Dealership took a $7,000 deposit from us on a $20,000 vehicle and failed to obtain financing on the balance. We returned to the dealership on 3 different occasions to provide income documents that they failed to ask us for or that we had given them and they lost. Instead of asking us to bring the car back and giving our deposit back, they snuck into our garage at home and took it. When we called to inquire about why they took the vehicle they said we could come talk to the manager the next day. When we showed up, NO ONE in the entire dealership claimed to know what had happened. They couldn't reach a manager (not one single person in charge could be reached). They told us they knew nothing about it and that they were done with us and to leave. We finally called the police to come assist and eventually they admitted they knew who we were and that they did take the car, but had no idea where it was, what wrecker company they used to pick it up and that they also didn't know who authorized it. They claimed that the only person who could help us wasn't there and didn't think they would be back for a week or so. When the police asked the persons phone number who was in charge they gave him a bogus phone number. Finally the police called all the different wrecker companies in Greenville and found the one who had picked up our car. They made arrangements for it to be delivered to the dealership for us to gather our personal belongings from the car.
The dealership claims they tried to contact us for additional information to become financed, but they had no verifiable communication to us. No emails, no phone calls in phone logs, no certified or even uncertified letters. They spent enough effort to send someone to sneak into our house and steal our car, but not enough effort to knock on the door and tell us they were having difficulty contacting us and that they wouldn't be able to finance us.
It is fine that they cannot finance the vehicle, but it is the method they used to get the car back. We make $235,000 a year and put a $7,000 down payment on the vehicle. They have all of our information including address, phone numbers, references (which they never contacted), bank account numbers, social security numbers, work addresses. (I own 4 businesses in the tri-cities). It's not like we could HIDE from them if we wanted to. They refuse to give us the car and finance us and they also refuse to return our $7,000 deposit.
The police officer on the scene said this wasn't the first time something like this has happened and i quote, ""They are nothing but thieves... why did you even buy a car here?""
The documents they were missing was a 2011 tax return which hadn't even been filed yet. It was impossible for me to give them something that didn't exist. Once we DID give them the 2011 return (for the second time), they told us we needed to turn around, drive home and get a 2010 tax return (which we had previously given them the day of the transaction). Their finance and sales people are fly by night and do everything in a very cluttered non-professional way. Then instead of doing the normal thing and just asking to have the car returned and refund the deposit. ... they came and STOLE the car and KEPT the deposit. The general manager Russ will not return phone calls or talk to us when we are on the lot. Never once has he tried to help us when we have been there.
I would recommend you do business elsewhere and save yourself the headache. This company has taken $7000 from us and never got us signed with a bank (which is fine) but they also kept our deposit.
We received NOTHING for the $7,000 we spent. For more info please call me 423-647-0358
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