Murdock Chevrolet

TL;DR: Military Beware--Murdock Chevrolet betrayed our trust and took us for $50-$100.
I consider myself a man of principle and I am not too keen on letting companies swindle me--or anyone else--out of their hard-earned money. Please read my encounter with Murdock Chevrolet of Wood Cross and the circumstances which led me to write this review.
First, a little about Murdock Chevrolet:
Murdock Chevrolet is a family owned business that prides themselves on relationship building. The next time you’re in their offices, I would encourage you to walk around and observe the decor. Look at the photographs, read the slogans, and swaddle yourselves in the happy-sales stories they have posted around. Their slogan is “UR the Heart of Our Business”, and the propaganda walls do not fail to effectively bolster a “family” feeling.
On to us:
We are a Military Family & I have known for the past year that I had a pending assignment to Ohio. We went to the Woods Cross location in May 2019 for service on our vehicle and we were asked (by Jimmy on the floor & Jesse in finance) if we wanted to purchase a 3 year/8 visit/$440 service plan.
We had one concern--We were moving in a year. We explained to Jimmy & Jesse that if/when we received our orders, we would need to cancel the plan & get reimbursed for the portion we didn’t use. They preyed on our agreeable nature and assured us that the plan would be pro-rated to the number of visits used & we would be reimbursed the difference--they never once said anything about a cancellation fee. We took their word at face value and signed the document.
We were misled, and yes--it is not lost on me that I trusted a car salesman’s word.
If we had any reason to believe they would hold us and our money hostage, why would we ever purchase the plan? We knew we were moving, and we explained this to them at the time of purchase. Why would we go through with it? Because they made a promise & they had big red hearts all over the wall. They made us feel like we were in good hands.
So, lets recap: We were given an assurance that with Military Orders, we would be able to cancel our plan and be reimbursed for the portion we didn’t use (based on visits used). We signed a one-page document (I have my copy) which said nothing to the contrary, and we had no reason to believe we would be lied to.
You have probably ascertained at this point that they did not honor their end of the bargain. You would be right. We called in May 2020 to cancel the plan--we signed to paperwork & there was no mention of a cancellation fee.
I called to check the status 3 weeks later. It was at this point they told us they were going to prorate to the month, less services used, less a $50 cancellation fee. This was NOT what was agreed to.
I spoke to multiple people over the course of the next 2 weeks, but not one of them had the authority, or inclination, to assist us in the matter. They told us this was their policy, but it is NOT what I agreed to & certainly NOT detailed on the paperwork I signed.
My last conversation with them was from Don & Susan in finance who, after explaining the entire situation yet again, promised to speak to the General Manager to see if they would be able to do anything about the refund disparity. Specifically, if they would honor the assurances we received since we are leaving on Military Orders, since we have no say in the matter, and since this policy is not transferable to Ohio.
Most importantly--since we were lied to.
The General Manager’s response to her, quoted from Susan, was “No, I am not willing to return the money”.
For a company who seemingly prides themselves on relationships, it came as a surprise that their integrity has a price tag of $50. This company intentionally misled us and made empty assurances which carried no weight when it came down to the bottom-line… $50.
A Military member who has orders Out-of-State, with no say in the matter, is forced to pay a $50 dollar fee for the inconvenience of a cancellation--a cancellation which we informed them of when we purchased the plan.
Let me be clear about how we are feeling. We feel betrayed. We were told one thing, and then subjected to another. We have a signed document which says nothing--nothing--about cancellation fees or the method of proration we were subjected to. We were lied to and told we would be reimbursed for the number of services we did not use.
Our experience has been a little disheartening, to say the least, and It is my opinion that any Military Members interested in purchasing a vehicle in this area steer clear of this company. Will you have the same experience? Hard to say--but principle and the value of one’s integrity means something to me & I hope it means something to you too.
Point of clarification: We don’t believe we’re owed any special treatment because of my profession. The take-home here is that Military members have to be very selective about the types of contracts they enter into--specifically for this reason. We move. We move when we’re told, and we don’t always have a say. If we can’t trust a company to hold up their end up the bargain, we have to shop elsewhere. That’s just how it is.