Halleck Auto Sales bryan omey Tried to Hide Rank, DISGUSTING Odor with chemicals and dryer sheets; we had to replace the seats!! Bowling Green OH , Ohio
I bought an '03 Pontiac Vibe at Halleck Auto Sales, and explained to Bryan Omey that we'd be taking a long trip to Florida in it; I had my one-year old with me that day.
I noticed the powder on some things, and the smell of chemicals. I noticed some of the dryer sheets in the car. I asked Bryan why that was there; he claimed it was just part of a routine cleaning.
When I got home, I removed the NUMEROUS dryer sheets, some of which were directly under the driver's seat, covering a brown pile. I cleaned the car, vaccuuming and shampooing it. I let the car air out for several days and nights, hoping the absolutely unbearable odor they were obviously hiding, would leave. Charcoal and Damp Rid did nothing to remove the smell, either.
People, including me, sitting in it, felt like puking. I explained all this to Bryan; I ended up crying on the phone when speaking with the "Detailer."
I bought Vibe seats from an Auto Wrecker. My husband took a day off work, and we removed all the seats. We found magazines, mail, crayons, numerous toys, a sippy cup with liquid in it, and more junk. All of this debris was covered in sticky filth which required strong cleaning agents to cut through. We als identified urine in the seats.
Cleaning under the back seat should have been done in this particular stench-laden vehicle; other seats (perhaps used, from an auto wrecker) should have been acquired and replaced what was there. OR, I should have been reimbursed for having to do so, myself. When I spoke to the owner, he became nothing but angry and hung up. He said "We did nothing wrong."
I consider this a RIP OFF!
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Mobish
tiffin,Ohio,
United States of America
Yes, I took it for a drive, of course!
#3Author of original report
Wed, October 12, 2011
Yes, I took it for a test drive. The vehicle ran fine - that's not my complaint. I assumed the extremely odorous chemical cleaner smell would be gone eventually, once I got all the powder and such out.
The owner of Halleck Auto Sales yelled at me on the phone, by the way, saying, "That's it. I'm done!" I was being nice, and he would not even listen to me speak. I was concerned about the health of my baby, breathing in all that. And I knew there was no way I'd ever be able to change her diaper in the car, or let her fall asleep or even touch the seat. I've bought used cars my entire life, and never experienced anything like this. There was no compassion whatsoever.
I do take some responsibility for (foolishly) buying the car, but they really did hide the real smell. I had no idea how bad it was, until after I purchased it. I am actually glad we fixed the problem ourselves, because the filth caused a huge discoloration within the back seat cushions, and I don't trust that they would have replaced the seats, even if they'd had the decency to clean underneath them.
It is not a good idea to buy a used car from this place; once you buy it, that's it. They're done with you. They don't want to talk, or hear anything from you. "They're done."
Jim
Orlando,Florida,
USA
Another Question I Think I Know The Answer To.
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, October 11, 2011
Did you take this trash on a test drive? Incrediby, apparently not. So then...since you did not even bother to check this junk out, who ripped off who?