Griffin Commercial Trucks & Equipment Company

Truck purchased on 1/10/14. False mileage represented. Vehicle gauges not working 20 miles down the road.I purchased a used 2001 International truck with advertised 29,287 miles from [redacted] at Griffin Commercial truck on 1/13/14. The added originally placed on [redacted] (item XXXXXXXXXXX) and under "[redacted]" online. I traveled from [redacted] to Griffin's location to look and see the truck. I arrived late Friday.During my visit, I felt pressured to close the sale quickly due to additional customers coming in from [redacted] explained by [redacted] to purchase four other trucks.After numerous emails and phone conversations, we agreed a price of 24K out the door for the truck.[redacted] and I exchanged several emails and had many conversations in regard to the condition of the truck. Part of the conversation I inquired how Griffin truck obtained so many low-mileage vehicles.Answer: they buy them from a government auction.Is the mileage accurate?: [redacted] "yes"Any issues with the truck: [redacted] "no, their service tech goes through all vehicles and check for issues"Any mechanical issues with engine and trans? Again, [redacted] stated, "none known"I asked if all instruments gauge work properly and if there was an engine timer. [redacted] responded "no on a timer. Not available" "gauges work. However, sometimes they may flicker time to time, but it has not happened in a very long time" "it may have been a small glitch." [redacted]'s stated to "wiggle the key if this happens, and it would correct gauges not working"I had a 12hour trip returning home. The gauges and lights stopped working within 20 minutes leaving Griffin. In addition, I noticed 100-200 miles from Griffen (approx 7pm) mileage meter started and stopped working. Mileage would report mileage for about three miles and then stop for 30+ miles.I feel [redacted] and Griffen knew the gauge issue, and the mileage is not accurate.The resolution I feel is to have Griffen take the truck back based on fraud milage and false representation.In summary, the gauges and mileage are not working and accurate. I feel this is false advertising and possible mileage tampering. I am sorry my writing skills are bad. If possible can you call me directly. This would be much easier.Desired SettlementI am seeking a refund for possible mileage fraud. Option2 fix all gauges and mileage meeting not working at Griffan expense.

Condition of vehicle does not match low odometer readingThe vehicle in question is a [redacted], Serial number[redacted]. I did not purchase this truck when I realized that it was not what was made out to be.What made this vehicle attractive for me to book a flight from [redacted] was that this truck was advertised to have 40,000 miles. In conversation with the sales person, I was led to believe that this was a Southern (read winter and salt free) vehicle. However, this truck has many signs of both higher mileage and winter exposure. A 40,000 mile truck should not have this much rust on it.The under box has extensive rust, drive shaft guard has extensive rust, rust under battery and air filter. All brake lines have been replaced, which would only be done because they were rusted out. Further, the ball joint boots should not be as cracked as they are. Most telling is the headlights, which are sandblasted and severely faded. The headlights themselves tell me this truck has at least 150,000 miles on it. An 8 year old vehicle from the South should not be close to this condition... I have seen better ones of same age in [redacted]. A 40,000 mile truck even from [redacted] should not be in this condition, much less one from the South. I am therefore convinced that the odometer in this truck has been tampered with. I am not out rightly accusing Griffin commercial trucks of doing this. Maybe they bought this vehicle without understanding the tell-tale signs. However, many of their vehicles advertised have uncommonly low mileage. This all combines to make me believe that higher authourities need to audit their practice of purchasing and selling vehicles, so that whoever is fraudulent may be held accountable. Adding to this is the salesperson's condescending attitude, conveying in tone if not in words that I was silly to fly in to look at this vehicle. Don't I trust a dealer that sells vehicles world wide, and has such a good reputation? He would not accept a deposit to hold the vehicle for a day so I could fly in and look at it. He pushed for a downpayment, trying to make me purchase this truck without previewing it in person. Usually customers have a hard time getting away from a salseperson. Once I began pointing out the deficiencies of this truck, the same salesperson could not be rid of me soon enough. To me, this was a sign of a guilty conscience. Whether anything comes of this complaint I do not know. What I do know is that I will never do business with Griffin Commercial Trucks again. Desired SettlementI am now out around $1000 for flights plus my time. I am not after reimbursement for this: this is the cost and risk of doing business. I simply want this looked into, and whoever is responsible and/or involved in this misrepresentation to be made accountable, so that no one else will waste time and money on this fraudulent advertisingBusiness Response On December 18, Mr. * called having seen just 24 pictures of the truck on our web site, saying he was planning on coming from [redacted] the next day to look at the truck. He never asked any questions about anything about the truck. He said wanted to give a deposit to hold the truck. I said we did not take deposits, but that if he wanted to he could send the full amount and if the truck was not as represented online, we'd issue a full refund. He chose not to do that and booked a flight for December 19th. He showed up and had his cab stick around. He then proceeded to walk around the truck, then crawl under it. He said there was no way the truck was a NC truck as it was rustier than trucks in [redacted]. He all but called the salesperson a liar when the salesperson checked and confirmed that the truck was indeed a NC truck and was purchased directly from the [redacted] with actual mileage. He said all of the brake lines had been replaced (not true) and that the ONLY reason for that to have been done was they rusted out. He said the cloudy headlights (clearly shown in the online pictures and very common for a truck that is stored outdoors) could not have gotten cloudy in less than 150k miles.It seems as though he had built the truck up in his head as being a perfect, showroom condition truck, and when he found it to be in the condition an eight year old commercial work truck, 40k mile, 4WD truck should be in, he was too embarrassed to do anything but blame the salesperson and the dealership for his lack of due diligence and foolishness.Consumer Response It is too bad that a company rooted in the Truth behaves in this way. I did ask questions about the truck, specifically regarding its origin. I was told it was a Southern truck, which to Canadian ears raises the expectation of minimal rust, if not rust free. Further, trusting that the mileage was authentic has a way of limiting the questions asked. Interesting that when I inquired about the truck, there were 24 pictures. Now there are 95 pictures. I do appreciate that any potential buyers in the future can see all the hasty black paint over rust on rims, springs and wheel wells, which was not observable before. If you really look at the pictures with the headlights on it, a forensic eye may observe that they are not pristine. But that's why we look at vehicles in person before committing to a deal. Griffin trucks may be right that all (every inch) of the brakes lines were not replaced, but all four lines coming off the cylinder going down the front section of the frame have been replaced, (and that by someone unskilled enough to kink one of the lines). So in that sense, all the brake lines have been replaced, in part or in whole to be more specific. Griffin Trucks assumes that I was embarrassed to find a less than pristine truck. Not at all. For a 4wd work truck, I had expected more dings and scratches of regular useage, but not the war wounds of mileage. As for promising a full refund if the truck was not as advertised on line, this was never discussed. There were stories of deals made sight unseen, but I was not swayed. I can't imagine the lengths I would have to go to convince Griffin Trucks that this truck was "not as represented online" before getting my money back.For point of clarification, I never referred to this truck as a NC truck. I said "This is not a Southern truck." Upon further brotherly conversation with Griffin Trucks after my initial Revdex.com complaint, I realized there is a difference understanding of South. To Griffin trucks, South is Southern States, as opposed to Northern states, stemming from the divide in Colonial times. Being Canadian, South means to me from the region not exposed to snow and salt. Sorry for making you think I was calling you a liar. What I do not appreciate is Griffin Trucks verbally minimizing all my observations and 20 years experience of mechanic by allocating the blemishes I observed to chance. When several defects all point in the same direction of mileage, I'm not going to invest an abundance of time to prove my experiences wrong. I am disappointed that Griffin has not yet been able to satisfy my request. During the phone conversation after the initial Revdex.com complaint, I stated that I am very willing to retract my complaint and accusations if they can show for me service records that support the current mileage. Being a one owner truck, and Griffin considering this to be a trusted source for their vehicles, I am confident that service records are obtainable. What they will reveal is what keeps me in suspense. Hopefully I'm not left there. Truth will prevail. Final Consumer Response As I, the complainant, stated in my last report, Truth will prevail. In this case, Griffin Trucks has produced a third party document of service records, verifying the current mileage to be accurate and true. As promised, I accept this, and I retract my suspicion of false mileage. Further, I do apologize for being hasty in reporting to the Revdex.com, and by this statement aim to undo any slander that may have been levied against Griffin Trucks. I ask Griffin Trucks to forgive me of this. I also plead for any reader of this debacle to not let my misjudgment influence their decision on dealing with Griffin Trucks.