M & B Automotive Group

Review: I was sold 2003 [redacted] just 4 weeks ago. Car was advertised on [redacted] as car in a good condition. I was tired that day and needed car urgently. I purchased this car for $6,134 with taxes. I came there that day to purchase another [redacted], golden color which I tested a week ago. The same Sales Agent came to me and asked what I want, I told her the [redacted] which we made test drive last week, I want to buy it. She said you know that [redacted] is lost, nobody knows where it is. Let me search for it. I will call you when we find it. When I left dealership, it was already dark outside, [redacted] called me and said that she found that [redacted]. When I returned and asked to show it, she said lets start our paper work first. I agreed as I thought: Ok, I saw that car, so it must be ok. After finishing paperwork and paying cash, I went out to the car and found out that it was totally different [redacted], silver color. When I told her about that, she said: Oh my God, I thought you were asking this one! But its the same as the one you wanted and that one is already sold! Don't worry the car belonged to our friend who was doctor, so it is in good condition. I reviwed the car on high level and we drove it for 10 minutes, it seemed to be ok and I agreed to take it.

Next morning when it was light outside I reviwed the car again and found out so many deficiencies! Wheel covers were damages, car inside was totally dirty, large stains on the carpet, ouful odor. Then I returned to dealership and asked to take the car back and return me money.

Dealership totally refused to return money, they said it is possible only in case if I trade this car in, to some other car, and the trade in they will take will be no more that $2,500 dollars! I was shocked and returned to dealership agan next saturday, asking to take the car back as I started hearing bad noised from engine. Again the same answer. After 3 weeks of driving on my back home way "engine check" light switched on and engine was very hot, and started smelling. I took the car to dealership next day. They said that there are many other clients in que so I need to leave car till monday! I left car at service, and took car for rent on my own expense. On Tuesday I called to the service asking about my car, Serviceman told me that exausted manifold, catalytic converter needs to be changed and this will cost me $2000 spare parts and $3000 for work and that all of this is not covered by my "comprehensive" maintenance plan, sold by them.

After that I contacted to Used Cars Manager [redacted] and told that it is not possible to spoil catalytic converter in 3 weeks, it means car was sold me in a very bad condition. He said ok, give us some time we will search for solution. I left my car at service for whole week, using rent car all these days, spending $300 on rent. When I came on Saturday to [redacted], he said: why did you came, we didnt call you! we still have not found any solution! When I said: I am sorry but this issue cannot wait forever, for unlimited time. I need car to go to work. He said: You can pick up your car and use it! However I read in internet that this is quite seriouse problem and car may stop any place in the middle of the road, which could be quite dangerouse on a highways, especially dark times. Then I said to [redacted] you should return me money for this car back, he said: "NO way!". I said but you were ready to take it if I trade-in, I will agree if you just write me check for amount you wanted to take it as trade-in, e.I $4,000. He said I cannot decide it General Manager decides and he is not at office today. I said OK, let me know when he comes. After couple more days, I decided to pick up my car and show to independent mechnic. When I came to dealership and entered the building, I saw [redacted] and said: Hello! To him, he answered: Goodbuy! Can you imagine how rude he was after he lost any financial interest in me! I was shcked but still kept talking to him politely, asking weather General Manager in office. He said: NO. When I asked him when he come: He said when I see him! That was all our dialogue. After that I just left dealership, and now thinking what steps to undertake further.Desired Settlement: I just would like to get back money I paid for this car.

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted] & Revdex.com Team,

Please see attached PDF Letter for Reference to this complaint.

Have a good weekend.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Hello!

Today I contacted the Dealership's used cars Manager [redacted], as he asked me to contact him after posting complaints on this webpage.

He told me that dealerships decision remains the same, which means they are not going to do nothing with this car. They will not repair it, no give any refund and even no purchase back.

This is not solution which I expected. Please help, it is not normal to repair car for almost half of its purchase price just after 3 weeks. I will make an independent mechanic check which proves the car was not in a good condition before purchase. Catalytic converter get spoiled after many years of usage and not any cleaning and repair.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Monday January 6th, 2014

To whom it may Concern (or [redacted]):

Regarding ID [redacted], M& B Automotive Group (dba: [redacted]) sold a vehicle to customer [redacted] on November 30th, 2013.

We put all vehicles through our service shop and in this case, this vehicle did go through our shop. At the time the vehicle went through the shop, there was no issues that related to a check engine light or catalytic converter. In addition, prior to the sale to the customer, this vehicle went through a Pennsylvania State & Emissions Inspection. The Emissions Inspection would have alerted us if there was an issue. At no time was there an issue that came to the attention of our Technician.

To reiterate our previous comments, we have reached out to the customer to work out a fair trade-in of the vehicle and we have expressed our willingness to work with the customer. We have given the customer many options to choose from. The customer has limitations as it relates to financing a vehicle and she is aware of this. However, we will work with the customer as we have expressed previously. The customer has been advised that we will not give a refund check for the car, nor will we give the money back that she paid for the car as we do not have a return policy.

As we have previously mentioned, we will work on a fair trade-in for the customer to trade in the car. In addition, we are also willing to work with the customer on the cost of the repair if the customer chooses to have the repairs performed. These offers remain available to the customer.

If any further questions are needed to be answered, please feel free to contact [redacted] or [redacted] (Used Car Sales Manager) at [redacted]

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Hello,

The comany send me the same answer in a written form, stating that car is in a good condition and passed state inspections.

Inspections I guess they make themselves. And It could have happened a year ago. As far as I know catalytic converter could never spoil in 3 weeks after purchase.

I have written diagnostics from the dealerships serviceman stating that catalytic converter needs to be changes and only the spare parts whould cost $2,000. And orally he said that work will cost $3,000.

When selling me the car, dealership did not mention that car needs additional huge investment to repair, which makes up almost 90% of its selling price, e.i. $5,000 to repair its just after 3 weeks vs $6,134 its price!

If I knew that, I would never buy this car, I would buy much better car for $6,134+$5,000 = $11,134 dollars, if I had that money.

But when I was purchasing this car salesperson said this car will be in good driving condition a long time, as [redacted]'s could run forever.

There was no any word about its bad technical condition in advertisement of the car on [redacted] web page. Also its written that its is good on gas, while it was not good on gas.

I think the most fair solution in this case is returning full price which I paid for this car.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Wednesday January 15th, 2014

To whom it may Concern (or [redacted]):

Regarding ID [redacted], M& B Automotive Group (dba: [redacted]) sold a vehicle to customer [redacted] on November 30th, 2013.

While we appreciate the communicated response from the customer, the comments posted in the response are not accurate. As previously stated, prior to the sale, the vehicle went through the service department. At that time, there were no issues that related to a check engine light or catalytic converter. In addition, prior to the sale to the customer, this vehicle went through a Pennsylvania State & Emissions Inspection. In response to the customer's comments about repairs or technical condition concerns being mentioned on cars.com or by the salesperson, The Emissions Inspection would have alerted us if there was an issue. At no time was there an issue that came to the attention of our Technician.

To reiterate our previous comments, we will work on a fair trade-in for the customer to trade in the car. In addition, we are also willing to work with the customer on the cost of the repair if the customer chooses to have the repairs performed. These offers remain available to the customer.

In closing, [redacted] will not return full price for this car.

If any further questions are needed to be answered, please feel free to contact [redacted] or [redacted] (Used Car Sales Manager) at [redacted]

Regards,

Review: I recently purchased a 2005 Chevy Blazer from Ardmore Toyota via an [redacted] auction. The description of the vehicle on [redacted] stated quite plainly, “Tires and brakes are in good shape”. When I received the truck, I noticed the ABS warning light on the dashboard was coming on intermittently. When I took the vehicle to my mechanic, he checked the OBD logs and said vehicle had a bad ABS sensor on the right, front wheel. The necessary repairs cost $296.99.

I talked to both the original salesman and the assistant sales manager about getting reimbursed for the cost of the repairs and was refused. The reasons given can be summarized as:

1) I bought the vehicle ‘as-is’ without a warranty and

2) They didn’t know about the problem with the ABS sensor

I consider both of these reasons to be invalid.

First, it doesn’t matter that I have no warranty on the truck. I’m not claiming that ABS sensor failed after I bought the vehicle; all the evidence suggests that the sensor was bad when the vehicle was sold to me, despite the description that the brakes were “in good shape”.

Their second reason is a little more complicated, but still fundamentally irrelevant. I believe the sales people when they say they didn’t know about this problem. The ABS warning light only came on intermittently and if they only drove the vehicle briefly around the parking lot, they may never have seen the light. Moreover, I confirmed with the assistant sales manager that nobody at Ardmore Toyota ever checked the OBD logs for error codes. When my mechanic did, he said there were numerous errors about “intermittent signal” and “loss of signal” from the ABS sensor. Because of the number of errors and the fact that they were in the OBD’s ‘history’ section rather than its ‘current’ section, his opinion is that the problem had been around for quite some time. In short, the salespeople made a specific claim about the brakes (ie, that they were in good shape) without inspecting them thoroughly enough to actually verify that claim.

In summary, I do not see how a vehicle that required nearly three hundred dollars in repairs can be described as having brakes that were in “good shape”. While I believe the salespeople when they say they didn’t know about the brake problem, I do not see how that absolves them of responsibility for the inaccuracy in the vehicle’s description. I therefore feel justified in requesting that Ardmore Toyota reimburse me for the cost of the repairs.Desired Settlement: I request a payment of $296.99 to cover the cost of the necessary repairs.

Business

Response:

Hello, please see attachment for reference as written below:

Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC and Eastern Pennsylvania

On 8/17/13, we contacted Ardmore Toyota regarding the purchase of a 2013 Toyota Sienna. We received the assistance of Internet Sales Manager, [redacted] was helpful in talking with us and finding the right vehicle option and color that met our needs. **. [redacted] indicated there were a few vehicles available in the color and model we wanted, but he would have to get it from another dealer. **. [redacted] quoted us a price which I counteroffered with a price I was willing to pay. **. [redacted] said he would have to check with his manager to see if they could meet me at the price I suggested and would call us back. **. [redacted] never did call back.

On Friday, August 23, 2013 we told **. [redacted] we accepted his offer and informed him to proceed with the purchase of the car. He indicated there was only one Toyota Sienna available in the color and options we wanted and that car was in Virginia. He informed us he would make calls on Monday to try to secure the vehicle. We patiently waited for [redacted] to call us about the status of retrieving the vehicle and he would wait until the end of the day and then inform us that no one answered his calls and he would try again tomorrow. Three full days went by and that was the response we were getting from **. [redacted] that no one was returning his calls about the vehicle.

Beginning to grow suspicious about his intent to really secure the vehicle for us, we took matters into our own hands and tracked the car down at a Toyota dealership in Virginia. Please be advised we were under a time crunch for several reasons, 1) only one car existed in the color and options we were seeking 2) a $1500 rebate existed and would expire by month end, and 3) we were going on vacation that weekend and wanted to wrap up the deal.

The following day, our son was in an all day clinic at [redacted]’s Hospital in Philadelphia and it was near the Ardmore Toyota dealership, so we stopped over to speak with **. [redacted] to show him we were serious about getting this particular vehicle and we informed him the vehicle existed at the Toyota dealership in Virginia. He indicated he knew of the dealership and would once again call the following day to get it. He had us sign a purchase document which further demonstrated our intent to buy the car from his dealership if he secured the car.

The following day, while on vacation, we spoke with the inventory manager in Virginia who stated that if **. [redacted] would call him he would trade a car with him for the car we were seeking. We called **. [redacted] on Friday, August 29, 2013 for about 2 hours with no avail. Upon **. [redacted] finally calling us back, he said he could not get the car. **. [redacted] at this point, did not know that we ACTUALLY SPOKE with the inventory manager directly in Virginia, and he was lying all along about not being able to get the car. I insisted **. [redacted] call the inventory manager in Virginia and even supplied him the phone number to his direct extension. **. [redacted] then agreed to call and 2 minutes later called us back and said he couldn’t get the car because they don’t trade with that dealership. This was another lie because I found out later that all Toyota dealerships are willing to trade with each other and this is a common practice. Furthermore, **. [redacted] never said to us when we met in person that they don’t deal with that particular dealership. If that was the case, he should have told us that right there and then. **. [redacted] essentially left us hanging with only one day left in the month and we were running out of time.

Please be advised we are brand loyal as this is our second Toyota purchase. Fortunately, we found another reputable Toyota dealership the same day not far from Ardmore Toyota that called the dealership in Virginia and retrieved the vehicle for us within 10 minutes of calling them. They were willing to go the extra mile for us and did not give us a hard time. They were truly customer oriented and easy to work with.

In conclusion, I was very upset with the way **. [redacted] and Ardmore Toyota treated us. **. [redacted] consistently gave us false hope with the intention of never retrieving this vehicle. I truly believe he wanted the deal not to go through and was doing everything in his power to drag it out until the end of the month whereby we would lose the rebate and not get the car. I find it hard to believe that [redacted] couldn’t touch base with someone at the dealership in Virginia for three or four days when it took us just one day to make contact with folks at the dealership. We had to perform the dirty work for him because he wasn’t going the extra mile to secure the car. We essentially led the horse to the water and all he had to do was drink it. If he just told us he couldn’t do it, then we would have went to another dealer to get the car. Again, he strung us along instead of looking out for our best interest. How Toyota and Ardmore Toyota would want a salesman of this type to represent their brand and dealership is beyond me. I assure you that we will never refer a single friend or family member, of who are also repeat Toyota buyers, to this dealership. I hope this doesn’t happen to another customer and that is why I feel it is important to bring this to your attention to investigate further as it is apparent that other buyers should be skeptical of this dealership and more specifically **. [redacted]’s poor and unethical sales practices.