Russ Darrow Group, Inc.

Review: My husband and I purchased a brand new Kia Sorento on January 31, 2015 which I advised the salesman at the time we expected our $500.00 gift card from Russ Darrow Kia. He stated because we did not trade in a vehicle we did not qualify. I pulled up their website in the show room and showed him the verbiage clearly indicated we did. We went around and around and he said no. We had already spent over 4 hrs. in their building with a * yr. old and I did not want to argue anymore but felt my next recourse was to contact the lender/Summit Credit Union as well as the [redacted] which I did. He apologized that I was confused but I am not. The wording said you qualified with "a new car purchase OR lease and trade-in which ours qualified under the 1st (new car purchase); not the or qualifier. I believe this to be false advertisement and I feel they should have to comply with what they offer. I saw this same add on television as well as on their website.Desired Settlement: To receive the $500.00 gift card be mailed to us immediately.

Business

Response:

I have received and reviewed your complaint and the advertisement. The advertisement is clear and concise citing the correct language. It states that if you purchase OR lease a vehicle AND trade in a vehicle then you will receive a $500 Gift Card. You purchased a vehicle but did not trade in a vehicle so you are not entitled to a gift card. The OR and AND words between the types of purchases and trade in are very specific. Since there are two types of purchases, a retail and a lease we have to say OR in between those two words and since you also have to trade in a vehicle we have to use the word AND.I am sorry that you may have misread and or misinterpreted the language however you will not be receiving the gift card as you did not trade in a vehicle.[redacted]###-###-####

Consumer

Response:

Please see current promo. I am having difficulty sending it and attaching to this form.

Business

Response:

Attached you will find the current promotion which was exactly what was advertised at the time you purchased your vehicle. We have not made changes to this advertisement since the date of inception. As you can see it still states that there has to be a trade in. We are not trying to get one over on you nor are we advertising something that we don't give to all customers who fall under this category. You are plain and simply misreading the advertisement.I'm sorry that you feel you are entitled to the gift card, but you did not meet the qualifications.[redacted]###-###-####/direct

Review: I went to purchase a car and placed $1,000 as a down payment and had to come back with more down payment to write a FULL contract to purchase. I ended up purchasing the car at another dealer and now Russ Darrow will not refund me the $1,000 I placed as a down payment to just HOLD the car at their dealership. It was only 1 day later that I called them and said I no longer wanted the car from them and couldn't provide the rest of the down payment and wanted my $1,000 back. I have the reciept they took my $1,000 and then I would have had to come back with the other amount to PURCHASE the car but called them one day later that I wasnt coming back....they have ignored my calls and put me on hold for hours and send me to voice mails and I have never gotten a call back. this has been 3 weeks of a run around and all I want is my $1,000 deposit back!!!! tDesired Settlement: want my $1,000 down payment refunded to me ASAP PLEASE

Business

Response:

I am sorry you had such a tough time getting your deposit back. It is my understanding that you received and deposited the check on March 18, 2015 as I have a cancelled check with your signature on it.[redacted]

I found an advertisement on Autotrader.com for a lease deal on a Nissan Pathfinder Platinum for $250/mo with $0 down for 36 months. Next to a picture of the vehicle and the description (Nissan Pathfinder Platinum), there was a note that said "Lease deal available for this vehicle, click "here" for more details". That brought up a pop-up box with the lease terms above. I called the Russ Darrow dealership and asked to speak with someone in sales. I was transferred to a woman who confirmed the deal and told me to print out where I saw it and come in to the store. She said she would send me a credit app to get started and email me her contact information. I never received the information so I called the dealership again the next morning and asked to speak with a Sales Manager. I was transferred to a gentleman that identified himself as a Used Car Sales Manager and once again, confirmed the deal I described and told me to come in and complete the credit application. My husband and I visited the dealership later in the day where we were told that the deal was actually for the Nissan Pathfinder S model which did not include any of the luxury options associated with the Platinum. I showed them the print out and the sales girl gave it to her sales manager to figure out while she showed us the Platinum model to test drive. After test driving, we were brought back in and the Sales Manager ([redacted]) told us that the link on Autotrader.com must have not been working correctly and that the payment for the Platinum was 2 to 3 times more than the price for the "S" model. I explained about calling to confirm the deal before driving the 45 minutes over and he just said "Well, I don't know who you talked to". I then asked why these people would confirm the deal if it wasn't true and he explained that "they just set appointments and wouldn't have that information". These people identified themselves as both a Saleswoman and a Sales Manager, NOT a receptionist. Regardless of their position, they confirmed the deal. [redacted] did not apologize, did not offer to find the people who confirmed the deal nor did he offer us any time of "deal" or other compensation for wasting our time in this bait and switch. I will NEVER bother with this dealership again and plan on sharing this experience with friends and co-workers. I believe at best they should have honored the deal and at worst should have come up with an exceptional deal for all the trouble we were put through.

My husband and I went to Russ Darrow Kia in Appleton, WI to look at a used Mitsubishi Lancer which was listed on their website as "red and ready to go." When we arrived, a salesman met us by the door and when we asked about the vehicle, he said they had none on their lot. We went to his desk where I showed him the vehicle listing on their website. He left his desk, came back and told us the car was at another location but they were bringing it over. During the test drive, he admitted he knew nothing about the car but pointed out things like "oh- it looks like you have a moon roof in here." We ended up purchasing the car because it was a good car for a decent price. I didn't bother with a trade in because without even seeing my car, they offered me $100 (we ended up parking it at the end of our driveway with a for sale sign and sold it within 3 hours for $600!) About a week later, my husband and his father were checking over the car, including the condition of the spare tire and jack. When they lifted the carpet piece to get to the spare tire, they noticed multiple piles of a white powder in the corners of the trunk and underneath the spare. There were also pieces of paper notating flight numbers coming into Milwaukee and pieces of plastic tube. Obviously being concerned, we contacted the police. They confirmed the white powder was not cocaine, but believed it to be meth. The Car Fax history provided by Russ Darrow only indicated the car was purchased at an auction in Milwaukee. Before listing their vehicles as "ready to purchase" they obviously do not do a thorough check of the car. Their sales ticket indicated that there was a spare with a jack, which was obviously not actually confirmed by them or they would have discovered the powder, or if they did in fact check the spare, they did nothing about it. I cleaned out the powder as the police instructed, but I have to carry a copy of the police report in my car in case of an issue.

Russ Darrow of Madison on the east side seemed like a decent place to get a vehicle. The service when purchasing my car was up to my standards so I would expect when the first issue comes up they would be just as helpful to fix a problem as they were when they sold me the vehicle. That has not been the case. It started with a flat tire, and when I went into my trunk to get the spare and a jack out to change it the space in the trunk where they should be was empty.

I called for help from a friend and went straight to the dealership to see how this could be fixed. The very first thing that happened was a sales person told me “to calm down hun. It will be ok.” I was told that since it was a Friday they had no one there to authorize getting me a spare, a jack or a loaner. They told me come in on Saturday so they could try and do something. I went through all my papers for when I bought the car and there is a vehicle inspection with a box checked off that I should have a spare and jack in my vehicle. It’s not there. This is now a huge issue because what else wasn’t inspected and they just mark?

Sat morn I spoke with the manager over the phone who scolded me for not coming into the dealership like I had said I was going to. I explained that unfortunately since I was unable to drive my car since it still had a flat I had to get driven around and couldn’t come in. Then he kept telling me that I should have road side assistance and that should cover this. My reply was “why do I need to get insurance involved when this stems back to you sold me a car without a jack or a spare? And then the manager told me that the mazda service area wasn’t open until Monday… So day two they wasted my time and again did not solve my problem.

I work a lot so I asked if they could get this ordered and I would just send someone else in on my behalf to take care of this or possibly just pick up the jack and spare when they get it in. Manager said yes that would be fine. Monday the sales lady [redacted] I was working on and off sends me a text at 7:00 pm telling me she would check tomorrow- in response to me asking when I would get my spare and jack. All of Tuesday I waited for some response- turns out it’s her day off.... So all day I waited and waited just for a simple answer.

Tues I had my friend go in and speak with the manager on my behalf to try and get this fixed after not hearing anything all day about what’s going on with this. I get a phone call from the manager Ryan telling me I cannot have people go to the dealership on my behalf due to privacy issues. And he questioned why I would send someone in on the first place. My friend is knowledgeable, looking out for me and is a male because apparently being a female they are not taking me seriously.

The manager’s response to all my concerns about not being taken seriously was that I had signed up for an extra service to cover if this happens. He then asked me if I had went over that entire vehicle checklist when I bought the car... And I again had to tell him that I didn’t appreciate him trying to act like I am to blame for their mistake. Then I once more told manager that this wouldn’t be happening if the property I paid for, that someone from their company supposedly inspected had been there like it was supposed to be. He let me know they got the jack and spare ordered but couldn’t give me an exact date as to when it would come in since it wasn’t as easy to track a shipment like it would be on amazon. I don’t shop on amazon so I wouldn’t know but again I felt like since I am a female they are trying to butter me up and not just resolve the issue at hand.

Now I am worried that other things were just checked off and not actually inspected on my vehicle. Are my brakes safe, is the transmission junk, if I have a future issue with this car are they going to be as unhelpful? For my peace of mind I invested over $18,000.00 into a newer vehicle so I wouldn’t have to worry…and with this all I have done is stress and worry. Am I going to find things missing on my car and have to get pushed around and treated like I screwed up? Selling a vehicle in Wisconsin without accurate information and then trying to hold the customer responsible instead of admitting a mistake and going above and beyond to fix it seems like something this dealership is ok with and I don’t appreciate being on the receiving end of it.

Review: I bought a 2013 Mazda 3 five door hatchback.. Brand new? I don't think so, I'm a [redacted] year old male.. I feel there taking advantage of me.. I was told by a lot of peoe I knowDesired Settlement: So it's a 28,000 dallied car, that's was missing paint and scratched up.. I proceeded to take in to them.. Still isn't fixed!! I need help..

Business

Response:

After reviewing your complaint am not able to find a record of your purchase. Is there an additional name on the contract? What are the last 8 of the VIN? What store did you purchase the vehicle at? And specifically, what is your complaint. I understand that you purchased a 2013 vehicle that was missing paint and may have been scratched up. Aside from that, I am unable to determine what the complaint is. Please contact me directly or provide a detailed response through the Revdex.com.

On sept 28-2013 went to Russ D Honda used department. First that offer minimum trade 4100 total lie just to get you in. They don't really give that when they advertise as minimum trade for you car. Second service is very poor and poor on a scale of -10. Next we choose a car filled the application, no answer for over 3 hours they didn't had a response and told us leave to come Monday. Went there Monday 11 am still no answer and they lied to me that need to trade two cars to get one approved. I have two car loan and was getting rid of one that I was trading to get another,so they wanted me to leave two cars and leave me without transportation. The manager thought that we had no ideas what he was trying to do. I have purchased over 6 cars in 7 years so I really know. We told them on Monday we were leaving to avoid waiting, went to another Russ D Nissan this case and service was excellent. Got a brand new car there and a super deal, the finance guy supper great person. Really sorry had to do this but service at Russ D Honda in Brown Dear Road extremely poor. The worst is that I have a lease from them and my possibly had to end up there. wish that Mr Russ Darrow would read this and would communicate with me.

I really had a great experience with Russ Darrow. My salesman was [redacted] he is the bomb.com he did everything in his power to get me a car and I appreciate him. [redacted] was awesome as well he didn't let me leave the dealership without understanding everything about the car I purchased and he was very informative. They are a great team and I would recommend them to my family and friends. All of you guys/gals at Russ Darrow are the bomb.com and thanks for everything

Review: In January, 2016 I dropped my car off with Russ Darrow Mitsubishi to have repairs done caused by ice damage. When I went to pick up the car approximately a week later, I paid my $500 deductible. After payment, I noticed damage on the rear view mirror that I had never seen before. I was told that the damage was documented on the pre inspection form and that I signed and agreed to the damage during a walk around.

I NEVER participated in a walk around of the car to do a pre inspection report and the signature on the document was FORGED and not my signature. The front desk person Alex, tried to convince me that I participated in the initial walk around and maybe I was holding the pen wrong so that's why the signature looked different. I found it very insulting that someone would try to convince me that a forged signature was my signature. This was escalated to the general manager, [redacted] who was not helpful or transparent about the fraudulent signature and corporate was elusive and non responsive. [redacted] also lied to corporate after my 2nd attempt in trying to resolve this matter mentioning that “I was very satisfied” and when I followed up I was told the case was closed. This was even more upsetting. Supposedly an investigation took place and "it was being handled internally." There was a complete lack of disclosure or transparency and leads me to believe no investigation even occurred and this issue was being minimized.

This complaint is not arguing whether work was done on my car because services were provided and my insurance company paid thousands of dollars to have the repairs made. My issue is the lack of accountability, transparency, and unethical business practices Russ Darrow Mitsubishi is partaking in.

All of the work done on the car was done under fraudulent pretenses and had I known my signature was forged on the very initial document listing the damage prior, I would not have paid the deductible nor had services rendered with this company. It is UNJUSTIFIED to pay for these services. I also reported this issue to my insurance company. Russ Darrow Mitsubishi needs to be held accountable and know that it is unethical, dishonest and improper to commit forgery with the intention to deceive and gain monetary benefits at the expense of their customers.Desired Settlement: 1) Refund of the $500 deductible that I paid

AND

2) Written description of the investigation that supposedly took place and the findings. Whoever forged my signature needs to be held accountable and Russ Darrow Mitsubishi needs to be transparent with disclosing issues involving unethical business practices.

Business

Response:

I have reviewed your complaint with all applicable employees and managers and respond accordingly.You brought the vehicle in for front end damage due to a motor vehicle accident. Geico approved specific work to be done and instructed the dealership to collect the $500 deductible before returning the vehicle to you. Upon presentment of the vehicle, you were in a rush to leave and a walk around of the vehicle was not done with you present. The vehicle was given a carwash and the damages outside of the collision were listed on the pre-inspection form. The scratch notated on the passenger door was depicted in pictures that were taken prior to any work being started on your vehicle. There was a signature notated on the pre-inspection report that was not yours, however, I cannot disclose the specifics on why or how this occurred as it is an internal disciplinary matter. Aside from this occurrence, you contracted with Russ Darrow to fix your vehicle, which Geico approved. The deductible that you paid was for the body work performed. On a side note, the body shop went above and beyond and provided a free of charge repair to the passenger door mirror even though we have evidence of this being pre-existing. In addition, we also installed a left front light bulb free of charge. All in all, you brought the vehicle in to get fixed and paid your contractual deductible. Due to the signature on the inspection form, we provided you additional work to the tune of $150 for your troubles.There is no additional money that we will be offering you and we cannot disclose internal employee disciplinary issues.Thank you,[redacted], Corporate Paralegal

Consumer

Response:

Review: this dealership has tough us. they told us different price for vehicle service, but charge more later. secondly, we took our van to the dealership on Saturday for oil change they gave use report and did not mentioned that plugs needs to replace. next day van misfired and we took to the dealership, told us that plug is cracked inside the engine. stated that this will cost $4000.00 for that. this dealership always tell less cost before service but on later time of delivery charge extra (hidden charges). we spent almost $9000-10,000 this year on this dealership. also, bought a used vehicle; van was making too much noise, we told them about it; stated there is nothing wrong. when we took van back to them, they stated that A Pipe is needs to be changed; estimate was given for $500.00, but when we went to take van we were charged approximate $800.00. when we bought this van, this dealership tried to sell us mainatainance plan for $6000.00 for a old van. I would never recommend this dealership to any of my friends or relatives. very poor service. we have some pending credit which has not been sent to us yetDesired Settlement: whole loss was because this dealership did not paid attention on the time of service. they lie to there customers, cheat them

Business

Response:

I'm sorry if you feel the service department has taken advantage of you or if we failed to disclose a pending issue with your vehicle. When vehicles are brought in for an oil change, the service is done by a lube tech, not a service tech. The lube tech goes through a thorough 17 point inspection on the vehicle. This inspection does not notate spark plugs. There is no way to see a faulty spark plug unless there is an evident issue with the vehicle that would require the spark plugs to be removed and reviewed. It is unfortunate that this happened the day after the oil change, but there would not have been any way to make that diagnosis even if a service tech would have done the inspection. As for the cost that you paid to fix the van, there is specific protocol that we must follow as stated by Wisconsin law. We would have the customer authorize the work to be performed under a quoted price. If there are issues while performing the work, we would need to call the customer an reauthorize additional work and or money to be added to the estimate. The estimate would not just change from $4000 to $10000 without any communication.

As for the other van that was purchased and came back with a pipe issue, again this would follow the same protocol as above. In addition to the quoted price there is tax, shop supplies and an environmental fee added to every bill to every customer as some of these fees are imposed by the State as shop taxes. As for the service contract that was available for purchase at a price of $6,000, we routinely quote the price for any vehicle that a service contract is available, even if it is a large price. The customer has to make the determination as to whether or not they want to purchase the product for any possible future repair.

I will again apologize since it seems as though from my review of your file, that you have been a long time customer of Russ Darrow Group.

###-###-####/direct

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. however, as a customer I felt be fooled by Rus Darrow because initially there was no explanations of total charges to the customer or there are so many hidden charges those are more expensive than the actual vehicle service.

Regards,

Review: On 09/13/2013 I worked with [redacted] (spelling?) to trade in my [redacted] and purchase a KIA RIO. While working with [redacted] he offered me the Schedule A pkg. This pkg include an interior and exterior treatment of the car which protected it from some of the more harsh WI weather. Although it sounded like a nice feature it ultimately would add 15.00 a month onto my payment. I cannot afford that at this time. Therefore, I opted to take good care of my car on my own, with my own resources (i.e. wash wax, etc) rather than doing this pkg. [redacted] was understandably disappointed as this would be a point of sale for him but he respected my decision. At this point, it had been some time since I had been there at the dealership. There was only one mgr there running the reports and he was behind. We waited for quite some time before the man who could do the final paperwork was available. Finally, this man was available. We walked together to a separate room, closed the door and he began by saying my payment would be around 306.00 each month. I was very pleased with the transaction, the car, the trade in, the experience with the salesperson and I didn't mind the overall wait time as this payment was going to be affordable. Unfortunately, it went down hill from there. This man set it with an extremely rapid, intense, monologue about this litany of services available to me as stated on a piece of paper he put in front of me. He was talking to me about everything from floor mats to life insurance to disability and back to exterior finishes. I felt berated, then chastised, then frightened, then overwhelmed and repeat that all over again 10 times. At this point, after trying humor to deflect him, trying the blunt "no" approach, actually signing the "declined" area and thinking we had moved on he brought the forms back out once again! My blood sugar was low, I was tired, he was not taking no for an answer, he said flat out to me, "Well, I can't force you to take it" in a very condescending tone. I thought he was going to stop. Then, he started in again about how "KIA gave me a hell of deal on the car and this is a great pkg"... I finally signed the damned thing to get out of there! After the weekend I called the salesperson and told him my concerns. He explained I can come in and speak to someone higher up than that person if I wish. I went in to speak to someone about this issue and request it be adjusted and taken off and the gentleman said, "Well, the person who signed you up for the schedule A isn't working today". AS IF I WOULD EVEN WANT TO TALK TO THAT PERSON EVER AGAIN?????? I said, "That is ok. We can take care of this today between the two of us can't we?" I was then told I can talk to a gentleman named [redacted] asked to look at my paperwork and told me since it had already been sent to the back and funded as a loan it was not possible to adjust my payment but it could be taken off of the principal of the loan. [redacted] seemed he was being bothered by my visit and was inconvenienced by my request. No apologies were offered for the behavior of the [redacted] who bullied me into signing me up for the Schedule A. If you review the other complaints against this "schedule A" ** you will see that others have been bullied as well.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund in the form of a check mailed to me in the amount of the $1700.00 it cost for this Schedule A pkg to be applied to this loan as stated on the paperwork. This will help me with the 15.00 a month I have to pay on my car payment that I didn't want to pay in the first place. The 15.00 a month I knew I wouldn't have the extra cash in my budget to spend. I will watch for paperwork in the mail to facilitate this process. I will not work with [redacted] on this process.

Business

Response:

After reviewing your complaint and looking into the Package A, it seems as though the product had been applied to the vehicle. This is a warranty and is therefore cancellable, however, the price of the product will be deducted from any refund. The refund cannot be mailed to you, as you currently have a loan on the vehicle. The refund check will be mailed to your lender within the next 10 business days, less the product cost. The refund will bring down the amount of your payoff you have on the vehicle and act as a principle payment. Since you have the product on your vehicle, you should not have any issues with the protection. If there would be issues down the line the warranty associated with the product would not be valid. I will cancel this warranty effective September 20th, the day that you filed this complaint.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly at [redacted]

Business

Response:

You are correct in your statement that this product was not applied to your vehicle. For that reason, a check for the full amount of the warranty has been processed and is being sent directly to your lender to be applied as a principal payment. There is no other way for me to issue the refund. Per the State of Wisconsin Banking Laws, if there is a lender who financed any type of warranty or product and if the lien is still perfected by the same lienholder at the time of cancellation, the refund proceeds must be sent directly to that lender. For that reason, the check will be mailed to [redacted] in the amount of $1658.97.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: I asked that upon delivery the damaged speaker be replaced. It was but with a more damaged one. I had to persue the company to get a new one. The main issue is sales rep told me that a keyless remote could be gotten for car. Being a 2013 she said it could be ordered. When I returned to order the part, I was told " it can't be done on this model!" When I said something to sales rep, her comment was, " ya, I found that out too." No apology nothing. Now they want me to pay an additional $200+ and drive 50 miles to get an out of factory keyless remote installed.Desired Settlement: I think due to the false statement by sales rep the company should pay for keyless remote or offer a different vehicle for close to what we already have spent with the keyless included.

Business

Response:

I am sorry for the delay in responding to you regarding the issue with the keyless entry. At this time due to the materially false statement of the sales representative, I will be providing you with a check to cover the cost of the keyless entry. If you choose to utilize our service area to install such item on your vehicle, please contact me directly to schedule an appointment. If you feel this is a reasonable resolution, please let me know and I will immediately send a check out to cover the cost.

And please take my sincere apologies for the requisite sales person’s misstatement. We strive to train all dealership personnel with the inner workings and options for all vehicles on the sales lot, and this was an obvious misstatement. So, again sorry for the inconvenience and time this may have caused you.

If you have specific concerns or issues, please contact me directly at ###-###-####/direct. [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: We purchased a vehicle on 3/2/2015. A week later the check engine light pops up and the vehicle is shaking when reversing. There is also a delay when trying to accelerate. Sales person was called and gave the "As is" speech. At week two the vehicles passager side window stopped working and wobbling and acceleration problems are worse. Sales person called again and given the " [redacted] is" speech. These are the problems with the vehicle. Now here is where the misrepresentation comes in during our whole transaction we were not notified nor was it on the buyers guide that the vehicle had a rebuilt engine. We had found this out by going through the vehicles owners manual. The dealship had access to this information well before. And it was not represented and the car was falsely advertised by the company. We would have not purchased this vehicle if they disclosed such important information.Desired Settlement: Refund our money and return the vehicle

Business

Response:

I cannot seem to locate a transaction under your name. Could there be another party on the paperwork? Also, which dealership did you purchase the vehicle from?Once I receive this information I can be more specific as to what if anything we can do.However, I will state that in the State of Wisconsin, we do not have to notify if there is a rebuilt engine as long as the part is in working order with no defects at the time of the safety inspection. Also, the AS IS clarification is not just a speech, but a disclaimer that is printed on the sales contract for every used vehicle sold. If there is a problem with the vehicle that started shortly after the time of sale, we as a company will look into it, but there is no guarantee that we will take care of the problem 100%.As stated above, once I get the information so that I can locate your transaction, I will be able to talk more specifically.Thank you for your cooperation.[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Review: Four weeks prior to my visit to Russ Darrow Nissan to lease a 2014 Nissan Altima, they had been running ads in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stating without any reservation, asterix, star etc. that a specific Altima with a specific stock number would be $159/month plus zero down"tax, title, license, and doc. fee for 36 months. In the body of the ad, it states ALTIMA $0 down + $159 first month's payment = $159 due at signing. In the same paragraph, it stated Total of payments ...Altima $5742. Tax, title, license fee extra. The ad ran again on June 1, 2014.

On Tuesday, June 3, I went to the dealership to lease/examine the 2014 Altima specifically advertised, Vehicle Stock Number N14515, Model 13114. I met with sales person [redacted]. I was happy with the car except for the dealer added "wheel locks" that was listed on the window sticker w/car details and the MSRP listing Splash Guards $148 and floor mats $106.. [redacted] encouraged me to add seat protection and paint protection. I declined. We went inside to start the paperwork. I gave them my drivers license and social security number so they could verify my existence and a credit report.

When [redacted] came back from meeting with [redacted], he handed me a sheet with the Stock Number for the car and in pen, monthly payments totaling $265/month plus tax, title, license. They had added $810 destination & delivery, $595 acquisition fee, and $1,995 paint protection. While it notes a $600 college grad "promo," I didn't qualify. The claim that $159 due at closing had been increased by $3,400.

Since neither number stated the tax, title, license, and doc. fee. License and title is about $174 and Russ Darrow's doc. fee was $299.

When I questioned this, they dropped the payment to $235 after meeting with [redacted] said that because this was a $159 Darrow deal, they could add these other expenses. How could the "offered" paint protection be on the auto. It was not listed on the window sticker.

This is classic "false" advertising. They continued this same ad into July. The most recent ad on JULY 20TH still states $0 down payment. "$600due at closing." Plus tax, title ,license t & doc. fee. Total payments for the Altima...$5724.

A sign on the salesperson's desk said if you had a complaint, please call Nick Saidai at 1-414-410-2255. I presume he was [redacted] and he said he was sorry but that was the way they did it and it was legal & appropriate. I stated that that is NOT HOW most dealers handled this type of lease. Almost all add the "additional $ due at signing in the ad.Desired Settlement: I want to lease a comparable car as the one I wanted on 6/3/14 as advertised for $159 down, $0 down payment plus tax, title, license, and $299 doc. fee.

Business

Response:

I have provided the following response to another agency in relation to the same complaint as follows:In reviewing the complaint in its

entirety with [redacted] and [redacted], we have come to a

determination that the vehicle as advertised would have and could have been

sold at the time Mr. [redacted] came into the dealership. The vehicle as

listed with the specific stock number was not sold until June 7, 2014.

The paper received by the Salesperson is not a contract and the figures can

still be negotiated if not agreed upon. We as a large dealer group try to

be very transparent even in our advertising. If we are advertising a deal

on a specific vehicle, we intend to sell that vehicle under the terms and

conditions set forth in the disclaimer.

It is my understanding that Mr.

[redacted] would like to lease the Nissan Altima for the advertised price at the

time of the incident, however, this is not possible. The incentives and

residuals associated with each advertisement change on a weekly/monthly

basis. If Mr. [redacted] passes the finance check and is approved, Nissan would

not allow the lease under the terms set forth in the June advertisement.

We are currently advertising a like deal on the 2014 Nissan Altima with a

$179/mo. payment. I would like to set up an appointment for Mr. [redacted] to

come in and lease the current advertised vehicle. As such, I put in a

call to his home number listed in the complaint to see when he would like to

come in. As soon as I hear from him, I will contact you and let you know

the details.

In speaking with the other agency in which you have filed a complaint with, you are unable to take on an additional car payment at this time. So, I will be closing my file on this matter.[redacted]###-###-####

Business

Response:

I am sorry that we continue to disagree. As I have previously stated, we will be unable to buy out your current lease and as such you are not in a position to enter into another lease for the Nissan as advertised. If you financial position changes and you would like to purchase or lease a vehicle, please contact me directly.[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I purchased my car from Russ Darrow 4 years ago. Tribute, 36000 Miles. I had consistent regular maintenance completed on my car, only at Russ Darrow in Greenfield. Had 2 issues in the past and this recent one that made my experience negative. The first was a wheel issue. Upon getting to Russ Darrow, they told me it would be a few hours. I came back, they still didn't know what was wrong. I spent an entire day and paid for a repair that upon questioning other professionals was and should have been a simple fix. Then, a few months later, this past fall, I received a call after taking my car in for routine maintenance that the brake line blew when they were driving the car. They assumed no responsibility even though I had no issue with the breaks coming in, they never gave me a reason why and never on regular maintenance did they indicate there was an issue-again another bill and delayed repairs. This last time was the last straw. We were on the freeway driving 60mph and our engine blew. With no previous indication that something was wrong on any report, Mazda kept the car for 3 days and could never tell me what was wrong. Simply told me I was low on oil, but again, there was no indication on any regular maintenance report something was wrong. For three days, no one ever reached out to help me with a new car, tell me what the repair would cost and I had to call back many times over the 3 days with no resolution. I was in the dealership 4 times and only one person helped me. Everyone else just stood around. In one phone call, another dealership took car of everything and was able to help get me something for the car. The only person who helped was [redacted] in the Service center. Otherwise, they continued to throw me through hoops and tell me different stories. I had my car towed 2 days ago and never heard anything from them. I would never go back to the dealership.

Review: On Friday I bought a van. I did not get to test drive because it was leaking fuel. The salesmen told me not to smoke in it while I was driving in it. After talking to the salesmen they agreed to fix the fuel leak if I bought the van. After all paperwork has been signed they now want me to pay $1000.00 to get the fuel leak fixed. I would like to know what I can do? They we're suppose to have the van fixed for me to pick up today.Desired Settlement: Repair van at no cost to me

Business

Response:

After reviewing your complaint and speaking with [redacted]r, it is my understanding that the issues with the 2003 GMC have been taken care of too your satisfaction.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly at [redacted]

THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING FROM RUSS DARROW!!!

We are writing this review in hopes that you set aside the excitement of a new purchase and think logically before spending your hard earned money on a vehicle at Russ Darrow Nissan in Milwaukee (Russ Darrow). WE DO NOT HOPE YOU MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS WE DID. Unfortunately, we have learned the hard way and we are left dissatisfied with the entire process and all levels of management and personal. We now know the NEVER come back to Russ Darrow and to not let ANYONE play any classic games we all have heard about that happens at dealerships like this one.

THE INSPECTION/TEST DRIVE (October 26)

When asked if the vehicle had Satellite Radio the salesman said “yes”, but was unsure how to make it function within the car. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, AFTER THE PURCHASE, THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE SATELLITE RADIO CAPABILITY THAT THE SALESMAN STATED IT HAD DURING THE TEST DRIVE!!!

We asked to see underneath the vehicle for any rust and, if any, the severity of the rust. The salesman stated all the lifts were taken. HOW CONVENIENT….

We discovered a crack in the windshield on the test drive (never disclosed to us… we had to find it ourselves 15 minutes into inspecting the vehicle). We were told it would be fixed prior to taking ownership of the vehicle. Was it fixed at the time? NO!

On the passenger’s inside of the car there was missing a panel. The salesman told us he would look into getting a panel for us. NEVER HEARD A WORD ABOUT IT AFTER THAT.

We also noticed scratches and dings throughout the vehicle, which we expected being that it was a used car. WE WERE TOLD THESE WOULD BE BUFFED OUT UPON RECEIVING THE VEHICLE…

WE WERE PROMISED ALL THE ISSUES WE DISCOVERED AND MENTIONED WOULD BE FIXED EITHER PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE VEHICLE OR ON THE FOLLOWING WEEK WHEN WE CAME BACK….

NEGOTIATING THE PRICE

Despite all the issues, we decided to make an offer on the vehicle based on Russ Darrow’s promise to have all the issues fixed on the vehicle. After being asked what we are willing to pay and afford our first offer was instantly rejected. ALL OF A SUDDEN the salesman returned to inform us that there is a couple taking the same vehicle we are interested in for a test drive and that they are ready to buy at full asking price and that we MUST come up in price. We came up in price and he came back saying it wouldn’t work due to the other couple willing to pay full price, BUT since we were interested in the vehicle first, they would honor that fact as long as we come up more in price. We unfortunately came up and a deal was struck based on promises.

THE SIGNING OF THE CONTRACT/PAPERWORK

The “Buyers Guide” stated there were discoveries of a “front differential leak”, “step rails rusted”, “drivers mirror inop & switch inop”, and “bad battery”. We raised questions about these issues and asked to speak to the Manager in regards to them. The Manager stated that the State of Wisconsin is the only State that requires a “Buyer’s Guide” and that the State itself is very particular in documenting the current condition of the car, whether they are minor or major issues. He assured us these are all minor issues with a used vehicle and no major issues would come of them in the immediate time being, but they are mandated to report them. THE AUTOMATIC STEP RAIL IS NOW HANGING OFF AND DRAGGING ONTO THE PAVEMENT WHILE MAKING LEFT TURNS A WEEK AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE!!! AS WELL AS ON OUR WAY TO GET OUR VEHICLE FIXED ON WE NOW HAVING WINDOW GUARDS FLYING OFF OUR VEHICLE AS WE DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE (THAT’S SAFE!!!)…AND THE MANAGER SAID THESE ARE MINOR TYPICAL ISSUES!!

We were then presented gap insurance options, but were unsure of which one to choose. So they had wrote out 2 separate contracts for us to sign depicting different prices based on two different types of gap insurance coverage. They stated we would have to call back on Monday to let them know what contract to submit to the lender. We called back Monday (10/28) to express our displeasure of being told the car did not have what they said it had (Satellite Radio) and the severity of these issues they called “minor”. I requested that the paperwork not be sent into the lender until we determine a solution for these issues. I was assured again the issues would be fixed and that if they could work out some different pricing, given the fact the car did not have the options we were told it had, they would. COME TO FIND OUT THE CONTRACT WAS DECIDED FOR US WITHOUT OUR VERBAL AUTHORIZATION OF WHAT CONTRACT TO SUBMIT TO THE LENDER.

DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE

Upon walking to the vehicle we notice a dent that was never disclosed to us during inspection and was not on the ever so “truthful” “Buyer’s Guide”. WAS TOLD THE DENT WOULD BE FIXED WHEN WE BRING BACK THE VEHICLE…

The scratches and dings were still there… I QUESTION IF THESE WERE EVEN WORKED ON.

In order for the salesman to smooth things over a bit he stated he had one of their employees go put gas in the vehicle. Got in the vehicle and noticed they put a 1/8th of gas in the tank to give it ¼ of a tank. WHAT A NICE GESTURE OF RUSS DARROW TO SPEND $15 AFTER WE HAD JUST SPENT OVER $20,000 ON THE VEHICLE.

Once we entered in the vehicle we discovered the crack in the windshield was still there that we were promised would be repaired prior to receiving the vehicle.

Prior to leaving the lot we were once again assured all issues with the vehicle would be fixed at Russ Darrow’s expense.

POST PURCHASE

We made an appointment for the following Wednesday (10/30). Halfway there I called to confirm our arrival in order for our service to be expedited as they promised (we live 2 ½ hours away) to only have them cancel the appointment on us. Would it have been that difficult for them to pick up the phone first thing in the morning and inform us they could not accommodate us that day so that we both would not have taken off work and save us gas money? I voiced my extreme displeasure at this point only for the salesperson to smooth things over by assuring us they would work around our work schedules the following week and to inform us that we purchased the vehicle cheaper than we thought. The salesperson informed us that my fiancé was not approved for the agreed upon price and they lowered the amount of the car to put us at our maximum financing limit. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE WERE EVER TOLD THIS!!! We have yet to confirm this and I question the reason for not telling us right away. It would not surprise me if it led us down another dark alley about this experience. We called back on Friday of the same week to setup an appointment for Wednesday (11/6) only to be told that Wednesday would not work for their schedule this after being assured by our sales person that Russ Darrow WOULD work around our work schedules. I asked to speak to a Manager and the Manager stated they would honor their commitment to have the vehicle looked at and worked on that day. We both took off another day of work and dished out another $75 in gas money only be told on arrival that they will have to put us in a loner vehicle and we would have to come back because they cannot work on the vehicle that day. UP TO THIS POINT IN TOTAL WE SPENT $125 IN GAS, 2 DAYS OFF WORK (the both of us) FOR A LOSS PAY OF $800 AND A TOTAL NET LOSS OF $925. AND NOW THEY ARE ASKING US TO COME BACK AND TAKE AN ADDITIONAL DAY OFF WORK AND MORE MONEY SPENT ON GAS FOR A TOTAL NET LOSS THAT WOULD PUT US NEAR $1,500?!?!?

At this point we have been as patient as anyone could be in the situation we were being put in and we politely ask to speak to the Manager. A Manager comes over and we express our displeasure with the vehicle and its problems that we feel were down played along with the service being provided. We then inform them we would like to return the vehicle if possible. He says he is unsure if that is possible and leaves. As we were sitting there for approximately 5 minutes and seeing only one potential customer in a cubical and all the Sales Managers just standing around, we again ask to speak to the Manager. The salesman again made a final smooth it over type pitch and reminded us that we had gotten a better deal than we had thought. However, we were tired of the constant run around and games being played that nothing he could say or do at this point could possibly smooth anything over. Instead of the Sales Manager being brought out, the Financing Manager is brought out to explain the breakdown in numbers within the purchase. With two different contracts being signed and this “new” sales price we were told about DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE, numbers were being thrown at us left and right to the point we couldn’t make heads or tails out of it all. He then asks if we have any questions and we ask AGAIN to speak to a Sales Manager. After about another 5 minutes of waiting a different Sales Manager sits down and informs us that he understands there are issues with the vehicle and that he would be happy to look at them, but COULD NOT PROMISE THEY WOULD FIX ALL THESE ISSUES BASED ON PRICE. THIS WHOLE TIME WE WERE PROMISED THAT THESE ISSUES WOULD BE FIXED AND NOW THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THAT PROMISE?!?! I make him aware of our displeasures and state that we would like to return the car based on their constant attempt to down play the issues that we discovered and what was stated in the “Buyer’s Guide”, including them not honoring their original promise to have all the issues fixed at the cost of Russ Darrow. He states that my fiancé signed the contract and that we should have read it more carefully. Then proceeds to tell us the contract is made final and they would not even look at the vehicle at this point. I then inform him of the options we have legally, as a purchaser, that I would be contacting the Wisconsin DOT while seeking legal representation in this matter. He stood up and said “GET OUT OF HERE AND YOU CAN HAVE YOUR ONE ATTORNEY GO UP AGAINST OUR 30” with a smirk on his face. I then proceeded to the sales cubicle next to the one we were in and tapped a lady, who was interested in a vehicle there, on the shoulder to inform her of our experience at Russ Darrow. We began to walk out only to be cursed at for informing the lady. As we walked out she walked out right behind us. I only wish someone would have tapped us on the shoulder that day to inform us.

THIS IS OUR TAP ON THE SHOULDER TO YOU!!!

Good Luck in Your Search and We Hope Your Experience is Better Than Ours!

Everyone took the time to figure out what we anted in a car and balanced competing priorities (cost, style). willing to take the time to explain different cars and take us on multiple test drives. They are very open to finding creative ways to help find you a car within your budget.

Review: On January 12, 2016, my husband totaled our 2013 Kia Optima in a tragic accident where the vehicle rolled over twice before 6 AM and landed within a few feet of an icy river. We had total coverage plus GAP insurance which the claims were initiated the night of the accident. The GAP insurance was sold to us by Russ Darrow Dealer in Madison where we purchased the vehicle with all of the features possible including packages of credit life and disability plus every package possible sold to us by the dealer and charges were up f[redacted]t. Russ Darrow finance manager informed us we had the best GAP insurance possible in case of accident when vehicle was purchased in December 2013. GAP insurance and I have been dealing with trying to get Russ Darrow Dealer in Madison to pay what they owe to reimburse for packages that have not been used. I have worked directly with Russ Darrow in Madison with the office manager, finance manager and general manager on this issue. The amount owed to us totaled 2536.28 from Russ Darrow per their figures. My figures and GAP figures showed Russ Darrow owed 2958.57. We are told this money had to come from the corporate office and [redacted] at the corporate location would be the one handling this. [redacted] has NOT returned any phone calls where we left messages 6 different dates and times. We have made numerous trips to Russ Darrow in Madison and we are told they cannot do anything about it. WOW. Over 2 months now and interest keeps accruing with the bank because of the amount owed to us.Desired Settlement: Date occurred 01/12/2016. Amount of time spent dealing with this to not receive any resolution on our own, I am requesting the amount of 2958.57 plus mileage expenses paid to us due to 84 mile round trips X 3 to try and resolve face to face. 252 miles X .54 national mileage rate =$136.08. $1,650.00 due to 50.00 per day due to us starting 30 days post accident for a total of $4,744.65 due immediately.

My total requests is listed as follows:

2958.57 refunds due from products purchased at Russ Darrow.

136.08 mileage to try and resolve in person.

1650.00 per day charges at $50 for each day 30 days past accident.

Total due to date is $4744.65

All of this could have been resolved with prompt attention. With additional charges to us, it is required to ask for the above amount due promptly.

Thank you,

[redacted] and [redacted]

###-###-####

Business

Response:

I'm sorry for the lack of communication you received in regards to getting the product cancellation refunds submitted to your lender. However, you stated that you started the process on or about January 12th and left numerous messages for an employee in the cancellation department. The person that you stated you called was on an extended medical leave and would not have handled the cancellations for this particular Russ Darrow store. In any event, the first cancellation check for the Tire contract and service contract was cancelled and a prorated refund check was sent to PNC Bank on or about 1/31/16 and was cashed by PNC on 3/18/16. The prorated refund percentage's are given to Russ Darrow by the warranty company and are refunded based on that criteria. Also, please take into account any cancellation for any reason outside of the free look period (first 30 days after purchase) are charged a cancellation fee, i.e. $25/tire contract and $50/service contract. The amount of this refund was $1490.54. The second cancellation check for the Credit Life was cancelled and a prorated refund check was sent to PNC Bank on or about 2/9/16 and cashed by PNC on 2/23/16. There was no cancellation fee for this warranty. The amount of the this refund was $1045.74. The combined refund amount was $2,536.28. I am unsure how you calculated a higher refund amount without the proration percentages from the respective warranty companies. Also, while I can sympathize with you as it relates to the remaining balance on the loan, warranty refunds can take up to 90 days to be sent out to the respective lenders. In your case all refunds were sent out within 30 days, albeit not cashed by your lender, but we cannot be responsible for any charges you incurred since the day of reporting the information to us.[redacted], Corporate Paralegal

Review: I purchased a 2000 Toyota 4Runner on November 8, 2014. I purchased the vehicle with a Maintenance Contract of which I paid $320, and Gap Insurance, of which I paid $895. One to two days later I returned to the dealership to cancel both of these contracts, and signed the paperwork to do so with [redacted], the Financial Manager who assisted me with the sale.

On January 12, 2015 I inquired about the refund via email to [redacted], and he assured me that the paperwork was turned in. I then inquired again about the refund on March 12, 2015, and he again assured me that the paperwork was turned in. Contact was made with [redacted] on March 20th and 21st inquiring about the refund and sending a copy of the loan bank statements verifying that the refund had not yet been paid to the Landmark Credit Union (LCU) account that held my loan. On March 26th [redacted] told me that he would have proof by the following week that the refund was paid to the LCU account, but due to a family emergency I received a followup email on April 3rd saying he would get the information to me the next day. On April 7th I again inquired of [redacted] asking about the status of the refund, and received a reply that $810 would be deposited to the LCU account at the end of May, of which I responded to him that $810 was not acceptable, and that I wanted a full refund of $1215. [redacted] responded within 30 minutes saying that the Maintenance Contract refund box wasn't checked off but he would correct it so that I received a full refund of $1215, but again at the end of May.Desired Settlement: As of tomorrow, April 8, it will be five months since the purchase of the vehicle and about the same amount of time since I first signed to papers requesting a refund of these monies. I am requesting an immediate refund of $1215 either to myself personally, or to the LCU account as I was told the money would be refunded to. I don't think it is right that I now have to wait until the end of May for that refund as I have already waited 5 months.

Business

Response:

I apologize for the delay in cancelling out the warranties. I have a check in my hand that will be sent to Landmark Credit Union in the amount of $1232.92 tomorrow. You should see the payment reflected in Landmark's records within 3-5 business days.If you need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.[redacted]###-###-####/direct

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.