Mullinax Ford of Mobile

Mullinax Ford of Mobile responded

Mr. & Mrs. Ralph, I am sorry your sales experience was not to your satisfaction. We do our best to get the vehicles serviced in a timely manner. It is taking longer than I would like to get them through the service department. We are currently short staffed in that department and are running behind getting them serviced. We list them online as soon as we get them to offer up a larger selection and try to set a realistic expectation for getting service completed if it has not already been completed. This gives potential buyers our most current and up to date inventory. I do not disagree the detail should have been handled better if there were direct concerns you pointed out to the sales consultant there is no reason he couldn't point those items out to the detailer to have him correct them. A vehicle of this age and mileage we sell As-is and do just a basic safety inspection. We did a little more reconditioning on this vehicle then we typically would of this age and mileage. We spent a little over $1800 to get this vehicle serviced. Which included 4 tires, Rear brakes, oil change, wipers, A/C repair, as well as a few other trim and maintenance items. The battery was still working, we do not replace the battery if it is still working. When you spoke to Brandon he even stated that if the battery went bad in the next 2 weeks we would cover the cost to replace. His analogy about the transmission may have been extreme example but ultimately he was trying to say if it isn't broke we don't replace it. The battery still worked even though it may not have been in new/like new condition. I can understand your frustration and I apologize the experience was not handled better. If you are having a problem with the brakes let me know and I will see what I can do to help. Like I stated before we replaced the rear brakes and the front brakes were acceptable to pass inspection, so they should be operating properly. I appreciate your business and again I apologize about the experience, If I can be of assistance please feel free to reach out to me, Keith Parrett - General Manager kparrett@mullinaxford.com

rachaelralph111 responded

The amount of money you spent bringing this vehicle up to the standard I agreed upon with your employee is irrelevant to me. The mileage on the truck is also irrelevant, although much lower than you are implying. When I agreed to purchase the vehicle it was outlined that basic systems would be checked, the vehicle detailed, new tires, and brakes would be inspected. We also agreed on 3 additional items. First that the back window would be checked for leaks, since the headliner was stained with water marks. Second, that the a/c would be inspected and repaired as it wasn't blowing completely cold. Third, that the >bulging< battery would be replaced, along with the cables if they were too corroded to be salvaged. Whatever charge a battery is putting out, if it has a bulge it is not safe or acceptable to drive it around. We were agreed on this. And then someone up the chain decided to cheap out and blow our agreement. Do you really expect someone to drive around with a ticking time bomb of a battery? Just drive it and if it dies randomly I'll just deal with it right? Your entire team must be completely ignorant because any fool on the street should know that a swollen battery is not okay! Just do a quick Google even! "A swelling battery is very dangerous. If you pop your hood and see that your car’s battery is swelling out of its case, or looks bloated, call a tow truck immediately, and have it taken to an auto shop. Swelling usually happens when the battery is overcharged. When this happens, heat and hydrogen gas build up faster than the battery can allow them to dissipate, causing the outer casing to warp and expand. If your battery is swollen, don’t try to drive your car or remove the battery – a bloated battery is basically a ticking time bomb, and can cause serious damage to your or your vehicle if it ends up exploding." Your poor business scheme of putting vehicles out for sale before inspecting them is not my problem. We were agreed on the fixes that would be done and your dirty dealership decided to cheat us instead. I don't think you addressed your extreme cheapness of sending us off with an empty gas tank as well. How embarrassing for you, and on top of it to play the poor down and out party, as if you don't sell multiple used cars per day, as if you're new to this. As if you have shorted your own pockets out of the goodness of your hearts. I might tear up a bit. I'd also like to comment on your servicing and detail standards. There is no excuse for this poor quality. Your employee even admitted to me that management acknowledges how totally abysmal your outsourced service is, but that you do not care enough to change companies or create your own service department and insure quality. That is so much worse than being ignorant of the problem. And now as far as these brakes go, apparently only the back ones were worth checking. The front passenger side is sticking so bad that the rim is black. Had to buy pads calipers and rotors. I feel sorry for the other people who will suffer your bad business.

Mullinax Ford of Mobile responded

I can assure you we are not trying to cheat you out of anything and I am not trying to play anything. I was simply stating we did service the truck and spend money to get it reconditioned. We didn’t sell it in the same condition traded to us. If the vehicle was not acceptable at the time of delivery you have the option to not purchase it. I am sorry you feel the vehicle was not what you thought it would be at delivery. If you are that dissatisfied with our service and the vehicle we will gladly take the vehicle back and give you a full refund. I would even be glad to give you the additional money spent for the battery and cables. We offer a 5 day 300 mile return policy. As for the gas it should have had $20 put in it and I can verify with Lynn that he did. If he did not I would be glad to send you the $20 should you decide to keep the truck. I would be glad to try help like I communicated prior. I have no intentions of trying to cheat you or hide anything. If I can be of help please do not hesitate to contact me. Keith Parrett - General Manager

Mullinax Ford of Mobile responded

I forgot to mention, again if there is a problem with the brakes let me know I would be glad to try and assist with them. I would be glad to get them looked at here and addressed or if more convenient you can take it somewhere close to you and send me an estimate to review. Keith

rachaelralph111 responded

Ah I see $20 in the tank, that was so very generous, thank you, I must not have noticed the slight bump in the needle. That must have been the dribble of gas that was allowed to be dispensed so that we could drive around the block, for the second test drive, from before when it was completely empty. We had already purchased the vehicle when we realized your dealership had gone back on our agreement that the battery would be replaced. I like the way you frame this as I can return the vehicle at any time and it will all be so easy and lovely. I'm not sure what lifestyle you live that you can drive an hour plus away to trade out vehicles you use for jobs. Now if I had known then what I do now, I would have bought a different truck at another dealership. But all of this is neither here nor there. We decided to purchase the truck under the agreed upon conditions that your dealership failed to meet. I've been sent a survey and I've filled it out, hopefully it will turn away others who might not be able to deal with these kinds of mechanical failures, and would find themselves far worse off than us. I will send you receipts for the battery, cables, and brake items, tomorrow. I will be shocked if your dealership will honor our original agreement and cover these expenses. If you have no intention of cheating anyone, I would highly suggest you consider changing your business strategy. Because it sure gives off the impression.

rachaelralph111 responded

I guess that means you'll be ignoring the email I'll be sending with the parts costs, instead of honoring our original agreement.

rachaelralph111 responded

Keith did in fact refuse to respond. Today I discovered that the dealership also failed to fix the back window leak as we had also agreed on. Thankfully I have records of this, and if Keith won't take responsibility then I will take other actions. If you are looking for a Ford in the Mobile area I would recommend AutoNation. In order to find parts and fix all of the things that Mullinax was supposed to take care of, we needed part numbers. We called AutoNation and they were polite, helpful, and quick. Really appreciated them. Will be buying our next Ford from them.