One Letter

Dixie Toyota
5500-E Dixie Road
Mississauga, ON  L4W 4N3

I would like to notify you of how bad experience I had with Dixie Toyota’s Parts and Service.  I bought my used 2003 Toyota Sienna in the beginning of this year and did Safety and Emission test at this place.  Ever since I have been going there.  Three times I went there because the engine light was on.  1st time they reset it – charging me $109.  Second time they put a new part – I paid that too.  Third time they reset again – charging me $109 again.  This is where I did all my oil changes.  Lastly, I did my oil change and engine light check 5 days ago, and yesterday, my van wasn’t starting.  It starts if you give accelerator, but then it stops when you take it off.  We called CAA to boost, but the guy was quickly figured it out it wasn’t the battery, but gas line had some problem.  I had to tow to some local mechanic – paying the $30 for extra KMs to CAA.  Local mechanic said, the gas line was pinched when they changed the filter – paying $80.  I had to take off leave from work, so much hassle – all because I thought Toyota Dealer’s service would be in excellent quality.

On top of this, my wiper blade was half ripped and the tire pressure was not enough.  Come on, I thought they check these things when they do Oil Change at dealerships.  What happened to their “courtesy check” and some 17 or 20 point checks?

When I fist did the Safety and Emission test at this place, they said it is a must I should change the front suspension and I did.  Guess what, they did not do wheel alignment.   I consulted a local mechanic and another Toyota dealer and both said it is a must if you change front suspension.  Then I took my van another day spending my time and did wheel alignment – paying of course.

I’m never ever going back to that dealer again.  I’m loosing my confidence in Toyota altogether as Toyota mechanics weren’t able to do a simple oil change properly and couldn’t able to figure out why the engine light was on. I wonder, Toyota does any routine check of their mechanics and dealer’s Parts and Service department.

This is the letter I submitted to Toyota.  I also sent this in email to: service@dixietoyota.com, tours@tmmc.ca

This letter was read by sdhuga@dixietoyota.com

Thu 12/20/2012 1:42 PM

This letter was read by nnagaoka@dixietoyota.com

Thu 12/20/2012 4:48 PM

I also received a reply from Toyota as follows:

Thank you for your e-mail.

We are sorry to learn of your recent experience at Dixie Toyota. We can certainly appreciate your disappointment and assure you that Toyota’s ultimate goal is to provide a positive experience to all our customers throughout the entire cycle of ownership.

As the Canadian distributor, we always appreciate receiving customer
feedback, even when it cannot be positive. Situations such as you
described are not taken lightly, as customer service and handling skills are very important to both Toyota Canada and to our dealerships. Every effort is being made to provide each valued Toyota owner with the ultimate service experience and we certainly do not wish to lose any of our valued customers.

One of the major elements in gauging our success in this area is evaluating customer feedback via letters, email and telephone calls, and taking appropriate action as necessary, including reporting to other departments
to refine or improve our processes. A copy of your letter and our
response has been forwarded to the appropriate departments within Toyota Canada.

We kindly suggest addressing your concerns directly with the Service Manager, Michal McDonald, at your dealership. We have every confidence that the management of Dixie Toyota will handle this matter in a professional and equitable manner.

As the VIN you have provided – VINNUMBER is not listed in your name in our database, we kindly ask that you provide us with your full address and telephone number so we can update our records and send you any necessary notifications.

Again, we apologize for this unfortunate experience and thank you for giving us this opportunity to comment. Although we cannot change the events which have taken place, we are hoping that this explanation and apology will help restore your faith in Toyota and our services.

Sincerely,

John Ross
Customer Interaction Centre
Toyota Canada Inc.

For this I replied back:

[MY HOUSE ADDRESS INFO]

I did talk with the Service Consultant about my 3 times engine light service, and he was like it could be every time there is a different parts problem.  I told him all three times it shows the same P code and he was like no the code does not mean only one part – one code could mean many problems.

Anyhow, thanks for getting back to me.  Hopefully, another customer does not get bad experience from a Toyota’s Parts & Service department.

And Toyota’s reply:

Thank you for your recent correspondence.

Please be advised that we have amended our records to reflect the information you have provided.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

Sincerely,

John Ross
Customer Interaction Centre
Toyota Canada Inc.

Later in the afternoon, I got call from Dixie Toyota.  He left a voice message on my work phone giving his name as Michal.  I called back and left him a voice message with my cell number and waiting for him to call back today.

I got an email from Mike McDonald on Fri 12/28/2012 1:44pm, and I’m waiting for his call after his vacation.

Hi NAME,

I am out of the office until Jan 02/2013. I know that we have each other messages and I would like to discuss this situation with you when I return next week, if that is satisfactory for you.

Please send me the best number that I can to reach you if it is not MY-CELL-PHONE-NUMBER or verify this number.

Thank you and have a great new year.

Sincerely.

Mike McDonald

I am still waiting for the Dixie Toyota Dealer’s call and no communication as of now Jan 21, 2013.

Finally, Mr. McDonald called on Jan 28, 2013.

He said, he couldn’t find me in their system. He said, I wrote 2002 Toyota Sienna in the email [correct is 2003]. I didn’t check while he was on the phone, but later I checked and I correctly wrote 2003 Toyota Sienna in the email. He also mentioned that he doesn’t have my cell phone number. I was quick to say, he in fact sent me an email [see above] with my cell phone number. He still insisted to give me the phone number on profile. I said, I never give out any other number other than my cell. I asked him to check again. At last, he was able to find me in their system. These things are really nothing, but this affects the credibility and seriousness of the person about the issue.

Anyhow, he asked what has had happened. I explained the whole story from the beginning – long story short – he offered to inspect my vehicle for free. At first, I accepted this offer. After few minutes, I called and asked him if he can bear the cost of fixing the engine light issue, replacing any part. He declined. So I rejected his offer of free inspection. I told him, they inspected my van three (3) times. If their mechanics couldn’t figure it out in 3 times, its going to be the same in 4th time also. Besides, I would have to pay for any parts they recommend to change.  I would rather go to my new mechanic and check with fresh set of eyes.

2 Responses »

After posting this and sending the link to all offices of The Brick and submitting a complaint at the Better Business Bureau, The lady from The Brick called and offered to give me the warranty value sofa.  So within 30 days, I went and selected a new sofa and that got delivered.  Thanks for all for your visit to my blog.  I again purchased the The Brick’s warranty

By the way, here is a site that gave me ideas about The Brick’s warranty:
http://thebrickwarranty.com/complain-tips/

---

I bought 3 piece leather sofas [chair, lover seat, and 3 seat sofa] from The Brick on February 09, 2008 at the following location

I also purchased an extended warranty of 5 years for this product, since I’m buying the leather sofa for the first time.   The salesperson assured me that if anything goes wrong with the sofa, they will fix it or replace it.  I thought I was making a smart choice.

I am very disappointed that the product just does not match up to the claims made by The Brick’s salesman. It has been less than 3 years and already the leather changed colour as a snake skin and started to peel off like in the following photos.

We notified The Brick of this problem.   They sent a photographer to take photos.  After few days they called us and told us that our 5 year warranty does not cover the “normal wear and tear”.   I told them that I’m going to blog about this.  The woman I spoke with did not worry.  Since it looked so ugly, we put a cover to hide it.  The interesting point to  note is that at home there is no child.  All 3 adults living.  Imagine this leather sofa used in a 2 children house.  This would have been ripped in 1 year.  Right now the leather from the seat ripped off on the 3 seat sofa like in the following photos.

First it ripped along the stitches.  As we sit more on it, it started to make it path.  We notified The Brick again.  This time they told us to take the photo and send it.  By the time we took photos and attached it in the email and sent to them, one week passed by.  Adrijana Grujic agrujic@thebrick.com confirmed that she received the photos and its under review on April 30, 2011.  Now they said that it does not look like a “fresh rip” of the leather and hence it is not covered by the 5 year so called warranty.  When I told the woman I spoke to that I’m going to complain the issue to Ministry of Consumer Services, she did not even care.  In case you are wondering what is the original look and feel of the leather sofa, look at the last 2 photos from above.  On one side you see its thick brown without any snake skin scaling.  That was how the entire sofa looked when I bought it!

I have been The Brick’s customer for number of years and this is the 2^nd time that I have been so disappointed with their products.  I request that they replace my 3 piece sofa as I not only spend more then $2000 on the product but I also bought the warranty for it spending $300.

I am enclosing copy of the Receipt for proof of purchase.

If you notice the bill, it includes

• Full 5yr blanket coverage
• Construction warranty
• Master surface coverage

9 Responses »

Dear Hon. Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada.

You are one strong man, I had to admit. Canadian Tamils have been protesting since January across Canada to save minority Tamils from genocide in the hands of majority Sinhala led Sri Lanka.  We have protested in Vancouver, Ottawa,  Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, and many corners of Greater Toronto.  We have protested from the confinement of parks, and sidewalks, to open streets, and highway.

You are not even willing to listen to the genuine grievances of Canadian Tamils.  You have not even said a comforting words to the hunger strikers.  You have let down the very constituents that you claim to represent.  You are absolutely aware of the dire situation in Sri Lanka, still you kept your strong face away from Canadian Tamils!

Sri Lankan army has not spared even hospitals, as Defence Secratary Gotabaya Rajapakse confirmed in a news interview with Sky News, even hospitals were legitimate targets. Our family and friends were slaughtered barring independent journalist and non-government aid agencies from the so called “no-fire zone”, literally starving the Tamils.  The no-fire zone is actually a no-safe zone, as it was confirmed by satellite pictures from UN and US [UN Leaked - UNOSAT satellite imagery analysis implicates Sri Lankan Government of War Crimes, Satellite Imagery Offers Glimpse on Sri Lankan War Zone].  Sri Lanka did not even spare the hospitals inside the “no-fire zone” as it was witnessed by government official doctors.

While all these gross manslaughter of Tamils were happening, you – our Foreign Affairs minister – called “… LTTE lay down its arms“. The only force that has been fighting for the Tamils, while international countries maintained silence over genocide of Tamils had been called to lay down its arms and surrender.  The humanitarian crisis did not jolt the Conservative Canada to at least voice against Sri Lankan government.  Even world’s most busiest leader, USA President Hon. Barack Obama had taken the time to condemn Sri Lankan government’s indiscriminate shelling of Tamil civilians, but our Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Stephan Harper could only do, maintain his silence.  May be our Conservative Canada is trying to prove that it is not following the US at least in this matter.

Hon. Lawrence Cannon, as you called to lay down its arms, LTTE has done that.  Yes, they have done what you called on them for and look what had happened.  They were massacred when they surrendered [Tamil leaders 'killed as they tried to surrender', Tigers begged me to broker surrender].  Please Sir, you have not addressed the Canadian Tamil protesters, you have not voiced against the Sri Lanka, and when the Tamil leaders surrendered as you called for that, they were massacred.  What are you going to do for this war crime?  Where are you going to keep your face on this matter? Having successfully decimated the only force that was fighting for the Tamils, Sri Lankan government now embarks on ethinic cleansing in other Tamil areas as confirmed by aid agencies, which the Tamils were saying for few decades.

Please Sir, take some actions rather than words.

Thank you and looking forward not to your words, but actions.

No Responses »

To: delnaggar@worldbank.org

C c: books@worldbank.org; pic@worldbank.org; migainquiry@worldbank.org; Webmaster@ifc.org; ICSIDsecretariat@worldbank.org

Date: 2009/04/16 @ 2:30 PM [GMT-5]

Dear Sir/ Madam:

I am very much disgusted reading one of your Feature Stories: The Pearl of Great Price: promoting equitable access to education in Sri Lanka over sixty years.

It is Sri Lanka’s quota system for education that infuriated youngsters of Tamils of Sri Lanka that now has ended up as a genocide. I am very much disappointed that the whole body did not know about this.

Please see below notes for further clarifications:
The uprisings in the North were also against elected governments because if you take the North and South, the bulk of the people were highly educated. In fact, until 1970 the bulk of the university entrants were from the North, then from the South. Mrs Bandaranaike’s Government, in 1971, introduced standardisation and the district quota system in order to enhance the opportunities for the vast majority from the not-so-developed areas to enter universities.
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200205/20020516terrorism.htm

“The [1972] constitution also sanctioned measures that discriminated against Tamil youth in university admissions. Tamil youth were particularly irked by the “standardization” policy that Bandaranaike’s government introduced in 1973. The policy made university admissions criteria lower for Sinhalese than for Tamils.”
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13157.html

Hopefully, you will not build such a standardization policies in another country and ignite another civil war.

I have posted this letter on my blog at The World Bank has found pearl in Sri Lanka: Standardization and District Quota system for education.
Thank you.

No Responses »

To:  http://www.google.com/support/news/bin/request.py?contact_type=report_news

Date:  2008/07/23 @ 6:45 PM [GMT-5]

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am very glad to find out today that Google News is given in Tamil as well.  I am a regular visitor of Google News, and this Tamil service would be a great help for me.  Thank you.

I also noticed, with a little bit of disappointment, there is no “standard section” for Tamileelam [த‌மிழீழ‌ம்].  Tamils around the world pay quite some time to read news about  த‌மிழீழ‌ம், as we emigirated from Sri Lanka as refugees, fleeing genocide.  It would be great use, if I and fellow Tamils around the world could get the த‌மிழீழ‌ம் in the standard section when you “Personalize this page“.

I have posted this letter on my blog at Google செய்திக‌ள்.

Thank you

No Responses »

To:   TAMILSFORJUSTICE@GMAIL.COM

Date:  2008/01/23 @ 2:21 PM [GMT-5]

Dear Mr. Bruce Fein:

I humbly thank you for taking the struggle of Tamils to the law offices of United States of America.  I read your press release TAMILS FOR JUSTICE ATTORNEY CHALLENGES FBI’S ASSESSMENT OF THE TAMIL TIGERS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA.  I would like to point out two things. 

First, as I am sure you already know this yet my two cents, FBI noted LTTE is responsible for assassinating two world leaders.  Even though they did not specify the names, I assume they are talking about Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993.  Rajiv Gandhi was not the leader of India when the incident happened.  He was a former Prime Minister, who lost in the last election but running again in the upcoming election. 

Second, the link to your site in your press release is incorrect.  The HTTP address should finish with .org and not .com. 

Thank you and I have posted this letter on my blog at My Two Cents for Tamils for Justice.

_______

CAPitalZ

No Responses »

To: DKelly@nationapost.com, SMeurice@nationalpost.com, JKay@nationalpost.com, RRoberts@nationalpost.com

Date: 2007/12/03 @ 10:54 AM [GMT-5]

Dear Editors,

I have known National Post as a very aggressive media against our Tamil Freedom struggle. But I am not understanding why National Post intentionally manipulates facts against Tamil ethnicity struggle.

I was reading your article TOUGH STAND TAKEN ON SRI LANKA. You have mentioned “Last week, events were held around Toronto to mark Tamil Heroes’ Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the first Tamil Tigers suicide bombing.” This is totally untrue. The Maaveerar Naal or Tamil Heroes’ Day is to commemorate the first death occurred in our armed struggle to freedom, after so many ahimsa protests were brutally beaten and so many anti-Tamil riots. This death is not a suicide mission. You may read about it at From Death of the First Hero.

I have previously sent a letter pointing out similar false reporting. You can view my letter at National Post’s racism.

There are more than 1500 Tamils were arrested in Sri Lanka just for being born in the ethnicity. Sri Lanka imposes emergency law almost continuously last two decades. More over, the state terror Sri Lankan government openly violated human rights, sponsoring paramilitary and deadly military to kill Tamils and political enemies. There is no single ban against the state terror Sri Lankan government. As a Tamil, my only single question is that when will you advocate tangible actions against Sri Lanka to stop the state terrorism?

I have posted this letter on my blog at National Post’s false report.

______
CAPitalZ

This letter was read by jkay@nationalpost.com

03/12/2007 10:55 AM

This letter was read by SMeurice@nationalpost.com

03/12/2007 10:57 AM

This letter was was deleted without being read on by RRoberts@nationalpost.com

03/12/2007 10:57 AM

No Responses »

To: DKelly@nationapost.com, SMeurice@nationalpost.com, JKay@nationalpost.com, RRoberts@nationalpost.com

C c: Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca

Date: 2007/11/12 @ 8:10 am [GMT-5]

Dear Editors,

After reading Irwin Cotler MP’s letter to National Post editorial, I was shocked. I knew National Post had not so great opinion about Tamils freedom struggle, but I never knew it distors facts to tarnish our struggle.

To ask a question “Why the Canadian government had not put Tamils on the terrorist list?” is a blatant racism. A prominent media editorial board cannot be this ignorant. I have no idea why National Post delibirately twists the facts to impose a bad impression of Tamils, but to even misinform of a recorded meeting is way over the line. I am disgusted how National Post seems to be working on a political agenda to support the Sri Lankan state terrorists.

I would like to demand National Post to publish an appology for misinforming a recorded meeting and tarnishing Tamils image.

I have posted this letter on my blog at National Post’s racism

Thank you

______
CAPitalZ

This letter was read by RRoberts@nationalpost.com

12/11/2007 8:11 AM

This letter was read by jkay@nationalpost.com

12/11/2007 8:11 AM

This letter was read by SMeurice@nationalpost.com

12/11/2007 8:49 AM

No Responses »

To:  Mckay.J@parl.gc.ca

Date:  2007/11/12 @ 8:10am [GMT-5]

Dear Sir McKay,

I have read your letter to the editor on Globe.  Thank you for understanding the real situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka.  The Sri Lankan government being a state actor has higher voice and hence it has influenced main media with its false propaganda.  The ethnic Tamils’ cry is slowly reaching the international grounds.

Thank you and hopefully there will be freedom.

I have posted this letter on my blog at What was the Globe thinking?

No Responses »

To: john.moore@cfrb.com

Date: 2007/11/09 @ 8:10 am [GMT-5]

Dear John,

I agree with your argument that “Desperation is no excuse for murder and mayhem”. But how can a tiny minority in a tiny island could do better when the state crushed their peaceful democratic efforts, as what Mandela and Gandhi did, in 1953, 1958, 1977, and 1983 with iron hand? [1]

Unlike in China (after Tienanmen square) or recent Myanmar, the international community did not react. As a result, the state terror went into high gears. Further, Canada is now home to more than 250000; most came here as political refugees, fearing Sri Lanka’s oppression.

LTTE is not the cause of the mayhem but it’s the product of state terrorism. When Tamils realized that none is willing to help, they started to build their own armed movement. If Gandhi could free India without ‘terrorism’, then why not Americans could not free themselves without being called ‘terrorist’ by UK?

If every country believes in negotiations, we all do not have to have military.

Tamil struggle to live free has started after the British left Sri Lanka in 1948. Sri Lanka was ruled by two kingdoms before the colonial powers took control and it was British who amalgamated the two administrations. When they left, they left it at the hands of Sinhalese majority. We have tried all peaceful protests, but they were met with state terrorism.

Tamils resorted to arms liberation as the last option. If the international community has the courage to force Sri Lanka to offer an acceptable political package, say as the province of Quebec, the bloodshed will stop.

I have posted this on my blog at CFRB’s NewsTalk

[1]
http://www.tamilnation.org/books/Eelam/satchi.htm
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20798
http://www.sangam.org/2007/04/DeJure_State.php?uid=2322

______
CAPitalZ

This letter was read by John Moore on

Fri, Nov 09, 2007 8:10:03 AM

3 Responses »