Ann Lowenstein
3 years ago
I drove out there from Mesa on Saturday, June 15 to take a look at several cars they had listed on TrueCar. There was one person working when I got there. Mike showed me the cars I had tagged on TrueCar. The one I had actually come to see was a Volvo CUV. It was up on a display ramp, and inaccessible. Mike told me he'd driven it and there is something not right about it. Okay... I wound up test driving a 2005 Kia Sportage, (my 2nd choice).
I really liked it, and Mike assured me a couple minor mechanical issues would be fixed by the time I drove it home. No real pressure, just the absolute expectation I'd be buying a car irrespective of the cost. After the test drive, we went back inside to discuss financing. Mike did everything in his power to discourage me from using my current vehicle as a trade-in, which was a little skeevy. Mike suggested I should first try getting a car loan from my Credit Union. We discussed the fact I was between paychecks, and wouldn't have a lot of money until the following Friday (June 21).
Long story short, I wound up putting down a $200 earnest money deposit to hold the car until the 21st. Mike then told me he had a 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander at another location for the same price, and urged me to come take a look at it on Sunday; adding that if I liked it better, he'd apply the $200.00 to it, instead. I agreed to go out there and look at it, assuming I could secure financing at a decent interest rate. Mike assured me he's a wizard and could get me financed if my CU fell through. He also assured me that if the deal didn't work out, he had no problem REFUNDING MY DEPOSIT.
When I got home, I applied for a car loan through my CU. They didn't even bother running my credit score. They just turned me down flat because of my income. So I spent a couple hours on sites like NerdWallet and Lending Tree looking for a car loan, and discovered the very best interest rate I could hope for was somewhere in the 18-30% range, and would leave me making $300-$400/month payments on a $4900 car for five years, or a little less for six years. Nope, no can do. Rather upset, I texted Mike early in the morning on Sunday, June 16 and told him I couldn't buy a car right now, so I would need my deposit refunded.
And I waited. And waited. And texted him again on Tuesday, June 19. He finally responded, telling me he was off work for two days, and would get into the office tomorrow and return it. Okay, well and good. Friday, June 21st rolled around, and I still hadn't been refunded. So I texted him again. And about an hour later, he responded that he'd returned it on his machine, but it takes the bank to get you the money. I already did it. He then added, I takes the bank a couple days cause they like to hold it... I've worked retail, and I know it can take 3-5 business days for a refund to post on a card transaction, so I gave Mike the benefit of the doubt. I waited some more.
Texted him again on 6/27. Asked him where my refund is, as it's now been nearly two weeks since June 16. NOW the story became he's in the process of moving to NY and I need to call the office and speak with David, the owner.
Called and spoke with David on 6/28. David assured me that's not how we treat customer, and Mike doesn't work here any more. David told me if I threw in another $600, he'd give me $700 for my trade in, then his people could finance the remaining $3400 for only $200/mo for 30 months; (for those of you bad at math, that's around a 40% interest rate); but if not he'd happily get permission from Corporate to send me a refund check to my home address. (What Corporate? You're the owner).
Long story short, I left a message on 6/29 that I just want my money back. As of today, (7/7), I still don't have it, and now David won't pick up when I call, or return my calls. (He DID call my number twice today, but left no message, so...)
Next stop: AZ Fraud Squad, BBB, and every site on which David advertises his wares, including his FB page.
