BennYoga
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 36
Hi guys,
I am about to post this review on social media but before I do that, I would like your input. Thank you in advance!
Back on December 26th of 2017, I went to Fitzgerald Auto Mall to trade in my 2016 Subaru Impreza for a 2018 Mazda CX 3. Four weeks later, I received an email from their financing department asking for proof of residence in order for their bank to fund the deal. Apparently, they got my SSN and DL but for some reason, they needed my green card. I was slightly bothered by this request, as this was not my first time buying a car! I told them that I was unable to find my green card and that I was feeling very uncomfortable about sharing my personal information. After exchanging a few emails back and forth, and feeling very frustrated with the whole situation, they sent me a link to the United States Citizen and Immigration Services just so I can find the details of my residence and share with them a screenshot. After that, I found myself in a pretty embarrassing situation and told them that I was never expecting that the purchase of a car would be this much stress.
On January 25th, I got a phone call from Josh Gillions, one of the sales managers. He explained that the bank needs a copy of my green card and that I need to provide them with this information. I once again explained that they had all the information I could provide and that I was under the impression that at some locations people can buy a car with a just tax ID and DL. He gave me three options: 1) Come over and pay off the balance of the car. 2) Provide them a form of proof of residence 3) Come over and pick up my old car which still sitting in their lot and loses some equity. He advised me that he did not want me to keep driving his car around until this issue was resolved. At that point, I told him that I there was no need for me to keep dealing with this situation as I had previously purchased three cars from Shockley Honda and a brand new Subaru from the Ford Motor Company without any issues. He then said:
“Oh, I don’t think you have that status. Do you have something to hide?”
Imagine my reaction! My only response was “Wow, so now you’re an immigration officer?
He kept interrogating me and asking if I had something to hide. My only response was to continue to ask “Are you an immigration officer?”.
I could not believe I was on the phone with their “Sales Manager” and told him that I no longer wanted to do business with him or his dealership. And that I would bring “his” car back and get mine back.
I felt sick! No one ever questioned my immigration status or treated me and my business with such disrespect before.
The next day, I came to the dealership to meet up with June Rutkay, their general manager. I told about how terrible this experience had been and that I no longer wanted to do business with them. That I would prefer my car back and take my business somewhere else. I mentioned that doing business with a dealership that discriminates against certain customers and calls them “illegal” is something that I would not support or care to deal with. The only options she gave me was to buy my old car back from them for an extra $2,000 more for what they paid to the bank that I got it financed through, or to keep the Mazda as they found a bank that did not require a green card. I had no choice but to keep the Mazda as all I wanted was to this nightmare to end.
I know banks require additional information for them to approve a loan, but this was the worst experience I had while buying a car. In fact, the same bank financed the first car I bought at Shockley Honda.
I really hope now to bring this issues to light so that nobody else who buys from Fitzgerald Automall will have the same experience. I feel they should be especially sensitive to this sort of issue as the Frederick area has a large immigrant and Hispanic population. I’d like to think most of my friends and neighbors would stand behind people that come here to make a difference. If you are looking for a car, I would advise you think twice about buying from someone that would allow personal feelings to cause him to go beyond the duties and scope of his position, and to make an honest and upstanding member of the community regret doing business with him and his company.
I am about to post this review on social media but before I do that, I would like your input. Thank you in advance!
Back on December 26th of 2017, I went to Fitzgerald Auto Mall to trade in my 2016 Subaru Impreza for a 2018 Mazda CX 3. Four weeks later, I received an email from their financing department asking for proof of residence in order for their bank to fund the deal. Apparently, they got my SSN and DL but for some reason, they needed my green card. I was slightly bothered by this request, as this was not my first time buying a car! I told them that I was unable to find my green card and that I was feeling very uncomfortable about sharing my personal information. After exchanging a few emails back and forth, and feeling very frustrated with the whole situation, they sent me a link to the United States Citizen and Immigration Services just so I can find the details of my residence and share with them a screenshot. After that, I found myself in a pretty embarrassing situation and told them that I was never expecting that the purchase of a car would be this much stress.
On January 25th, I got a phone call from Josh Gillions, one of the sales managers. He explained that the bank needs a copy of my green card and that I need to provide them with this information. I once again explained that they had all the information I could provide and that I was under the impression that at some locations people can buy a car with a just tax ID and DL. He gave me three options: 1) Come over and pay off the balance of the car. 2) Provide them a form of proof of residence 3) Come over and pick up my old car which still sitting in their lot and loses some equity. He advised me that he did not want me to keep driving his car around until this issue was resolved. At that point, I told him that I there was no need for me to keep dealing with this situation as I had previously purchased three cars from Shockley Honda and a brand new Subaru from the Ford Motor Company without any issues. He then said:
“Oh, I don’t think you have that status. Do you have something to hide?”
Imagine my reaction! My only response was “Wow, so now you’re an immigration officer?
He kept interrogating me and asking if I had something to hide. My only response was to continue to ask “Are you an immigration officer?”.
I could not believe I was on the phone with their “Sales Manager” and told him that I no longer wanted to do business with him or his dealership. And that I would bring “his” car back and get mine back.
I felt sick! No one ever questioned my immigration status or treated me and my business with such disrespect before.
The next day, I came to the dealership to meet up with June Rutkay, their general manager. I told about how terrible this experience had been and that I no longer wanted to do business with them. That I would prefer my car back and take my business somewhere else. I mentioned that doing business with a dealership that discriminates against certain customers and calls them “illegal” is something that I would not support or care to deal with. The only options she gave me was to buy my old car back from them for an extra $2,000 more for what they paid to the bank that I got it financed through, or to keep the Mazda as they found a bank that did not require a green card. I had no choice but to keep the Mazda as all I wanted was to this nightmare to end.
I know banks require additional information for them to approve a loan, but this was the worst experience I had while buying a car. In fact, the same bank financed the first car I bought at Shockley Honda.
I really hope now to bring this issues to light so that nobody else who buys from Fitzgerald Automall will have the same experience. I feel they should be especially sensitive to this sort of issue as the Frederick area has a large immigrant and Hispanic population. I’d like to think most of my friends and neighbors would stand behind people that come here to make a difference. If you are looking for a car, I would advise you think twice about buying from someone that would allow personal feelings to cause him to go beyond the duties and scope of his position, and to make an honest and upstanding member of the community regret doing business with him and his company.
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