GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - The owner of a rare Chevrolet Camaro is getting a new ride after chronicling his frustrations online during a back-and-forth with the dealership whose employee wrecked his car.
The News Journal of Wilmington (https://delonline.us/1mgjPhB ) reports the problem started when John Hooper took his Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to First State Chevrolet in Georgetown, where he’d bought the car, for a paint repair. He got a call from the dealer in mid-December. An employee had taken the car for a joyride and spun it into a telephone pole.
Hooper says the dealership’s managers denied responsibility, blaming the employee. Hooper could have blown a gasket.
Instead, he shifted gears and posted his story on the website camaro5.com, a website dedicated to the fifth generation of the cars. He described the dealership dragging its feet in providing insurance information and being unwilling to help him find a replacement for his black, 2012 model. Two other car blogs also posted Hooper’s story.
The posts fueled others’ anger, and the dealership started getting angry phone calls and posts to its Facebook page.
Now, however, it seems Hooper and the dealership are cruising toward a resolution, and both parties are ready to put the whole incident in their rearview mirror. As a result of the deal, Hooper will get a 2013 model of the car, painted Victory red, and make the same monthly payments on it that he’d been making on his 2012 model. The retail price of current models starts at $55,000.
First State sales manager Bill Hansen called the situation “unfortunate” and said the dealership has “done as best we can.”
As for the employee who crashed the car, Delaware State Police have charged him with careless driving and failure to have proof of insurance. And he’s been fired from the dealership.
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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., https://www.delawareonline.com
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