I built on the Ford website a 2011 Ford Explorer the way me and my wife would like it and the website connected me with Gosch Ford since it was the closest dealership to us. About two days later I got a phone call setting up a time and date we could come down and test drive one. We were told to go in and tell them our names and that we had an appointment as part of the VIP program. When we got there, a salesman approached us and asked if he could help us. I explained to him we had an appointment as part of the ""VIP Program"" and he had no clue what that was or who we were. He took us to the internet department and passed us off to the secretaries there. The secretaries proceeded to call another salesman who was equally confused and knew nothing about any appointment. Needless to say he started showing us the 2011 Ford Explorer's only to find out a few minutes into it that he really worked selling the Hyundai's over there and didn't know much about the Ford's. He again passed us off, this time back to the original salesman who had approached us. This guy was very knowledgeable and actually answered a lot of my questions. Next, I had come prepared with the printout of the vehicle I had built on Ford dot com to show them what I was looking for. They told me don't worry, they will search the entire United States data base and find the vehicle i was looking for. They brought me one printout and told me this was the only one in the U.S. close enough to all the things I wanted. I told him I wanted to put part of the down payment on credit card since I get rewards points and I'll put some cash if they want as well. I was told I couldn't do that and i asked them why it wasn't possible since my in-laws just put down $15,000 on their American Express for a BMW. I only wanted to put $3-4,000 down on my card. That's when this guy named Israel from finance came over. He started talking very loud almost to the point of yelling about how it was illegal to put a down payment on a credit card. People all over started looking over at me and my wife being confronted in that showroom area. I explained to him other dealerships do it and he said it's illegal and it's a criminal matter! I couldn't believe what i was hearing. He told me because there is no collateral I could then put a down payment and turnaround and file bankruptcy, essentially stealing from the credit card company and getting a car for free. This guy had the nerve to imply that me and my wife were attempting something criminal and that we would default on our credit card. I asked if it was just their dealerships policy not to accept credit card and he said no that is was illegal everywhere. Anyhow, I asked him how it's possible that in the whole U.S. there is only one 2011 Ford Explorer the way we want it (Limited, 4 wheel drive, etc.). That's when he laughed and said there were two more in Colorado. I asked him how come he hasn't shown me those as well? He angrily replied that he was not going to ship them. I told him I would pay for shipping and he refused. Instead he went off about how it cost $800 alone to ship form Arizona and refused even when I told him to let me worry about shipping and that I would find a shipping company. This pretty much ended our high octane conversation and he said he has to check to see if the dealership even still had the vehicle we were negotiating on. He said he had my cell phone number and he would call me that evening or the next day. Needless to say, it's been a week and he never called back. As soon as i walked out i called 3 other dealerships in my area. All three dealerships told me they accept down payment on a credit card if i wanted and could not understand why Gosch Ford in Hemet told me it was criminal to do so. The next day Fairview Ford in San Bernardino, CA found me the car I was looking for and negotiated the deal. Down Payment.... on my credit card. My advice, shop somewhere else where the customer is treated with respect and dignity.
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