Disputed Fees, Changing Prices, and Pressure for a Perfect Survey
My experience with Young Chevrolet was extremely disappointing.
I encountered changing prices, approximately $2,400 in disputed registration fees, and pressure to finance through the dealership despite having credit union preapproval. A sales representative told me the dealership receives 1% for arranging financing itself, which made the insistence on dealer financing particularly concerning.
During my first visit, the buyers' order included an unexplained $1,000 charge. After we explained what we wanted, the out-the-door price dropped by $2,000 in less than 30 seconds. We could not agree on the final price. The following week, after the truck we had selected at another dealership was sold, we contacted Young Chevrolet again. The next buyers' order increased by approximately $1,000 without a satisfactory explanation. A third order still contained the disputed registration and plate fees.
I called my home-state DMV, which confirmed that Utah had no business collecting that much money in registration fees under these circumstances. They explained that the dealership was not plating my vehicle and that the amount was too high. I was also advised that we would not receive a refund if the dealership overcollected, despite the dealership insisting that we would.
When I challenged the fees, the dealership first claimed they were required by law. As a former private investigator, I questioned that explanation and told them they should not misrepresent the law. They then changed their explanation and said it was corporate policy.
We offered to sign a waiver that we would pay the registration fees, but that was not acceptable either. We repeatedly explained that the government plating fee was incorrect, yet they refused to fix the buyers' order. We also offered to pay with a check from our credit union, where we were already preapproved, but they refused to accept it and insisted that financing was required.
The fourth buyers' order still contained the disputed government plating fee and added a separate requirement for "dealer preferred financing 7 month minimum payment." This raised concerns that the financing condition was intended to prevent us from refinancing immediately.
The most troubling part was a text from the dealership stating that the final offer required a "perfect CSI" and asking us not to complete the survey unless we could give a perfect 100% score. The message said that was the only way the deal made sense. I have retained this text.
Customers should be able to provide honest feedback without pressure to give a perfect rating.
I am disabled due to a brain injury, and I was upfront with the dealership about my disability and the agitation I experience. I even wear a medical alert bracelet because of my condition. Despite being open about this, I felt my concerns were not taken seriously. The repeated changes, conflicting explanations, and what I believe were dishonest statements made an already stressful situation much worse. I cannot say for certain whether my disability influenced how I was treated, but the experience left me questioning whether I was treated fairly and with appropriate consideration.
After I called and left a message for the GM, the assistant manager called me back. He stated that they would not remove the $2,400 plating fee and that they would not be selling us the vehicle. I asked whether this decision was because they knew we would not give them a good survey rating and because we would not keep the loan. The call then ended.
Given the dealership's earlier text requiring a perfect CSI score and the seven-month financing requirement, the circumstances surrounding this refusal raise serious concerns.
We repeatedly challenged the disputed fee, requested accurate pricing, and offered to pay through our credit union. Despite these efforts, the dealership refused to correct the buyers' order and ultimately told us it would not sell us the vehicle. My concern is not simply that a deal fell through, but that we could not obtain transparent answers or resolve the disputed charges.
If you are an out-of-state buyer, I recommend getting every fee itemized, verifying registration costs independently, and keeping copies of all buyers' orders and text messages. read more