J&M Affordable Auto Reviews (%countItem)
J&M Affordable Auto Rating
Address: 1526 Us Hwy 441, Leesburg, Florida, United States, 34748
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Gave$200 as a hold on a vehicle - was NOT told it was nonrefundable. Dealer will not refund after finding out the vehicle is not a good purchase.
Viewed a vehicle on 2/8/20, was interested in purchasing but per dealer the bank was closed. He asked for $200 to hold the vehicle to show I was interested - NEVER mentioned it was non refundable, if he did I wouldn't have given it to him. He stated multiple time that the truck has been sitting for months. I hired a mechanic to inspect the vehicle, since the purchase was for my teenager and I wanted to make sure it was safe. The mechanic did NOT recommend the vehicle, stating the engine was knocking and will eventually blow. I have provided our communication as proof. When asking for the deposit back the dealer stated he would not refund it. So I paid $300 ($200 to hold and $100 for inspection) to find out he was trying to sell me a bad vehicle and I come out short money! He stated in the 3 days that it was "held" that he had multiple people want to purchase it, even though I have documented emails that he states the vehicle had been sitting for months. The vehicle didn't even start because the battery was dead. This is very poor business. The $200 I gave him was yes to hold the vehicle and prove that I was interested in purchasing it. Since I discovered it was not a good purchase my $200 should be returned to me. I have now read reviews about this place and I see that this is not good business and he has done this to other people unfortunately. He took advantage of an unexperienced used car buyer and this deserves to be known by the public.
I would like a refund of my $200. I recieved nothing for it but grief. I actually had to pay them to find out they were selling a bad vehicle.
Please see attached *
We are in receipt of the Complaint from *** regarding her experience
with our 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. I will respond as follows.
Ms. inquired with us about our 2012 Chevy Colorado on February 7, 2020
via Car Gurus. I emailed back and forth with her about our vehicle. After
discussion on the phone and knowing her credit, I gave her information of the
lender I would suggest. Ms. then proceeded to complete the credit
application same day. Once received I processed it with Campus USA Credit Union
where she was approved. Ms. came to the lot on February 8, 2020 to see
the truck. She liked it enough to put a $200 deposit on it to hold it for a week
when she could come back and pick it up.
The next day (Sunday February 9*", we were closed) she asked via email if she
could send a mechanic out to inspect the truck before she would pick it up. I
provided a yes to having her mechanic come check the truck out at her expense.
On Wednesday February 17, 2020 her mechanic showed up to inspect the truck.
His name is Braxton B. He was there all of 15 minutes and left. I have
enclosed a paper trail of all the emails minus her credit application for HIPAA
reasons. You can read all the emails with the nal one from me on February 14,
2020.
My conversations with everyone is always the same regarding deposits. When
deposits are placed on vehicles the explanation is the same. It is to hold the
vehicle until such time as it can be picked up. The deposit money will go toward the
purchase, but if for any reason possession of the vehicle isn't taken the deposit 'money is lost due to it being used to keep someone else from being able to
purchase it. Never is that not presented so the person can make an informed
decision to put a deposit or not put a deposit down.
If we can be of further help please let us know.
Sincerely,
Patrick S
Sales Manager
Paid 8 k for car that broke down out of parking lot, returned only 7500. Owes me 500 deposit.
purchase date: 6/22/19, vin # ***, sales rep: Patrick ***, paid $500.00 by check for "non-refundable deposit, payable toward car, but don't worry, never ever kept this without the purchase of a car, we always find the customer a car." $7500 was paid by credit card and refunded after auction house took the car back for severe mechanical problems. My request details from email to salesperson: I'm writing to request the return of my $500.00 deposit for the purchase of a car. I felt rushed into signing that over and the only reason I did so was based on your assurances of finding me a good car. Based on your assurance of "never had it happen before" that you kept the money w/o purchase of a car, I trusted the process and wrote the check. I trusted my friends and you. You knew I was doing this for the first time without a spouse's advice and that I am hurting financially. Even if you dotted all your i's legally while insisting on a nonrefundable deposit, do you really feel it's the ethical thing, the right thing, to keep that money? I feel that finding a car for a customer is part of the cost of doing business. Plus, it is not at all my fault that I ended up unable to use that money as deposit for a car. The car that was delivered was completely unacceptable and made me lose my confidence in continuing with the company. $8,000.00 was listed as the purchase price for a car, but I only got $7,500.00 back when I could not purchase it.
The end result is that I'd like the $500 that had already been applied to the purchase price of a car that was later returned, refunded to me.
I want my money returned because services were not as verbally advertised by salesperson and there is no reason they should be keeping my money when it is their fault that I could not apply the deposit to the purchase of a car, a second time.
See Attached Letter
I am in receipt of your letter of July 9, 2019 regarding Linda*** and her desire
To receive $500 she is not entitled.
Ms. came to me as a direct referral from Marie ***. Ms. is new To
The area and our church where Marie and I both attend. Ms. is not The first
referral I have received from people That attend our church or from people That
know me and The fact I help people purchase vehicles They want.
AbouT mid-June I received a call from friends of mine at church. Those friends
were Will and Marie ***. They Told me about Ms. and her
circumstances and The need for a vehicle. Of course I proceeded To Tell Them I
can help. On or about June 20*" Marie *** brought Ms. To The
dealership where I work to help her purchase a vehicle she liked. Nofhing on my
lot interested her more Than a Toyota Prius, which she had owned Three of Them
prior. I mentioned To her That I can find vehicles for her as I do so each month
for people. She agreed to let me find her a Prius. At That moment I explained To
her how my process works.
I said To her she would have To give me $500 To locate her The vehicle she wanted.
I was not willing To spend The Time To locaTe a vehicle, do all The clue diligence
possible on it, only To have her say she found anoTher vehicle laTer. The $500
would go To The purchase of The vehicle but would never be refunded. WithouT The
$500 iT is not worth my Time and That she has someThing To lose if she decides To
buy something elsewhere. She agreed To The Terms and I collected The $500.
I then proceeded to seek and find the Prius Ms. desired. I found many and
narrowed them down to several that had the criteria she desired. Equipment,
CARFAX history, AutoCheck history, price, etc. were all considered and then sent
to Ms. for her approval. She approved the vehicle so we paid ***
Auctions to do a post inspection to protect Ms. and us. It passed inspection.
We acquired the vehicle via *** auctions through what is called OVE. Once
acquired we drove the 2+ hours one way to pick it up. Once back on our lot we
detailed it completely and got it ready for pickup by Ms.. She took delivery
on it 6.22.2019.
Almost immediately she called after taking delivery and said the car had issues. I
took the call and discussed it with her. I asked her to drive it and bring it back to
me early next week (as this was a Saturday). Instead of her bringing it to us, I
drove to her house and picked up the Prius and brought it to work on Monday. I
called *** to discuss my options and direction since we paid the extra money
to have it inspected before taking delivery of it from them because it passed
inspection.
We then took the Prius to *** in Leesburg for diagnosis of problem. It
had an ABS issue and would cost about $2,700. We then reached out to ***
to seek remedy. Under the Post Inspection rules we paid for, the selling
dealership has to fix the issue or take the car back. All discussed with Ms..
The selling dealer chose to take the vehicle back. Our procedure to pay for a Post
Inspection prior to taking delivery proved to be the right insurance policy for both
Ms. and us.
I then called Ms. to give her the update. She was happy she was protected.
I then proceeded to help her purchase a car on our lot or continue the search for
another vehicle. Ms. chose not to pursue. Here is her statement to me," "I
think I need to do some better thinking and planning about buying a car. For now,
can you refund the $7500 pmt? I need to cancel my insurance too Did the
registration ever get sent in? I hope not"
I then refunded the $7,500 that was not including the $500 initial payment on
6.28.2019 and sent a picture of the receipt where the refund took place.
The $500 she paid for us to seek and locate a vehicle for her can still be used by
her if she purchases a vehicle from us. There was a lot of time spent locating,
verifying, and discussing said vehicle with Ms.. There were two trips of 2+
hours one-way on each trip totaling more than 4+ hours of driving and pickup and
delivery of her vehicle. There was a $115 diagnostic charge paid to ***
that we paid to have her Prius diagnosed for *** so that vehicle could be
fixed or repaired with no harm to Ms.. These are just some of the reasons
we charge $500 to locate and purchase a vehicle for customers. We do allow that
$500 to go toward the purchase but it is never refunded. We went over this
procedure directly with Ms. and Ms. was sitting with her when all
was discussed. Ms. agreed to those terms evidenced by her text to me
above.
Ms. would not be out $500 if she had simply purchased a vehicle from us.
Whatever reasons she may have for not buying from us is not a reason for
returning a $500 non-refundable deposit to seek and find a vehicle and to purchase
a vehicle fromus. All this was clearly discussed with her with a witness she
brought with her. All we did was to help her find and buy a vehicle and to protect
her from having a used vehicle that could have cost her lots of money after
purchase. The system we used to protect her did protect her.
If she chooses to purchase a vehicle from us she will have $500 toward a vehicle.
If she chooses to not purchase a vehicle from us she is out the $500 she gladly
gave us to do the work we did finding her the vehicle she would like to own.
I believe this explanation will clear up any questions about the circumstances
surrounding this transaction. Should you need anything additional please let me
know.
Sincerely,
Patrick ***
Sales Manager
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
When asking for the $500.00 deposit, the salesman, Patrick ***, assured me emphatically that they had never kept a $500 deposit, it always went toward the purchase price of a car, because they always found a good car for their clients. I trusted him to do so, not realizing that his main source was cars at auction. Auctioned cars are known to be risky, so of course, as a cost of doing business, they should be inspected before purchasing for a customer. Even if he wanted to charge me for that, and even if he charged something for his driving time, that does not add up to $500.00 or even $200.00. So, why not offer a partial refund of $300.00?
It was their own fault that I could not use my deposit to purchase another car from them. The car was far from "fully detailed" probably had a wash and vacuum, if that. It reeked and was dirty. Patrick rushed me through the sale without even so much as a test drive. He had me sign papers and pay for it before I ever sat in the car. When I did get in it, he dismissed the horrible sounds coming from the engine, saying it just had not been driven in a while. Thirty minutes in that car, and we knew it was a lemon. So, why would I trust him again? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I actually bought the car for $8,000.00. Only $7,500 was returned to me. It took me a few days to start feeling that was not fair or right. At first, I was just glad to be able to return the piece of junk. Next time I'm asked for money before receiving a product, I'll just walk out. In addition, Patrick would not tell me what they bought they car at auction for. He charged me the highest I said I would go, for a completely inadequate vehicle. No, I'm not satisfied with the salesman's answer, but I did expect it. It's very similar to his many other answers to unsatisfied customers. It's a very sad and unethical approach to business practices.
See Attached Letter:
Re: Case #*** -- Linda***
I am in receipt of your 2nd letter of July 18, 2019 regarding Linda***'s continued
desire To receive $500 she is not entitled. My continued response is as follows.
I did not ask for a $500 deposit when Ms. purchased her Prius. I said To Ms.
Riley I would not search for any vehicle for anyone without a $500 deposit. I am
sure everyone can see The difference. That $500 is so we do not put Time into a
search, do our due diligence To find The right vehicle, Then Take The Time and
expense To buy it, Transport it, and prepare it for delivery for The buyer without
The buyer having something to lose. This was Thoroughly explained before any
$500 was given by Ms. or any other customer.
Ms. suggests in her statement That I said, "it always went toward the
purchase price of a car, because They always found a good car for Their clients."
This statement is facfual not True. I always say The $500 goes Toward The
purchase of a vehicle. Nothing is ever said about a "good car" as our goal is To
purchase a vehicle as outlined by the criteria set by the customer. Of course
everyone involved wants a good car, but not always. This is one reason That is
never said To a customer.
The statement of, "not realizing that his main source was cars at auction" is not
True as well. I search auctions as well as the entire market when finding vehicles
for customers. this Time just happened to be with *** Auctions. The huge
advantage of using a company like *** Auctions is our ability to pay for and
have protection of a Post Inspection. We paid for and were assured under the
Post Inspection process That the vehicle passed and was good. When it turned out
the dealer selling the vehicle hid the vehicles problem(s) for an immediate sale, it
turned out our insight to pay for the inspection proved to be huge. The problem
came up quickly and the vehicle's problem was not on the shoulders of us The buying
dealership and certainly not on Ms.. This huge fact seems To be lost on Ms.
Riley. We had her back even Though she sees us as horrible people or maybe just
me.
The question comes up about the $500 and our cost. The point here isn't the dollar
amount being an acceptable number To Ms.. It is a number we calculated we
would work for someone even if They backed out of a deal. They have something To
lose if all our work is lost on The buyer not buying from us. Furthermore, in This
case That $500 is used in These ways. Travel To pick up The vehicle and deliver it
from point A to point B Twice would cost at least $200 in fuel, wear and tear on
vehicle transporting it, and Time paying for a person to drive it. The 3-4 hours of
detailing The vehicle (even Though Ms. Thinks it was dirty) would be at least
another $50 for labor and materials. The Time spent by a professional (me) finding
The Prius Ms. wanted, negotiating The price, purchasing The vehicle, having The
infrastructure in place To actual purchase, pickup, handle the post purchase
insurance protection for a vehicle not being as it should be, and handling letter
responses like These, phone calls, and managing all ThaT has To be manage for The
good and The bad, There is a cost To That as well. You add These Things up and The
$500 is a bargain To anyone. If given all That had To happen To handle This entire
purchase and return of This Prius, I am sure There isn't a human alive who would do
all This for $500. If There is a person That would I stand corrected.
Next, Ms. states, "IT was Their own fault That I could not use my deposit To
purchase another car from Them." This is factually a BOLD FACE LIE. I was
immediately on The phone with Ms. asking her about The next vehicle To
purchase as I know she needed one immediately. That $500 was certainly going To
any purchase she made with us regardless of whether or not we found The 2"', 3"',
4"', or even more cars. Ms. was The one That decided not To purchase from
us. We gave her no reason To want To buy elsewhere, even Though she disagrees.
We protected her for what could happen, did happen, and she was not hurt because
of our actions. Ms. choice To not buy from us is The only reason she isn't
using That $500 she gave us To find her a vehicle. She is still entitled To use That
$500 Toward a vehicle purchased from us.
The rest of Ms. letter is just venting I am sure. She doesn't like me and
Thinks I am a bad person. She certainly is entitled To her opinion. I wish her well.
We are still here doing our best To help people purchase used vehicles since 2004.
It can be left to those who read all of the points made by Mr. and those
responses provided by me as to how anyone interprets this Prius purchase start to
finish. Buying a used vehicle is a challenge. Nobody ever knows how the previous
owner(s) drove the vehicle, serviced the vehicle, and took care of it or not.
CARFAX, Auto Check, and other sources are available to the consumer and dealers
like us along with other resources. We do our best to buy only good vehicles.
Sometimes dealers sell vehicles direct to the public and through auctions and do
their best to hide problems vehicles do have. The buyers of these vehicles should
do their best to try and stay away from those vehicles. We do our best as well.
Sometimes we mess up and have to live with a mistake of buying one that made it
past all our efforts. This Prius venture turned out to be nobody got hurt in the
end. Ms. seems to forget the good that happened so she didn't get stuck with
a vehicle needing almost $3,000 of repair to be a possible good vehicle. Our
efforts, knowledge, and experience protected her. She is missing that huge point.
Sincerely,
Patrick ***
Sales Manager