Bad experience with Citimotors Makati

**bogart** · March 17th, 2013 11:27 PM

Just ranting out! Apologies for a long story..

I decided to get a Monterosport from Citimotors Makati since this branch offered fleet discount to our company.

Last Monday, Mar 11, I went their office & gave them more than half a million pesos as full payment for 1 unit Monterosport Glx At. My company already provided them PO since February. The SA & I agreed to deliver the unit on Friday, Mar15, between 3-4pm. This to give them time to prepare the unit & install the usual freebies. That means, 1 week that I will have no car, as I sold my old one on that day as well.

Thursday PM, I got a call from my SA saying that my unit is already prepared but can not be released due to pending 10% retention balance from previous units (around25+) that they can not get from my company. I think this retention is for the LTO or/cr processing/ registration.

I told my SA to work it out internally with their company, since I am not involved in the negotiation & being fully paid, is expecting delivery as committed.

Friday morning got a call from the SA saying their management wants to settle first the 10% retention of the previous delivered units before they will release my unit. We had a series of discussions where I am telling her that I am still expecting delivery before 5pm, I can not understand why I am being held 'hostage' to our company's problems.

5pm came & still no delivery, I decided to email our purchasing to cancel the PO and told my SA to return the full payment to me on Monday, Mar 18.

I was very frustrated & pissed off as I missed a lot due to the non-delivery:
1. My friend missed his flight to Davao on that day as I promised him to drive to the airport wih my new car.
2. My daughter missed attending her classmate's birthday as I can not fetch her after the party.
3. I missed the opportunity to surprise my wife on that night by bringing home a new car.
4. My daughter almost came in late this morning at her PE finals in UP. Imagine waiting for a cab at 430am to bring us from Las Pinas to Diliman.
5. I had to beg off playing golf with my friends this afternoon.

Citimotors Makati really made my worst week-end so far...

**renzo_d10** · March 17th, 2013 11:44 PM

Sobra kupal nga. Why involve the customers kung wala naman sila kasalanan sa 10% whatever na yun tsk tsk

Maybe email MMPC as well sir? And the head of the branch too.

Sent from my bed using my Galaxy Tablet

**mda** · March 18th, 2013 12:00 AM

Mukhang nagkakagulo yung account manager ng citi motors with whoever is in charge of your fleet purchases. May isang malabo sa dalawang yan for sure.

Not your fault but can't blame the SA din.

**renzo_d10** · March 18th, 2013 12:02 AM

Yup mahirap din naman buhusan ng init ng dugo ang SA lalo na kung yung may kasalanan eh yung nakaupo behind a desk

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**UsernameTaken** · March 18th, 2013 01:05 AM

Ganyan talaga citimotors, ang bilis nila magcommit pero wala naman sila assurance on what they say not realizing na malayo pa yung pang-gagalingan ng customer or siningit lang sa busy schedule. Happened to me twice already, nung una pinagbigyan ko thinking na baka dahil sa demand ng monty that time pero just last year ang tagal ko hinintay lancer Gta ko pero they keep on saying na wala yung pipirma at madami din daw di marereleasan ng unit dahil nag-leave yung signatory, i meah hey kung commited talaga sila at kung totoo nga na madaming pending releases ano ba naman yung pilitin nila talaga na papasukin yung officer or pumirma yung iba na may power for that kind of thing. So disappointed.

**bogart** · March 20th, 2013 01:49 PM

Hi MODS, requesting to lock this thread.

Update:

My SA called me and they already cleared all the requirements of their previous deliveries. They can now claim the remaining 10% retention on the previously delivered units.

My SA is now handling the release of my unit, hopefully within the day or latest tomorrow.

Just to set the record straight:
1. I am not blaiming my SA for whatever inconveniences I have experienced as she is doing the best on her capacity.
2. I am not complaining, I am only stating the facts on what I have experienced with the dealership.
3. What I do not understand is why the releasing officer would not want to sign the release order of my "almost fully paid" unit (Company PO + half a million MC). I can only assume that the releasing officer does not want to add my unit to the 10% retention still not paid on the previously delivered units.
4. It's the dealeship's responsibility to provide the LTO database to my company as a proof that the OR, CR, sticker, plate number are applied before my company will release the 10% retention. Other dealers/ brands offering fleet discounts to my company does not experience this problem on the LTO database.
5. I felt "hostaged" between the "chicken-and-egg" type of complication between my company and the dealer.

Having said these, hope that this will be a lesson learned for me and as serves a reference for other potential buyers.

Thank you for all your comments, suggestions and what-have-yous!

**fireblade** · March 20th, 2013 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by bogart

Hi MODS, requesting to lock this thread.

Update:

My SA called me and they already cleared all the requirements of their previous deliveries. They can now claim the remaining 10% retention on the previously delivered units.

My SA is now handling the release of my unit, hopefully within the day or latest tomorrow.

Just to set the record straight:
1. I am not blaiming my SA for whatever inconveniences I have experienced as she is doing the best on her capacity.
2. I am not complaining, I am only stating the facts on what I have experienced with the dealership.
3. What I do not understand is why the releasing officer would not want to sign the release order of my "almost fully paid" unit (Company PO + half a million MC). I can only assume that the releasing officer does not want to add my unit to the 10% retention still not paid on the previously delivered units.
4. It's the dealeship's responsibility to provide the LTO database to my company as a proof that the OR, CR, sticker, plate number are applied before my company will release the 10% retention. Other dealers/ brands offering fleet discounts to my company does not experience this problem on the LTO database.
5. I felt "hostaged" between the "chicken-and-egg" type of complication between my company and the dealer.

Having said these, hope that this will be a lesson learned for me and as serves a reference for other potential buyers.

Thank you for all your comments, suggestions and what-have-yous!

good to know your problem was sorted out. i firmly believe it was unfair for Citmotors Makati this time to be blamed for the incident or be the cause of your rant. given that it is between your company and Citimotors, I standby what I said earlier that the fleet discount was intended for "business" use so to speak. also, the after effect of the delay can not be blamed to Citimotors again due to the fact that they are not privy or even a party to your engagements on the day of the scheduled release (given that there was no unreleased retention) from your company. your Finance group should have forewarned you about the pending status. i hope that before the thread will be locked, title of the thread should be changed i .e. how my own company ___________ messed up my schedule etc etc.....

yes, Citimotors has its own share of bad customer service but this one should never be included. in fact, the fleet discount was abused IMHO.

more power to all!

**Noel Salisipan** · March 18th, 2013 09:19 AM

Sa laki ng kumpanya walang naiwan na isa mang signatories? That's BS!
Kaya may VP or assistant para in the absence nung primary person.

Anyway, sa problema ni TS. Mahirap umasa pag ganun ang sitwasyon, kailangan may plan B para maiwasan ang disappointment.

**HBOY** · March 18th, 2013 10:12 AM

can't really blame the SA.. it seems it is your company having problem with Citimotors..and since your purchase was coursed through your company for the fleet discount, damay din ang kotse mo kung may aberya due to non-paymen of your company.. not really the fault of Citimotors nor the SA... they provided you the unit in good faith that the company will be able to pay....unfortunately, it is your company that was not able to meet the requirements.

Tough luck... but it was your call to course it through the company to get some discount.. unfortunately... ayun.. naipit ang unit mo...

**bogart** · March 18th, 2013 10:12 AM

I am not blaming the SA. The problem, as I understood it, is that they can not provide the lto database, which other dealers does not have problem with. This requirement will release the 10% retention to them.

Anyway, as a last straw, I've called my SA and gave them until today to provide me a clear & definite delivery date. If not, plan B is in the works.