FINANCE DEPARTMENT: 1/5
GENERAL MANAGER: 3/5
OVERALL: - kevinranders
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: 1/5
GENERAL MANAGER: 3/5
OVERALL: 2/5
I purchased a 2026 RAM 1500 Laramie from Friendship CDJR of Forest City and want to provide an honest, factual account of my experience for others researching this dealership.
The sales experience itself raised concerns from the start. I drove approximately 90 minutes to the dealership after being told I needed to arrive before closing on the last day of the month to take advantage of promotions, including 90 days with no payment. Upon arrival I was informed I would sign paperwork that evening but would need to return the following day to take possession of the truck as it still required inspection.
After completing the paperwork, my salesperson and I spent over an hour attempting to activate the digital key feature on the vehicle without success. I later discovered through my own research that this feature has not been fully rolled out across all 2026 RAM 1500s. This was not disclosed at the time of sale and suggests a gap in product knowledge that added unnecessary time and frustration to the delivery experience.
The transaction on March 30, 2026 involved a spot delivery (I learned this after the sale) — meaning I took possession of the vehicle before financing was finalized. Approximately six weeks later I was informed the original deal fell through because the lender would not approve those terms — specifically the 90 days no payment promotion that had been used to bring me in. I was then required to sign a revised contract and mail it back to the dealership.
What followed was a prolonged experience of unanswered requests and deferred follow-through from the finance department:
• Multiple requests for a copy of my executed revised contract went unanswered or were deferred for over three weeks
• A payoff discrepancy of approximately $851 between what was reflected in my contract and what was actually remitted to my prior lender was identified and acknowledged by the finance department — but the refund took weeks of additional follow-up to receive
• When documents were finally emailed to me, they belonged to another customer entirely, including, what appeared to be, that individual's complete deal jacket with sensitive personal and financial information
• When I notified the finance department of the error, I received the wrong documents a second time
• The contract documents I ultimately received were dated prior to the date I received or signed them
Escalating to the General Manager produced an initial same-day response and a committed deadline that was met. However, rather than personally overseeing resolution, the GM re-engaged the same finance manager who had been the source of the issues throughout, resulting in continued back and forth before the correct documents were ultimately provided. Additionally, one item I raised — confirmation that another customer whose complete personal and financial documents were inadvertently disclosed had been notified — was never addressed.
My recommendation to prospective buyers: if issues arise, escalating to the GM will get an initial response — but be prepared to continue advocating for yourself through the process. I would strongly encourage anyone purchasing here to carefully review all financing documents before leaving the lot, independently verify any promotions with the lender before signing, confirm which features are available on your specific vehicle before delivery, verify payoff amounts independently with your prior lender, and follow up in writing on any commitments made by the finance department. In lieu of all of that, I would highly recommend going to another dealership.
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