My son’s car I just put $800.00 in blew a hole the radiator, leaving him and his pregnant girl friend walking on highway 24 at 10pm. They had to get to my work in Woodland and wait until I got off work at 11pm go home to Guffey. After 2 years of major vehicle break downs and towing cars from one place to another, I had had it! As much as I hate vehicle loans, I didn’t feel like I had a choice, but to get a loan on something newer. I looked at trucks on Craig’s List and dealers on the internet for about 6 months. I needed a farm feed truck to tow our flat bed and my son needed a car. The trucks I found in good shape were around the 6,000.00 range. My ex-husband just purchased a Nissan Sentra 5 speed for 2,000.00 that gets 45mpg. I was comfortable spending that amount for 2 vehicles we so desperately needed. I had never made a vehicle purchase without my husband before, so the kids went with me to help. They had suggested a sales person they liked at Springs Auto Sales who had been helping them look for a truck. He told us we would go look at the ones they have that would fit what we needed. He tried to tell me, I didn’t need a truck. He offered junk that looked like scrap yard material. Then we went to Liberty Toyota who had a wonderful, like new looking older truck in my range that was impressive; they were asking 8 thousand but would take less, but no little used car; So I said lets go to Phil Long. I loved the car I bought there when we moved up here, and I was pleased with the service, I just knew they would have something. We were there at lunch time to talk to another sales person at Phil Long who had been helping my daughter and son in law try to find a truck.
I told him my son desperately needed reliable transportation since he will be a daddy in a few months. He is also looking for employment and has to drive 35-45 miles away to look for work. His girl friend doesn’t have a car or license yet so she depends on him. There is much territory to cover since we live in Guffey. With me working strange hours I needed to know they could get to appointments safely. Safe reliable transportation for them is very important to me. Also her Gynecologist is in Colorado Springs as well and the hospital she will deliver the baby at. The trips to Springs will become more frequent as the pregnancy progresses.
Again, I wanted to keep the payment about $200.00 because and didn’t want to get in over my head. I have only had 2 vehicle loans in my life and both were around the 10 thousand range and my payments were about that. I hate to have a vehicle payment and was very happy when mine was paid off 2 years ago until all 4 vehicles started breaking down. I just started a new job that was out of my normal field, after being unemployed for 2 years when my department was cut. My daughter and her husband just gained employment after more than a year of not working and my son and his girlfriend did not have employment, yet we were desperate for dependable transportation.
I told him the price range I was looking for and that I wanted older vehicles in really good shape. He kind of chuckled and said you can’t get financing on older vehicles; without even trying. He immediately took us out to show us what was in the “ball park for us”! We test drove the first one which had potential. My son in law and daughter found the truck of their dreams. Since their father agreed to co-sign with them when they both got jobs, they test drove it. They agreed to use it for a farm feed truck if we could get it. The truck was on the “Value Lot” for $13,900.00. So I asked the salesperson to find a car for my son. He is a teenager and we had already been through 4 vehicles for him so I didn’t want something really expensive. I said I wanted a car for 2 thousand dollars. He took us to another lot which again was to have vehicles in our “ballpark range”; so we thought. We found an older 95 Honda with really high mileage,180 thousand. The salesman asked his manager if that would work and they said yes. I thought the “ball park” meant what I told them was comfortable for me 13 on the truck and 2 for the car.
That’s when all hell broke out. By then it was late in the day we were all tired, hungry, and exhausted. I didn’t completely understand what was going on, we just needed to get something done. The salesperson kept going over and over how wonderful the loan to value on the truck was. I was thinking we should be spending 16 thousand max. The kids said we would all split the payments but the payments kept going up and snowballing until it turned into a $25,500.00 note with a 560.34 a month payment. Somehow the truck was in the 20 thousands and the older car 5,800.00. It was 10pm when we signed papers and all the kids were starving, it had been a long day. I was scared to death to take on a vehicle payments and wasn’t sure the kids could handle it either. We Kelly Blue booked the car and found out it is only worth 2500 with the high mileage. That deal should have NEVER ended up maxed out with loan to value like that. I was vulnerable and desperate for help trying to get something we needed, and were completely taken advantage of. We had to bring them back for their safety inspection the next day or two. We notified them immediately there were things wrong with the vehicles they said would get fixed.
The very next morning, I called Phil Long and said there is not way this was going to work; I was in a panic and left several messages before receiving a call back. The finance officer found different financing to help bring the payment down, they asked me to come down and they would get me some gas. I came down and found out that the interest rate had dropped in half and the payment dropped by 60 dollars. The kids were still excited about their vehicles so I signed, thinking I was signing the same paperwork. When I got home I went through the paperwork carefully to find there was a 3 thousand dollar service contract added. Also added was an 800.00 windshield we were told would be replaced initially. The kids and I were assured everything that was wrong with the vehicles would be taken care of because money was set aside for the repairs, yet nothing happened. The second day my kids took the vehicles in for work which, never got done after they waited all day. They were told they got down too late in the morning and needed to come earlier, we weren’t aware of a specified time. Someone told my son they were never told to work on their cars. We live and hour and a half out. So the next day my son and his girl friend were there by 8:30am and they still waited all day in town not even getting the car detailed because they ran out of time. There was a list of stuff that needed to get fixed on the truck and a couple of things on the car which they were clearly informed of; nothing progressed. We tried to make arrangements for the repairs to get done by appointment. We were also told they would put gas in our cars because we had to keep coming back, and that wasn’t arranged, nor did it happen. The sales person said it was the service department, the service department said the salesman didn’t arrange it. My daughter was told they were waiting for the warranty to run out on the truck before they fixed it, like “BUT WHY?” Nothing made sense!
The truck had a transmission leak from the first very first day, again we were told it would be fixed when serviced. After the safety inspection the windshield washer didn’t work. The washer fluid drains out of the bottom of the truck and it wasn’t even fixed. Four times the truck computer said it had gas in it and it died and left them places. The salesman gave them his direct number and was aware of these instances. One time when they came up in the mountains for church the gage said it had a half a tank and it wouldn’t start. We started to get very worried. The manager of the used cars in charge of the deal told them the transmission could last 6 months to a year and for 25 Thousand, that wasn’t acceptable. We were in contact with the sales manager every day or other day trying to get something done. My kids found a clause in the paperwork that said you could return it in 30 days. The kids turned the truck within 2 weeks to the manager, on April 18th. At that time we all spoke with the manager who tried to talk them in to keeping the truck if everything was fixed correctly, which was clearly NOT their priority.
My daughter’s work hours went from ¾ time to 20 hours a week. She found out she had to move for the fourth time in 8 months. They were not able to split the payments any longer because they needed to get into an apartment. My hours were getting ready to do the same. The used car manager at the time told me there was built in equity, so he could find me an older truck to trade; and it would bring the payment way down. The truck the kids picked was way too much truck for me, too high a price with too much wrong. He said he would check all the lots and get back with me in 3 days. By now I didn’t want to deal with anyone because I didn’t trust any of them. I didn’t see any other options because I already put 1000.00 down, which was all I had. Again he asked me what I was comfortable; AGAIN I told him. He laughed and said you can’t get financing on older vehicles or payments that low. I was extremely concerned what was going to happen with the other paperwork for 25 thousand, but the manager said he would find me something and get it straightened out. I never received a call back. I started loosing sleep and getting up upset and crying every morning. I tried to call everyone at Phil Long to find out who was over that department and could help me. That went on for more than week. I was told Pooahe was the general manager assistant and head of customer service. I began to call her every day, and no call back. There was a main number I kept calling for information, some nice people answering the phone talked to me. While venting and crying to them, they couldn’t get me to someone who had authority to straighten out the problem. Finally I was so upset after a week or more of calls a gentle man connected me to the General Manager extension. To my surprise Mr. Janusko, the GM answered, but said it was too much information for him and he couldn’t talk to me. He took my numbers down. When I thought they blew me off again a man from the used car lot call me to investigate and write down what had happened. I guess the manager that was going to help me put in his resignation after he talked to me the week prior.
The dealership again tried to talk us into keeping the truck if they fixed everything, but never took it to the shop. I explained our situation over, and over again. I don’t trust them nor do I need anything else with problems that will die and leave us in the middle of no where. The car issues are still not fixed. The choke is sticking on the Honda when you start it, the gas gage isn’t working, six times now it has randomly shut off while my son and his girl friend have been driving down the road. The RPM break slams on when the RPMs get high. The sales person and the manager who resigned were provided with a complete list of things on the truck that were not working correctly. They were well aware of these from the start. We were told to bring it but no appointment was set. I can’t keep brining it down when they don’t service it after we rearrange our schedules and drive all that way spending our time and gas. The truck is out of the question. I still don’t know how the loan paperwork is going to come out with payments of 500.00 to start this month and the truck has been turned in. They asked me if I have any cash to put down toward a trade, saying they will use the pick up as a trade. I have no more money to put down because I put out 1,000 on the other deal, which they say that money is gone on the other deal.
I found a woman in our area who bought a truck from Phil Long and they found out they needed four-wheel drive in the mountains, so they trade up. Phil Long told her they would pay off the first loan. When she looked over the paperwork she ended up paying 42 thousand for a truck. They didn’t pay off the first truck completely took the balance and rolled it into the second note. After learning about that situation so quickly, I’m sure I’m not the only one they have done that to nor will they be the last. Businesses can’t get away hurting people like that.
In my opinion this is NOT customer service or meeting the needs of people. In this day and time when the economy is tough, everyone is struggling to make ends meat; Businesses can’t do this to people, its highway robbery. When people have a serious need and come to a place like Phil Long for help, they can’t lie to them, blow them out of the water, and set them up to fail. They made promises to make it right. After everything we are right back where we started.
Action news said I signed a sales agreement so there's nothing you can do. The BBSC, southern business bureau said there's nothing you can do, First news said there's nothing you can do but they referred me to you. I know I messed up but so did they.
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