In December, a man in Florida bought a brand new Ford Bronco Sport. Adam Sidoti went about it like most people do: he traded in his old sedan, forked over $2,500 to the Ford dealership as a down payment, and obtained financing. But a day after driving it off the lot, the dealership demanded he return it.
According to ABC, the dealership sold him a demo that they weren't supposed to sell. Sidoti tried to argue, but the dealership persisted, giving him only one day – until Christmas eve – to give it back. To hell with customer service.
So Sidoti reached out to ABC Action News (cheaper than a lawyer) for help. From ABC:
When the car lot refused to back down, Sidoti made a call for action to Jackie Callaway. She contacted the dealer's parent company to find out what was going on. A spokesperson explained the Bronco Sport Sidoti had purchased was supposed to be on display in the showroom for four months before being sold.
After talking to ABC (in other words, after knowing their bullying behavior would give them bad press), the dealership immediately did an about-face.
Ford released a statement in an email: "After speaking with our team, as soon as we were made aware of this situation on Dec. 29, 2020, we made sure the customer is able to keep the vehicle."
Image: By SUMMITAUTO, CC BY 3.0, Link
