Progressive Auto Center

Review: On October 11, 2014 I purchased a Toyota 2001 Sienna XLE that was advertised for 84,691 miles. After the purchase, I took the van to an auto shop for maintenance and service, where they ran the Carfax report. According to the Carfax, as of 2012 the mileage was 229,137. I called Progressive on October 21, that I will return the car to them because the odometer was obviously tampered. This is Fraud! I was told by [redacted] from Progressive Auto Center that I would have to bring the pink slip to Progressive. After receiving the pink slip, I called Progressive and was told by [redacted] that his brother, [redacted], was in Italy and that he will be back on January 3, 2015. After calling back on January 3, I was told by [redacted] that his brother [redacted] wouldn't be able available.On January 9th, I called Progressive and talked to [redacted] and I told him to have his brother call me. He did not. As of January 12, 2015 I have yet to hear from Progressive Auto Center.Desired Settlement: I would like my original purchase price of $6200 as well as $471.33 for maintenance and service/parts fees. I would like Progressive Auto Center to refund $6671.33.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern.... Progressive auto center sold the 2001 toyota sienna xle to mr [redacted] with the TMU mileage . Mr [redacted] was inform at the time of purchase, the 2001 toyota sienna sold TMU and I inform him cars over 10 years in california is exepmt,and mr [redacted] sign the buyers guide where it say car sold as is and TMU. after few month of the purchase of the 2001 toyota sienna mr [redacted] wants to keep the van and pay him extra money very much (black mail us)

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:even though I did sign the exempt box, thinking that it just meant the condition of the car i.e. one of the doors does not close well, there are some minor dents, the driver side visor is missing,I had no idea that the odometer would have such a drastic discrepancy.I also reject the claim that I tried to blackmail Progressive Auto Center. They were the first to offer money to keep the car, I only countered their offer. That is not blackmail.They should have had the ethical business practice to disclose that there was a discrepancy since they were already aware of the fact. The fact that they did not shows poor business ethics.I would like to return the car, and have my money refunded as well as the money that I paid for the maintenance and parts. Thank you very much. -[redacted]

Review: Dear

I am writing to you to bring to your attention a very negative experience I has with a certain business, namely Progressive Auto center, a car dealership located at [redacted]. This company recently sold me a car under fraudulent circumstances and I would like to file a formal complaint.

On 4/29/15, I purchased a car from this dealership, a 2004 Nissan Xterra, VIN # [redacted]. Prior to purchasing the car, I had several conversations with the owner, [redacted], about the timing belt being replaced on the car. It is recommended that these cars have their timing belts and water pumps replaced at around 100,000 miles when I bought the car it had approximately 129,000 miles on it.

If the timing belt breaks while driving a vehicle, it is a serious issue since the car will stop work immediately and it is also possible that significant damage can be done to the engine when this occurs. It is also an expensive repair to make and usually cost around $1,000. I specifically asked [redacted] a total of four times if he had changed the timing belt and water pump and every time he assured in no uncertain terms that he had. When I asked for the paperwork about this repair, he said he had done the job in his own shop so that there was no paperwork. I communicated to him that this was a critical issue for me and that I would not be interested in the car if this maintenance had not been done on the vehicle.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prove that a timing belt has or has not been replaced since the effort needed to check it is extensive and necessitates taking half of the engine apart, so I took [redacted] at his word. Fortunately, two of the conversations I had with him about this issue were via phone and my phone was on record mode, so I have a recording of [redacted] telling me in two occasions that he has replaced the timing belt. I have included these recording on the enclosed CD and zip drive.

On May 16th, 2015, approximately two weeks after I purchased the vehicle, I was driving from the Bay Area, where I live, to Santa Rosa, when the car suddenly stopped working. This occurred on the side of highway 101 and was a major inconvenience (see enclosed pictures). I had to have the car towed to a nearby shop ([redacted]) and this episode caused me to miss an important event in Sonoma County.

I also had to take an expensive taxi ride back to the Bay Area in order to make another appointment. In addition, I had to rent cars on two separate occasions while waiting for the repair. And I took a bus and taxi back to the shop in Petaluma to retrieve that car once the repairs were completed. As you can imagine, this experience was extremely unpleasant, time consuming and expensive.

Brodie’s Tire and Brake diagnosed the problem as a broken timing belt and the cost to replace this and that water pump was $1,002.56. In addition, Brodie’s Tire and Brake informed me that the timing belt was old and was leaking when they removed it. I actually saved the old timing belt and water pump. It is very obvious to even an inexperienced person that the belt is old and cracked with age and that the water pump has also been in use for a long time. Fortunately there was no significant damage done to the engine from this episode.

I feel strongly that this car was sold to me under fraudulent and misleading circumstances. In addition to the cost of the repairs, I also incurred a total of $85.50 in taxi bills and $103.76 in car rental charges. Therefore the total expenditures incurred by me related to this incident were $1,191.82.

I have included the following pieces of evidence with this letter:

1) My purchase contract for the vehicle with Progressive Auto Center

2) A CD with two recording of [redacted] stating that the timing belt had been replaced. The recording kind of run together but the first line was recorded on my first call before driving up to Sacramento to see the car. The second was recorded after I had put down a deposit and had agreed to purchase the vehicle.3) A zip drive with the same recording of [redacted] stating that the timing belt had been replaced

4) My receipts for taxi and car rental charges

5) Pictures of the car being towed on the side of Highway 101

6) Receipts from [redacted] with the section circled indicating that the timing belt “failed due to age and that several cogs from the belt had stripped off the belt body” and that the water pump” shows leakage from the vent hole”. The receipt also states that the all of these parts appear to be original equipment, (i.e. have never been replaced).7) Pictures of the actual timing belt itself and the water (which I saved the repair shop) with indications of obvious wear and age.

I would sincerely appreciate it if you would me to get reimbursed for a new timing belt, water pump and expenses related to this incident from Progressive Auto Center. Their official phone number is [redacted] which I believe is actually [redacted]’s cell phone. Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss this matter as well.

Desired Settlement: I would sincerely appreciate it if you would me to get reimbursed for a new timing belt, water pump and expenses related to this incident from Progressive Auto Center

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern,We here at progressive Auto Center sell used vehicles and as every one knows it is hard to predict what happens with used vehicles. Therefor we offer extern warranties from well known warranty companies and [redacted] was offered one of these warranties, but kindly declined. Also we do allow people to take the car to their mechanic to inspect the car, but this was not something [redacted] requested. His focus was on keeping price to the minimum, which was also why we lowered the price a good amount to his liking so we could make a deal. While we were signing the paperwork [redacted] was made aware that the car is sold as-is, and he signed a paper that stated that, which he has a copy of. The Buyers Guide where it states he signed that the car was bought As-Is is attached to this letter. So that the car has broken down and has had issues is all on his part. If we can be of further assistance please contact us again.Sincerely,[redacted]i, Owner of Progressive Auto Center

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:The response by Progressive Auto is unsatisfactory for several reasons. The main one is that the owner, Mr. [redacted], very clearly lied several times regarding the state of the timing belt of the car. I live in San Francisco and his business is in Sacramento. When I first called him to inquire about the vehicle, I wanted to find out about the state of the car before driving all the way up there. In this first initial call, I asked him about the timing belt and he clearly stated that the timing belt on the vehicle had been changed very recently. This was before I decided to invest time driving to Sacramento and I absolutely would not have been interested in the car if he had not lied about this. This conversation was captured on one of the recordings I submitted. This call occurred before I saw the car or we agreed to a price, etc, so I feel as though the entire transaction was conducted under false pretenses. As I stated in my previous letter, I also pointedly asked him three additional times about the timing belt issue and he brazenly lied every time.Secondly, Mr. [redacted] stated in this response that I had the freedom to take the car to my own mechanic in order to have it checked out. While this is true, it is a misleading statement. There is no point in taking a car to a mechanic to have the timing belt checked. This is because one cannot tell if the timing belt on a car has been changed without taking the engine apart at great expense. So it is not feasible to have a mechanic "check out" a timing belt. I am quite sure that Mr. [redacted] knows this fact and this is why he felt comfortable lying to me about the timing belt issue. When I asked him for paperwork on the timing belt replacement he said that he had done it in his own shop and therefore did not have paperwork on it.My position remains the same: 1) Mr. [redacted] clearly lied several times about a major repair to the car and two of these incidents I have recordings of 2)To lie about the state of a timing belt on a vehicle with this mileage is not only unethical but is potentially dangerous since the car can stop working suddenly and major engine damage can be caused to the vehicle in this scenario 3) Two weeks after I purchased the vehicle, the timing belt did indeed break causing me major inconvenience and expense4) The mechanic I took the car to confirmed that the timing belt and water pump on the car was old and were "original parts"5) Pictures of the parts I submitted clearly show that they are old and worn 6) Regardless of whether the car was sold "as is" or not, Progressive Auto has been demonstrated to be an unethical business which should be held responsible for this type of malfeasance so that no other consumers have such a negative experience Sincerely,[redacted]

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern,I have added the buyers guide again that shows the car was As-Is. Furthermore [redacted] did not contact me after the incident, going through a third party first. This shows a total lack of respect for me and my business, and removes any desire for me to be willing to work with him. Legally I am of course on the right side of the issue with the signed buyers guide by [redacted]. If you have any further questions please feel free to mail me,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:Mt. [redacted]'s statement that I waited to tell him about the breakdown is irrelevant. To reiterate, the incident when the old timing belt broke occurred on May 16th, approximately 2 weeks after the car was purchased. At that time, Mr. [redacted] had not sent me my registration and license plates yet and I decided to wait until these arrived before filing my complaint. Based on his history of dishonesty, I was concerned that, if I filed a complaint before I received my registration and license plates, he might withhold these as a way of penalizing me. I finally received these items on June 16th and filed my complaint soon after.Mr. [redacted] is also implying that he would have had a different response had I contacted him about this issue before filing a complaint. I was advised to have the Revdex.com act as an arbiter in this case and avoid contacting the other business directly. Frankly, I am skeptical that Mr. [redacted] would have done anything to remedy this situation without involvement by the Revdex.com since he believes selling a car "as is" absolves him of all responsibility even though he was clearly dishonest about the status of the timing belt.The bottom line is that my position remains the same: I have proof that Mr. [redacted] lied about the timing belt and that he sold the car under false pretenses. His dishonesty also put me and my passengers in danger and caused me a significant amount of trouble and expense. I believe that businesses that engage in this kind of malfeasance should be held accountable and that he should reimburse me for my expenses related to the new timing belt.Regards,[redacted]

Review: On Thursday February 20, 2014 at 1:11pm, I called to enquire about an application for a vehicle I submitted. The man that answered the phone said he had not yet ran my credit or even looked at the application yet but could tell just by talking to me that I wasn't going to be able to get a car. He was very rude about it and we began disagreeing on the matter. He was speaking so rude to me that I asked to speak to a manager. He asked why, I told him I didn't like how I was being treated. He refused to put a manager on. I told him I was going to leave a bad review due to his behavior and attitude towards customers. He then said "Go ahead you [redacted], I'll put all your credit information online for everyone to see." We continued to argue after that. He threatened to post my credit information and score. I eventually hung up. My wife called about 10 minutes later to get the owners name. The man that answered was the same guy I dealt with and he said his name was [redacted] and that he was the owner. He refused to give his last name and when my wife told him she needed it for a complaint he yelled at her and told her to "ask your husband what he said." She hung up.Desired Settlement: I would like to be assured that my credit information will not be leaked or posted on the web and for the company to know they no longer have my consent to run my credit. I would also like my application containing my social security number to be shredded as well as an apology from the owner for being called a "[redacted]." At the time of the dispute, the man said he had not yet ran my credit.

Business

Response:

I have received the complaint of [redacted]. I personally talked to my employee [redacted], which said that he was shocked to hear about the complaint. He remembers talking to [redacted], but the information that he provides, is not what happened according to my employee. None of my other employees heard [redacted] yelling or cussing on the phone on this specific day.

[redacted] told me that [redacted] called us, because he wanted to be approved on a car loan. When he looked at [redacted]'s information, he replied that he did not believe that [redacted] could be approved. After [redacted] received the information on the phone, he started cussing and sounded aggressive. [redacted] was shocked by the response that he received, and therefore hung up the phone.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: This business is absolutely lying about the incident. They are taking no responsibility for their employees actions. In addition to threatening me and making racial slurs, this person also ran my credit after telling me he had not done so. I have the credit report to prove it. My wife called and spoke with "[redacted]" and he did not deny any if his actions either. After receiving the complaint from the Revdex.com, the so-called owner called me a couple of times while I was at work. The first time, I picked up and he said "I want to know why you filed a complaint" and because the employee I complained on never gave me to a manager like I asked nor gave me info on speaking to a manager, I couldn't be sure that this was not the same person. They both have accents. So I hung up because I do not know who was calling me and if it was to further berate me. The owner called a second time and left me a voicemail which I still have. He said "now you are the one being rude" (because I hung up). He sounded more like he was looking for an argument so I decided it was best to not call back and handle this through the Revdex.com. I do not wish for anyone associated with this business to contact me again. They have cursed me out, threatened me, called me a [redacted], ran my credit without my permission, harrassed me, and now is lying about the entire incident instead of apologizing and taking responsibility.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

After I read the response I talked to [redacted] to hear what he had to say. My employee totally denies both threatening [redacted] and making racial slurs. There is no reason for calling him names or threatening him, when our only goal is to sell cars. We live of reputation so why ruin that for a person that can't get a loan through us. It is true that he pulled the credit to check the information, which I mentioned in the last response. According to my employee [redacted] gave him his permission to run his credit, which makes sense since that is the only way we can get his information. Without his information we can't get him a loan.

It is also true that I called [redacted]. It is easier to talk over the phone, than it is talking through Revdex.com. I wanted to apologize for the inconvenient that this issue has caused him. I also wanted to hear what the goal with the complaint is. The only thing I am searching for is an ending to this issue. I would like to talk to [redacted] on the phone to resolve this issue.