Complaint Review: Southwest Motors

May 20,2004.

Consumer response to Southwest Motors' response to BBB:

In my initial complaint,I referred to the practices of Southwest Motors as "immoral" and "shady." However, after reading the response,they are neither. They instead are liars and crooks. I hate to bring myself down to such low standards, but I am absolutely outraged!!

I shall review their response:

Southwest states, "Before Miss Glover purchased the 1994, Honda Accord EX Miss Glovers' salesperson told her she could get car checked out, which she said she did."
HUH? I was told that the car had been inspected ALREADY. I was shown "paperwork" on the condition of the car and how it had been "checked out". Moreover ONE DAY before I went to pick up the car,it was supposedly taken to Honda's Service Department to get the radio fixed and the car checked out BY THE DEALERSHIP.

Southwest states, "She brought people by to check the car out. Miss Glover even took the vehicle to an outside mechanic for a check out.

Now this statement is almost comical. I brought A mechanic by the DEALERSHIP where the car REMAINED on the lot to check out the car. I took my sister and my boyfriend on a simple test drive. Neither of the individuals are knowledgeable about cars. That is why I had a mechanic go to the lot. I did not take it to a service center because I was told that the car WOULD BE INSPECTED BY HONDA before I purchased it.

Southwest states, "Southwest Motors,LLC offer extended warranties that the customer can buy. Which miss Glover did not purchase."

When was this offered?? Was I so delirious to not hear this offer? I am a great listener,that is why I am able to quote their statements PRECISELY. My boyfriend explained the type of warranty I sought prior to purchasing the heap. I was told,and I quote: "your car does come with a warranty." My belief was that it was the VALID warranty I sought in the beginning,not the 30 day "warranty." The salesperson knew that this was my belief.

Southwest states: "As for the transmission,Miss Glover call for some help...."

I was not seeking "help". I wanted the car I JUST purchased fixed. There HAS to be some kind of law against this practice. I did not buy the car off the street from a private seller. I went to a dealership that is supposed to stand behind their vehicles. However,that point is mute now.

Southwest states: "So, Larry told Miss Glover the price and then explained that there was no way anyone charge nine hundred dollars to repair that transmission."
His words were,and I quote, "he won't charge you that much" (his mechanic) after I told him about the $900 Bell's estimate. As if the repair man he suggested will be giving me a deal for him-less than $900. He wanted me to get an estimate from Bell's Transmission to make sure that it would be only $900. So now they are saying that I was foolish to think that I could get a transmission repair for $900. I agree,but Larry said that $1200 was "too much." Now $1200 is a good price??

THEY reminded me of the $900 estimate. That's how the "up to me" conversation about the choice of repair shops began. Southwest should at least have the decency to configure logical deceptive tales. I would have preferred to pay $1900 instead of $1200? I was told outright that $1200 was too much. I'm a daycare teacher and a single mother,to willingly pay more on a repair than I have to does not make sense to my budget. The above statement by Southwest is an outright falsehood. The statements they themselves make are contradicting. I do applaud the writer for wonderful word play. It is amazing how the human mind can mechanically alter words to attempt to justify their actions.

Southwest states: "Southwest Motors agreed to help,by adding half of the nine hundred dollars to her account."
"Half" wasn't stated in the beginning. "Half" wasn't stated until they were told the price of the repair.
Even if the above was true-where is the "half" of the $900?? I suppose that will be magically added to my account although I haven't seen a dime of it. If so, they will be sued for that also.

Southwest states: "After we received this complaint, Miss Glover boyfriend comes by and asked us if we could somehow help her."

This much is true. He sought to be the nice guy to get the junk fixed-he's that type of person. He wanted to belive that the people at Southwest were not that crooked to leave me stuck with costly repairs for a car I JUST purchased from them. However,I knew better and didn't waste my time to try and plead with them. He returned with the same conclusion I now have: "Man, those folks in there are crooked as I don't know what!!" I could have told him that.

Southwest states: "Why should we help someone we tried to help before,then that person turn around and file an complaint on the company?"

Hmmm let's see,because they knowingly decieved me?? When did the help arrive? If they tried to sincerely "help" me,would I have had to file a complaint?? I'm not that cynical. Do not think that everyone is out to be misleading and deceptive because you are-perhaps that is your concious (although I doubt seriously if you have one). Moreover,when my boyfriend went to talk to them, on two occasions Larry was "out and wouldn't be back until______." My boyfriend also told me that the salesperson he did talked to basically admitted to deceiving me about the type of warranty I was recieving. He had showed them paperwork on the type of warranty I wanted. They tricked me or "double talked" me into signing some papers that didn't comply with what I expected because my boyfriend was not present at the time of the final transaction. Thanks for the help!

Southwest states: "Southwest Motors offer a lot of things that other small car lots doesn't."

Yes, indeed they do. They at least PRETEND to try to help to customers with the heap that they sell them,just to give them a knife in the back in the end. In my case,only two to three months down the road. The car lot will remain "small" because people will get tired of being stuck with their heaps and word-of-mouth among consumers is crucial to the cash flow of a business. I plan to use my vocal skills profusely,and it won't be in the favor of Southwest.

I thank the BBB for reviewing my complaint. Though I know that I will be temporarily stuck with the junk vehicle and repair bill for at least another year,I will continue to pay on the car while attempting to seek legal counsel against Southwest Motors. Perhaps they have wired their documents sufficiently enough so the case would simply be my word against theirs,but I will seek justice with the State Attorney anyway. However, the complaint is now on file with the BBB and I pray that other potential car buyers will review it and not purchase a car from this dealership.

Tushima
Alabama, Alabama
U.S.A.

STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!