We came to Fresno Lexus to exercise the new 3-day cancellation right on a vehicle we had leased…read moreonly hours earlier. First, Mo deserves recognition. He was compassionate, patient, kind, and professional throughout the entire experience. Unfortunately, our experience with finance was completely different.
Our question was simple: We understood California law addressed a restocking fee, but is the dealership REQUIRED by law to charge it, or does the law simply allow the dealership to charge it? We weren't refusing to pay--we specifically said if it was mandatory, show us where, and we'd pay it and leave. We ultimately paid the $600 anyway.
Instead of answering that distinction, Raj repeatedly told us, "It's the law," "it's in black and white," and referenced California codes. This law had only gone into effect October 1, so we even asked whether this scenario had been discussed during their training/meeting. We were told the meeting had already happened--which was exactly our point. If this specific question wasn't discussed, why not simply pause, verify the answer with management, and then respond?
We had the vehicle for only a few hours, drove approximately 10 miles or less, and returned it in essentially the same condition. We weren't demanding that the fee be waived. We were simply asking whether an exception was even possible and requesting that someone confirm the answer.
The interaction became worse when another finance employee, George, repeatedly inserted himself into our conversation with Raj. When we responded to him, he said he wasn't involved and that we needed to speak to Raj--yet continued commenting. When I respectfully asked him not to insert himself if he didn't want to be part of the conversation, he continued and eventually characterized me as being "a little aggressive."
As a woman asking questions about our own financial transaction, that was incredibly disappointing. Being assertive and asking for clarification after a question hasn't been answered is not the same as being aggressive. We weren't yelling, threatening anyone, refusing to pay, or causing a scene.
We eventually stopped asking and told them to process the cancellation. We appreciate that Raj ultimately contacted his supervisor, but this entire interaction could have been avoided by simply saying, "This is new; let me confirm that for you."
We also spent approximately 6 hours at the dealership during the original transaction, while multiple customers who arrived after us purchased vehicles and left before we did, followed by another unnecessary hour-plus to process the cancellation.
Sean, as General Manager, we sincerely hope you review this experience. This review isn't about being upset over $600--we paid it. It's about how customers are treated when they ask reasonable questions, particularly regarding a law that had only been in effect for days.
We hope this becomes a training opportunity for the finance team. And we hope you continue surrounding your dealership with people like Mo, because he demonstrated exactly the patience, compassion, and professionalism we expected from Lexus. We wish the rest of our experience had reflected the same standard.
