Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They sold me 2022 **** F-450 Platinum. After waiting 8 months, It arrived with multiple missing addons that I had purchased. The truck has had several mechanical issues from manufacturing that took forever to be resolved. This has even caused me to be stuck out of state for a week for another mechanical problem, all of this happened before 15k miles. I took the truck back to the dealership to have new tires installed. They had placed to much weight for each tire, to the point the weights were falling off and causing the tires to be unbalanced and unsafe for the truck the be driven.While replacing the tires, they severally scratched and damaged my rims. When asked for them to make it right, I was told by ****** ****** "I should just cut my losses since you will probably never buy from me again." This business refuses to make things right on a vehicle that I spent way to much money buying from them.

  Business response

  06/03/2024

  *****, 

  I can confidently say your ultimate issue is with me, ****** ****** General Manager. Since you have dealt with me personally far more than any other employee at Smith Auto Family. Although you have been rude and cursed at multiple employees on multiple occasions, we have always worked to accomodate you. As far as this (and possibly final) complaint with us:
  You did order the truck and were sold the truck well below market value at the time.
  You have recieved work at no charge or at significant discount resulting in hundreds of dollars of complimentary work.
  We have performed multiple complimentary pick up and delivery events.
  

  We are not perfect and of course make and made mistakes. We offered to get your truck picked up again and you refused due to upsetness with the last service performed. Once we were denied access to your truck, I could no longer assist.

  As we have discussed to great lengths offline and now online, we want you to be happy but understand you are likely taking your business elsewhere. Of course this is not our goal with you or any customer. The quote you reference is absolutely not a quote from me. Whether you do businuess with us again or not, right is right and wrong is wrong. Every step of the way I have been involved to make sure things are right. 

  We wanted to make this right by any reasonable account but we were not going to do it in the narrow way you proposed.

  We wish you the best.

  Sincerely,

  ****** ******
  General Manager
  Smith Auto Family Plainview

  Customer response

  06/05/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   

  I don't believe it is unreasonable for me to be upset when I bought a vehicle worth so much to be working correctly. The vehicle was purchased at the advertised value, if it was under market value then that is reflection on your department not on me. 

  It is a "Great" business model to refuse to fix damages that your employees causes just based on that, I "may" not do any business with you in the future.

  Your employees negligence on servicing my wheels and tires and improperly balancing my tires has caused my vehicle to be unsafe to drive. The improper placement of weights had fallen off and made my vehicle to enter a shaken state commonly known as the "Death Wobble" on the interstate while out of town.  

  I am requesting that you compensate me for the Wheels / Rims that your employees permanently damage due to negligence, valued at $2,700.

  Business response

  06/05/2024

  As discussed on the day of complaint and now many times after.. we requested the vehicle back to assess damages and proceed after we had full knowledge of the situation. You refused to allow us to pick up the vehicle and deliver it back to you free of charge. We wanted to ***** the vehicle ourselves, as is our standard procedure. While I made no promises of an outcome I also never said we would not accomodate your request. You demanded wheels or payment but would not allow us to view the vehicle. After the conversation went around in circles and you continually refused my attempts to personally pick up the vehicle since I would not verbally and immediately agree to your demands, you hung up the phone.

  We wanted to pick up the truck without you ever feeling at risk by driving it. You refused us that opportunity.

  Now, a significant amount of time has passed and you are requesting nearly $3,000 from us. 
  
  Mush of this latest interaction started with you demanding free tires from me or warranty becuase the tires on your truck were wearing incorrectly. Although, this is not a warrantable concern. So we again worked to make you happy by discounting already discounted tires. If I could go and do it over again I should have seen that the working relationship you had with Smith Auto Family was seemingly not going to improve given that multiple employees have remarked on the frequent hostile nature you have brought into the dealership. I should have stood firm and not made any accomodations on the tires since we truly had nothing to do with the incorrect wear. This was my fault, and I take full responsibility for that mis-step. 

  Unfortunately, and somewhat expectedly, the working relationship has continued to deteriorate to the point of you denying us access to the vehicle to review potential damages, you revieweing us poorly on every available site after years of an amicable(ish) working relationship over this event, and demanding nearly $3,000. We cannot accomodate this behaviour, or this request.

  Thank you,

  ****** ******
  General Manager

  Customer response

  06/15/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   

  The history I have had with **** and your dealership since I purchased this vehicle from you has been shaky at best. 

  You have claimed that the vehicle was purchased under market value when I purchased it at the advertised value. When I did come in to replace 2 of my tires, you had told me you were going to install new matching tires to the rest of the vehicle. They ended up being a different brand.

  When you spend the amount of money I did on a vehicle, you take pride in the appearance and performance of it. Because of me wanting my vehicle that you sold and service to look good, I was forced to buy an additional 2 tires just to get my vehicle to match. The 2nd set of tires that you sold me, may as you say "were discounted", it was a purchased that was forced on me from deceit.

  With all the stories you are enjoy telling with all the special "discounts" and "deals" you have made for me. At the end of the day, my vehicle was severely damaged while in your facilities care for services, that I had to pay for. How do you justify damaging someone else's property and putting them at severe risk of bodily harm and think you don't have any responsibility.

  I don't know if you think that just because I am old or handicapped that this behavior is okay or would go unnoticed. I just want my property that your company damaged to be corrected. I would prefer if it wasn't corrected by the people that damaged and incorrectly serviced it to begin with.

  Customer response

  07/31/2024

  It always amazes me that a big company can always take advantage and do what they want and get by with it because the little guy doesnt have that kind of money to fight it and all the big companies do is lie about it and get by with it just because of $$$$$ , so now I have to live with the damage on my truck, just because Im handicapped and live on a fixed income. I hope all the lies that they told sends them straight to the devil when there judgement day comes.

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I talked to this company about purchasing a vehicle from them it was unseen and I was going to be having it delivered to me because I was told it was an amazing car was shown some photos of it. So, I went ahead and said yes, I would like to buy it they said it had a gold certification meaning they did a 172-point inspection. So, I signed for the vehicle on 8/19/2022. There was a recall that had to be fixed before they brought it to me, I said that was fine I was told everything else was perfect. So, they didn't end up bringing the vehicle to me till the 23rd of August. Took them four hours to get it to me when it was only 2-1/2 hours away called asking why it was taking so long they had no idea, and no one had the driver's number for me to contact. So, he got here at 7:30 PM left me the car and just let before I could test drive it or anything. So, I was driving kept hearing a banging noise from under the car. Come to find out the underneath parts where not secure. The driver's door was messed up would pop when open and closed. The heated seat and air-conditioned seat did not work on the driver's side. I look under the hood and all levels of everything are look and antifreeze was almost complete empty. So, they didn't check anything before bringing it to me. So having all these issues I called them and told them I would not be keeping this vehicle when I called them at 8:00am on 8/24/22. They said i could bring the car back and they would look at it and I said no all of this should have been done or I should have been told about it before buying the vehicle. They made me pay them $195 to get my car back but would not explain what it was for. The sale manager ****** Potillo knew things needed to be fixed on the vehicle and never said anything before just sailing it. they checked no fluids and sent it out with anyone looking at it. Also, I was told only one person had owned the vehicle and that was a lie. I also have video proof of things that were wrong.

  Business response

  01/10/2024

  Prior to the complaint we had recently sold *********************** relative who had recommended ** (and has since this complaint purchased 2 more vehicles). We worked with ******************* to satisfy all her wants and needs and thought we had done that. She informed us she was upset with a few things and we worked to correct those through normal course of action. She was unsatisfied with what we proposed and demanded the deal be undone and that we pick up the vehicle up. We wanted to avoid any miscomunication so requested she bring the vehicle in. Since the vehicle was OEM Gold Certified and came with a comprehensive "warranty" we were confident any concerns with the vehicle would be recitified. ******************* was less confident. We were unable to duplicate *********************** concerns upon re-inspecting the vehicle and considered the possiblity ******************* had buyer's remorse which we sympathized with and unwound the deal.

  Customer response

  01/11/2024

  I am rejecting this response because they did nothing to try and make it right. I did not have ***** remorse I was upset because of everything that was wrong with the vehicle that I was not told about. The levels were not even checked in the vehicle oil life only had 20% left on it and the other levels including the antifreeze was almost empty. The driver's side door had been ***** before and would pop every time you open and closed it. The pieces that protect under the vehicle were complete coming off. There were dents and scratches all over the vehicle. Not even being able to test drive this vehicle before they left was a huge red flag ****** learned. Then on top of that charging me $195 to be able to get my vehicle back. They would never explain what that was for. I did not refer anyone. That was my mother. I would never shop anywhere they LIE and try to make it seem like its everyone else's fault and not there's. They did not disclose everything about the vehicle.

  Business response

  01/16/2024

  The $195 was simply our costs associated with unwinding the deal/cancelling the contract with the lender. This was relayed at the time of canceling the contract.
  
  Other costs:
  5 hour round trip delivery at the customers request
  -fuel for vehicle being delivered as well as follow/chase vehicle
  -delivery driver expense
  -wear and tear on the chase/follow vehicle
  Internal deal processing procedures
  Beginning steps of processing *********************** trade
  
  We handled this remote deal as we handle all remote deals. We have great success with remote deals and always work to have as much transparency in the process as possible. ******************* is reminding us that we are not perfect. We will use the feedback to continue striving to get better at all business transactions.
  

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