Lemon Squad Auto Inspections

Worst auto review company on the planet! Totally inaccurate report. Described truck as a 4-cylinder when it's a 5-cylinder. Said battery needs replacing when the battery is fine. Said carpet was in good condition when there is no carpet, just a vinyl matt. But worst of all-and dangerous- was they didn't even bother to look at the frame where there was so much rot and rust, that there were big gaping holes in the frame! It was easily seen just by bending over and looking! It's a pickup with good ground clearance! How on earth could you miss that?!? I ended up buying a truck that had so much rot on the frame that it was dangerous to drive! I wouldn't hire this company to inspect a tricycle! Also, don't trust any company that promotes great reviews on its website, but doesn't have a feature on the site that allows a customer to leave a review.

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 8, 2016/01/12) */ This inspection was done in June of It has been more than months agoMr [redacted] contacted us regarding some problems he was having with the repair facility that was fixing his vehicleWe reported on the condition of the vehicle and the inspector wasn't able to find any failure to the vehicleI'm not sure why he would be asking for a refund after monthsHere are the inspector's findings: State of Assembly Completely assembled Inspector Findings The vehicle was driven for several miles trying to duplicate the condition that the owner indicatedHowever, it was not possible because we drove mostly at or mph, and the owner says that it is more noticeable at higher speedWe did try the highway but there was too much traffic which made it impossible to drive at higher speedThere are no signs of abuse or any accidentsThe tire and wheel look in good condition as well as the underside structureSee photos Cause of Failure I was not able to determine cause of failure because I could not detect any failures during the test drive Recommended Repair A more extensive inspection at higher speeds would be required in order to detect any failures Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 10, 2016/01/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I contacts them and they told me I would have to pay all over again for a service that I did not getAnd they did not drive the car for several miles more like several blocksMy car was not taken to a service center, not put up and inspected nothingSo the details on what they do is suspectI am not happy ay all with this resolution

Here is the entire conversation through the chat program before the customer placed his order: HELLO INTERESTED IN A CLASS B INSPECTION DO YOU HAVE INSPECTORS IN GRAND RAPIDS MI?Regan (Me)12:14YesGrand Rapids is no problem.TERRY12:14do you go to them or does the RV have to come to youRegan (Me)12:15We are a mobile serviceWe go to wherever the vehicle is locatedIf the RV is winterized, there will be some things that we won't be able to checkIs it with a dealer or a private seller?TERRY12:16auto lot not a dealerRegan (Me)12:16OkSo do you know if they have indoor facilities that they can bring the unit inside of so we can have it hooked up to water, power, propane, etc?TERRY12:17not sure it is a ram coach houseRegan (Me)12:18OkI'd check with them to see if that is something they can do for youOtherwise, if the unit isn't hooked up to those things, there will be some things we can't test.TERRY12:18what would you not be able to checkRegan (Me)12:18All the systems pertaining to water.If there is no power, we can only test what will work with the house batteriesIf there is no propane, we can't test the furnace or stove or anything else that is hooked up to propane.TERRY12:19ok cost and time frame and how quickly will I get the report backRegan (Me)12:19Our RV inspection is $If you place your order through the website today, we'll be looking at it either tomorrow or Thursday, depending on weather and seller availability.TERRY12:21let me contact sell can I call you at the number regan or should I just order onlineRegan (Me)12:21You can either call or place your order through the websiteWhatever works for you:)TERRY12:22thanks ReganRegan (Me)12:22No problem! I'm happy to help.TERRY12:23Regan will your inspection check for leaks and mold12:24helloRegan (Me)12:24SorryI am on the phoneI apologize.12:25We will look for mold and any evidence of leaksIf the unit isn't hooked up to water, we can't check for leaks all that well.12:26I work both phones and this chat system for Lemon Squadsorry.TERRY12:27ok when you say look for mold is that the testing for mold is observation...what if it is under carpet or hidden or am I being a little out of sync with my questionRegan (Me)12:27We don't have a special mold testerWe look to see if we see any moldDo you have any reason to believe that the unit has mold? We can't pull the unit apartSeller's don't allow thatWe look to see whatever we can see with our eyesIn that part of the country though, I would imagine that most mold would be killed by the freezing temps.TERRY12:29no it was an estate vehicle and barned for a number of years no leaks known...smells of popuraryRegan (Me)12:30We will definitely let you know if we smell any odd odors.TERRY12:31thanks me contact seller and make sure you have propane and water access...from the time you inspect how long will it be before I get the reportRegan (Me)12:32Perfect! It would be great if they could have it indoorsThat way then, we don't have to worry about the water freezing in any of the systems and breaking anythingIf we do the inspection tomorrow, you will have the report by Thursday morningThe guys are out in the field during the day doing inspectionsThey upload their reports when they get home for the day (after we are closed)We start reviewing reports first thing the next morning.TERRY12:32I will contact seller sorry for my crappy english and typing skillsRegan (Me)12:33No problem! Your English is good enough that I can understand you, no problem! :)TERRY12:34great get back to you shortlyRegan (Me)12:34Sounds goodThank you! I did let him know that there are items that we wouldn't be able to check because the unit would be winterized He decided to place his order anyway IF he had any confusion as to if we would be re-winterizing the unit after the inspection, he didn't ask during this chat He did tell me after he paid for his order (when he agreed to the terms and conditions that state that there are no refunds) that the seller would be requiring $to re-winterize the unit That is not something that a seller would allow us to do If it is done incorrectly, it can damage the pluming system on the unit and that isn't anything that a seller would want to happen Plus, we wouldn't be liable for any damage In all the years we have been doing RV inspections, nobody has ever inquired if we would re-winterize an RV That is commonly known that only owners of RVs do that, not inspectors We do not issue refunds The only reason I issued a refund to this customer is because he was extremely difficult to deal with I refunded all but $to cover the costs that we have incurred in dealing with him

Customer came through chat asking about the RV inspection I explained to him that if the RV was winterized, there would be some things that we wouldn't be able to check with regards to the water system (faucets, pumps, water heater, etc) I told him that he would need to check with his seller to see if the unit would be winterized and to see if it could be un-winterized for the inspection The customer said that he would check into it and get back to me Then the customer called in to our toll free number and placed his order over the phone The agent that took his order informed him that the unit would need to be un-winterized for us to check the water system The customer paid for the inspection and then called back and said that the seller had told him that he would un-winterize the RV but it would cost $to re-winterize the unit The customer was very upset that we wouldn't be the ones to re-winterize the unit after it had water running through the system He didn't want to pay for that and thought that was something we should do as part of the inspection service He was very angry and wanted a discount if the water system couldn't be checked I told him that we wouldn't be offering a discount and that he had already paid for the inspection He wanted to argue with me about why the inspector wouldn't be able to winterize the unit after the inspection and I told him that it was a liability issue If the unit isn't winterized properly, things can break and we wouldn't be liable for that He was so difficult that even though we do not offer refunds, I refunded him minus $to cover our costs for taking his order over the phone and what it costs us to refund the transaction through our payment system I am not interested in having this person as a customer He was extremely difficult to deal with and just not a very nice guy

I am rejecting this response because: Dispite any forms that were signed, the rep on the phone said he'd be willing to work with me but not after I mentioned Revdex.comHow is that? I was respectful of the policy till this day, where I simply realize I or anyone I know would never utilize the serviceSo I paid $something and I was blamed for the cancellation? -$25, So $something is too much for the business to refund? I've never logged into my account to review formsHonestly, I felt safe on the phone when I placed the orderDidn't think twice about a company who doesn't refundIn California, everyone can make exceptions to their policyCustomer satisfaction over Red Tape BuracracyI still believe that because I was never given the services I paid for while I was activity looking for a car I should be refunded

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/11/27) */ Mr [redacted] told us that he wasn't satisfied with his inspectionPer our terms and conditions and in an effort to provide good customer service, we have already refunded Mr [redacted] in full on 11/14/at 11:am CST Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/12/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Lemon Squad advertises "Don't get ripped off" and "we're here to prevent you from spending your hard earned money on a lemon"They did neither of those things I had the car looked at and it was determined the car was not in the condition Lemon Squad stated it was and also determined it would take thousands of dollars to get the car to that conditionWe have since sold the car at a $7,loss and feel Lemon Squad should bare some responsibility past their "good customer service" refund of my inspection feeThey state they are there to keep me from getting ripped off, they aided in the transaction with a blatant disregard for the welfare of the client they claimed to protect It is not cost effective to pursue any type of legal claim however, it shouldn't take that for a company to stand behind their advertising claim Step up Lemon Squad and help defer my lossWhile I won't pursue legal matters, word of mouth/social media is a powerful tool Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2015/12/11) */ Although we don't agree with the customer's assessment of the inspection that we performed for him, he wasn't happy with the inspectionPer our terms and conditions that he agreed to when he placed his order through our website, we have refunded him in fullThere is nothing further that we can offer this customerWe wish him all the best in the future

Revdex.com received call from Lemon Squad indicating that it has reviewed Mr ***’s reply of 10/20, and remains firm in its position

I am rejecting this response because: Two of the attached pictures show the rust that Lemon Squad deems to be "surface rust" and the third picture shows the "field" This car was located in lawn grass and sitting next to a gravel driveway If the inspector drove the car, as he stated in the report, he could have simply parked the vehicle on the gravel Also, note that numerous pictures were taken of the frame and underside of the car when the report was submitted to me However, the inspector failed to look at or take a picture of the body mounts which are attached to the frame, if the inspector could take a picture of the frame he could see the mounts and the floor In lemon squads limited liability language it states the reason for such limit is "a lemon squad inspection is not a substitute for a MECHANICAL inspection of the vehicle using diagnostic equipment and tools" Liability clauses must be crafted in such a way that they are narrowly tailored, and this clause is That being said, my complaint does not encompass the "mechanical" portion of the vehicle No diagnostic equipment or tools were needed to spot these defects and because the inspector did not do his job the repairs will cost upwards of $5, In lemon Squads "Frequently Asked Questions" section there is a question titled "Is an inspection guaranteed?" In that section the reason given for not guaranteeing an inspection is because "the inspector cannot see the internal components of the vehicleIN OTHER WORDS IF IT IS NOT FAILING AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION WE WILL NOT KNOW THAT IT IS FAILING." Again, the defects I am complaining about were ALL FAILING and obvious at the time of inspection It should also be noted in their advertisement they state that with a vintage car inspection the emphasis is on "deterioration due to age" along with checking for rust and bondo This car is FULL of rust and bond, none of which was represented in the reportAll I am asking for is this company to do whats right, these were not latent defects which could not be found, I am not a mechanic or a car guy and I managed to find the horrible rust situation in under a minute I would have not bought this car but for their report

I did not have pre-determined expectations for the vehicle, as a 10k mile vehicle can be in significantly worse condition than a 35k mile vehicle, and a 50k mile vehicle can be in better condition than both vehicles It depends on how the vehicle was used and cared for If all vehicles were in the same condition at the same ages and mileages, there would be no need for 3rd party inspections Too many variables in vehicle ownership exist The purpose of an inspection is to bring attention to any issues found, so that the purchaser may make an informed decision on their own behalf The purchaser is not expecting the inspector to make decisions for the purchaser without consulting them nor simply deciding not to notify them of defects altogether Text from the LS website states: “Expert Inspection Includes -Thorough check of interior--including upholstery, mats, headliner, and seat belts -We'll address any additional areas of concern that you identify” Nowhere on the website does it state inspection services solely include looking for major flaws at the expense of attention to other areas of the inspection services advertised I also emailed LS to inspect the carbon fiber carefully as these are costly items to replace, yet the inspector stated “I did not see any visible defects in the carbon fiber parts and trim on this vehicle.” After receiving the vehicle, I can match carbon fiber defects to pictures provided by LS Another example of gross negligence is one floor mat had two gaping holes worn through them, yet it was not disclosed on the report LS’ day policy doesn’t give refuge to liability from their negligence Again, it is nearly impossible to ship the vehicle from Kentucky to Hawaii within days A response was provided in a reasonable time within the first hours of vehicle delivery As of 10/20/2017, LS has denied online access to my account to limit availability of the information provided from their inspection

Please see the attached Terms and Conditions that Mr*** agreed to when he placed his order with Lemon Squad The vehicle was sold by a private seller, located in a field, and surrounded by tall, wet grass, making the underside of the vehicle difficult to assess Mr*** was
refunded in full (the $inspection fee plus a $mileage fee to get the inspector to the location of the vehicle) on 6/30/as per our Terms and Conditions We do not offer a warranty on our inspections When purchasing an older vehicle, you need to be realistic with your expectations and be ready to roll with the punches You need to be aware that there can be issues with the vehicle that aren't noted in the report

We have already refunded the customer in full Per our terms and conditions that the customer agreed to twice when he placed his order with us, the total amount that he is entitled to if he is not satisfied with his report is up to the amount that he gave us to do the inspection We do not offer any additional money If the customer is not happy with his vehicle, he should contact the person he purchased the vehicle from as they are the party that has received the payment for the vehicle We didn't sell him the vehicle and we don't offer a warranty on our inspection, which we make clear in the terms and conditions

I am rejecting this response because: on June we spoke and then wrote to Lemonsquad "We are so upset. We
bought our first motor home with your inspector's approval. First the generator will only work for
seconds, second the awning has a hole in it, 3rd the linoleum is peeling and
there are cuts in the hall kitchen and bathroom, 4th the interior back wall is
delaminating and there is a large bulge in the bedroom wall and it is
separating from the wall, the right front exterior panel is delaminated and
bulging, as is the back exterior wall, 5th the refrigerator will not run on
propane and 6th the spare tire which was easily located was never
inspected. Our hearts are broken. It will cost us thousands of dollars to fix
these repairs. We relied on your company
to help us buy a reliable worry free vehicle.
Please help us."They responded this way to us "Hi *** - I spoke
with the inspector earlier and even though we did this inspection over a month
ago, he did still remember the unitI read all of your concerns to him and
this is what he said about themThe seller did turn the generator on for the
inspector to prove that it workedThe seller let it run for about a minute and
it ran strong with no issuesThere were also hours on the generator so he
had no reason to think that it didn't workThe seller didn't open the awning
for the inspectorThe inspector looked all over the interior and exterior for
any abbulges and didn't see anything like thatHe said that the
interior was cleaned up very well and he saw nothing that was a concernFor
the year and mileage, it had what he expected as wearHe did check the
fridge and it was slightly cold but being that it wasn't currently being used,
we would have no idea how cold it would get on either settingSellers should
have it running overnight so it is fully cold for us when we arrive but never
doIt takes quite a while for it to get fully coldWe do not inspect the
spare tireWe do have a day policy after the inspection is done that you
are able to get a refund on the price you paid for the inspection, but now we
are going on two months since we looked at itYou should call your seller and
tell him about the issues that bother you and see if he’s help you with them
With RVs, keep in mind that things can fail suddenly and unexpectedlyIt is
something that is unfortunate but typical with owning an RVHave a great day."We bought Lemonsquad's services because we did not want to purchase a lemon We responded to them in weeks as I was in the middle of planning my son's wedding and in the middle of that time my brother died We did not have time to test out the motorhome until the wedding and funeral were over and we returned home on June The report we were sent on said the generator would work and it did not We have since got it repaired for $ Although we discovered the awning has a hole in it the report said it was in good condition There are spots on the motorhome that are delaminating for which we got a quote that said it would cost over $15,to fix Delamination takes months to develop, certainly not weeks. A body shop person told us that even someone who was an inexperienced mechanic would have spotted the delamination. We have fixed the refrigerator This company advertises that buying its services will save one from buying a lemon Their company sold us a report that said it was not a lemon when clearly it was a lemon Shame on themI

I am rejecting this response because:
You did not address several points that are valid and were brought up in the original complaintPlease read the original complaint in full and reply with answers to the points madeInspection performed with obvious issues not noted, These were a priority for me and a deciding factor if I was to purchase the car or notHow was it possible obvious issues were missed ! Your point where you state you did not recommend buying the car with a D grade is invalid as you are paid to inspect the car and make a report, I purchased the car based on the findings or lack there of on that reportI understand your terms and conditions, however you as a owner of a business which provides a service to inspect and to find issues with cars which may not be disclosed by the seller should do what is right and compensate me for this gross error made by your companyAgain, the major issues with the car that were not noted can be seen clearly in plain view at the time of the inspection. 4, For the gross error that has been made by your company my suggestion of reimbursing me for my loss after the sale of the vehicle should be strongly considered to maintain proper business ethics and the integrity and purpose of your company. Kind regards Ivan

Please refer to the terms and conditions that were agreed to when the order was placed You are entitled to a refund up to the amount that you gave us to do the inspection We not only refunded you in full, we also refunded you after the day window We did refund you after the days as a show of good customer service We did do our job in letting you know that this was a below average vehicle and not something that should be purchased without a lot to consider We did go above and beyond what we say that we will do

This gentleman purchased a used vehicle with what we would consider to be wear and tear for 35,miles His expectations were not realistic for what a vehicle with 35,miles should have for wear and tear He is expecting the vehicle to be like new and it wasn't It was
in very good condition The terms and conditions that he agreed to when he placed his order show that he has days from from the day he receives his report to let us know of any issues that he has with the vehicle We looked at this vehicle one month and one week ago Even if he had contacted us within that day window, these items were not missed This is wear and tear for a used 35,mile vehicle We focus our inspection on looking for major flaws with the vehicle, such as flood damage, accident damage, engine and transmission issues, sellers trying to hide things, etc If he wanted us to spend less time on those things and more time on cosmetic issues, that were extremely minor and for mileage, he should have let us know that

We have a FAQ on our website about this It reads as follows: Do you check for cigarette smoke? Yes Cigarette Smoke odors can be hidden by sneaky sellers who use special chemicals that can make the vehicle smell like it has never been smoked in Even if the inspector
doesn't smell it during the inspection, the odor will likely return and return with a vengeance If we say it doesn't smell like smoke and it does when you get the vehicle, this is why Customer called us to tell us that he had just taken possession of the vehicle and it smelled badly of cigarette smoke He accused us of not checking for that We called the inspector and asked him if the vehicle smelled either like smoke or like chemicals from cleaning and he said it smelled like neither When he got there to do the inspection, the vehicle was pulled out and ready for him to inspect with the windows down This vehicle was shipped across the country to this customer and very likely baked in the sun on the back of a truck That would be prime conditions for that smell to come back This is not something that we missed This is exactly what we describe that can happen in the FAQs We have even spoken with this customer and sent him some ideas on what he can do to help to get rid of the smell Unfortunately, he felt it was necessary to file a complaint against us We wish him well with his vehicle and hope he can get that smell out

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/27) */
Per our terms and conditions, if there is a problem with the inspection, we ask the customer to provide documentation and pictures with regards to anything that he feels was missed during the inspectionI have asked multiple times via email
for any specific information along with pictures of what was missed (assuming that he did purchase the vehicle, he never admitted that he purchased the vehicle) and the customer still hasn't responded to my email as of 11/5/This customer has filed a chargeback on his payment to us and has yet to provide any information or pictures of what he feels was missed

The inspector told us that the latch was broken when he got there.  The inspector went to open the armrest like anybody would (not "improperly") and it fell apart in his hands.  This would've happened to anybody that had tried to use that latch.  We do use independent contractors to...

do our inspections.  The owner of the dealership was very rude and made my inspector feel uneasy and my inspector didn't feel comfortable providing him with a business card.  We did not break the latch and we are not going to pay to have it replaced.  The seller is so concerned about this latch being broken but doesn't seem to care about the airbag system in the vehicle not working or the AC unit not cooling properly.  Those items were not disclosed to the potential buyer.  There may have been other problems uncovered during the test drive but the seller wouldn't allow the vehicle to go on a test drive.  Maybe we shouldn't be so worried about that latch, the non-functioning airbag system is more important that that latch.  I would be leery about purchasing a vehicle from [redacted].

Ms. [redacted] initially placed her order on 5/11/17.  We did the inspection on 5/13/17 and the report was available for her that same day.  She reached out to us on 6/19/17, over a month later, to let us know that she was having an issue with her RV.  We let her know that the terms and...

conditions she agreed to when she placed the order show that she has 14 days from the time she received her report to let us know of any discrepancies and we could talk about a refund as long as it was within that 14 day window.  Unfortunately, she waited beyond the 14 day window to let us know there was a problem.  Then she waited another month and filed a complaint with the Revdex.com.  At this point, it has been 60 days since the inspection was completed.  If Ms. [redacted] had reached out to us within that 14 day window instead of waiting a month, we would have been better able to help her out.  The issues she says she is having are not issues that the inspector encountered during his inspection.  This is typically the case with any used vehicle, especially a used RV.  They just aren’t made that well and you need to be prepared to address items that can fail at any given time without warning.

I am rejecting this response because:  NO CREDIT has been issued to my Credit Card as of 1/3/2017....they are selling a service....if I do not get service I do not pay...anywhere...If I go to Jiffy Lube and they do not change my oil I do not pay, if I go into a restaurant and decide not to eat there I do not pay, if I do a walk in at a doctors office and do not wait to see doctor I do not pay.   I will accept 279.99 credited to my credit card thank you. Regards,[redacted]