Car buyer speaks out after losing $1K deposit at Vancouver dealership

A Metro Vancouver woman is speaking out after she says she had an unfavourable experience while car shopping.

Sherry Wang says she went to the downtown Audi dealership to hunt for a new car with two models in mind and was left with what she thought was a reasonable price for one of the models.

“There were two similar vehicles within our budget: one was the Progressive, and another was the Technik, with a price difference of approximately $2,000,” says Wang.

The Richmond woman says that the sales assistant suggested they get the Technik, considering the minimal price difference.

Wang claims she was verbally quoted a $6,000 discount to seal the deal, so she put down a deposit of $1,000.

Since Wang signed without seeing a document, she requested hard copies the following day.

“I walked away with a $1,000 taken and no copy of any quotes,” says Wang.

“The sales assistant showed me the numbers on the screen throughout the negotiation but never left me a copy of the final quotes.”

When Wang and her husband were finally able to review the quotes, she says that the monthly payment was higher and that there were hidden fees.

“To make matters worse, we were denied access to a breakdown of these extra costs. For any additional charges that we were not aware of, they insisted, ‘There is just tax,”’ says Wang.

Wang provided the paperwork to Daily Hive.

Sherry Wang

Wang and her husband requested a refund for their deposit to no avail and instead were met with more questions.

“He asked me, ‘I don’t understand why you are unhappy,’ and refused to return my deposit, stating this is the company policy.”

They decided to compare prices with another Audi dealership at Boundary Road and Lougheed Highway and claimed they were given a different price breakdown and that the deposit was $200 less than what they paid at the downtown dealership.

Daily Hive reached out to the Audi Downtown Vancouver dealership but has not received a response.

She says she reached out to Audi Canada for assistance.

“I navigated the system a little bit, and I even felt slightly helpless. Audi Canada was not that helpful. They just replied with an email apology, saying they will report back to the dealership,” says Wang.

“There might be another nonprofit organization that can help, like BBB, the Better Business Bureau; I’m going to reach out to them to see what they can do because otherwise, it’s not regulated.”

Wang’s plight is something that many consumers face in terms of reading the small print when signing a deal.

He says keeping detailed records of all interactions with the dealership, including emails, phone calls, and in-person conversations, is crucial in case any issues arise.

Guillen emphasizes being calm and collected to keep your wallet safe while purchasing a vehicle.

“Don’t give in to pressure.”