ThankfulLutheran
Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2022
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 40
This is a report on my experience in ordering and purchasing a new 2023 Ram Laramie 2500 at Tuttle-Click Ram in Irvine, California. In March of 2023, I came across a post on one of the Ram Forums that Tuttle-Click Ram was offering 4% below invoice on all new trucks. This was basically the same deal that Mark Dodge of Louisiana and Granger Motors of Iowa were offering their customers. Since I live in Northern California, it made more more sense to purchase from TC, than traveling 1,800 miles to Granger or the 2,200 miles to Mark Dodge. Besides the distance involved, TC would handle the tax and license, since they also reside in California. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Granger and MD make you pay the tax and obtain your license when you return to your home state. Another plus was TC only charged $85.00 for their doc fee. Other dealers can charge into the hundreds for the same doc fee.
I exchanged a few emails and texts, as well as a phone call or two with Ron Trachtman, the Fleet/Internet Manager. After discussing my build and the price of the vehicle, Ron sent me the order form to inspect. Everything looked good and i sent him my $1,000.00 deposit via their secure online form. The truck was built within 3 weeks of my order. Unfortunately, due to the lack of rail cars for delivery, the truck sat at the Saltillo plant for the better part of the summer. The truck finally arrived at the dealership the last week of July.
The first week of August I boarded my flight from Sacramento to John Wayne International Airport in Orange County. Taking the morning flight ✈️ allowed me to arrive slightly after 10:00AM. After some confusion as to where I was to go to pick up the Lyft Ron had sent for me, I found my ride and headed out for the short 15 minute drive to the dealership. TC is located right off Interstate 5, the main artery between Southern and Northern California.
I met Ron out in his portable trailer on the side of dealership. We proceeded to his office, where we went over paperwork and registered me for my $500 Tread Lightly discount. I had purchased a $100 membership months earlier, but failed to do the proper paperwork that would allow me an additional $500 off the purchase of my truck. After 20 minutes or so we headed over to the main building. Ron went to look for the sales manager, but it seemed he had already gone to lunch. Ron offered me some refreshments and left me in the customer lounge. Forty minutes later I was ushered into the sales manager’s office.
There was no apology for keeping me waiting forty minutes. Instead, the sales manager immediately went into his sales pitch about the different warranties and Mopar contracts available. I understand it‘s his job to try and sell me a warranty, but the way he went about it seemed odd. He made it sound that the vehicle was unreliable and once something went wrong, I would be stuck with a huge bill. In other words, he tried to scare me into purchasing a warranty. A better approach might have been to connect a warranty to auto, home and health insurance. You don’t expect to get into an accident with your car or truck . You don’t expect for your house to burn down or get damaged in a storm. You don’t expect to have a major health episode. But that’s why there’s insurance. It simply protects us when the unexpected happens. The same can be said about having a good warranty. And there are no better warranties than Mopar. He should have built up Ram trucks by saying, he believes Ram trucks are the best built trucks on the market. But like so many things in life, the unexpected can happen.
I politely declined every offer he made me. I proceeded to initial and sign multiple documents over the course of the next 30 minutes. Suddenly, out of the blue, he made a very rude remark. He shuffled through some papers and commented, “how much did you pay for this anyway.” He looked down on the purchase agreement, frowned and remarked, “not bad but I’ve seen a lot better.” Why in the world would this guy make a snarky remark like that to me? Was he frustrated and pissed that I didn’t purchase any of the warranties and repair policies he offered me? In any case, I was happy when our conversation ended and walked out of his office.
As I walked out of the main building, I could see Ron putting on the rear temporary license plate. I looked over the truck, as he finished up putting the front temp license plate on. We sat in the truck, as Ron went over some of the operational features. It was already 1:40 and Ron knew I had a long 500 mile trip home in front of me. We shook hands and I proceeded to cautiously drive my new truck out of the dealership. Not sure if other dealers do the same, but Ron had filled the truck with Chevron Unleaded.
I made my way onto Interstate 5. The traffic was horrendous! It took me two hours to make my way the 60 miles from Irvine to Santa Clarita. Once over the Grapevine, I settled in for the tiresome drive through the San Joaquin Valley. It would be an understatement to say the highway was badly in need of repairs. The segment of highway from the Grapevine to highway 152 was completed in 1972. At that time there were two lanes in each direction. That was 51 years ago! And there are still only two lanes in each direction! Instead of sending billions of our tax dollars to a corrupt government in northeastern Europe, those dollars could be used to repair and update our highways and infrastructure.
I made a stop in Santa Nella to get gas and visit my favorite Mexican fast food joint, Del Taco . Ordered a Macho Burrito , which is now called an Epic Combo Burrito, due to political correctness. Got home at 11:30 and celebrated with a good brew and cigar! Yes, us Lutherans love a good brew and cigar!
I exchanged a few emails and texts, as well as a phone call or two with Ron Trachtman, the Fleet/Internet Manager. After discussing my build and the price of the vehicle, Ron sent me the order form to inspect. Everything looked good and i sent him my $1,000.00 deposit via their secure online form. The truck was built within 3 weeks of my order. Unfortunately, due to the lack of rail cars for delivery, the truck sat at the Saltillo plant for the better part of the summer. The truck finally arrived at the dealership the last week of July.
The first week of August I boarded my flight from Sacramento to John Wayne International Airport in Orange County. Taking the morning flight ✈️ allowed me to arrive slightly after 10:00AM. After some confusion as to where I was to go to pick up the Lyft Ron had sent for me, I found my ride and headed out for the short 15 minute drive to the dealership. TC is located right off Interstate 5, the main artery between Southern and Northern California.
I met Ron out in his portable trailer on the side of dealership. We proceeded to his office, where we went over paperwork and registered me for my $500 Tread Lightly discount. I had purchased a $100 membership months earlier, but failed to do the proper paperwork that would allow me an additional $500 off the purchase of my truck. After 20 minutes or so we headed over to the main building. Ron went to look for the sales manager, but it seemed he had already gone to lunch. Ron offered me some refreshments and left me in the customer lounge. Forty minutes later I was ushered into the sales manager’s office.
There was no apology for keeping me waiting forty minutes. Instead, the sales manager immediately went into his sales pitch about the different warranties and Mopar contracts available. I understand it‘s his job to try and sell me a warranty, but the way he went about it seemed odd. He made it sound that the vehicle was unreliable and once something went wrong, I would be stuck with a huge bill. In other words, he tried to scare me into purchasing a warranty. A better approach might have been to connect a warranty to auto, home and health insurance. You don’t expect to get into an accident with your car or truck . You don’t expect for your house to burn down or get damaged in a storm. You don’t expect to have a major health episode. But that’s why there’s insurance. It simply protects us when the unexpected happens. The same can be said about having a good warranty. And there are no better warranties than Mopar. He should have built up Ram trucks by saying, he believes Ram trucks are the best built trucks on the market. But like so many things in life, the unexpected can happen.
I politely declined every offer he made me. I proceeded to initial and sign multiple documents over the course of the next 30 minutes. Suddenly, out of the blue, he made a very rude remark. He shuffled through some papers and commented, “how much did you pay for this anyway.” He looked down on the purchase agreement, frowned and remarked, “not bad but I’ve seen a lot better.” Why in the world would this guy make a snarky remark like that to me? Was he frustrated and pissed that I didn’t purchase any of the warranties and repair policies he offered me? In any case, I was happy when our conversation ended and walked out of his office.
As I walked out of the main building, I could see Ron putting on the rear temporary license plate. I looked over the truck, as he finished up putting the front temp license plate on. We sat in the truck, as Ron went over some of the operational features. It was already 1:40 and Ron knew I had a long 500 mile trip home in front of me. We shook hands and I proceeded to cautiously drive my new truck out of the dealership. Not sure if other dealers do the same, but Ron had filled the truck with Chevron Unleaded.
I made my way onto Interstate 5. The traffic was horrendous! It took me two hours to make my way the 60 miles from Irvine to Santa Clarita. Once over the Grapevine, I settled in for the tiresome drive through the San Joaquin Valley. It would be an understatement to say the highway was badly in need of repairs. The segment of highway from the Grapevine to highway 152 was completed in 1972. At that time there were two lanes in each direction. That was 51 years ago! And there are still only two lanes in each direction! Instead of sending billions of our tax dollars to a corrupt government in northeastern Europe, those dollars could be used to repair and update our highways and infrastructure.
I made a stop in Santa Nella to get gas and visit my favorite Mexican fast food joint, Del Taco . Ordered a Macho Burrito , which is now called an Epic Combo Burrito, due to political correctness. Got home at 11:30 and celebrated with a good brew and cigar! Yes, us Lutherans love a good brew and cigar!
