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<\/p>\n\n Nissan and its Cape Coral dealer apologized after a GM allegedly retaliated against a couple who left a one-star review <\/p>\n
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A Florida couple says their new van developed serious issues almost at once.<\/p>\n They say the dealer\u2019s general manager retaliated after a one-star Google review.<\/p>\n The GM and the dealership\u2019s parent company have both apologized publicly.<\/p>\n Dealerships have a gnarly reputation among most car buyers. When things go wrong, dealers often have the upper hand. One of the few things customers can do is to leave a review. When a couple in Florida<\/a> did exactly that after a sour experience, things somehow got worse. The general manager decided to leave a similar review of that customer\u2019s business. Now, the dealer and Nissan itself have each issued an apology.<\/p>\n Tiffany and Robert Maillet say the van they purchased from Nissan<\/a> of Cape Coral developed serious problems almost immediately, including what they describe as a faulty transmission. According to the couple, they struggled to get satisfactory help from the dealership, leading Tiffany to post a negative review on Google detailing their experience.<\/p>\n Read: Volkswagen Dealer Apologizes After Racial Slur Shows Up On Oil Change Stickers<\/a><\/p>\n Rather than ending there, Tiffany says the dealership\u2019s response spilled into her family\u2019s livelihood, reports Autonews<\/a>. In a TikTok video that\u2019s now been viewed roughly 1.4 million times (though the video was removed at the time of publishing), she alleges General Manager Blake Varnadoe retaliated by posting negative reviews of the couple\u2019s upholstery business and encouraging others to do the same. <\/p>\n \u201cNot only does he come attacking my business, he\u2019s sending his friends to attack my business as well,\u201d Tiffany said in the video. \u201cThey\u2019re coming after our livelihood.\u201d Viewers didn\u2019t take things lightly.<\/p>\n The Apologies Roll In<\/p>\n
Following the backlash, Nissan of Cape Coral\u2019s parent company, Krause Auto Group, issued a formal statement acknowledging \u201can inappropriate online response by a member of dealership<\/a> management to a customer\u2019s review.\u201d The company said it had personally contacted the customer to apologize, was taking \u201cappropriate corrective action,\u201d and would reinforce professional-conduct training across the organization.<\/p>\n Also: Woman Celebrating Purchase Of First Car Kicks Gong Onto New Nissan Maxima<\/a><\/p>\n The company added that the response \u201cdid not reflect our values or the professional standards we expect from our team.\u201d However, it did not specify what disciplinary action had been taken against Varnadoe. For all we know, he\u2019s still employed and faced zero formal discipline. Krause also emphasized that the family-owned dealership group remains \u201ccommitted to accountability, learning from this experience and upholding the standards our customers, employees and communities expect from us.\u201d<\/p>\n Varnadoe apologized as well on the dealer\u2019s Facebook page, saying, \u201cI accept responsibility for the embarrassment and disruption my actions caused. I will use my time away from the dealership to complete professional conduct training, reflect on my decisions and ensure this behavior is never repeated.\u201d<\/p>\n The Internet Returns Fire<\/p>\n Ironically, after Tiffany\u2019s TikTok went viral, Nissan of Cape Coral became the target of the same kind of online review campaign she says her family experienced. The dealership\u2019s Google listing, Yelp rating<\/a>, and social media pages were flooded with negative comments, although the Maillets urged viewers not to retaliate against other dealership employees.<\/p>\n
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