The "Mad As Hell and Not Gonna Take It Anymore" Thread - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Cowperson · 02-06-2006, 11:38 AM

A lot of the days of the week, we look at the news and see an individual or individuals who reached the verge and walked right over the edge.

Today's nominee:

Gerald Georgettis apparently thought he got a raw deal on a new car.

So he plowed the Ford Escape he didn't want through the glass showroom, poured gasoline on it and set the North Dade Metro Ford dealership ablaze, Miami-Dade police said Sunday.

He caused nearly a million dollars in damage, scorching around a dozen cars, including a rare Ford GT Heritage, fire officials said.

Georgettis, 56, a supervisor with the city of North Miami Beach, walked away from the dealership Saturday afternoon as if nothing had happened, witnesses said.

Police caught up with him a few blocks away from the dealership at 9000 NW Seventh Ave. He was arrested without incident. Police charged him with first-degree arson, a felony, and with felony criminal mischief. He posted a $1,500 bond on Sunday.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13801055.htm

Cowperson

troutman · 02-06-2006, 11:54 AM

Falling Down (1993) is a great movie with this theme:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/

Plot Outline: An unemployed defence worker frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society, begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.

kermitology · 02-06-2006, 11:57 AM

The Fark headline for this was great

"Upset by what he paid for a new Ford Escape, man returns the vehicle to the dealership. Through the showroom. On fire"

Only in Florida right? I think I'll actually go to my window right now and yell that though.. stupid politicians.

ken0042 · 02-06-2006, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

I wish more people would do this. It has become to common for actual business policy to lie cheat and steal and the customer has very little recourse most times due to them not having a team of lawyers.

I would want to know what transpired beforehand on this. Let's say he went and looked at the car, asked the saleman how much, and paid the asking price. If he drove it away and then suddenly had a case of buyer's remorse, then too bad for him.

I got ripped off buying my first car when I was 16. Since then I've become a smarter shopper.

ericschand · 02-06-2006, 12:24 PM

At least the thought passed through my mind, when I realized I had
more sympathy for the guy who bought the car, than the dealer who
had his establishment set on fire.

But then I realized it was a car dealer, so it was ok.

Then I realized the guy had bought a Ford, so he deserves our
sympathy even more.

Then I realized there are people willing to pay $150,000 for
a Ford, and they probably need our sympathy too, but they
have so much money that a $150,000 car sounds like a good
deal, so good that it doesn't matter that it's a Ford, so they
don't need our sympathy, they need us to point and laugh at
them for spending that much on a Ford.

ers

ericschand · 02-06-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

I would want to know what transpired beforehand on this. Let's say he went and looked at the car, asked the saleman how much, and paid the asking price. If he drove it away and then suddenly had a case of buyer's remorse, then too bad for him.

I got ripped off buying my first car when I was 16. Since then I've become a smarter shopper.

What do you do if you are sold a lemon? I mean, even Toyota and
Honda have been known to have one of those cars that can't stay
running for 2 months in a row. What do you do if you have one of
those?

Keep going to the dealership to get it repaired, meanwhile losing
time from work, getting stressed out, unable to go anywhere,
afraid to go on trips with your new car?

At what point should you be able to return your car and say,
"Hey, this is one fine POS you sell, but I want my money back."

I can do it with everything else I buy, I buy a TV, it breaks,
I take it back and either it's refunded, or they give me whole
new one.

Why not a car? Should they not have to live up to
some sort of standard that if their car is crap, you
can return it.

ers

ericschand · 02-06-2006, 12:30 PM

Are there any no-haggle places that sell Toyota or Honda?

ers

ken0042 · 02-06-2006, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericschand

What do you do if you are sold a lemon? I mean, even Toyota and
Honda have been known to have one of those cars that can't stay
running for 2 months in a row. What do you do if you have one of
those?

The article make no mention of a lemon, but does specifically mention "Georgettis was fuming over the price he paid."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this guy may not deserve some sympathy. But we don't have all the facts.

ericschand · 02-06-2006, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

I
(This is what I am thinking may happen to myself) we agreed on the price and it was clear that it was the final price with GST and such, after looking at the slip thing now I am wondering if they are going to add some of the fees that look like are on the slip. There is some blank room for those fees but he hadn't included them.

Fotze, are you paying by cheque or financing?

If by cheque, phone the dealer right away.
Ask him what the total amount, including all taxes, etc is. Confirm
this with your written quote. Any discrepancies, phone him
and tell him he may lose the sale unless this is sorted out now.

Next, go to your bank, and make out a bank draft or certified cheque
in exactly that amount.

When you go to the dealer, show him the cheque.

He, or his cohorts in the back, will try to sell you undercoating,
and what not. Show the cheque again. "I have this, and I suppose I
can go back and come in again in a couple of days with one
for more." Be very eager to do so when you say it.

They will not let you leave. They know that once you leave, the
return rate is less than 20%. They will drop all surcharges that they
try to suck you into. (If they do let you leave, find another
dealership, go through the same motions. I've always wondered
what would happen if you took the cheque to another dealer
and said, "I'll buy it for this much everything included, here's
the cheque!")

I've done this twice with new cars. They shut up and do
the paperwork (even tossing out "admin fees", "freight&pdi")

Once you are done, you can then write another cheque in
the amount they didn't charge you, and send it to me.

Good luck,
ers

ericschand · 02-06-2006, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

The article make no mention of a lemon, but does specifically mention "Georgettis was fuming over the price he paid."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this guy may not deserve some sympathy. But we don't have all the facts.

I know it doesn't mention a lemon, I was off on a tangent, wondering
why we can't return a car if we don't like it. Especially if it
was only for a few days, or a few km of driving.

ers

ken0042 · 02-06-2006, 01:00 PM

Because after a car has a few kilometres on it, it is no longer new.

The last car I bought was 1 year old. I had 30 days or 2000 km to decide if I liked it or not. I also took the car on a 200 km test drive before buying it. That was part of the research I did on the dealership before plunking 10's of thousands of dollars down on something.

To take your question on step further, why can't I decide not to buy a house after only living in it for a couple of days?

Hack&Lube · 02-06-2006, 02:52 PM

There are lemon laws. But he just probably thought he was ripped off and was ****ed off with the dealership and exacting revenge was worth more money to him than the few thousand he got ripped for and the 40K he paid for the car and now all the damages he'll have to pay.

Clarkey · 02-06-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

No I have written the deposit cheque of $500. and we have the price on the sheet that was definately the price we decided on including shipping and GST. It is written on the sheet but not written on the bottom right total section, I didn't even notice at the time as I was a bit flustered. I swear if they pull that **** I am going to absolutely snap, I played nice and didn't dicker at all and paid the MSRP in full.

I am paying the entire amount with a cheque.

You paid MSRP? Did you get a Toyota or Saturn? It's tough trying to negotiate with dealerships lately, with all the money floating around they are all having record years, if you don't buy it someone else will. That's what I found when helping my girlfriend buy a car in October. All those buggers would budge on was a free dvd player and digital camera. I came out of there feeling like a chump but I have since heard a few other people say they ended up paying the MSRP at Toyota.

Hack&Lube · 02-10-2006, 04:43 AM

Sad ending to this story boys

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsar...IDE.xml&rpc=22

Flames89 · 02-10-2006, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clarkey

It's tough trying to negotiate with dealerships lately, with all the money floating around they are all having record years, if you don't buy it someone else will.

What??

Tell that to Ford or GM.

Cowperson · 02-10-2006, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Crazy, I read that stotry but must have missed the reference to him being the dealership guy. Obviously liked to go big or go home.

They'll write on his tombstone:

"He liked dramatic gestures"

Cowperson

Flashpoint · 02-10-2006, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Crazy, I read that stotry but must have missed the reference to him being the dealership guy. Obviously liked to go big or go home.

The story was removed. What did it say?

ken0042 · 02-10-2006, 09:36 AM

Why would somebody choose to hang themselves on a plane? That's just wierd.

return to the red · 02-10-2006, 10:54 AM

this story reminds of the scenario I was all to close to carrying out myself. 2 Years ago I bought a brand new Blazer loaded ZR2 package and everything, within the first two months I had the vehicle in about 7 times getting things fixed left and right...not really major things but little minor things that would have taken 2 extra minutes to get done right in the first place!

after about my tenth trip in a got so ****ed I put on quite a show in the service lane, went back to my office, called GM Canada, Got told that perhaps for peice of mind i should purchase the extended warranty, punched a hole in my wall, ranted and raved a little bit more and then calmed down.

fast forward 2 years later...GM BLOWOUT Purchase a Blazer for 2/3 the cost brand new I paid and watch my resale value plummit. I think I had an eye twitch for about 2 weeks after

ChrisC · 02-11-2006, 09:06 AM

I worked in car sales for about two months. Here is what I learned.

Never ever ever buy a brand new vehicle. You may as well throw money down the drain. Always buy a used vehicle at least one day after some other sucker bought it new and thre his money down the drain.

There is relatively very little mark-up in new vehicles although there is some. Dealerships make their money on used vehicles and ofetn they make thousands of dollars. Salespeople make the most commissions on used vehicles too.

If you are trading in they will work you on the whole deal. Buyers tend to focus on one side of the deal or the other. Salesperson figures out which and uses that side to appease the buyer while screwing him the other way. Keep the big picture in mind.

Never pay "administration" charges. Just don't do it!