11:36 am, August 16, 2023
A used car dealer has been forced to apologise after it sent ‘sexist and bigoted’ abuse to a potential customer.
MK Auto-Motors, in Milton Keynes, told a woman she was ‘probably blonde or stupid’ when she forgot to leave a contact number when inquiring about a Nissan Qashqai.
The recipient, who is currently five months pregnant said she was ‘disgusted’ by the comment and a complaint has been made to Trading Standards.
The incident occurred last Sunday (Aug 13), when the woman found the 13 plate Qashqai listed on Auto Trader, as part of a search for a new family car.
She contacted MK Auto-Motors asking for more details but found herself shockingly berated for not leaving a phone number.
The message from the dealership read: ‘Please call us on 01908 630275 regarding our Nissan Qashqai as you have not left a contact number for you which means you’re probably blonde or stupid.’
In response to the outburst, the car buyer replied: ‘I can’t believe this is how you would speak to a potential buyer. Absolutely disgusting. You should be ashamed.’
She later told the MK Citizen: “I couldn’t believe it! I was disgusted that anyone business could talk to a woman like that in this day and age.’
The victim, who has asked not to be identified, has also made an official complaint to Auto Trader and says she is awaiting a response.
Her brother-in-law added: ‘This level of disrespect must not be tolerated.
‘Sexist and bigoted statements such as this should be condemned and we should ensure that the local community is protected.’
In response to an approach by the local newspaper, MK Auto-Motors said the email had been sent by a disgruntled ex-employee who still had access to its system.
A spokesman apologised for the messages and asked the customer to get in touch. They said: ‘We let an employee go on Thursday of last week and they had access to the sales enquiry platforms we have.
‘We had not taken them off due to being very busy it was overlooked. We have now done that we can only apologise to the said parties.
‘If the person in question would contact us on 01908 630275 I am happy to apologise and explain the situation and how it evolved.’
‘We take pride in the good service we give to our customers’
As well as sending the abusive email, the mystery ex-employee also managed to post several responses to negative reviews before being denied access to the dealership’s accounts.
Screenshots of the exchange with the Qashqai customer emerged on social media on Sunday leading to several negative comments being posted online.
In response to one message, MK Auto-Motors replied: ‘You should get a day job,’ will another post read: ‘Who are you? Stick to trolling somebody else.’
The MK Citizen also reports that another poster was labelled a ‘joker’ on Google before the business deleted the comments.
The spokesman for the dealership added: ‘The owner told the Citizen: “We are a long standing business who take pride in what we do and the good service we give to our customers.’
