David Taylor Cadillac...consumer Beware...public Service Announcement...how To Protect Yourself

HOUSTON, USA - Oct. 7, 2013 - PRLog -- As licensed private investigators and a private investigative agency, part of our job is to protect the consumer from unethical and unscrupulous acts by businesses designed to lure you into their business in hopes of making a sale. I've learned this the hard way that business is about the almight dollar, not about the consumer.

Since I conduct work for a major oil company in Kenedy, Texas, I needed a vehicle because of the terrain and logistics in that particular area. On Saturday, October 5, 2013 an automotive dealer contacted me, David Taylor Cadillac, located in Houston, Texas and informed me of a 2011 Ford F 150 King Ranch listed over $3000 below book value and the vehicle was priced at $29,888.00. I informed the internet sales consultant that my spouse would appear Monday on October 7, 2013 to purchase the vehicle. She would be driving from Louisiana to Texas to retrieve the vehicle. Later that evening on October 5, 2013, the vehicle was listed as sold on their website. I've never received a courtesy phone call to notify me that the vehicle had been sold. My wife could have been placed in danger, with my young son if she had taken that drive for nothing. We've had every intention of purchasing the vehicle. Was this a "bait and switch" type tactic by the dealer? In my opinion, it may have been and it may have been a lure by the dealership to get the customer into the dealership in hopes of selling the consumer something more expensive. That is just my opinion but it is our job as investigators to protect the consumer.

A courtesy call would have been fine to let me know that the vehicle had been sold so my wife did not need to drive from Louisiana to Texas to retrieve a vehicle that wasn't available. Nothing!! No phone call, no email, no contact!! I contacted the internet sales consultant Monday evening and he informed me that the vehicle had been sold and went as far as saying he was sorry and that I had every reason to be upset. What would have happened if my spouse and child traveled to Houston from Louisiana and would have gotten in a wreck? Is this the way that consumers want to be treated? I believe it was a selfish act where monetary value was placed before the consumer. In this case monetary value was place above the health and safety of the consumer knowing that my spouse would be traveling from Louisiana to Texas. Is this what this country has come down to now, the almight dollar, even above the health and safety of citizens?

I believe that this dealership's advertisement on their website is false and misleading and I believe that I had been misled as a consumer. We have placed David Taylor Cadillac on our website as misleading to the consumer and You Tube Videos as well as advertising campaigns will be sponsored by our agency to warn the consumer of this dealership. If you know anything about our agency, we are well versed in the law. The truth is always a defense to slander, libel or defamation and luckily when someone calls on anyone of my four cellular telephones, all of my phone calls are recorded, both sides. Louisiana as well as Texas is a one party consent which means as long as I was a party to the conversation it can be recorded.

Purchasing a new or used vehicle is stressful enough without having to worry about or dealing with unscrupulous and unethical and not implying that David Taylor Cadillac is unscrupulous or unethical but their customer relations definitely could use some work and I believe that consumers should err on the side of caution and steer clear of this dealership. The act of this dealership also prevented me from searching for another vehicle until I verified that the vehicle from David Taylor Cadillac was actually sold. The almighty dollar has won again and at the cost of a consumer and could have been at the potential health and safety of a consumer.

Consumer's beware!! Err on the side of caution and only conduct businesses with dealerships that care and are concerned about the consumer, not monetary issues. The correct way to handle the situation was to place the vehicle inactive until Monday and informed anyone that wanted to purchase the vehicle that they could check with the dealership Monday by a certain time. That is what I thought might have happened until I contacted the internet sales consultant and learned the vehicle was sold, right from under me. Yes, consumer's do need to be worried about dealerships that are more concerned about the almighty dollar than the consumer. While these statements are my personal opinion, you do not need to become a victim to these dealerships. Our credibility speaks for itself and I have been a victim. Since then, we have lodged complaints with the Better Business Bureau in Houston, Texas and may file a complaint with the State Attorney General's Office requesting an investigation just to be sure that the "bait and switch" tactics are not being used to lure consumers. This may also lead to a complaint with the Automobile Association.

One other tactic consumers need to be aware of is what is known as a "loss leader" where dealerships will offer $10,000, $12,000 or $13,000 off on a certain amount of vehicles and will actually sell ten (10) vehicles with that discount and when the consumer arrives at the dealership they are informed that the discount is completed or the discount is on a stripped down vehicle and not just on any vehicle. This is a very popular tactic used by many dealerships so again, consumers beware.

To protect yourself, record your conversation with the dealership, you can go to www.tapeacall.com and record all of your conversations, review any complaints against the dealership with the better business bureau by going to www.bbb.org and typing the business name, ask the salesperson to verify the vehicle is still in stock and not sold...be very specific about what you ask and what you are looking for in a vehicle. Make sure the dealership cares about you, the consumer and not the almighty dollar. Google the dealer, see if there are any unsatisfied customers. Even one unsatisfied consumer will often make me "shy" away from that dealership. The homework you perform before purchasing a new or used vehicle may save you a lot of red tape and heartache in the future. You do not have to be a victim. If you are a victim, the documentation you obtain while dealing with the dealership may protect you in the future.

This is a public service announcement to protect the consumer and the opinions and views in this article are based on my personal views and experiences that occurred to me.