'A very isolated incident': B.C. dealership responds to complaints about electric vehicle purchases
Car dealer Go Auto confirmed there were “some challenges” with the sale of electric vehicles after it took over ownership of Dams Ford Lincoln on the Langley Bypass, but said it is actively resolving those issues.
The admission comes after buyers told CTV News the vehicles they ordered from the dealership months ago were either not built or sold to someone else.
“It’s a very isolated incident,” said Jared Biggs, Go Auto Senior Vice President. “It would represent less than point one per cent of the transactions that our family-run business would complete in a year.”
One such customer is Ryan Lopez, who ordered an electric Ford Mustang Mach-E in July of 2022.
Despite having the car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN, and watching its assembly progress online, “they couldn’t find any history of my car being ordered,” said Lopez of the new management at Dams Ford Lincoln.
That same Mustang was sold to somebody else.
The most recent customer to come forward is business owner Dave Mellis, who said he has purchased at least a dozen vehicles from the Surrey dealer over the years.
In September 2021 before the dealerships changed hands, Mellis signed a contract and put down a deposit for a Ford E-Transit Cargo Van. He was told it would take several months to a year to be built and delivered.
In the meantime, Dams Ford Lincoln was sold to Go Auto in August 2022. When Mellis asked the new management for an update on the electric van, he received an email message indicating it hadn’t been built.
“I have noticed that your 2022 E-transit order has not been built. Are you interested in ordering a 2023 E-transit. The MSRP has gone up on the vehicle,” the email read.
He went to the dealership to get his deposit back. The attendant questions why he wanted a refund because “it was in the system and ready to be delivered,” Mellis said.
When Go Auto bought Dams Ford Lincoln, it assumed all existing contracts, and Biggs said during the transition, clarity may have been missing on some of the files.
“I would invite anyone across any of our locations – and specifically Dams Ford with that transition of ownership – if they feel like there’s an issue that’s unresolved, or they have any concerns, I would personally love the opportunity to sit down with them, rectify any issues,” he said.
He insisted customer care is the company’s core value.
Biggs also told CTV News his team will be reaching out to Dave Mellis to see if they can resolve the issue surrounding the van, and said a new Mustang has already been found for Ryan Lopez and that “he’s definitely a happy customer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.