Westport Auto Plaza 2007 Mercedes GL 320 CDI report St Louis Missouri
I recently test drove a silver 2007 Mercedes GL CDI at Westport Plaza Auto. After the test drive, I was very interested in purchasing the car. I had read the reports on Ripoff Report and so I wanted to have the car checked out by a Mercedes Dealer prior to purchasing. Max had no problem with that and I set an appointment with Plaza Mercedes Service to do a full checkup.
I picked up the car and on the way to the dealership, the check engine light came on. I'm glad the timing of that was so perfect because it made me do a complete checkup. Upon initial glance, the dealer thought the car was in pretty good shape with good tires and very clean inside and out. This inspection would cost me $325.00 but I felt it was necessary after reading some of the complaints
Once they hooked the car up to the computer they found out just how bad it really was. Firstly, he told me that after parking the car in the garage for a few minutes, there was oil on the floor.They checked the oil cooler and found it needed to be replaced at a cost of $4,000.00 On top of that, the rack and pinion system needed to be replaced at $1700. In all, there was $10,800 worth of work needed on the car to make it driveable.
I took the car back to the lot but nobody was there, so I left it and called Max a few days later to discuss the inspection, I told him I would buy the car for $9,000(the car is listed at $19,990 minus the $10,800). At that time, he told me they would just hang onto the car. In other words, we will sell it to some other unsuspecting schmo and hope they don't do their due diligence.
Ehen I told him I was going to write this and they would never sell the car, he accused me of blackmailing him. I feel it is my duty to inform the next person as to what is wrong with the car and to be aware of their business practices.
When I initially read the complaints, it gave me pause but I know that things happen with cars and with such a major purchase, feelings run very high. I appreciate the people before me at least giving me enough information to make sure i did my due diligence. Buyer beware with this dealership. They only care about getting the car off the lot. I can only imagine what would have happened had I purchased the car and driven off the lot.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
IamGood
Fort Worth,Texas,
I could have avoided buying that towncar if I spent 500.00 to have it checked out top to bottom BUT...
#5General Comment
Tue, February 11, 2014
To the Original Author of the Report:
On a busy weekend alone, I sell 20-30 cars. I take trades, so usually I buy 15 trades on a given saturday. That would cost me almost 8000.00 to check out the cars I sold, and would soak up a good portion of my profit margin. So that is why I dont do that. Besides it would take an average of 1 - 2 hours to check out each car, and I dont think the person who was going to buy a used car would be willing to wait 1 full day to get back the results of my analysis of the car. He/She would go somewhere else.
So, again we get back to the HONESTY of the person who is tradng in the car to ME. If they are honest, and tell me, "oh by the way my A/C is out, and it is going to cost 1500.00 to fix", I MIGHT buy the car, and deduct 1500.00 off the trade in value of the car, but more than likely the person who is trading in the car would take his business elsewhere.
Now, I want to reverse role's here. Lets say you brought the Mercedes in question in to my car lot, to trade in for a brand new car, and you knew the car would need about 11,000.00 in repairs to make it drivable. Would you tell me that the car needed those repairs, or just let me find out for myself, after I gave you 15,000.00 for the car?
A second question, lets just say, while you were test driving the new car, I took your older Mercedes into my mechanic on duty at my shop, and he told me the car would need 11,000.00 in repairs to drive, so when you got back from your test drive, I told you I would give you 4,000.00 for your car, explaining I was deducting 11,000 from the original offer. Would you accept the offer, or would you walk away, and take the car somewhere else, and sell it to some one else.
Here is my observation, If you said no to the 4000.00 offer of the car, and told me you would go somewhere else, that would make you just as dishonest as the car lot that attempted to sell you the used car to begin with, correct? After all you were advised of the issues with the car, but would end up selling it to someone else who may not check it like i did.
This type of situation happens every day in the used car business.
How would you respond to either of these scenarios?
I am a ethical car lot owner. I sell only good quality cars that people want to drive, but I am at the mercy of the customer who decides to follow the law.
If you could answer both these questions I put to you, I would appreciate it.
Answer Honestly.
Sincerely
A Honest Used Car Salesman
Crucible
Arizona,Priceless!
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, February 05, 2014
The slimey used car salesman below has come up with quite a novel idea. According to him, if he unloads one of his lemons on you, it's not his fault. It's actually the fault of the person who sold it to him. Hahahahaha! While I'm sure this guy is used to plying his trade on the truly ignorant, he should really consider his audience when posting on a ripoff site.
The poor unsuspecting used car salesman victimized by the sneaky customer! Yeah, right! Happens every day.
When this guy pawns off a lemon on one of his customers, he's ready for when they come back to complain. He'll no doubt explain to them what an "as is" sale means, and that they should have done their due diligence (as did the original poster on this thread) before buying the car from him. He knows that it's the buyer's job to verify that the vehicle is in acceptable condition BEFORE purchasing "as is". Same goes for when he buys a car from one of his unscrupulous customers.
If he were truly as naive and gullible as he claims below, he would not last a week in the used car business.
Anonymous
St Louis,Missouri,
I agree to a point
#5Author of original report
Wed, February 05, 2014
I am not angry at anyone. I decided not to buy the car and although I am out $325.00, it could have been a lot worse. The whole reason for posting the report was to inform the next person to beware. I agree that there are unscrupulous people that stick these guys with cars that have issues. They sometimes do pay top dollar. I would think as a business owner, you might want to invest the $325.00 to find out so you don't get stuck.
You feel that it is the up to the owner of the car to divulge everything when trading the car in. I agree that this would resolve most of these issues. In following your logic, now that this information is out there, isn't it Westport Auto Plaza's duty to inform the next person everything that is wrong with it. Are they going to do this? I got the feeling when I informed them of the issues, that they were going to hide the information and try to burden the next owner with the problem.
You are a dealership. In this situation, would you eat the money or would you keep quiet and pray for the 30 days to run out once you sold it. I gave them the opportunity to eat the money but they chose to keep quiet and stick it to the next guy. That is the reason for the complaint. If you are more honorable, maybe I should be looking at your dealership.
Used Car Lot Owner
Fort Worth,Texas,
Used Cars Were sold by the previous owner FOR A REASON
#5General Comment
Wed, February 05, 2014
I read your post, and you found a car listed for 19,900, but it had 10800.00 worth of repairs, so you offered the Dealer 9000.00 for the auto. The dealer said no to your offer, and he would just keep the car, and sell it to someone else.
Ok, there is no rip off here. When the person who used to own that car came in to sell it, the dealership was under pressure to come up with a quick trade in value. The Dealer did not damage the car, the dealer did not cause the car to need those repairs. This is a 7 year old car, things happen like this.
My point to you is, that your anger is misplaced. Your anger should be towards the person who sold the car to the dealership to begin with. That person KNEW the car possessed these problems, but he sold them the car any way. The time alloted for the dealer to come up with a trade in value did not allow him to spend an entire day going over every inch of the car.
So the dealer still has to sell the car, he has several thousands of dollars invested in it. Perhaps if more dealers SUED people who traded in peices of KRAP, knowing there were major problems, but not notifying the dealer of them, then perhaps when you, and others go in to buy a used car, you might get a choice from far more reliable inventory.
I own a used car lot. I had a customer come in, and we traded in a VERY CLEAN 2007 Lincoln Town Car, we test drove it, it drove nicely, tried out the AC and the Heat, both worked nicely. Tested the Stereo, all the things that the buyer would look for. We paid top dollar for the car.
After we sold the car, the purchaser came back saying the A/C was not working. He had the car 3 weeks. We inspected the AC and found that the person who sold the car to us had filled the A/C with freon so we would think the A/C was working. We could have avoided buying this peice of KRAP if we spent 2 hours taking the A/C apart, but if we did that with every car we took as trade in, we would not be in business long. The customer who purchased the car from us demanded his money back, but we told him the car was sold AS-IS. I told him how to find the name of the previous owner, and suggested he take up the issue with HIM!!!!!!
Just remember this rule of thumb when you buy a used car, "THE PREVIOUS OWNER SOLD THAT CAR FOR A REASON!!!!"