Complaint Review: Kingz of Cars

Kingz of Cars located at 380 Bay Street in Staten Island, co-owned by a guy named Rudy - this dealership is a total scam place and this guy is a scam artist.   My experience was as follows:  I needed an SUV for the winter and times were a ittle tight and I only had $1000 in cash.  A close friend of mine worked with Rudy and told me he did an in house financing program where he tacked on about $1000 to the price of the car, and let you make payments over time to pay it all off.  I was in a jam as the snow was coming, and I cant drive my car in the winter, so I gave Rudy a call.  I told him my situation, and that I need something reliable and that I had the $1000 to put down...He said that was fine and that he would "finance" the rest by adding $1000 or so to the price and we'd do monthly payments to pay it off. 

We agreed on a very over priced 1995 Chevy Blazer with 119,000 miles that had alot of cosmetic damage - but that he ASSURED me was very mechanically sound.  We agreed to a price of about $1800 for the Truck, and then $1000 on top so $2800 total.  This in itself was a ludacris price for this car, but my friend vouched for him and Rudy assured me it was worth it, etc...It was a good truck he said.

I got to the dealership to pick it up, and he had already begun the registration process and had sent someone to DMV to do all that (all before I saw or even drove the truck)..Finally the truck was brought to the dealership from wherever he was keeping it. Once it got there it was clear to me that this was a very, very low quality vehicle - On the real market theres no way it was worth even $500 in my estimation..I also didnt like the way it was running and I had a feeling off the bat that there might be a problem.  But since I trusted my friend (who was with me), and Rudy assured me it was a good vehicle again and again...The body was just a little beat up, etc...I let the sale continue.  It was also a bit too late at that point sinceI had paid him the down payment already, and he had already registered the truck in my name and was getting plates...and besides there was a snowstorm coming that night, so I was stuck with this.

Once the plates arrived, Rudy (with a straight face I might add) prints out a sales contract - showing the total price of the vehicle with the financing being $4340!!  My $1000 down and then me owing him $3340!!  I refused to sign the contract or buy at that price, and he said he must have made a "mistake" and he changed it to what we had iniially agreed.  His excuse for trying to charge me an additional almost $2000 more than we agreed, was that he "talked to alot of people" and he must have gotten "mixed up"...Interesting that he got "mixed up" enough to think that a 1995 Chevy Blazer in Poor condition was worth $4300 anywhere on the planet..Right there I should have known this wouuld be a problem.

Once I got it home, the truck lasted exactly 5 days, each day I drove it it got worse...Finally on the 5th day the transmission was acting very very weird, and I notified Rudy of this immediately...His advice was to go get it "checked out" and let him know what happened.   I brought it to a transmission shop that day, where they did an inspection, and i was told point blank that the tranny was no good, the truck was junk, and it should never have been sold by a DEALER in that kind of condition.  I was able to drive it barely back to my home, and when I was halfway there the tranny went and I wasstuck in the middle of the street for over an hour trying to get it back home.  I finally did after alot of trouble.  I immediately called Rudy and my friend, and my friend suggested I simply tell him to switch it out for another truck he had in inventory and not to worry.  I did this when I spoke to Rudy, and he was nice about it at first and saided have to see what he had or could get.  I made it very clear that I could not wait, because I had not other vehicle since my car was taken off the road for the winter, and that this was a MAJOR problem and inconvenience for me. 

I gave him a full week (the whole time me having no car, and bumming rides, etc to get to work and around) and every day it was a new story..He had a truck then that was junk and broke down, he had something then he didnt, he was getting something then that fell through - over and over...Finally I called my friend and said I had been patient enough, and at some point I wanted my money back if he couldnt get me something.  I relayed this to Rudy, that I could only give him a dayor two more to find something..and that in the meantime I was going to look on craigslist and find something else, and if I did I would need a refund from him.  He yessed me to death, and said that was fair.

A day later on Craigslist I found a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, went to check it out and it was mechanically all good.  This time I brought a mechanic with me and he signed off on it.  I negotiated the price down to $800 even cash.  I made the deal and the next day called Rudy and told him I was sorry this didnt work out, but that I needed the refund he promised to buy this other truck, and we had to arrange transportation of this other dud back to him. 

Rudy's tune very quickly changed, and I was told he was not giving me a refund.  He had been "exchanging" this bomb truck he had sold me as a "courtesy" to me...But he had no intention of refunding me all the sudden, and that was all.  When I had spoken to him two days prior about it, I had mistakenly "assumed" he'd be refunding me, and he just went along with it...I asked him if his contention was that I was then just beat with this truck, and his words were that we'd have to "share" the loss on the vehicle...I told him that this was unacceptable to me and we are now fighting this transaction out with my bank and his dealership, and this has been one of the worst experiences with a car dealer or a business in general I have ever had.  These people do not in anyway stand behind the junk they sell, andwhen you have problems DAYS after a purchase, theyre doing YOU a favor by helping you.   One of the last things, and as a final insult: I told Rudy he needed to come get his  truck which I was not paying for back to his dealership...He refused to do so, and made it clear that he felt that "I" was not taking any proper responsibility for this situation!!...and that he was going to take legal action against me!!  (a consumer he had just ripped off)..

I now also have the added expense and aggravation of havng to have this piece of garbage towed back from Coram (eastern Long Island) back to Staten Island, which is now just an added huge problem and part of this whole nightmare...Avoid this dealership like the PLAGUE..and just keep in mind..I was a friend of a friend and this is how I was treated...How do you think Rudy and Kingz of Cars will treat you as a stranger??  TOTAL RIP OFF - AVOID