Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Automotive Product Consultants continually tries to send me emails falsely claiming to be a local car dealership. They say I've opted out of a warranty and that we spoke about warranty protection for a car I don't even own. I have tried to call their number to remove myself from their list and they will not stop contacting me! I had to sign up to block spam snail mail to stop the paper mail as well. They are scammers posing as real dealerships!

  Business response

  01/17/2025

  We did email the customer and also mailed the customer on behalf of **************** The customer claims that we have nothing to do with the customer. That is completely false. Our company provided sales and marketing services to over ***** new car franchise dealers across the **. In addition, we power programs for 8 vehicle manufacturers. We are not a fraud nor a scam. According to our records the customer opened two emails that we sent but did not click on the opt out link. The customer did however call in on 11/27/2024 to be added to the marketing suppression list. We did process her request, and the customer will no longer receive vehicle service contract marketing solicitations from ******** ******* The customer information we received came directly from ******** ****** and represents data from a service record from 8/4/2022. Although the customer may not own the vehicle anymore, ******** ****** would not necessarily have that information. We have been proving services to ******** ****** under a written agreement since July of 2021. At this point, as stated previously, the customer has been added to the marketing suppression files.

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My name is ***** ******. This formal complaint is to officially document and communicate the fact that I do not wish to do business with National Vehicle Headquarters , its affiliates, or subsidiaries now or in the future. Your company has began sending me unsolicited junk mail offering me discounts for your service. I am not interested in doing business with your company now or in the future. Please remove me from your mailing list permanently and immediately. I need a written confirmation that you received this letter and that you will no longer send me mail or junk mail to my address on file or that is the subject of this formal complaint. In closing, I need this acknowledgement from your company within two weeks from the date of this formal complaint citing the date I was removed from your mailing list? If you fail to respect my wishes and or decide not to comply with my request. I will seek to resolve this matter with more formal proceedings.

  Business response

  01/02/2025

  We sent the below email to the customer on 12/5/2024 and did not receive a response:

  Mr. ******,

  
  I am in receipt of the complaint you filed with the Better Business Bureau. After receiving the complaint, I had our team remove you from our system and add a scrub key to our suppression files so as to not market you in the future. In addition, I went a step further for you. I contacted the company that provides marketing services to us and requested that they make sure you are added to their suppression files as well. They provide services to dozens of companies and most certainly you would have been marketed by other companies that utilize them as well. We added you to our suppression on 12/2/24. The marketing company added you to their suppression beginning on 12/3/24.
  
  I hope this satisfies your request of a written response. If it does not, please let me know what else it is that you need.
  
  As the President of this company, I personally handle all formal complaints. We do not get many and I take each of them very seriously.If you have any other questions my contact information is below.

• Initial Complaint

  10/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company is sending emails impersonating my local dealer.Complete scam making me think it is my dealer. Even company logo on email. Gives phone number ********** that has nothing to do with dealer.I have informed my dealer to take legal action as some of my friends also received similar ********* appears they have obtained customer data in an illegal manner.

  Business response

  11/01/2024

  After receiving the complaint we talked to the consumer. We explained that *** of Tulsa is owned by the Group 1 Automotive. We have had a *********************** Agreement with Group 1 for over 6 years. I have attached a few snippets of the Group 1 agreement to this response. We do have some confidentiality provisions in place that preclude uploading the entire agreement. However, our company's business model is to provide services on behalf of car dealerships and we do business with over ***** dealers across the country. We have NOT obtained the dealer's data in an illegal manner, the dealership actually provides us the data in order for us to administer this program for them. In fact, we have certified interfaces with most of the companies providing dealership management systems to new car franchise dealerships. 

  While on the phone the consumer did then pivot to the fact that since we are a service provider for the dealership we should disclose that on our marketing materials. We informed the consumer that we actually do. The consumer attached a copy of an email we sent but it cuts off the disclaimer at the bottom. I have attached the full disclaimer that was printed on the letter and the email the customer received identifying our company as a service provider to the dealership.

  The consumer then requested to be removed from future marketing. We added the consumer to our suppression files to prevent future marketing.

  Customer response

  11/01/2024

  Complaint: 22432387
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because:

  I find this practice deceitful and misleading by both parties. I do however appreciate that my information has been removed.

   

  I will escalate this to the *** to investigate this misleading practice.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  09/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The company associated with the phone number ************ has been sending me harassing emails regarding a 2016 vehicle totaled in 2021. Despite my repeated blocking of the email and non-response, they continue to send me 'warning' emails, including "2ND ATTEMPT" and "3RD ATTEMPT." The emails also claim to be from my Dealership, which is also incorrect as I have not bought a car from that dealership since 2016. They have also repeatedly called my phone regarding an expired service contract. I have pressed 1 to be taken off the list, and I have clicked 'unsubscribe' on the email. THEY STILL WILL NOT STOP!

  Business response

  10/31/2024

  We reached out to the consumer by phone and email to explain the following.

  We are a service provider for automobile dealerships. We are under contract with over ***** automobile dealerships nationwide. In your case,we are providing services to **** ******** ******. You stated in the compliant that you have not purchased a vehicle from this dealership since 2016 which is 100% correct. Our services for our clients involve marketing historical customers who either purchased a vehicle or serviced their vehicle at the dealership and DID NOT purchase a vehicle service contract from the dealership.The solicitations you received were for the 2016 ****** Corolla you purchased in 2016 from **** ******** ******. Vehicle service coverage is eligible on vehicles up to 15 years old. If you no longer own the vehicle the dealership may not be aware of the change of ownership. We are finding in this economy more and more people are holding on to their vehicles longer. The average age of vehicle on the road today is at an all time high of 12.6 years. Thus, the 2016 ****** is eligible for coverage.
  
  As for the emails. We utilize an email platform owned by the company **********. The system has a very robust tracking system. When I had the team pull up the emails we sent you the system tells us that a few of the emails were opened, but that the opt out link was not clicked. If you did indeed click the opt out link in the email please let us know. The system automatically adds opt-outs to a suppression file such that emails will no longer be sent to that address. We take consumers wishes very seriously. We never want to email someone who has opted out. But we do not show the opt out link was actually clicked.
  
  That said, we have opted out your email address. We also added you to the permanent suppression file in our internal database so as to opt you out from any and all marketing in the future.
  
  I am the President of this company. I take these complaints very seriously. If you did indeed click the opt-out link let us know as we will then submit a technical request to ********** since their system manages the opt-out link. We have never seen this as an issue in the past, but we want to be extra cautious. There are two levels of opt-out within the link. One opt-out is at the delivery level and the other opt-out level is to opt-out of emails from any company using **********s technology.
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We purchased an extended warranty in December 2023. We were put on a payment plan that was to be paid off in mid 2025, however it was paid of a few months ago. We have since traded in the vehicle and called to cance the warrant/service contract and request a refund. We paid the money via Budco and purchased the warranty from ****** Security Plus. Apparently warranty is held or serviced by Automotive Products Consultants (APC). We finally were able to contact APC. The lady verified us, took the cancellation request and basilly would not answer questions about our refund on the next steps in the process. Just said wait 30 days for an update. When I asked to speak with someone else just to get more detailed answers on the process and refund, she just stuck with wait 30 days. We need more detailed information of what will happen next as far as a refund. This warranty was very expensive and I don't think we used it. If so it was only once for something very minor. The warranty was for 36 months and we had it less than 1 year.

  Customer response

  09/11/2024

  Update- Received an all the very next day from a senior representative. *** answered all the questions that I was asking the representative on the initial call and advised the refund check would be in the mail by the end of the week. The check arrived via expedited mail today. Thanks APC for a the expeditious service and resolution!

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I got a letter in the mail from a *************************, stating I would lose coverage of my car warranty if I don't respond to them by July 28. I called them on July 22 thinking this was an urgent matter. Fortunately for them, because I am a new car owner, they were able to easily get me to cough up my car's VIN number AND my bank account information. They hadn't yet charged my bank account (man on the phone, a very nice man, said he'd charge me in 3 days). A day after the call, I had a nasty feeling - I knew something wasn't right. I was already paying for my car warranty through my dealership. I went to the bank and removed money from my bank account. Today, I have multiple random amounts of charges on the closed account (I was notified by my bank via text). I am not paying for this fake service that I was naively convinced to purchase. I do not want any paper bills being sent to me, from a shady billing service (ZPay) and I have put a fraud alert out on my credit score. So, I guess this was a ****** in discernment for me.

  Business response

  09/10/2024

  The customer seems to have made an incorrect assumption about our company, and we wanted to provide the appropriate facts. First, the letter we sent did not say her warranty expired. It pointed out that the ************* Factory warranty comes with a limited amount of time. Second, we ran one payment for $215 for the customers downpayment. We ran this payment only once and it did not clear. Although the payment plan was set-up with Z-pay,because the account was cancelled prior to the first payment date of 8/22/2024,Z-pay never ran a payment. We are not sure what the other charges the customer is referring to as we only ran one payment for $215 which was authorized by the customer on 7/22/2024.

  
  It appears the customer was concerned as to who we are as a company but failed to contact us to ask before filing this complaint. The customer easily could have called the next day and we could have cancelled the plan and made sure she got her money back. We are not a scam. In fact, our company is in direct agreement to provide services to over ***** new car franchise dealers in the **. We also provide services to over 9 vehicle manufacturers. We are SOC 2 Type 2 compliant. We would not be able to do any of these things if we operated in a way the customer is insinuating.

  
  In the future we advise the customer call the merchant first when nervous about a purchase and verify information rather than making assumptions, then filing a complaint several weeks later. Art this point the agreement is cancelled and the customer never paid any more for the purchase. We will not contact the customer in the future

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I received a few letters that were on ************* letter head from my local dealer, and looked like they were coming from MB directly. I called the number and spoke with who I thought was an agent at **. I learned after the fact that she was an independent agent posing as a MB employee. I purchased an extended warranty, that I was told was through MB however I learned it was from Automotive Product Consultants. I never received an email or packet of my insurance policy and when calling, they had all of my information based off of my cell phone number. They said they would send an email immediately of which I have yet to receive and that they were to overnight my policy. None of which has happened. I was told by the "agent" that this was an extension of my original warranty from MB. Again, lies. Calls to the agent were unanswered and unreturned, going by the name of **********************(sp) ************. The number she gave me for APC was ************.

  Customer response

  07/17/2024

  I am working with this business and have been told I will receive a full refund.  Upon receipt of the refund I will amend my complaint.  

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

  I wish to retract this dispute immediately.  The president of Automotive Protective Services(APS) reached out to me, and was an absolute professional, and a very nice and understanding person. He took the time to thoroughly explain how extended automotive warranties are sold from dealerships through his company.  He was empathetic with my concern of perhaps being defrauded by the lack of follow up from their sales broker and without a policy in hand after a month.  He completely understood where I was coming from. He apologized for the gap in communication and any confusion created by the sales broker who sold me the policy.  He went on to explain why it happened (she moved into a new department - phone cal were not forwarded) however he did not use this as an excuse, he just wanted to provide transparency as to the reason, and he took full accountability.  I started the week feeling like I was a victim of a scheme and I leave the week knowing that APS is a legitimate and professional company who provides extended warranty services to over 3000 dealerships in the US  They can be trusted and if something goes wrong they will swiftly fix it.  I was offered a full refund and there was absolutely no "hard sell" for me to change my mind.  This is what good customer service looks like and I am 100% satisfied with the outcome and would recommend APS to those in search of an extended warranty.  While there was a snafu in communication - which can/does happen at every company - APS, once they learned of my issues, promptly, professionally and  hassle free made it right!  Thank you to their president who called me and remedied this issue.

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I and my wife recieved both an email as well as regular mail from what seemed to be ****** offering extended warranty, only to find out it wasn't when I looked up the phone number on the email and letter. When I called the number and talked to "***" I was never informed who they represented. Both my wife and myself are elderly and believe that unless they prove to us they work for ******, they are nothing more than a scam.

  Business response

  08/08/2024

  After receiving the complaint, we contacted the customer.  As pointed out in the complaint the customer was concerned about whether or not they had actually purchased a ****** vehicle service contract from ******. We have been under contract with ****** Extended Services of North American (NESNA) for 5 years now. We provide marketing and distribution services for NESNA. Accordingly, we sell the NESNA's genuine factory program, "****** Security Care Plus" direct to ****** owners for NESNA. We made sure the customer was provided with the contract and gave the customer the information they needed to verify the contract was indeed a genuine factory backed program. part of the issue is that the customer believed the purchase would show up on the ****** application. The issue is that the service contact information is stored on a third party's system that is used for administering the program. Currently, the two systems do not interface. 
  

  We also explained that we provide services to over ***** new car franchise auto dealers as well as 9 OEM brands (vehicle manufacturers).This is basically our business.

  Customer response

  08/09/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  APC Automotive Product Consultants based in ******** sent a letter that made it look like it was from Auto ************ The letter stated I had a repair done in the amount of about $600 in March 2024. ***** is a repair order number , vehicle yr make model and partial vin number. They are trying to sell me a warranty. I did not have my vehicle repaired at said location.. This is a scam and they are using private information to scan me! They shouldnt have my vin number. I called, I would not give my name or personal I information. The sales person said Auto Nation sent them the information and Auto Nation did not! I have never been to Auto Nation!! Please be aware of the scam. It should be illegal and as they are lying!!

  Business response

  07/09/2024

  I will look up the service record based on the customer # on the letter. For clarification we send these letters out based on what the auto dealer provides to us.

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  The consumer stated he did not want us to contact him in the future. Normally when we get a BBB complaint, we contact the consumer. But to respect the consumers wishes we will communicate through the BBB complaint process. Besides, the information the customer provided in the complaint appears to be bogus (the name submitted and email address do not match the information we have in our system.) The customer attached the copy of the letter he received to this complaint and covered up his contact information but did not cover up the customer id number included on the letter. We were able to pull up the consumer from that number. This verified that the person filing this complaint submitted bogus contact information. Nonetheless, we did locate the customer. In the complaint the consumer verifies that the portion of the *** provided in our marketing piece was accurate. That said we pulled the record up and confirmed that the mailing sent to ************************* as indeed from a service visit he paid to *************** ***** The customer claims to have never serviced his vehicle with *************** of **** however we see that the customer actually serviced the vehicle twice. Once in March of 2024 and prior to that we see a service visit in April of 2023.  We have been under contract with Autonation corporate to provide marketing services for 22 years. Autonation is a public company that owns hundreds of new car franchise dealership locations. Through our service agreement with Autonation we are provided service information for all participating locations. The consumer claims they have never serviced their vehicle with *************** ***** however the consumer in the complaint verifies the *** we printed on the letter he received. We received that data from Autonation. We know the consumer data that we printed on the letter must be accurate or the consumer would not have needed to cover that information up when submitting a copy of the letter with the complaint. Either the consumer is mistaken, or someone else is having his vehicle serviced at *************** **** which is highly unlikely. 

  We are not lying, and we are not some rogue Company stealing data. Our Company provides marketing services to over ***** new care franchise dealers in the *** as well as 8 OEM's (The factories that make the vehicles). In fact, we provide services to 7 out of the 10 largest dealer groups in the country. As stated previously, we have been providing these services to Autonation dealerships for 22 years. 

  We have the ability to get the consumer copies of the repair orders directly from *************** **** if he would like in the unlikely event someone has taken his car in for service without his knowledge. But it is our belief that the consumer did service his vehicle at the dealership and then received a letter through our contractual relationship with the dealership.  The consumer certainly can contact me directly to discuss this further if necessary. I can be reached at ************. Or we can have someone from Autonation contact the consumer directly as we have a meeting with their corporate team every other week. We can add it as an agenda item for our next meeting.

  We have added the consumer to our marketing suppression files so as to not market the consumer in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was mislead on an unsolicited phone call about an extended warranty on my car. ************************* made a number of untrue promises and had me believing i had full emergency roadside service, was covered for major repairs at a certified repair center, be allowed a rental while being repaired. I did not have the opportunity to read to contract until recently received in mail. Not what I was told! On May 30 my car broke down. Called claim service for help, was not assisted. had to pay to get my car to dealership. Was forced to agree to pay to for diagnoses before they would approve repair. Dealership found broken valves, motor shot. Now they what us to pay for more diagnoses, $1,000's more. I do not have resources for this. Feel scammed.

  Business response

  06/25/2024

  We are currently working the the contract administrator, CARS, on the pending claim.  We will have more information by the end of the week. 

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

  This is ************************* / ************************************* son & POA. After more conversation with mom it seems this was a so-called bait and switch scam. ************************* with Automotive Products Consultants contacted her on the phone, unsolicited. ***** verbally promoted a policy with a $100 deductible, roadside services, certified repairs & car rental while being repaired. ***** told mom he had saved thousands on repairs in his 20 years of having the policy. My mom even asked if he was telling the truth, that she was 84 years old and need not have a lot of money, he promised he would never do that. I truly feel ***** mislead my mother completely, after review of policy with mom. She believed this would cover all cost with a $100 deductible on each claim. The policy was only sold by ***** and now we are dealing with a company, C.A.R.S., which is only wanting to delay and deny coverage of policy, which is causing problems with repair center car is presently located. The dealership was contacted and $4,700 was approved for repairs on a $12,000 estimate. My mom does not have money to cover these additional charges and also has a $9,000 loan on car she is responsible for. This complaint is contacted to another complaint against JM Motorsports who sold the car and in only 2000 ***** had the motor blow. **** at JM Motorsports promoted the car as a great deal on a solid car with only ******* miles on a Cadillac. These two complaints are intertwined and each company should be held responsible for their misleading sales tactics. We are being forced to accept repairs on car or get it off the car lot, we do not have resources to approve repairs. Mom just wants her car back and without costing her a even more money. Thank you for your attention to these issues and eagerly await your response.  

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

  If possible we would like to change claim amount to repair estimate of $12,000 or repair total. 

  Customer response

  07/03/2024

  Due to the inability to talk to a representative of C.A.R.S. or Auto Consultants Products we are at a stalemate. They have reached out to Repair center and offered $4,700 dollars towards repair total of $12,000. My mom does not have the funds to cover the balance. Repair center has been trying to work with them, but we have been left out of conversation. We have found a repair center that will do repairs for $5,000 and would like to take car there. If they would cover the $4,700 we could cover the balance. We just need some kind of communication with someone. Still feel mom was scammed by ************************* and sold a false bag of goods. Part of the problem is now if we take car off lot C.A.R.S. will void policy and then where will we be? We are reaching out to the ** for assistance in resolving these issues due to the lack of communication for either party. Please help. ******************* / POA for *********************************, contact # ************ call or text. 

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

  Due to our continued trouble in resolving our claim with C.A.R.S. with little to no help from salesman ************************* or Company. Our last conversation C.A.R.S. involved us taking vehicle to another repair shop with a lower estimate for repair. C.A.R.S. offered to cover $4,700 on repairs at Cable / *****. We were told by 2 different **** who would only give first names ( **** & ******) that this would be fine , it's done all the time. We asked for an email confirming this but were told they don't send emails like that. Now that we have moved car to new repair shop, the shop is being asked to give multiple estimates and backing out of the $4,700 offer on repairs. Please help us bring this to a conclusion, my mom paid what these people asked, they should do what was promised.

  Business response

  08/22/2024

  This complaint has taken way longer to resolve than expected but I think we are finally done.  The customer purchased the Contract on 2/29/24 on a 2012 ******** SRX with ******* miles.  On 6/6/24 a claim was filed by *********************** of Topeka with CARS Protection Plus, the contract Administrator.  The repair facility reported the vehicle lost all power, died, and make a noise under the hood.  The shop stated the vehicle needed an engine and CARS requested the repair facility do a teardown of the engine to the point of failure and provide the cause and extent of damage.

  The shop provided an estimate that included an over-priced engine and labor time that was beyond the time published in the labor books for this type of repair. As a result, the estimate was going to cause the customer to come out of pocket several thousand dollars that was not going to be covered per the terms of the contract. If the customer chose an engine sourced by CARS, she would have only had to come out of pocket the labor differential which was still approximately $1500.

  The customer decided to have the vehicle moved to a different shop. The new shop agreed to use an engine sourced by CARS and submitted a labor estimate that was in line with the repair estimate from the national labor books. As a result, the vehicle was able to be fixed with the customer only having to pay the $100 deductible. The shop has been paid and the vehicle has been fixed at this point.

  We sold the contract to the customer, but we do not actually administer the claims. Thus, our role is to help resolve issues when there is a dispute between the Administrator, customer and repair facility. We stayed on top of this repair every week until it was resolved. All service contracts have limitations so as to keep repair facilities honest. Unfortunately, sometimes the shop's labor rates and estimates do not fall in line with the contract terms and conditions. We work to find solutions. The customer was very appreciative of our efforts to get the vehicle fixed. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩