EssentialFord.com
Reviews and Complaints

A couple of weeks ago I made my way down to Essential Ford of Stuart for a very normal oil change as you would expect and I have to say I was quite pleased with the service. The staff was hospitable, and the waiting room was satisfactory, not dull or boring but good enough for that oil change. They cut down the time of the work greatly over my Set expectation but didn’t compromise on its quality which is equally impressive. It is always nice to have a dealership that respects your time and doesn’t forget that your car needs some love and care. I left the dealership in confidence that my car will perform at its best because it was in their professional hands.

On 08/03 I called Stuart and asked if they could get me a replacement radio for my F150. They said YES and quoted me a total price of $406.81. I paid for the radio by credit card over the phone. On 08/10 I called the dealership to inquire about the status of my purchase. They said that it just came in and asked who was going to install it. I answered that I can install it because they are easy to install and I had installed one before in this truck that I purchased from a salvage yard. Then they informed me that I needed to turn in my old radio as a core charge. This was the first time that this had been mentioned and I was surprised by this request.

I called again on 08/11 to inquire about the core fee and was then told that the radio would probably need to be programmed to my truck at an additional fee. I called their service department for that cost. It was quoted to me at $200. I then called their parts department to express my disapproval of all the extra fees and core charges that I was not informed of during the purchase of the radio, and asked to cancel the purchase and refund my money. They then informed me that I would be charged a 20% restocking fee. They said this was stated on the invoice, which I never received, and was not informed of at the time of my phone purchase.

I assumed that I was purchasing a turnkey radio that I just needed to install like I did before when I had to replace it. The extra core charge and programming fees were never discussed or even mentioned until I called a week later to check on the status of the radio. I don't feel the restocking fee is my responsibility due to their failure to inform me of the extra fees I was going to incur with this purchase. I want the full purchase price of $406.81 refunded to my credit card. If this issue is not resolved, I will consider filing a complaint with ComplaintsBoard.com.