about it with me. I reminded her that Ms. Wilk had been in the office, and was witness to our dealings, and she still denied it. I reminded her that I even brought the piece of paper they mailed me into her office, and still she denied it. Mr. Cardin then accused me of lying, to which I defended myself by stating that Ms. Froodge was incorrect, and that the only reason I was at the dealership in June was because they had reached out to me with an offer. He acted as if it had never happened, and called me belligerent. He told me that he would not speak to anyone who accused him of lying (I never said the word “LIEâ€). Here are some of the things that Mr. Cardin said to me in the course of our conversation: • He said, “you’ve lost the best friend you could have had, and now you’re out of luckâ€. • He also stated that he couldn’t run his business if he paid everyone’s termination fees (I reminded him of the offer, and he didn’t respond). • He told me that he doesn’t sell cars to “just anyone†and that he turns down people trying to buy cars all the time (as if South Bay Toyota was a country club instead of a car dealership). I don’t understand the point, as I already have the car! •He told me that if I had anything left to say to him, I should seek council. He also gave me his card and told me to call him later, which was very confusing. I reminded him that I brought him an additional customer, and had given the dealership straight tens on the customer experience sheet I got from Toyota. By this time, I was extremely upset. He was utterly patronizing, arrogant, insulting, and was acting in an extremely intimidating manner, in both his posture and tone. He was speaking to me as if I was a bad child. He basically threw me out of his office. I have never been treated so badly during a business transaction in my life. I still cannot quite believe that it happened, and that the dealership did not do everything in its power to help me, to make good on their offer, or to at the very least, not humiliate me. This is no way to do business. This is no way to treat anyone. I have reported this matter to Customer Relations at Toyota (Case #200708300985). Attached please find a letter from XXX, which will serve to coroberrate my story. Regards,
