Complaint Review: Florida Fine Cars

copy of complaint letter Dear Mr. Azarpad I’m writing this letter in an attempt to resolve some problems with a recent transaction with two of your companies one being Florida fine cars and the other Amerifiance. I purchased a 2006 Mercedes Benz clk350 with 65k miles stock no. 53710 from your Hollywood location on February 12, 2013. I choose your dealership after a recommendation from a former customer. My salesman was Vito Saccone and my finance manager was Christopher Kellom. I’ve tried to have this issued resolved by Mr. Kellom unfortunately I feel he is not right person to help me.

On February 12, 2013 I came in with a down payment of $4,000 along with a years worth of bank statements showing an average income 10K gross per month along with my recent tax returns and 1099s as I am self employed. I ran my credit prior to visiting your dealership with all three major bureaus and my scores were in the high 600’s. I was told by my salesperson after running all the numbers with the finance manager I can pick any car on the lot under 70k miles and under $17,000. After choosing the Mercedes and being showed the first bill of sale it had a sales price of $15,988.00 as shown in the included copy I was told by Mr. Kellom I would have to pay sales taxes, a dealers fee, a tag ,title fee and a gap waiver. Never was I told about an Automotive Paint Protection Package by DuPont totaling $2,369.00 it wasn’t until my husband meet with Mr. Kellom on June 3, 2013 at 11:30pm that he explained part of my down payment went towards this fee and not applied in the form of a cash down payment towards the purchase of the car, but a cost for a service. Knowing that I never agreed verbally or signed to authorized such work, my husband ask to see a copy of the document that Mr. Kellom stated I signed, my husband was told to come back in about an hour to allow Mr. Kellom time to produce this document. In the interim I called the Coral Gables Mercedes dealer to ask the normal industry rate for such a service and was told it ranges from $400-$600. I then proceeding to call your service department, speaking with Cesar to ask the cost of this service he informed me it ranges from $500 to $600 but he could not be sure and transferred me to another finance manager name Bruce in the Miami location, who told me the services for DuPont Automotive Protection Package for interior and exterior paint protection was $599 he also offered me a $100 off if I did the service. I then call the DuPont protection customer service to see if they had a record of my name and information in relation to any products. After speaking with a claims specialist Cyndi Vandermaas I was emailed a copy of the original guarantee agreement # 197763 which they received from your dealership. It had what appeared to be my signature which I never signed or received a copy of, on the night I took delivery of the car it showed only the (paint protection) was selected, next to cost there was no price it was blank also take note that all other pertinent important fields were typed.

After doing this research my husband returned to the dealer to retrieve the copy that Mr. Kellom was to provided and notice that now the cost line was filled in by hand with $2369, I’ve included both copies for your review and a copy of the email. It is my firm believe that this document was forged and Mr. Kellom added this charge after the fact. I never and would never signed for a $2,369 paint protection plan, to which your own company charges $500 to all other customers. It also worth mentioning that I took delivery of the car at almost 10:00pm at night most if not all the other employees had left except for the finance manger and our salesman and a few others, this car was also our 3rd choice after 2 others did not work out in financing after I test drove this car it was parked in front of the side door, facing S.R. 7 and never moved until our insurance company faxed over a binder after which a salesmen place a temp tag on the car and we left the dealership in the car, so unless this treatment is applied to all cars prior to be sold or Mr. Kellom has psychic powers that allowed him to know we would have picked this car and had this treatment applied earlier when we were not present or if can be applied Via Wi-Fi this treatment was never applied. furthermore had these monies been applied to my down payment along with my credit application its my firm believe I would have been offered credit from a more favorable bank with lower rates as the total amount being financed would have been lower due to the greater down payment available towards purchase price of the car. Instead this erroneous fee caused me to be showing less cash available to put towards the initial purchase therefore causing me to be denied and told the only choice I had was Amerifiance.

I have yet to receive letters from any of the lenders that Mr. Kellom sent my application to for approval stating the basis of why they decline my application. I will review my credit report to get names of the lenders that ran my credit on the day in question to find out why. Even someone name Maria from your offices at Amerifiance on Friday May 31, 2013 around 1:30pm informed me the first dollar amount asked for the sales price of the car prior to financing the deal was over $21,000 which she replied was way to high for the year and mileage of that car. So the dealer reduced the sales price to the $15,988. I feel being a women and minority along with a first time car buyer Mr. Kellom took advantage of these factors by misappropriating the funds given in good faith to be put towards the purchase of an automobile. Not steering me to a lender with higher rates and charging an outrages fee for a service not requested or applied, forging my signature and trying to cover up the actions once confronted, or added a figure of $2,369 to an already fraudulent document. I suspect I might have some legal recourse under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth and Lending Act and Act. But it is my sincere desire that we be able to settle this matter. I ask that a new contract be signed with a lowered rate more inline with my current creditworthiness. And the $2,369 be applied to my loan along with the retroactive difference of the five on time payments I’ve already made. This is a fair and reasonable request, which in no way would makes up for the feeling of being deceived and exploited. Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. Sincerely Maria L