The Outraged Granny Part 6

See Part 1,
Part 2,
Part 3,
Part 4,
Part 5,

A brief update as I've been flying back and forth with this move of mine:

I will post in more detail but it looks very much like Toyota are being:

(1)Totally honest and apologetic with me in what happened

(2)A new car is on its way to me to replace the new one I have

(3)It has got all the features I had in my old car + +

So like Granny said: the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it.

I will update once I've got the new ride.

And seriously, their honesty blew me out of the water.

I just might be ready to kiss and makeup and abandon the divorce papers.

The Outraged Granny Part 5

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

On Monday morning, as I expected, no call came through from DB (the lease manager), so I left a message on PE's (the sales guy) line to call me with a report on the new vehicle. No call return.

I went to my clinic which is 75K in the opposite direction from St.John's in Placentia.

At 1.45pm I receive a call from DB asking me if I was on my way in to see him.

"Pardon?" I say, "You were supposed to call me at 11, now it's nearly 2 and I'm way out in Placentia."

"Oh," he laughs, "I thought I called you I must have called someone else. You need to make it in before 9 tonight,"

"I won't drive 200k in the dark for one, and two, you still haven't told me if my new car is ready."

"Well yeah, it is, but you need to make it in here today."

"Absolutely no way, I just told you why. Tomorrow?"

He agreed very reluctantly, deep sighs of exasperation. I guess he missed his sales target for September.

On Tuesday, I signed the final papers in DB's office. Yeah, I could have abandoned the whole shemozzle, told them where to stick their dealership their horrible staff and their car and their horrendous treatment of me, it truly crossed my mind that this was elder abuse. But I am an elder and a battle now would exhaust me utterly and damage my health further and leave me car-less in the city with a move planned for a week away.

But he wasn't quite finished in his incompetence and his running around of the old lady. He asked me for a cancelled cheque.

"What?" I was staggered at (a) they have all my banking info on file, and (b) he'd never mentioned this before.

"Oh," he laughs, "I forgot to tell you? You'll have to drive to your bank and get an authorisation form from them then and bring it back here".

I am speechless. I go outside to where PE has brought the new car around and the old car has been once again inspected for further pin pricks. I note to myself how very little work or concern PE has shown through all this trauma.

He has to use the key to open the doors.

"What happened to keyless entry?" I ask, "I've had keyless entry for over 10 years at least, now I have to stagger towards my car with shopping and a cane no less and drop them on the ground to open my car?"

He doesn't answer me.

I drive to the bank and get the papers DB needs and drive back and put them on his desk. He makes nice talk now that his commission is safe.

I'm very frosty. Toyota Head Office needs to know about this. Aren't us elders the bulging demographic of new car buying?

Also I'm very upset about the keyless thing.

I had specifically asked him for the same bells and whistles that my old car had.

But worse is to come.

The following day is warm. I have an allergy to heat. I can't think straight in heat.

I go to flip on the air-conditioning and there is none. None. It was an over the edge moment, I burst into tears.

I've dealt with Toyota for 30 years.

This has to be the worst experience I've ever had in any car dealership. Ever.

I feel ripped off, unheard, cheated, dismissed and abused.

And yes, Toyota are hearing about it.

The Outraged Granny Part 4

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Well, DB sez reluctantly, I'll call you tomorrow (Saturday) and let you know what time I need to see you on Monday. I need to run your lease papers by head office.

OK, sez I, getting up ungracefully and ungratefully, grabbing my stick and the bag that held the contents of my old car in anticipation of my new, totally frosted with the treatment by all of them at this point. And too exhausted to get saucy and belligerent and nasty. After all, they could seize my vehicle and leave me stranded 100 km from home. (Couldn't they?) Honestly, I thought my internal anger if released would give me a stroke. I'm not violent or confrontational by nature but boy, I believed heads would roll under that stick of mine if that rage leaked out.

I should add that PE, the sales guy, had told me there was no reverse camera on my model even though he had assured me 3 months ago that the new model had one. Essential for elders and neck issues. At my querying this, he bent down over the tail end of the car and said, oh yes, there is one. Sales guy know thy vehicles. I reminded him that this was the only change I had asked about on my new car apart from making it a 2 door to reduce costs. He told me there were extras I hadn't requested: heated seats on this model also and a warning mechanism if you accidentally leave your lane. Bells and whistles that didn't impress me.

DB called me on Saturday to tell me the lease was now approved and that to come in early on Monday to finalize.

I asked him if my new car would be ready.

No guarantees, he said cheerfully, but you absolutely have to come in on Monday and sign off. Deals change at the beginning of the month, he said firmly.

I remind you, yet again, I said, that I will not come in unless my new car is available to drive away.

But then we'll have to get someone to have your old car reassessed again for any changes in the condition, I can't guarantee....

I'm absolutely not coming in if the new car is not ready. I was pissed and firm.

I'll call you Monday before 11 to let you know if we can do it then, he said abruptly and hung up.

I had an appointment to be at a medical clinic on Monday morning.

To be continued..................

The Outraged Granny Part 3

{Stock Image}

See Part 1 and Part 2

I should mention also that I am visibly (1) old and (2) handicapped - I have a walking cane due to PAD

So we trek outside to the car.

"You must be excited," sez PE the salesman.

"Well not really," sez I, "It's taken far too long for you to get your hands on the car I ordered. And not a word in the meantime from you only requests for money for the lease extension from M in accounting."

I didn't add cars don't excite me much. Apart from a Mustang way back when I was foolish and ambitious and show-offy.

"Where are the hubcaps?" I asked on first sighting of the car.

"Oh it's not ready yet," sez PE.

"You mean I've schlepped a total of 200km in here today only to be told my new car'a not ready? why did you haul me in here?"

"Just to have an evaluation of your current vehicle."

"So you could ding the hell out of me with pinpricks on paintwork and three month over expiry tires?"

I can see he doesn't know what to do with me in the dealership parking lot. So we schlep our way into the lease manager's (DB) office. DB tells me he is up to his neck in work, I'll have to come back on Monday (this is Friday) and we will finalize the lease agreement.

"You do realize that this is a 200km trip for me again, so I want some assurance the new car will be ready>"

"Well no, this is just to sign the lease papers, we're very busy, end of month, loads of sales, the new car will have to go in line in the service centre for finishing."

"So you're telling me, an old handicapped lady, that I have to add another 200km trip , a third, to get my new car?"

He had the grace to look embarrassed.

"That's not going to happen," sez I, "I'm not coming in till my car is ready."

"But it's month end! That's impossible to co-ordinate!"

Aha, thought I, he's only concerned about his sales targets and a possible bonus, shove the old lady off the curb and under the bus. No pun intended.

To be continued................................

The Outraged Granny Part 2

See Part 1 here

I was having a bad day anyway. Driving, too much on the go: the apartment, moving, no sale on the house, a sense of poverty, thinking this effin' new car, even on a lease was a poor decision even 3 months ago when life appeared financially rosier.

"And the tires," she added next,"They're in bad shape."

"Yes, I know, an extra 3 months on the lease would have such an effect."

"We have to charge you for those too."

"This is outrageous, I can't see how you can get away with these ripoffs."

I lost it, dear reader. So much so that she ran off to negotiate a "discount" for the tires on a used car. Built into the new lease.

At that point, the sales guy came over and said,

"Wait till you see your new car!"

Did you ever feel you're part of a movie and you're the only one without a script?

You know the feeling then.

To be continued....................

The Outraged Granny

I'm growing into a rather nasty old person. Seriously. I react viciously to the dismissals of younger others. Particularly when it comes to business dealings of any kind.

Is there an inbuilt contempt for us elders?

I was treated (IMO) quite shabbily by a car dealership. One I had always respected in the past. I'd ordered a new car, it might be my last, not being melodramatic here, just realistic. There was a 3 month back order on it. I'd almost forgotten about it when they called me a week ago to tell me it was in. I dutifully shuffled my schedule around and tootled in. I live 100km from the dealership.

They inspect my now lease-expired car for damages. And find pin prick sized dots on the paintwork. 6 of them. Parking lot issues. The car is 15,000 km under lease max of 106,000 - I had to have a 3 month extension because of the backorder. They assessed me $1,000 for the 6 pin pricks.

First enragement.

To be continued.......

See Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico


Throwing up its everything
To warn us
Of foolish expectations
In this corporate climate
Crisis.

We are on our own.
Indeed.

Rampant capitalism
Pushing, shoving,
Destroying all
In its path

Tolling our requiem bell
In Puerto Rico