Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

ab348

Been busy today with various stuff, some of it related to my reno which is close to being wrapped up, at least phase 1. Probably another week. One of the jobs today was looking for a bathroom mirror, just a small one, say 16x24. Nobody I went to today has small ones and even online they are tough to find. I might end up buying a medicine cabinet that size and throwing away the cabinet part!

The customer service discussion is interesting. I agree Amazon does it really well. I have returned a few items at Walmart and found them quite good as well. I hope Rona (a Canadian home improvement chain) is OK. The only bump in the road with the reno so far was with the laundry. I wanted a laundry sink/cabinet to fit in the space between the washer & dryer. We measured up the space as it was, the contractor said how much space do you need? The 2 machines were 54", I figured an inch on either side and I saw a cabinet at Rona that was 22" wide that I liked, so I told him I needed 78". No problem he said, so I bought the thing at about $400 with tax. Real pretty. They do their work, I check it out after they left, oops, I have maybe 1/2" clearance total. The next day I say what happened? Not real sure of the answer but after talking about various options we all agree the one I bought won't fit. But they had taken it out of the box and the packaging now looks a bit worse for wear. If Rona won't take it back he's going to own a laundry cabinet.

I was at that same Rona today to buy a set of towel bars they had advertised in their flyer. I find the shelf with 3 sets of the same item on it with the big sale bin tab stuck to the shelf underneath. I get to the cash where only 1 lane is open and a couple of ladies are complaining about the right price not coming up on the register for some heaters they wanted. Nobody could figure out the problem, the cashier looks defeated, and the line keeps growing. Finally someone else takes on the ladies problem and I get to the cash. She rings up the towel bars and I wince, the price is a lot more than the tag said, so I tell her, saying,, "I hate to do this to you after that last one, but...". She pages someone and a kid from the plumbing and bath department arrives and I go back there with him.

I show him the tag with the now 2 sets of my item on the shelf above it. He looks at the tag and says that's for a different set. I say, you can understand my confusion, right? There are no other sets on the shelf and the tag is there below these ones. He agrees but says these aren't the ones on sale. Show me those, then, I say. He can't find them. He goes and looks up the item and the computer says they have a bunch but he doesn't know where they are. Finally he gets the cherry-picker out and goes up in the air to find them. He hands it to me and I look at it. It's OK but not what I want, so I say, thanks, but I don't want this. They had dropped the ball here in a couple of different ways but I was polite the whole time which may have had something to do with what happened next.

I turn to walk away and he calls "Sir! Wait a minute please. I want to see what we can do for you." He goes and talks to a manager and explains the problem. The guy says without hesitation, give it to him for the shelf price. So he does. In the end I got 40% off. The process was awful and their store seems rather screwed up but they got to the right place in the end.

ab348

On the same CS discussion. I have less love for Home Depot because of one incident a few years ago. I walk in one day and they have a 6'x6' bin filled and piled high with plastic garden watering cans. I didn't really need a watering can but these were nicer than the one I had so I bought one because it was a great price. I get home, fill it and the water all leaks out because there was a big crack in the bottom I didn't see. I go back, go to the part of the store I was just at with the cans, and tell the guy my story. Can you just swap it for one that doesn't leak? Nope, can't do that, you have to go to the service desk and have them do it, as he hands me a second can. I walk the half-mile to the service desk and the line is 10 deep. I was there 20 minutes to do something that should have just been handled on the spot.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

That C300 looks great in red with the light gray interior.......even has the black accents just the way andre likes it.





Man, now that car looks gorgeous, but I am a bit prejudice.
Not having navigation might be a deal killer for some...it is pretty useful these days, though you know how to use your phone. Don't know about blind spot...assume it has rear camera.

Then I thought, I don't know GG, if you buy this one and it is a lemon I will never hear the end of it....especially from that Monroe character.

Oh, so now I'm a "character" am I? :@

I don't plan to buy another car without Nav. To a point, I don't care what it costs. Phones are too small for me. I'm spoiled now and don't plan to go backwards.

Recommending cars is an unrewarding experience so I don't do it. Going through life, I've had too many people throw stones at me and they didn't even have to spend any money, they just did it.

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

Remember my E400 was supposed to be in the end of Nov early Dec and I was going to fly back and pick it up. Then they changed it to January......then early February. My wife flew back north for a few days and checked with the salesman. It is sitting in Halifax, I guess the government didn't certify it, it needs a part added and now it will be ready mid to late March. We go home April 2nd. Good thing we have a car down here we can use, or I would be without a car from August to almost April....they should just give me a 2018.

It is almost as bad as the Caddie story, maybe I can get a new one because of lemon law...more than 30 days waiting for part.

You are right, by the time you get it you will have a year old car. Wait for the '18's to hit the show room floor and pick one of those.

You have been around long enough to know you don't count birds in the bushes or cars not on the floor.

jmonroe

fordfool

imidazol97 said:

there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.)

Just checked the Hallmark Deluxe Card Studio program on my computer: Birthdays => Milestones.
Plenty of choices beginning with age 16, 18, 21, up to 90 and 95. But no 100.

You are correct. Those Centenarians just don't get any respect.

suydam

Now I've had good luck with Home Depot. But they did mess up my delivery date for a fridge and range, leaving us without those appliances for TWO WEEKS. Eating out sucked. But when they did show up, delivery and install was very smooth. They've been pretty good with smaller items too. Oddly, our best experience so far has been Best Buy, a company that used to have an awful reputation. Maybe they got the message.

venture

suydam said:

Now I've had good luck with Home Depot. But they did mess up my delivery date for a fridge and range, leaving us without those appliances for TWO WEEKS. Eating out sucked. But when they did show up, delivery and install was very smooth. They've been pretty good with smaller items too. Oddly, our best experience so far has been Best Buy, a company that used to have an awful reputation. Maybe they got the message.

Interesting to hear about Best Buy. I haven't been in one of their stores for a few years because of how bad my experiences have been. I'll give them another shot.

jipster

sb55

"Been busy today with various stuff, some of it related to my reno which is close to being wrapped up, at least phase 1. Probably another week. One of the jobs today was looking for a bathroom mirror, just a small one, say 16x24. Nobody I went to today has small ones and even online they are tough to find. I might end up buying a medicine cabinet that size and throwing away the cabinet part!"

@ab348
For your mirror dilemma, go to a picture frame shop. Get an aluminum frame (or whatever you like) and have them put a mirror in it. I've done that for remodels and have been please to get a custom look at a good price.

driver100

GG, I was watching Good Morning America and this school student had a lot of problems with a $38000 Dodge Challenger. He wrote to The Fixer at GMA and they got him his money back.

STORY AT ABC GOOD MORNING AMERICA

I found this part of the story interesting:
And if you’re wondering where lemons end up, they can be repaired and resold, but their registration must disclose that they were once a “lemon buy-back” vehicle.

-The ABC News Fixer

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

One more thought, my own personal opinion is that any car can be a lemon for one reason or another....I don't think this is strictly a Cadillac problem.

bwia

Hello Everyone -- I am back and hope to catch up from where I left off, which was about page 1200.

GG, sorry to hear about your woes and that your CTS is still out to pasture. Don't know what it is but it is about time to part ways with Cadillac.

Earlier in January I attended the New England auto show and I must say I was mighty impressed with the CTS-V. It just felt right. The ergonomics, the quality of interior materials and the prestige factor was up there with any of the luxury marques. At the Mercedes Benz section I was not impressed. I was underwhelmed by the C and E class and the S class was too gaudy. By contrast Volvo and Hyundai had some beautiful sedans on the floor. For some reason Genesis was not represented; I wanted to see the G80 and G90.

Driver100, what's the deal with your E400. How much longer do you have to wait for delivery?

This Presidents' Day after all, happy shopping all.

imidazol97

@bwia
Welcome back.

driver100

Bwia Driver100, what's the deal with your E400. How much longer do you have to wait for delivery?

It was supposed to arrive late Nov or early Dec.
I cancelled my trip back Dec 15th to pick it up - sticks brilliant idea!
They said it would get government certification and be in for January. I knew I wouldn't pick up until April.
Mrs D went home for a few days, took her GLK in for a wash...salesman said it is waiting for a part (I assume
the government didn't want to certify it the way it was)
The salesman said it will be in by mid March. He said if it isn't in when we return on April 2nd he will
drive to Halifax and personally pick the car up :@

I am starting to feel like GG with my car locked up and not available to me. It is going to be almost a year old by the time I get it. It is lucky we have a car down here we have been using for 5 months. It took 8 months to deliver this baby...almost as long as if we had a human baby.......no no, no more of those!

imidazol97

driver100 said:

They said it would get government certification and be in for January. I knew I wouldn't pick up until April.
.salesman said it is waiting for a part (I assume
the government didn't want to certify it the way it was)
The salesman said it will be in by mid March. He said if it isn't in when we return on April 2nd he will
drive to Halifax and personally pick the car up :@

I am starting to feel like GG with my car locked up and not available to me. It is going to be almost a year old by the time I get it. It is lucky we have a car down here we have been using for 5 months. It took 8 months to deliver this baby...almost as long as if we had a human baby.......no no, no more of those!

I hear a Cadillac story. Part. Part. Part.

What'd MB do? Try to slip a VW/Audi diesel type failure through on the gov't?

I don't know if I'd want a car that has had to wait this long for a part. LOL

bwia

Speaking of Hyundai, their Kia brand is holding its own. The Cardenza, for example, is a worthy alternative to the Lacrosse, Avalon and ES350.

The interior is sophisticated and refined and I've been told ride quality rivals that of the Lacrosse, albeit not as quiet.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

They said it would get government certification and be in for January. I knew I wouldn't pick up until April.
.salesman said it is waiting for a part (I assume
the government didn't want to certify it the way it was)
The salesman said it will be in by mid March. He said if it isn't in when we return on April 2nd he will
drive to Halifax and personally pick the car up :@

I am starting to feel like GG with my car locked up and not available to me. It is going to be almost a year old by the time I get it. It is lucky we have a car down here we have been using for 5 months. It took 8 months to deliver this baby...almost as long as if we had a human baby.......no no, no more of those!

I hear a Cadillac story. Part. Part. Part.

What'd MB do? Try to slip a VW/Audi diesel type failure through on the gov't?

I don't know if I'd want a car that has had to wait this long for a part. LOL

It is sounding a bit ominous!

carnaught

driver, what, is the part they're waiting for coming by bicycle or canoe? In the meantime is your E being kept out in the elements?

stickguy

does this mean that every 2017 E class for canada is in a holding pen someplace? You would think that might get reported!

ab348

stickguy said:

does this mean that every 2017 E class for canada is in a holding pen someplace? You would think that might get reported!

I think it's because Driver didn't want the plebian turbo 4 version of the new E-class and instead bought the not-yet-introduced twin turbo V6 model. Sort of like those people who buy a condo in a high-rise before it is even built.

Maybe Driver can strike a deal with GG to consult with him on doing a buyback even before he takes delivery! Can you Lemon Law a car that you never drove?

graphicguy

driver100 said:

GG, I was watching Good Morning America and this school student had a lot of problems with a $38000 Dodge Challenger. He wrote to The Fixer at GMA and they got him his money back.

STORY AT ABC GOOD MORNING AMERICA

I found this part of the story interesting:
And if you’re wondering where lemons end up, they can be repaired and resold, but their registration must disclose that they were once a “lemon buy-back” vehicle.

-The ABC News Fixer

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

One more thought, my own personal opinion is that any car can be a lemon for one reason or another....I don't think this is strictly a Cadillac problem.

Interesting. I don't think any car can be a lemon. I've had vehicles that, aside from a "gotcha" here or there, actually work as they're supposed to. Many I haven't had one issue with and aside from routine maintenance, have had zero issues with.....ZERO.

Unsafe, undriveable, chronic issues, etc vehicles are (or should be) a rarity. IMHO, the adversarial relationship that Cadillac has fostered with me, and assuming others, is arrogant and shows me they border on detesting their customers.

A few things I've found Cadillac is good at, they are really good at minimizing the problems their vehicles have, regardless of the seriousness of the issues.. They are really good magnifying the grief and hassle they put their customers through when their products have issues. They're very good at delaying resolution of the problems their customers suffer because their products are faulty.

Can't remember if I had read it here, or elsewhere, but the adage "you find out the worth of a company not when things are good, but when things go bad". So true!

All I want is my money back. I'm justified in my request. I think I've provided terms to Cadillac that are fair. I don't want any sort of publicity with a news organization.

Needed to get that off my chest....THANKS!

stickguy

I saw that piece on the news this AM. That car certainly qualified. It would light up the dash and cut power at random times. I think they said at least 20 instances, and 7 trips to the dealer, and they were never able to diagnose of fix. So safety issue, chronic, unfixable. Textbook lemon law case.

I can see makers fighting pesky type claims, but for cases like this one or the prior safety menace car GG had I can't believe that the manufacturers don't just try and handle quick and clean. Why they fight so hard (or more like hide behind all the legal stuff) seems vert short sighted.

carnaught

@GG, I suspect the dealership could return the car to you in the near future, and it will drive okay. If ths would be the situation, do you think you'd still have a Lemon Law case?

stickguy

sounds like technically, yes. once they hit the criteria you can file. Probably won't help his case any.

At that point, sounds like Caddy will just dig in harder, and hope that he just gets so fed up that the car gets traded in elsewhere and GG just goes away.

odd thing with this car though. Assuming they did actually fix it correctly, and can get it back together right, the car could be good as new (as opposed to some cars that go through this, where the underlying problem never does get resolved). so the next owner might not get stuck with a dog!

graphicguy

carnaught said:

@GG, I suspect the dealership could return the car to you in the near future, and it will drive okay. If ths would be the situation, do you think you'd still have a Lemon Law case?

Yes! I have no confidence that I'll have no more issues with the car, nor in the ability of Cadillac to fix them in a timely manner.

Apparently, they did major surgery on the car....pulling the drivetrain, rerouting the wiring, who knows what else they had to do. It's been in the dealership's service dept for just about 2 months in the time I've owned it. It's a new car, with less than 11,000 miles on it, that has an MSRP of nearly $60K.

stickguy

fight to the death. They messed (again, and again!) with the wrong man.

I think their business model is to just wear you down until you give up, and bail out. Not likely too many people like you who have the resources, and willingness, to fight this to the end.

cdnpinhead

If a proper master mechanic (think Edd of Wheeler Dealers) did the work, it'd be fine, but given what happened the first time you drove it, that clearly didn't happen. Good mechanics are very rare these days. R & R technicians, not so much, but it still comes down to how many times the guy has done whatever it is before. I'm guessing zero times for something this complex.

imidazol97

As I've told a couple of managers in my life, it's not the problems that go wrong but it's how they are handled that makes the most difference.

Another Walmart story, sort of.
Meijer is a clean store like Target, which no longer exists for me. I went in to buy a DVD player and use a few store coupons. I picked up the $18 dollar value of frozen dinner that my wife uses for her diet--using the shelf tag price. Got to check out and the cashier said I didn't have enough $$ of frozen food for that cash coupon. Duh. The sale price applied instead of the shelf price--shelf tag error.

I took my stuff home. Decided to go back by customer service to see if they let me add on the required $$ of frozen items to get my $2 back. Yup only $2. And I actually went there.

But my point is the customer service lady said I can buy the extra items, but she'd just give me the $2. She understood that the error was helped on because of their shelf pricing error.

For the compulsive among us, I actually went back to purchase a second HDMI DVD player like the one I had just bought in the morning for my TV in the living room. I didn't drive back for $2. LOL

I went to buy a Sony HDMI model, but saw they had a cheaper DVD player with good reviews on the net like Amazon and Newegg. Their national website said all the local stores were sold out of the GPX model. This store actually had two on the shelf next to the Sony, uninventoried apparently.

ab348

stickguy said:

fight to the death. They messed (again, and again!) with the wrong man.

I think their business model is to just wear you down until you give up, and bail out. Not likely too many people like you who have the resources, and willingness, to fight this to the end.

Please advise of the car manufacturer who will cheerfully write a refund cheque upon request of a dissatisfied customer.

We are back to the same tired old generalization about a manufacturer based upon one individual's reporting of his experience.

graphicguy

stickguy said:

fight to the death. They messed (again, and again!) with the wrong man.

I think their business model is to just wear you down until you give up, and bail out. Not likely too many people like you who have the resources, and willingness, to fight this to the end.

I will. I won't cave this time.

Let's put the shoe on the other foot for a moment. I don't think GM has a finance arm any more, but let's say they still do.

Let's say I had a major medical event that drained my back account and rendered me unable to work to pay for a loan I got for the CTS.

I call the up and say "hey GM....I'm sick.....can't work full time for a few months and can't make the payment."

Do you think they'd say...."hey GG...we're understanding...happens to the best of us...you've been understanding with us....call us when you're back on your feet."

Good luck with that!

abacomike

driver100 said:

Bwia Driver100, what's the deal with your E400. How much longer do you have to wait for delivery?

It was supposed to arrive late Nov or early Dec. I cancelled my trip back Dec 15th to pick it up - sticks brilliant idea! They said it would get government certification and be in for January. I knew I wouldn't pick up until April. Mrs D went home for a few days, took her GLK in for a wash...salesman said it is waiting for a part (I assume the government didn't want to certify it the way it was) The salesman said it will be in by mid March. He said if it isn't in when we return on April 2nd he will drive to Halifax and personally pick the car up :@ I am starting to feel like GG with my car locked up and not available to me. It is going to be almost a year old by the time I get it. It is lucky we have a car down here we have been using for 5 months. It took 8 months to deliver this baby...almost as long as if we had a human baby.......no no, no more of those!

Driver, I would demand a 2018 E400.  No way would I pay what you paid for a car that will be a year old in 4 months from the time you take delivery.  Or, demand another 4% off MSRP.  Just my personal opinion.  They are futzing with your car because it was not manufactured to environmental specifications for Canada.

houdini1

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

fight to the death. They messed (again, and again!) with the wrong man.

I think their business model is to just wear you down until you give up, and bail out. Not likely too many people like you who have the resources, and willingness, to fight this to the end.

I will. I won't cave this time.

Let's put the shoe on the other foot for a moment. I don't think GM has a finance arm any more, but let's say they still do.

Let's say I had a major medical event that drained my back account and rendered me unable to work to pay for a loan I got for the CTS.

I call the up and say "hey GM....I'm sick.....can't work full time for a few months and can't make the payment."

Do you think they'd say...."hey GG...we're understanding...happens to the best of us...you've been understanding with us....call us when you're back on your feet."

Good luck with that!

It is a trade off for GM. I am assuming experience has taught them that if they cause their customers enough pain in a situation like this, the customers will eventually give up. They appear to be willing to take the bad press instead of stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing. This might have worked back in the 60s', but now we have these things called social media and consumer watchdogs that can generate much more publicity for the wronged party. Looks like GM learned nothing from their previous BK event. I also remember when they refused to fix a simple ignition key problem that they knew about and where people were actually dying as a result. A company's culture is very slow to change.

To be fair to GM, they are not the only car mfg. that does this. Imid had the right idea. Every company has problems, it's how they respond that separate the good ones from the bad.

jmonroe

@driver100 said:

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

Are you serious about there being the need for a business to do that?

It already exists, they are called lawyers.

jmonroe

jmonroe

ab348 said:

stickguy said:

does this mean that every 2017 E class for canada is in a holding pen someplace? You would think that might get reported!

I think it's because Driver didn't want the plebian turbo 4 version of the new E-class and instead bought the not-yet-introduced twin turbo V6 model. Sort of like those people who buy a condo in a high-rise before it is even built.

Maybe Driver can strike a deal with GG to consult with him on doing a buyback even before he takes delivery! Can you Lemon Law a car that you never drove?

Are you trying to say Canadians can't do that. Your tax money doesn't get you guys too much does it?

jmonroe

andres3

driver100 said:

Remember my E400 was supposed to be in the end of Nov early Dec and I was going to fly back and pick it up. Then they changed it to January......then early February. My wife flew back north for a few days and checked with the salesman. It is sitting in Halifax, I guess the government didn't certify it, it needs a part added and now it will be ready mid to late March. We go home April 2nd. Good thing we have a car down here we can use, or I would be without a car from August to almost April....they should just give me a 2018.

It is almost as bad as the Caddie story, maybe I can get a new one because of lemon law...more than 30 days waiting for part.

But you haven't paid for it yet. The problem with a car sitting unusable is that you lose the opportunity cost of the money that you wasted on the lemon.

I imagine you might be out a deposit though. That's annoying.

stickguy

well, the difference in this case is that the car would have been sitting at the dealer anyway until they came back from Florida.

driver100

carnaught said:

driver, what, is the part they're waiting for coming by bicycle or canoe? In the meantime is your E being kept out in the elements?

I don't know for sure....this is taking a long time, not that it matters as it would probably be kept outside at the dealers as well. I am wondering if I should ask them if I can order a fresh one, maybe add that auto braking feature which all cars seem to have these days.

My guess is it didn't pass a government test and they probably had to redesign something, I can ask my rep but my guess is they wouldn't be too specific.

I am really thinking of ordering a fresh one since I won't need it until April!

driver100

stickguy said:

does this mean that every 2017 E class for canada is in a holding pen someplace? You would think that might get reported!

They have had the 4 cylinder models around since about September, E300s. But, my guess is if mine is being held they all are. That will hinder sales figures for awhile.

andres3

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

That C300 looks great in red with the light gray interior.......even has the black accents just the way andre likes it.





Man, now that car looks gorgeous, but I am a bit prejudice.
Not having navigation might be a deal killer for some...it is pretty useful these days, though you know how to use your phone. Don't know about blind spot...assume it has rear camera.

Then I thought, I don't know GG, if you buy this one and it is a lemon I will never hear the end of it....especially from that Monroe character.

Oh, so now I'm a "character" am I? :@

I don't plan to buy another car without Nav. To a point, I don't care what it costs. Phones are too small for me. I'm spoiled now and don't plan to go backwards.

Recommending cars is an unrewarding experience so I don't do it. Going through life, I've had too many people throw stones at me and they didn't even have to spend any money, they just did it.

jmonroe

I've recommended cars and electronics and haven't regretted it yet. It can be rewarding if you make high quality recommendations.

andres3

suydam said:

Now I've had good luck with Home Depot. But they did mess up my delivery date for a fridge and range, leaving us without those appliances for TWO WEEKS. Eating out sucked. But when they did show up, delivery and install was very smooth. They've been pretty good with smaller items too. Oddly, our best experience so far has been Best Buy, a company that used to have an awful reputation. Maybe they got the message.

I wouldn't give them another shot at all. They have tried to change, and have definitely improved a tad bit, but their written policies are absurd. It used to be only computers and cameras fell under an extra short return period of 14 days, but now everything you buy at Best Buy must be returned within 14 days, or you are out of luck.

I prefer 30 days minimum, 60 is good, and 90 (Walmart/Costco/Target) is excellent.

driver100

graphicguy said:

carnaught said:

@GG, I suspect the dealership could return the car to you in the near future, and it will drive okay. If ths would be the situation, do you think you'd still have a Lemon Law case?

Yes! I have no confidence that I'll have no more issues with the car, nor in the ability of Cadillac to fix them in a timely manner.

Apparently, they did major surgery on the car....pulling the drivetrain, rerouting the wiring, who knows what else they had to do. It's been in the dealership's service dept for just about 2 months in the time I've owned it. It's a new car, with less than 11,000 miles on it, that has an MSRP of nearly $60K.

That taking the car apart and putting it back together again concerns me too. It seems every time they do that they can screw something else up, like not put it back together the right way. Just like when the car was picked up the last time.

Me, I would go after any publicity I could get. Not because I want to be featured, I just think it would help get them moving.

andres3

driver100 said:

GG, I was watching Good Morning America and this school student had a lot of problems with a $38000 Dodge Challenger. He wrote to The Fixer at GMA and they got him his money back.

STORY AT ABC GOOD MORNING AMERICA

I found this part of the story interesting:
And if you’re wondering where lemons end up, they can be repaired and resold, but their registration must disclose that they were once a “lemon buy-back” vehicle.

-The ABC News Fixer

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

One more thought, my own personal opinion is that any car can be a lemon for one reason or another....I don't think this is strictly a Cadillac problem.

Except some car makers seem more prone to producing lemons that others. It is acceptable to have lemons to some manufacturers, not an aberration.

Market share, in my opinion, is significantly affected by how many lemons an automaker is making.

Mr_Shiftright

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

That C300 looks great in red with the light gray interior.......even has the black accents just the way andre likes it.





Man, now that car looks gorgeous, but I am a bit prejudice.
Not having navigation might be a deal killer for some...it is pretty useful these days, though you know how to use your phone. Don't know about blind spot...assume it has rear camera.

Then I thought, I don't know GG, if you buy this one and it is a lemon I will never hear the end of it....especially from that Monroe character.

Oh, so now I'm a "character" am I? :@

I don't plan to buy another car without Nav. To a point, I don't care what it costs. Phones are too small for me. I'm spoiled now and don't plan to go backwards.

Recommending cars is an unrewarding experience so I don't do it. Going through life, I've had too many people throw stones at me and they didn't even have to spend any money, they just did it.

jmonroe

They make iPad holders now for cars you know

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Bwia Driver100, what's the deal with your E400. How much longer do you have to wait for delivery?

It was supposed to arrive late Nov or early Dec.
I cancelled my trip back Dec 15th to pick it up - sticks brilliant idea!
They said it would get government certification and be in for January. I knew I wouldn't pick up until April.
Mrs D went home for a few days, took her GLK in for a wash...salesman said it is waiting for a part (I assume
the government didn't want to certify it the way it was)
The salesman said it will be in by mid March. He said if it isn't in when we return on April 2nd he will
drive to Halifax and personally pick the car up :@

I am starting to feel like GG with my car locked up and not available to me. It is going to be almost a year old by the time I get it. It is lucky we have a car down here we have been using for 5 months. It took 8 months to deliver this baby...almost as long as if we had a human baby.......no no, no more of those!

Driver, I would demand a 2018 E400.  No way would I pay what you paid for a car that will be a year old in 4 months from the time you take delivery.  Or, demand another 4% off MSRP.  Just my personal opinion.  They are futzing with your car because it was not manufactured to environmental specifications for Canada.



All good points, but, I am sure the 2018s won't be out until at least October and how could I get buy until then? If they give me another 4% off there won't be enough profit in the car for them. It might be nice if they gave me the auto braking system package at cost for my trouble.

Because I wanted to buy from that dealer, and I used their price for the insurance company, they have had my $80k for about 6 or 7 months, that is probably worth a few $1000s in interest, and I hope the dealer doesn't declare bankrupcy.

fintail

I wonder what the real holdup is with that E400. I know my local dealer has several E400 coupes in stock, along with E43.

driver100

jmonroe said:

@driver100 said:

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

Are you serious about there being the need for a business to do that?

It already exists, they are called lawyers.

jmonroe

Lawyers charge a lot for filling in paperwork and threatening court action. Not sure the rate these days, $500 or more an hour. But, just a person who will file all the red tape for a set fee....that is my idea. Visit my new company, Lemon & Lemon.....never leave you with a sour taste.

andres3

driver100 said:

GG, I was watching Good Morning America and this school student had a lot of problems with a $38000 Dodge Challenger. He wrote to The Fixer at GMA and they got him his money back.

STORY AT ABC GOOD MORNING AMERICA

I found this part of the story interesting:
And if you’re wondering where lemons end up, they can be repaired and resold, but their registration must disclose that they were once a “lemon buy-back” vehicle.

-The ABC News Fixer

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

One more thought, my own personal opinion is that any car can be a lemon for one reason or another....I don't think this is strictly a Cadillac problem.

If I'm a news director at a news station or newspaper, I'd run a story of a Dodge NOT being a lemon as more newsworthy than a story of one that is a lemon.

driver100

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

stickguy said:

does this mean that every 2017 E class for canada is in a holding pen someplace? You would think that might get reported!

I think it's because Driver didn't want the plebian turbo 4 version of the new E-class and instead bought the not-yet-introduced twin turbo V6 model. Sort of like those people who buy a condo in a high-rise before it is even built.

Maybe Driver can strike a deal with GG to consult with him on doing a buyback even before he takes delivery! Can you Lemon Law a car that you never drove?

Are you trying to say Canadians can't do that. Your tax money doesn't get you guys too much does it?

jmonroe

Our taxes would pay for a $300000 heart operation, or almost any medical procedure. But, no, it won't pay for a new car even if it is a lemon.

driver100

fintail said:

I wonder what the real holdup is with that E400. I know my local dealer has several E400 coupes in stock, along with E43.

I am going to try and find out. First I am going to see how much that auto-braking system is...I think it is part of the package with auto lane change which I don't think I could trust......though down here it may be a necessity.

andres3

bwia said:

Hello Everyone -- I am back and hope to catch up from where I left off, which was about page 1200.

GG, sorry to hear about your woes and that your CTS is still out to pasture. Don't know what it is but it is about time to part ways with Cadillac.

Earlier in January I attended the New England auto show and I must say I was mighty impressed with the CTS-V. It just felt right. The ergonomics, the quality of interior materials and the prestige factor was up there with any of the luxury marques. At the Mercedes Benz section I was not impressed. I was underwhelmed by the C and E class and the S class was too gaudy. By contrast Volvo and Hyundai had some beautiful sedans on the floor. For some reason Genesis was not represented; I wanted to see the G80 and G90.

Driver100, what's the deal with your E400. How much longer do you have to wait for delivery?

This Presidents' Day after all, happy shopping all.

I think @graphicguy should have left Cadillac long before this latest incident was made possible. Nobody likes an "I told you so" so I won't say it.

However, I understand the neurosis that sets in with a sinking ship (or in this case, car). If you actually like the car (which you do or you'd never have bought it in the first place) you end up rationalizing and making excuses for the car. You convince yourself that the latest repair will be the last for awhile, even though deep down you know there is no way, or your convince yourself that a lemon-trade-buyback will result in a different experience. No way would I have accepted another Neon for my Neon. I know for a fact I didn't have the only bad Neon.

What else could go wrong? Plenty!

andres3

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

GG, I was watching Good Morning America and this school student had a lot of problems with a $38000 Dodge Challenger. He wrote to The Fixer at GMA and they got him his money back.

STORY AT ABC GOOD MORNING AMERICA

I found this part of the story interesting:
And if you’re wondering where lemons end up, they can be repaired and resold, but their registration must disclose that they were once a “lemon buy-back” vehicle.

-The ABC News Fixer

I think your story is actually more interesting. Might be worth writing to The Fixer or other Consumer Advocates. I am thinking their could be a business here, filing Lemon Law cases for people.

One more thought, my own personal opinion is that any car can be a lemon for one reason or another....I don't think this is strictly a Cadillac problem.

Interesting. I don't think any car can be a lemon. I've had vehicles that, aside from a "gotcha" here or there, actually work as they're supposed to. Many I haven't had one issue with and aside from routine maintenance, have had zero issues with.....ZERO.

Unsafe, undriveable, chronic issues, etc vehicles are (or should be) a rarity. IMHO, the adversarial relationship that Cadillac has fostered with me, and assuming others, is arrogant and shows me they border on detesting their customers.

A few things I've found Cadillac is good at, they are really good at minimizing the problems their vehicles have, regardless of the seriousness of the issues.. They are really good magnifying the grief and hassle they put their customers through when their products have issues. They're very good at delaying resolution of the problems their customers suffer because their products are faulty.

Can't remember if I had read it here, or elsewhere, but the adage "you find out the worth of a company not when things are good, but when things go bad". So true!

All I want is my money back. I'm justified in my request. I think I've provided terms to Cadillac that are fair. I don't want any sort of publicity with a news organization.

Needed to get that off my chest....THANKS!

I'd agree that the attitude Cadillac has given you would be appropriate if you were asking for 10 times the dollar amount you invested in your original CTS. All you want is your money back. If I was the CEO of GM there would be a lot of heads rolling on your behalf, but I know you don't care how many people get fired and canned, you just want your money back.

If I was the head of the CA DMV, I'd fire a lot of heads at the San Marcos branch for making it take 50 minutes (with an appointment mind you!) for me to get a duplicate "lost" driver's license application in, and paying $27 for it. There has got to be a better way than wasting 50 minutes to do that simple thing in the year 2017. I'd understand if I didn't have an appointment, but the DMV needs to look up Webster's definition of an appointment, and also utilize their sophisticated web site and online forms (technology) to speed things up in person (essentially everything I filled out online had to be redone on carbon copy paper apps in person by hand).