Since 2008, I have been asking the Mr. John Preston, President & CEO of Infiniti of Escondido, to refund the $5, 000 fine I was paid him for returning my leased car before the lease expired.

Normally, I would not have asked for this - but my circumstances were very serious and as a customer of Infiniti for 12 consecutive years [4 leased cars back to back as the lease terms expired] I felt I merited some special consideration.

I wrote 4 letters to the President of Infiniti Financial Services, Mr. Steve Lambert. I explained in detail my circumstances and health problems [including a diagnosis of 2 brain diseases by my doctor].

Mr. Lambert sent copies of my letters, with his personal note encouraging and supporting a decision to approve my refund request. To his credit, Mr. Lambert repeatedly supported a decision to make a refund, but the final decision was left to the dealership, and ultimately CEO Mr. Preston.

Here's what the CEO of Infiniti of Escondido did about my letters and notes of support for me attached to my letters... he did nothing. Not a telephone call, not a note … just silence. Completely ignored not only me but also even more rudely, Mr. Lambert, the President of Infiniti Financial Services.

During all this time it has been especially disgusting to visit the web site for Infiniti of Escondido - with special disgust for the "About Us" segment where Mr. Preston drones on about:

"But if you ask Preston why he has succeeded despite the constantly changing landscape, his reason is one you won't read about in mega- corporation case studies or in the latest business guru's tome. It instead is a simple tenet that defines his personal and business life: Family."

"While he acknowledges that the whole 'family theme" can sound rather contrived in these modern times of sophisticated business models and brand marketing strategies, Preston says passionately caring about and treating employees and customers like extended family members is never an outdated philosophy. "What I've learned over the years is that you need to create an atmosphere where people love to come to work. I strive to provide a family environment for my employees, who then pass on that caring and compassionate feeling to our customers." Spend a day with Preston - If you can keep up with his youthful energy - and you can see he practices what he preaches. He answers his own phone and is constantly on the move, visiting with his 35 employees, greeting customers and addressing challenges and opportunities as they arise."

In my case he failed to live up to his high ideals & commitments:

“Preston says passionately caring about and treating employees and customers like extended family members is never an outdated philosophy.”

He goes onto lament: "What I've learned over the years is that you need to create an atmosphere where people love to come to work. I strive to provide a family environment for my employees, who then pass on that caring and compassionate feeling to our customers."

“…. passionately caring about…customers” “"What I've learned over the years is that you need…." caring and compassionate feeling to our customers."

In my case, Mr. Preston demonstrated his “…passionate caring and compassionate feeling [for his] customers by rudely ignoring my multiple letters, and thereby also rudely and disrespectfully ignoring Mr. Steve Lambert, President of Infinity Financial Services, who forwarded my letters and advocated approval of my appeal request.

In my case he clearly failed to even come close to living up to his high ideals & commitments. I realize many months have passed and I assume Mr. Preston believes I'm one customer that will not be missed - wrong - I'm still here and I still want my refund.