A Better Auto

Review: I bought a car from these people in 11/09/2013. 1 week after I bought the car the check engine light came on. Called them and said they would take care of it and to got to their shop to fix. Went to the shop a week later, upon arriving I told someone I was there to meet so and so to fix my car. I was told he will be with me asap. I sat there for 45 min watching him and his friends all stand around talking and joking and not even acknowledge that I was there. I'm very busy and can't wait for these guys to even talk to me so I leave. Call them back a few times after and never got an answer nor response. So I figured I'm stuck with this and maybe fix it myself whenever I save up enough money. Well I bought the car in Nov. and now it is almost February and still haven't got my plates. Called them numerous times and finally got an answer about a week ago on Jan 18. They told me Oh sorry something must have slipped and that they'll schedule an appt. with DMV and they'll call me to meet them there to get taken care of. He also said the check engine light they will fix just make sure I bring it back to their shop, yea right. After two weeks of Im sorry I'll make the appointment for Dmv next week, to next week I'm fed up. Seems they are giving me the run around. I went to a dealer so I have that sense that everything is taken care of after I buy the vehicle and that smog and everything is up to date and running well and they wouldn't sell lemons. Boy am I wrong, I took the car to have it diagnosed and it's gonna cost $1700 to fix. the guy told me he doesn't know how these guys passed smog with a check engine light on. Even if they reset the light it's still stored in the computer. My guess is they took the car to a friend's smog shop and did something. They said they smogged the car but I never seen the smog papers. I didn't bother asking for it since it's the law you cant sell a car without it. This is very frustrating, I've been pulled over 3 times already for not having plates.Desired Settlement: I want my plates asap and I feel I shouldn't have to go to dmv with them to get it. Isn't that why I paid license and reg. fees when I bought the car? I want the check engine light and problem taken care of asap before it gets worse. Either take care of the problems or refund my money plain and simple

Review: I purchased a vehicle as is from an agent name [redacted], working for A Better Auto on July 29,2013. The registration for the car was due on Oct 14, 2013 and a couple of weeks before that time I contacted DMV because I had not received anything in the mail regarding the registration. DMV proceeded to notify me that the ownership was never transferred. I called the agent who stated he would look into it. Later I received a call back from him asking to deposit $200 in his account so that he could pay for the registration. I deposited the money on Nov. 18, 2013 one month after the registration had expired. I confirmed with him and he stated the new registration and stickers would be mailed to me. On Dec. 3, 2013 I went to DMV in person to try and see if I could do something to get my stickers and renewal. They stated to me that the only thing they were waiting on was the payment of $200. They would not allow me to pay the fee b/c I did not have the paperwork to go along with it. They stated the dealer would be the only one who could complete the paperwork. I've contacted the dealer and have had no response back. On Dec. 10, 2013 I was pulled over by highway patrol for not having current registration, the vehicle was towed and impounded on a 30day hold due to this. I was left with no vehicle to drive and no response from the dealership.

Product_Or_Service: Pontiac Grand PrixDesired Settlement: I would like for A Better Auto to remove the vehicle from impound whether that be paying the fees or what not and also take care of the registration since the fees were paid directly to them, but they failed their responsibilities.

Business

Response:

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] (Owner)

Contact Phone: ###-###-####

Contact Email: [redacted]

Case Number [redacted]: [redacted]

I, [redacted], Owner of A Better Auto, and [redacted] sold a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix to [redacted] on 07/29/2013. At this time Ms. [redacted] provided a seemingly valid driver's license and agreed to payments of $212.00 each month for 12 months starting 08/15/2013. During the DMV Registration process of this vehicle, some of the paperwork was incorrectly filled out which delayed the registration process. The paperwork was then correctly filled out and sent off again 11/18/2013. During this time the paperwork was lost through DMV translation, and we were notified by Ms. [redacted] that she still was unable to register her vehicle. We then contacted DMV to see what was going on and they stated that the paper work had accidentally been sent to Ms. [redacted], and not to our business location. We contacted Ms. [redacted] and asked her if she had received the paperwork. She stated that she hadn't. DMV informed us that we had to fill out a REG 262, "Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form." We then had to begin this process of getting in contact with all previous owners of this vehicle to create a new Title. Before this process had been finished, we "A Better Auto" received the paperwork, with her tags in the mail on 12/07/2013. For two days we tried but could not get in contact with Ms. [redacted] to notify her that we had finally received her tags and that she could come pick them up instead of putting them in the mail again. Just so that she could get them sooner. We were notified on 12/11/2013 that the car had been towed by [redacted] at [redacted] RD Fairfield, CA 94533. Ms. [redacted] is claiming that the vehicle was towed due to expired registration, but California Highway Patrol informed us that the reason that she was pulled over was for erratic driving, and the reason that it was towed was due to her driver's license had been suspended sense 2010. We know Ms. [redacted] because her and [redacted] share a daughter together, so we did everything that we could to help her. Including put her on a payment plan because she had no money to put down for the vehicle, and covered our eyes to her credit report because we thought that she could be trusted, but from the very beginning Ms. [redacted] has falsified information, the same as what she is doing now.. Ms. [redacted] can come pick up her vehicle as soon as the 30 day holding period is over and she pays the $1,590 towing and holding fee, and her delinquent payment for the vehicle of $212 for December. When she has paid these fee's and waited the full extent of the 30 day holding period, Ms. [redacted] is more than welcome to come pick up the car. But she must be accompanied by someone with a valid driver's license to drive the car out of our lot. Ms. [redacted] has till the 10th of January 2014 for the 30 days to be over. I will wait until the 24th of January 2014 to repost this vehicle for sale. At that time she will no longer be able to retrieve the 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

In response to [redacted] response regarding the vehicle I had purchased from them. All dealings were made with [redacted], I have never met or had any contact with [redacted]. I would like to address the key points for this case. First off, the contract that was given to me, and the only piece of paperwork I received after purchasing the car is attached. The contract is not even filled out correctly. It DOES NOT state what vehicle I purchased from these people. Having history with [redacted], I trusted him and over looked that until he started doing weird things. Secondly, I paid Mr. [redacted] $1.500 cash deposit before he would agree to a payment plan as stated by [redacted] but she is stating I did not put any money down for the vehicle and it is clearly stated on the contract. I made my payments on time as usual, and even deposited the $200 [redacted] requested to have the registration brought to current. They NEVER called me regarding the tags for this car I called him numerous times and went to DMV where they stated they were just waiting for the payment, however since I did not have the paperwork I would not be able to register the car.

I bought a car from these people in 11/09/2013. 1 week after I bought the car the check engine light came on. Called them and said they would take care of it and to got to their shop to fix. Went to the shop a week later, upon arriving I told someone I was there to meet so and so to fix my car. I was told he will be with me asap. I sat there for 45 min watching him and his friends all stand around talking and joking and not even acknowledge that I was there. I'm very busy and can't wait for these guys to even talk to me so I leave. Call them back a few times after and never got an answer nor response. So I figured I'm stuck with this and maybe fix it myself whenever I save up enough money. Well I bought the car in Nov. and now it is almost February and still haven't got my plates. Called them numerous times and finally got an answer about a week ago on Jan 18. They told me Oh sorry something must have slipped and that they'll schedule an appt. with DMV and they'll call me to meet them there to get taken care of. He also said the check engine light they will fix just make sure I bring it back to their shop, yea right. After two weeks of Im sorry I'll make the appointment for Dmv next week, to next week I'm fed up. Seems they are giving me the run around. I went to a dealer so I have that sense that everything is taken care of after I buy the vehicle and that smog and everything is up to date and running well and they wouldn't sell lemons. Boy am I wrong, I took the car to have it diagnosed and it's gonna cost $1700 to fix. the guy told me he doesn't know how these guys passed smog with a check engine light on. Even if they reset the light it's still stored in the computer. My guess is they took the car to a friend's smog shop and did something. They said they smogged the car but I never seen the smog papers. I didn't bother asking for it since it's the law you cant sell a car without it. This is very frustrating, I've been pulled over 3 times already for not having plates.