Ramcares repair scam\fraud

[Darksteel165]

So long story short I have been working with Ramcares since April 5th with paint problems since I bought my truck and they approved the repairs verbally twice and in writing twice and are now backing out after I paid $1400 cash for the repairs up front as 3 differnet dealerships refused to work on my truck as it "was not brought from them" and Ramcares told me to go directly to the bodyshop which they approved. They refuse to talk to me via phone and are no longer communicating to me after the last email

I was told verbally and in email on May 30th to get the repair done (they had the estimate) and I would be reimbursed in full via check
I called July 7th (the week before the shop could get in my) and they confirmed via phone and email again it was 100% set it stone to have the work done.
July 31st I was emailed by some random person that I would NOT be reimbursed "The case did not meet criteria and guidelines under Stellantis reimbursement assistance policy"

No one at Ram will talk to me. The original case was closed, the second case has a case manager which has not called me back since May 30th, and the third case I am told I have no case manager.
They refuse to let me talk to request any supervisor to call.
I have reached out to our local @RamCares and despite them seeming to try to do (something?) I have gotten nowhere and I am worse off then before I engaged with Ram. With what they just did to me I will never give a single penny to them and I will make sure everyone who complements me on my truck knows NEVER BUY ANY STELLANTIS PRODUCT as they will not honor anything.

There has been in total
41 phone calls
3 returned phone calls (out of around 25 requests for a call back)
13 emails
3 dealership visits
95 miles driven to get to 2 dealerships (I called the third one and they confirmed they could\would not do anything)
3 case numbers
9 case managers
1 case manager who quit working for FCA (and she told me she was happy getting a job elsewhere, I wonder why?)
$1,400 spent on repairs
$0 reimbursement

It would seem my only option at this point is trying to find a lawyer which I really don't want to do, but I assume it should be an easy case since I have all the voice recordings from ALL of the calls and the emails confirming their agreement with me. I think small claims should also be an option but at this point I wonder if I should go for damages up and above just reimbursement because how they are played games with me. Going to an authorized body shop told to pay and be reimbursed and then refusing after they have my money.

I'm pretty shocked at the whole thing. I didn't think customer service for a car manufacture could be this bad and corrupt.

All that said, what would YOU do in this situation?

Update: Emailed and called (voicemail) Mike MacDonald with the information a friendly forum member provided to me. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction assuming he still works for FCA.

Update 2: I got an email back from Mike and he is going to call me tomorrow, so yay looks like I might be able to get this handled by someone.

Update 3: I spoke with Mike MacDonald and he is taking care of everything and said he is going to investigate what happened separately from the reimbursement. He was very accommodating and understood how cut and dry this is and has no idea how it got to this point. He also said if I have any more problems to go directly to him. I will wait until I get my hands on the check before I count my chickens but I don't have any reason to second guess what he told me, he was a no BS kind of person and seemed legitimacy concerned about what happened and could see clear logic\reason. First time I felt like this the entire encounter with Ram customer support which has been insane from start to finish.

Update 4: Mike MacDonald came through and I just received my check I was promised in the mail.
Ramcares is a joke, customer service was terrible, dealerships that have a body shop told me to wait 3 years, but Mike took care of me where everyone else would not even talk to me or call me back like I was told they would.

I asked him if it was okay to post his info and he said he didn't have a problem with it. I would still recommend to go through support but if you get in a situation like I was in I would reach out to him to do the heavy lifting.

Mike MacDonald
Customer Care & Experience
Executive Referrals Manager
O: 586-274-8085

 

[HSKR R/T]

So long story short I have been working with Ramcares since April 5th with paint problems since I bought my truck and they approved the repairs verbally twice and in writing twice and are now backing out after I paid $1400 cash for the repairs up front as 3 differnet dealerships refused to work on my truck as it "was not brought from them" and Ramcares told me to go directly to the bodyshop which they approved. They refuse to talk to me via phone and are no longer communicating to me after the last email

I was told verbally and in email on May 30th to get the repair done (they had the estimate) and I would be reimbursed in full via check
I called July 7th (the week before the shop could get in my) and they confirmed via phone and email again it was 100% set it stone to have the work done.
July 31st I was emailed by some random person that I would NOT be reimbursed "The case did not meet criteria and guidelines under Stellantis reimbursement assistance policy"

No one at Ram will talk to me. The original case was closed, the second case has a case manager which has not called me back since May 30th, and the third case I am told I have no case manager.
They refuse to let me talk to request any supervisor to call.
I have reached out to our local @RamCares and despite them seeming to try to do (something?) I have gotten nowhere and I am worse off then before I engaged with Ram. With what they just did to me I will never give a single penny to them and I will make sure everyone who complements me on my truck knows NEVER BUY ANY STELLANTIS PRODUCT as they will not honor anything.

There has been in total
41 phone calls
3 returned phone calls (out of around 25 requests for a call back)
13 emails
3 dealership visits
95 miles driven to get to 2 dealerships (I called the third one and they confirmed they could\would not do anything)
3 case numbers
9 case managers
1 case manager who quit working for FCA (and she told me she was happy getting a job elsewhere, I wonder why?)
$1,400 spent on repairs
$0 reimbursement

It would seem my only option at this point is trying to find a lawyer which I really don't want to do, but I assume it should be an easy case since I have all the voice recordings from ALL of the calls and the emails confirming their agreement with me. I think small claims should also be an option but at this point I wonder if I should go for damages up and above just reimbursement because how they are played games with me. Going to an authorized body shop told to pay and be reimbursed and then refusing after they have my money.

I'm pretty shocked at the whole thing. I didn't think customer service for a car manufacture could be this bad and corrupt.

All that said, what would YOU do in this situation?

I would definitely take the legal route. Small claims can approve "damages" as well to extra expenses. The problem with small claims court is it's a civil trial and there is nothing legal holding Stellantis to actually pay if you win. if they don't pay, there is no recourse other than going back to court. Where are a lawyer in a normal case, the judgment is legally binding

 

[Dewey]

What exactly were your paint problems?

 

[OCD Solutions]

I had a similar incident with Ford back in the early 90's over an 88 F250 XLT Lariat. Haven't owned a Ford product since and won't even consider one until I get a check for $5k and a written apology. I ain't holding my breath for either.

 

[6of36]

If they had sent you that e-mail, before you had the work done, they could possibly have a case, saying after further investigation, it was determined, that no, they would not cover it. However, seeing they told you more than once, it would be covered, and you had the repair done, before they sent you that e-mail today, they don't have a leg to stand on. They said they would cover it, and they would pay. You had it fixed, they need to pay.

 

[Darksteel165]

What exactly were your paint problems?

Front bumper.
Paint chipping all over the place within the first month of ownership and getting bad everytime it was driven. I saw 3 other people here get theirs repaired under warranty, and Ram agreed-ed with me, well until it came time to actually go through and send me the check for the repair. Never driven it on gravel or taken it offroad (I park on dirt\grass\small rocks in my 15 foot driveway). Had 160 chips when I took it in for the paint job at 13 months of ownership, only on the actual bumper, 0 chips on the hood or other trim pieces.

Before


After

I would definitely take the legal route. Small claims can approve "damages" as well to extra expenses. The problem with small claims court is it's a civil trial and there is nothing legal holding Stellantis to actually pay if you win. if they don't pay, there is no recourse other than going back to court. Where are a lawyer in a normal case, the judgment is legally binding

Ah that is interesting. Neither is a route I really want to go, but if i'm out $1400 and all this time with overwhelming proof I guess that is what I will need to do.

 

[Darksteel165]

If they had sent you that e-mail, before you had the work done, they could possibly have a case, saying after further investigation, it was determined, that no, they would not cover it. However, seeing they told you more than once, it would be covered, and you had the repair done, before they sent you that e-mail today, they don't have a leg to stand on. They said they would cover it, and they would pay. You had it fixed, they need to pay.

This is what I have in writing (just removed my email address).

This was after sending them the estimate from the body shop which did the work on May 30th.

**********************************************************************************************
From: ******@****com [mailto:****@****.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 5:41 PM
To: 'US Customer Care' <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Paint concerns on the front bumper

Thank you for the email Jenny.

I will contact Wagner Certified Collision Center and let them know I am authorizing the paint repair and will submit proof of payment\repair once it is completed to be reimbursed in full via check.

I will let you know as soon as I know when the appointment is scheduled for (they are booking a little ways out)

Thanks
-Eric Rainville

**********************************************************************************************
From: US Customer Care [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 4:49 PM
To: ******@*****.com
Subject: RE: Paint concerns on the front bumper

Good afternoon Eric,

As per our conversation I wanted to let you know that once you have the repairs completed
you will be able to submit all the correct documents for reimbursement for the cost of repairs.

Sincerely,
Jenny | Northeast BC Case Manager
Phone: 1-844-827-2006

**********************************************************************************************
This is when I called back to confirm everything was still good (as it took a month to get a spot at the paint booth)

From: US Customer Care [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2023 12:59 PM
To: *******@*****.com
Subject: Vehicle Paint Chip Issue 86646173/86169366

Hello Mr. Rainville,

As per our conversation, this email is in regards to our previous commitment in resolving your paint chipping issue.
Once the vehicle issue is resolved by the body shop we will require you to forward the invoice details to us by email.

Regards,
Marc

ref:_00Dj01qsDF._5003Z1b9Ssq:ref
**********************************************************************************************

I also have voice recordings from both of them first saying they will cover it (I asked Jenny to email me in writing) and then Marc who said "I confirm we will honor the commitment to reimburse the repairs from the previous case manager"

And I agree with you. If they said no way we are paying etc that's one thing. I was told multiple times it was all set and to do it. I even said if i needed to pay out of pocket I would just buy a differnet brand bumper vs pay $1400 for a damn paint job.

 

[MarPar]

@RamCares

 

[Darksteel165]

View attachment 164229

@RamCares

I think I have exhausted what Ramcares can\will do for me. Fingers crossed, but after all the communication with them on this website and actual Ram customer service my exceptions are tempered, just not in a good way

 

[Littlejoe81]

Sorry Darksteel, I understand and feel your frustration. Manufacturers should be held accountable for these paint issues. I went to the used car lot just for this because I got a few rock chips (they say) when I had only less than 2,500 miles on it; three on the front bumper and one on the door handle. You can't tell me rock chips can do this alone! Cheap quality/ cutting corners in the paint department!! Ford, Chevy, GMC, ect have the same issues, unacceptable for what people are paying for their investment. So people can't use a truck as a truck? I shouldn't have to spend $$ on PPF; I'm old school, I like waxing my vehicles. One member here even has his fender flares on here peeling like an onion. I didn't want the chrome package for my factory order, but after visiting the used car lots, I couldn't believe my eyes. Why should a customer have to pay out of pocket to have their bumper repainted; what if it happens again? $$$. I thought about getting a chrome bumper after seeing this but this would make the vehicle look out of place so I opted for this....

2022 Ram paint chipping and peeling

First dealership I went to told me it was a "3 year wait for corrosion repairs unless you bought it from them" the other one said "looks like rock chips, what do you want us to do about it?" Ramcares, FCA customer service is the face of Ram weather they outsource it or not it is "Ram" the...

5thgenrams.com

 

[Darksteel165]

Not that it matters but this is the email I got today from someone who I have no idea who they are. I called last week to try and talk to whoever this Kristhel is but was told it was a different department and they don't know how to transfer me and there is no phone number for me to talk to them.

From: RAM Customer Care [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2023 2:47 PM
To: ******@*****.com
Subject: RE: Case 86646173 - Vehicle Paint Chip Issue 86646173/86169366/85928455


Dear ERIC RAINVILLE,


Thank you for allowing RAM Customer Care an opportunity to address your concern. Our primary focus is your satisfaction.
We appreciate your time and effort in bringing this matter to us. Upon thorough review and consideration, we regret to inform you that your request for reimbursement has been denied due to the following reason/s:

-The case did not meet criteria and guidelines under Stellantis reimbursement assistance policy.

• Repair was confirmed that it was outside influence. (per Wagner Certified Collision Center, there is a Stone chips on the bumper)

As much as quality service is our concern, please be informed that there are certain guidelines and qualifications that we need to meet in order to grant your request.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Care team directly 866-726-4636 and they will be happy to answer any further questions that you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact us for any other concerns. Thank you for your continued business with RAM Automobiles.
We look forward to your continued business with us, and we appreciate you reaching out to us today.

Sincerely,

Kristhel Joyce
RAM Customer Care

 

[Littlejoe81]

Not that it matters but this is the email I got today from someone who I have no idea who they are. I called last week to try and talk to whoever this Kristhel is but was told it was a different department and they don't know how to transfer me and there is no phone number for me to talk to them.

From: RAM Customer Care [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2023 2:47 PM
To: ******@*****.com
Subject: RE: Case 86646173 - Vehicle Paint Chip Issue 86646173/86169366/85928455


Dear ERIC RAINVILLE,


Thank you for allowing RAM Customer Care an opportunity to address your concern. Our primary focus is your satisfaction.
We appreciate your time and effort in bringing this matter to us. Upon thorough review and consideration, we regret to inform you that your request for reimbursement has been denied due to the following reason/s:

-The case did not meet criteria and guidelines under Stellantis reimbursement assistance policy.

• Repair was confirmed that it was outside influence. (per Wagner Certified Collision Center, there is a Stone chips on the bumper)

As much as quality service is our concern, please be informed that there are certain guidelines and qualifications that we need to meet in order to grant your request.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Care team directly 866-726-4636 and they will be happy to answer any further questions that you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact us for any other concerns. Thank you for your continued business with RAM Automobiles.
We look forward to your continued business with us, and we appreciate you reaching out to us today.

Sincerely,

Kristhel Joyce
RAM Customer Care

So they approve it then deny it, not happy about this! I can't stand customer service these days, customer service should be #1 in any business. Early on with my factory order less than 3,000 miles I noticed one of my chrome wheels was pitted badly when hand washing because my microfiber rag fibers were catching on the wheel. I filed a claim at the dealer and they denied it saying the automatic car wash damaged it, I only hand wash it, lol. After three months going back and forth they paid for a replacement. I took the wheel off the truck myself because I'm scared of anyone touching my vehicles, long story short, I had to tell them to balance the wheel because it had no weights on it and when I got home from my midnight shift and checked the air on the wheel before installing in.......only 15 psi! That's only seating the bead. I was pissed. I have two sets of wheels, another new set night edition wheels from offer up I purchased for a summer and winter set. I worked as an automotive technician many years ago before going to the airlines as a technician, and I treated every customer's vehicle as if it was my own back in Detroit. Even when I worked at Wendy's, McDonald's, Meijer, ect... in my younger days I made sure I made the meals look exactly like the ones on billboards and television and customers were smiling and happy. I took pride and loved my job; customer service was and still should be #1 at any job. Take all your documents and recorded phone calls higher up, and ask to speak to their manager or dealers warranty department manager and send emails regarding this and I bet you will get paid, this is what I did, they always try to blame the customer saying wear and tear, automatic car wash ect. But If I see all the manufacturers like this, it's not the customer!! And lastly when talking to Ram Cares or people on the phone, I think they are working from home, outsourced and have no idea about cars no matter how many times you try to explain to them something so simple.

 

[Darksteel165]

So they approve it then deny it, not happy about this! I can't stand customer service these days, customer service should be #1 in any business. Early on with my factory order less than 3,000 miles I noticed one of my chrome wheels was pitted badly when hand washing because my microfiber rag fibers were catching on the wheel. I filed a claim at the dealer and they denied it saying the automatic car wash damaged it, I only hand wash it, lol. After three months going back and forth they paid for a replacement. I took the wheel off the truck myself because I'm scared of anyone touching my vehicles, long story short, I had to tell them to balance the wheel because it had no weights on it and when I got home from my midnight shift and checked the air on the wheel before installing in.......only 15 psi! That's only seating the bead. I was pissed. I have two sets of wheels, another new set night edition wheels from offer up I purchased for a summer and winter set. I worked as an automotive technician many years ago before going to the airlines as a technician, and I treated every customer's vehicle as if it was my own back in Detroit. Even when I worked at Wendy's, McDonald's, Meijer, ect... in my younger days I made sure I made the meals look exactly like the ones on billboards and television and customers were smiling and happy. I took pride and loved my job; customer service was and still should be #1 at any job. Take all your documents and recorded phone calls higher up, and ask to speak to their manager or dealers warranty department manager and send emails regarding this and I bet you will get paid, this is what I did, they always try to blame the customer saying wear and tear, automatic car wash ect. But If I see all the manufacturers like this, it's not the customer!! And lastly when talking to Ram Cares or people on the phone, I think they are working from home, outsourced and have no idea about cars no matter how many times you try to explain to them something so simple.

Yes they approved it, and I called back the week before taking it into the shop to make sure again it was still approved (due diligence). They even checked in on me during the repair and after when I submitted the receipt I get the denied messages.

Your experiences are similar to me. I do all my work myself because of getting half as$ work done on my cars and trucks. I remember one time I was arguing with the person at Jiffy Lube about the wrong oil they put in my 97 Expedition with 180k miles on it. They refused to flush it and I said "I told you to put in 5w30" and they said "well we checked your vin and it says it takes 10w40" I had to whip out my manual and show them wtf it said then they flushed it LOL.

As far as the documents, records, and higher ups I did all that. I have each phone call recorded and saved in 2 places and backed up to a third (automatic). They refuse to let me speak to any higher ups. Over the course of this case I was told a manger would be calling me back 3 times (but they never did) the amount of times I was told I would be called back I can't even count (good thing I documented it all LOL)

I do believe most of Ram is outsourced. One of them emailed me directly and it came from @external.stellantis.com. Very odd to use external as a subdomain unless they are another company or subcontractors.
Everything was fine when I was getting emails from uscustomercare@cac.stellantis.com but when it came time to get paid back they came from a ramcustomercare@cac.stellantis.com address. I wonder if ramcustomercare is actually Stentallis directly and uscustomercare is actually Ram in America?

At this point I do not believe there is anything else I can do with Ram directly as when I call I am told I have no case manager and they will not let me talk to anyone. If I ask for a supervisor they say they can't let me talk to one or request a call back as my case is "suspended"

 

[Littlejoe81]

Yes they approved it, and I called back the week before taking it into the shop to make sure again it was still approved (due diligence). They even checked in on me during the repair and after when I submitted the receipt I get the denied messages.

Your experiences are similar to me. I do all my work myself because of getting half as$ work done on my cars and trucks. I remember one time I was arguing with the person at Jiffy Lube about the wrong oil they put in my 97 Expedition with 180k miles on it. They refused to flush it and I said "I told you to put in 5w30" and they said "well we checked your vin and it says it takes 10w40" I had to whip out my manual and show them wtf it said then they flushed it LOL.

As far as the documents, records, and higher ups I did all that. I have each phone call recorded and saved in 2 places and backed up to a third (automatic). They refuse to let me speak to any higher ups. Over the course of this case I was told a manger would be calling me back 3 times (but they never did) the amount of times I was told I would be called back I can't even count (good thing I documented it all LOL)

I do believe most of Ram is outsourced. One of them emailed me directly and it came from @external.stellantis.com. Very odd to use external as a subdomain unless they are another company or subcontractors.
Everything was fine when I was getting emails from uscustomercare@cac.stellantis.com but when it came time to get paid back they came from a ramcustomercare@cac.stellantis.com address. I wonder if ramcustomercare is actually Stentallis directly and uscustomercare is actually Ram in America?

At this point I do not believe there is anything else I can do with Ram directly as when I call I am told I have no case manager and they will not let me talk to anyone. If I ask for a supervisor they say they can't let me talk to one or request a call back as my case is "suspended"

I had to reopen and start a new case, eventually one lady understood where I was coming from and she took care of it and even followed up with a phone call, now that's great customer service, unfortunately you just have to keep trying, the good thing is you have documentation saying you would be reimbursed, I know it sucks and it gives you a headache, this is what I went thru brother, lol. I believe things will work out.

 

[Gnix]

I just came from Odyssey to Ram. Truck was delivered with scratches, key mark and scratched flare fenders.

My friend with auto shops told me to communicate nicely and they refuse to repair any cosmetic damage on truck. Then I can take two routes in my case.

1. Bring it back one last time to finish the job or ask them in written approval to be done elsewhere
2. Return the truck as it was new within 30 days.

From my past experience with Honda, writing them reviews on Google and reporting to head office will resolve all issues too!

BBB might be another option to speed up!

And of course. Take them to small claims if nothing works!

Good luck. I wish they can resolve it quick!

 

[Cbty2050]

Ram cares is a joke, they are outsourced and don't pay any claims unfortunately. Looks like the body shop sided w/ Ram and said it was an "outside influence". They completely led you on.

Try to get ahold of your area Dealer rep, Do you have a "cair case"? We recommend all customers with concerns call (866) 726-4636. I am not sure what # Ramcares is.

 

[Scram1500]

Definition of OXYMORON

a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness); broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[irishwake63]

Im not sure I understand this whole issue, you have chips in the bumper and expect RAM to pay for it? Is it because of the paint being soft and inferior? Not judging just want to understand the issue better. If thats the issue how is it Rams responsibility to cover road hazards? Once again not judging

 

[Darksteel165]

Ram cares is a joke, they are outsourced and don't pay any claims unfortunately. Looks like the body shop sided w/ Ram and said it was an "outside influence". They completely led you on.

Try to get ahold of your area Dealer rep, Do you have a "cair case"? We recommend all customers with concerns call (866) 726-4636. I am not sure what # Ramcares is.

Ramcares and customer care is the same thing. I just have the FCA customer service numbers.
It was already determined it was "outside influence" at dealership #2 (who doesn't have a body shop). Customer service was doing it as a goodwill repair as you would call it.
The number I called is 844-827-2006, the "Ramcares" here is just someone who monitors the forums and created regular cases from what I can tell.
866-726-4636 is what I was given before and it essentially takes you to the same area, I think 2006 is if you already have a case created as it bypasses any other questions.

I was given some info on a Corporate contact yesterday which I need to look into today, as customer service will no longer talk to me via any of the 3 (same) case numbers 85928455, 86169366, and 86646173.
I wouldn't know how to find the "area dealer rep" I asked for similar information and just received a generic phone number and when it picks up it's just the regular number you call if you are like broke down and need a tow, useless.

Also the body shop I used I am not going to be using anymore. They tried to tack on a $375 fee for them to "scan for codes pre and post repair" for a bumper paint job. They also drove my truck for 9 miles and claimed it was to "calibrate and make sure blind spot monitoring still worked". Yes I know blind spot monitoring has 0 to do with my bumper.
They did good work as far as the paint is concerned, but were very angry when I told them I wasn't paying them almost $400 for them to scan for codes which I can do with my own CDA6.

Ram did not call them until AFTER the repairs were done and paid for. Ram was looking for ways to get out of it after the fact and now that body shop doesn't like me because I wouldn't pay some stupid fee they added on so i'm sure they would say anything to make me pay more (they were very spiteful in person when I was telling them there are only parking sensors on the bumper and the truck should of never left the lot let alone driven for 9 miles to do whatever with)

 

[Darksteel165]

Im not sure I understand this whole issue, you have chips in the bumper and expect RAM to pay for it? Is it because of the paint being soft and inferior? Not judging just want to understand the issue better. If thats the issue how is it Rams responsibility to cover road hazards? Once again not judging

The original issue was the paint on my front bumper was crap. The issue now and the point of this thread is I was told it would be repaired (repainted) and covered and now they are backing out despite clearly documentation from them saying they would pay. A classic chew and screw, I used the body shop on their website that they told me to use and confirmed it would be covered and after I paid they claimed to not cover it, despite none of the facts or information changing.