Returning a leased Suzuki in the U.S. – my story
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:39 am
My Kizashi lease expired on June 27.
I had been receiving the appropriate notifications, and my 'Lease Return Kit' from Suzuki, made sure the car was up to standard, and a couple of weeks before it was due, called them to arrange a pre-inspection. With no Suzuki dealerships left open, I was told to arrange the return with any G.M. dealership.
This is where it gets frustrating.
Keep in mind lease returns are handled by "Sales."
I called four of the closest G.M. dealers to home. Initially none of them seemed to know that they were supposed to accept Suzuki returns. I educated them on the situation.
Dealer One, closest to my home, "We don't have any room right now on the lot, try another dealer."
Dealer Two, "We are doing construction and are low on space, try another dealer.
Dealer Three did not return my call after leaving three voicemails.
Dealer Four, "We don't do those, your best bet is call another dealer..."
The service manager at the Mazda dealership I was getting my 6 from had previously worked at Dealer Four, and was kind enough to reach out to a sales guy who would talk to me (I will call him "Bob"). Bob said he'd take the car as long as I left it at their storage lot, a few miles from the dealership, and brought him the keys. In our initial meeting Bob's welcoming statement to me: "Let me clarify, I do not have the space, the manpower nor the motivation to take another brand of car. I only do this as a favor for a former co-worker." Now, in the interest of unloading the Suzuki as cleanly as possible, humored him, kept composure when he said "Suzuki - I remember those, those were horrible cars." I looked around at the showroom, empty of customers, full of Chevys, and held in any reply to the effect of, "oh yes, unlike these solid, safe General Motors cars!" I took my copy of the Odometer slip and walked through the lot to where my wife waited to pick me up in our other car. I looked back at the quiet Chevy lot. Somewhere a cricket chirped.
I did not want to discuss this until after the car was inspected and picked up (all done by Ally, no problem) and closed out, security deposit returned.
But if you are leasing in the U.S. just take this as a preview of what might lie ahead.
I had been receiving the appropriate notifications, and my 'Lease Return Kit' from Suzuki, made sure the car was up to standard, and a couple of weeks before it was due, called them to arrange a pre-inspection. With no Suzuki dealerships left open, I was told to arrange the return with any G.M. dealership.
This is where it gets frustrating.
Keep in mind lease returns are handled by "Sales."
I called four of the closest G.M. dealers to home. Initially none of them seemed to know that they were supposed to accept Suzuki returns. I educated them on the situation.
Dealer One, closest to my home, "We don't have any room right now on the lot, try another dealer."
Dealer Two, "We are doing construction and are low on space, try another dealer.
Dealer Three did not return my call after leaving three voicemails.
Dealer Four, "We don't do those, your best bet is call another dealer..."
The service manager at the Mazda dealership I was getting my 6 from had previously worked at Dealer Four, and was kind enough to reach out to a sales guy who would talk to me (I will call him "Bob"). Bob said he'd take the car as long as I left it at their storage lot, a few miles from the dealership, and brought him the keys. In our initial meeting Bob's welcoming statement to me: "Let me clarify, I do not have the space, the manpower nor the motivation to take another brand of car. I only do this as a favor for a former co-worker." Now, in the interest of unloading the Suzuki as cleanly as possible, humored him, kept composure when he said "Suzuki - I remember those, those were horrible cars." I looked around at the showroom, empty of customers, full of Chevys, and held in any reply to the effect of, "oh yes, unlike these solid, safe General Motors cars!" I took my copy of the Odometer slip and walked through the lot to where my wife waited to pick me up in our other car. I looked back at the quiet Chevy lot. Somewhere a cricket chirped.
I did not want to discuss this until after the car was inspected and picked up (all done by Ally, no problem) and closed out, security deposit returned.
But if you are leasing in the U.S. just take this as a preview of what might lie ahead.
