Just an FYI for all you other car enthusiasts out there and the typical BS associated with auto manufacturers and dealers.

As you all know, I love buying/collecting cars and I love buying european vehicles. Last month I bought a brand new 2012 Fiat 500 Sport for daily driving to add to the collection. Fiat had a 3 year/36,000 miles "complimentary" maintenance program that covers all maintenance during this time frame. Note, I have quotation marks around the word complimentary.
This program is portrayed as a no cost complimentary incentive to the consumer.
Dictionary.com lists complimentary as:
given free as a gift of courtesy

Dealer (which I won't mention, PM if you really want to know) does not honor internet price because if you want the 3 year/36,000 mile complimentary maintenance program you need to pay $500 extra.
Really? Last time I checked complimentary, no cost means offered at no charge to the consumer. Not factored into vehicle purchase price and try to market it as complimentary.
Dealer again mentions: "there is a $500 rebate given to consumer if they choose to not go with the maintenance program."
I again ask: "How do you offer a rebate on something that is complimentary?"
Dealer's response: "It's complimentary because it is included in the overall vehicle price and you're not paying extra."

As you can see you can only beat a dead horse so many times as to what the word complimentary means.

I call Fiat USA to see if I can shed some light on this false marketing of the complimentary maintenance program.
I get the same response:
Fiat USA: "Yes, it is complimentary."
My response: "Then why do your dealerships offer a $500 rebate if you choose to not want the program?"
Fiat USA: "Because it is already included in the car purchase price."
My response: "If me, the consumer is paying for this, how can you market this as a complimentary incentive?"
Fiat USA: "Because you're not paying extra for it."
My response: "If someone else who buys a fiat and declines the program gets $500 off the purchase price of their car, how is that not paying extra?"
Fiat USA: "Well, we no longer offer that incentive as of January 4, 2012 but people who purchased before that, we will still honor the program."

How ironic? They won't give you a reason as to why they dropped the "complimentary" maintenance program on vehicles purchased after January 4, 2012. Only that they now offer service contracts in lieu of the complimentary maintenance program.

As you can see, Fiat dealers nor Fiat USA will man up and take responsibility on the false marketing of the "complimentary" maintenance program.

Now, this is not about a small sum of $500, it's about false information marketed to consumers. Don't try telling us you're giving us complimentary no cost maintenance programs when we are paying for it.

A famous quote comes to mind:
(Scarface)
"You know what a hasa is? It's a pig and it don't fly straight."

 

typical BS from dealer, which i expect. what i didn't expect is that the manufacturer's response. totally unacceptable. i would buy a mini instead.

 

and then call the Fiat dealer and tell them what no BS deal you got lols

 

Exactly at least admit it was an error on their behalf in the way it's marketed. Not continue to tell me that no, I am not charged for it at all.

Don't get me wrong $500 for 3 years/36,000 miles is a great deal for all maintenance, but at least market it correctly and don't BS your consumer.

 

It sounded to me like they quit offering the rebate for not taking the maintenance plan.

It sounds like a poor choice of wording more than anything. It's something included with the car, but it's an option you can delete. It sounds like the biggest issue is that the dealership was advertising the cars as having deleted the plan but not being up front about it.

Dealerships (especially Chrysler Jeep Dodge ones) are notorious for trying to screw people. And getting them to live up to their pricing is... interesting.

 

how is it the dealers fault? it sounds like the issue is with the manufacturer... should the dealer eat 500 on ever car they sell because of how the manufacture wants to run an add campaign??

 

The dealer nor the manufacturer should not keep insisting that this is no charge no the consumer, which is what both keep insisting. This is what annoys me, if I am paying $500 more for a fiat than someone who didn't accept the program then no it's not free of cost to me since it is clear that I am paying for it.
I got no beef against the car so far as it is a fun fuel efficient vehicle, but don't continue lying to your consumer when the truth is clear.

And at the end of the day, $500 is a small sum, not a deal breaker. But don't keep BSing to the consumer that it is a no cost incentive when purchasing the vehicle. Just admit the error and apologize.

 

An update:

Fiat dealer acknowledged the incorrect use of "free, no cost, complimentary" in marketing and reimbursed. Now why couldn't they just admit the error in advertising/marketing from the beginning instead of leading me on? I wasn't looking for refund, just someone to stop telling me it was a zero cost to me.
Smart move on their behalf, as I am a strong candidate for consideration of the Abarth.

 

For a company that doesn't have the best reputation in the US who is now trying to re-establish themselves here.......this woud seem to be a self defeating move.

 

So there is virtually no support by Fiat USA on any issues you encounter. Their response "contact the dealer." Of course dealers don't care. I don't have the time to sit there and go back and forth with Fiat USA and the dealers everytime.
So to make a long story short:
Had a few other minor issues pop up, no support to get them resolved by anyone.
Sold the Fiat and bought a Mini Cooper S.

 

This is one reason that we are getting a Mini (wife commuter car) instead of the Fiat...have to wonder/worry about the dealer support, being that they are so "green" here after decades of not being here.

 

Nobody wants unnecessary headaches. At least with Mini, you know it's backed by BMW. Not to mention that yes, although the Mini is pricier, you can definitely tell the huge difference in quality between the two.