- Report: #849837
Complaint Review: ATLANTA CAR EXCHANGE INC - ATLANTA Georgia
Reported By:
Keeya -
Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
ATLANTA CAR EXCHANGE INC
3 RAVINIA DR,SUITE190 ATLANTA, 30346 Georgia, United States of America
Phone:
770-231-3520
Web:
http://www.atlantacar.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
ATLANTA CAR EXCHANGE, INC BARRY OR DAVID BOWEN Barry & David are fast talking crooks who steal bad cars to people...BEWARE ATLANTA, Georgia
Report Attachments
- 2004 Volkswagen Passat car purchase from Atlanta Car Exchange, Inc.
- a. 9/25/11- I purchased a 2004 Volkswagen Passat from Atlanta Car Exchange for $8242 of
- which Ive paid $7800. Barry Zaklad who is David Bowens, the owner, business partner sold it to me and said it had 64,950 miles on it but when I test drove it the mileage read 65,100 miles. He said look at the in Kelley Blue Book value, it $10,500, so Im giving you a deal because you are my friend.
- b. When I first got the car Barry said that he and David had looked at it when they 1) bought it from the auction 2) they had Volkswagen dealership test it because they have a personal relationship with them, and 3) their mechanic, Takis Poulopoulos, to check it out and the car was in awesome condition and nothing was wrong with it. Barry would not let me take the car to my mechanic because there insurance doesnt allow anyone to drive more than 5 miles out of the car lot. I asked if there was a current emissions done on the car and he said no you can do that. We dont have to do that the only thing we have to do is fix it if it doesnt pass the emissions test.
- c. My father looked in the engine and found a oil leak & Barry said I could bring it back and their mechanic Takis would fix it for free. The hole didnt get patched up until October 12, 2011. By the time the car went back to their mechanic, I had my personal mechanic evaluate the car and he wrote down a list of problems that was wrong with the car. When I took it back to the car lot with the list of problems my mechanic find the owner David Bowen took the car to their mechanic and got the hole patched and they never addressed the list of other problems. I found the list tucked in the back of the seat.
- d. Before I purchased the car I looked up the reviews regarding the car but I didnt know
- that the car had a turbo engine because Barry never disclosed that information.
- e. The day I picked up the car & paid Barry he had me sign a bill-of-sale and another paper that he said was for their records but I never got a copy of the paper. There was no buyers guide on the car window and I dont recall signing one. Barry never said that I had to sign a buyers guide.
- f. The car had a Carfax report inside the car with pages missing
- g. No current emissions was done on the car in the state of Georgia
- h. The first week I had the car the first end started shaking and I told Barry about it and I took it into my mechanic and he said it needed two new wheels on the front. I spoke to Barry and he and David told me to take it to their tire store in Mabelton, GA and they replaced two front tires and they would take care of the cost but I later found out after the service was completed Barry is billing me for the cost of the tires.
- i. After having the car for 2-3 weeks I was complaining to Barry about little self that was happening while I was driving the car and his response every time was you know with those older cars you have to put money into them and fix them up, and he did nothing. He just tried to fast talk his way out the situation. I told him the water pump light started flashing and telling me to stop the engine and that the coolant was low. I put coolant in it. After that point, I had to feel up the car with coolant every 2.5 weeks.
- 1. Two weeks after that the oil pressure light came on and said "stop car" and I called David Bowen and Barry Zaklad and told them. They told me it was problem and I had to fix it.
- 2. I had it looked at by 2 different mechanics I knew, and they gave me a long list of stuff that needed to be fixed. I told David and Barry what my mechanics found and they told me to take it to their mechanic to get it fixed. I took it to Taxis around November 8, 2012 and he said the water pumped needed to be replaced. He told me how much was and that someone had to pay him. On November 28, 2012, Taxis called and said the oil pump needs to be replaced and when you replace the oil and water pump you have to replace the timing belt as well. The oil pressure sensor needs to be replaced too.
- 3. While the work was being completed I had to rent a car for a week & when I picked up the car Taxis was looking weird and showed me all the pumps, belts, etc. he said he replaced. He also showed me pictures of the engine and all the sludge inside of it and told me that was the cause of the problem. Taxis told me he couldnt clean the sludge off the engine because that would make the problem worse. He said he told David that there could possibly be more problems and he said David said fix it anyway. He said David had paid them and the balance was settled. I got the car back on November 30, 2011.
- 4. Around December 14, 2011 the oil pressure light came back on and it was making a loud rattling noise and losing power. It was not drivable and I had to pay to get it towed back to their mechanic.
- 5. Taxis was not in his office because he was on his honeymoon and his brother said he replaced the oil pressure sensor again
- but when I went by the mechanics office the car was just sitting there. Taxiss brother said I had to wait on Taxis to get back into the office. Taxis came back to the office after January 1, 2012.
- Taxis said the engine is bad and the car needs a new engine and that would cost $7,000 but that he had not looked at the car anymore.
- 6. Spoke to David & Barry via text and they said Taxis was still working on the car on January 4, 2012. When I had the car towed from Taxiss shop he told me that I got screwed over and that he had never seen this car before I brought it to him and that these mechanical problems had been there for a long time.
- 7. David had told me that he was sorry about all the problems with this car and that he
- would find me a better car for around the same price and exchange it, but that was back before Christmas 2011, Barry & David procrastinated for about 2 weeks saying they were at the auction looking for me a new car.
- 8. Finally after two weeks of getting the run around I asked for the money back that I
- paid for the car and they got hostile and started talking to me in demeaning and racist language. I finally got sick and tired of the both of them talking down to me because Im a woman and I snapped back. I tried to talk to Barry with the same tone of voice he was using with me and he told me to stop being ghetto and hung up on me. He sent me a text that said I owe them $2100 for the work that was supposedly down on the car and the balance I owe them on the car and they still own the car and have a lien on the car title for that amount. I told them I dont understand why because these problems were there when I purchased the car. They said it doesnt matter and were very rude and elusive. Barry & David argued with me for hours and days over text messaging and had an answer for everything and said that its my responsibility. I have tried to call David and only received a text message saying I needed to contact Barry.
- 9. I actually find out that the car had a recall on the engine and there was a class action lawsuit but when I followed up with VW Corporate on it that said I had to get all these receipts and bring it to them to fix the sludge problem before December 31, 2011 and I told Barry and David about the recall.
- 10. Right now they are being very unprofessional and immature so I decided to proceed with legal action. I called the Attorney General of GA and they told me they broke the law by not doing two things required by the state (selling a car without a valid emissions & a buyers guide) and I could probably sue them.
- 11. Since I filed the legal paperwork in January 2012 Ive been receiving harassing & threatening text messages from Barry telling me give up, Im stupid, if I know whats good I will leave it alone, etc. I also filed complaints with the Secretary of State and the Better Business Bureau and every time they receive a complaint I receive a message from Barry threatening me and telling me I need to stop legal action if I know whats good, I will lose in court, etc.
- 12. On January 31, 2012, I followed up on the law suit I filled in Dekalb County Magistrate Court against Atlanta Car Exchange and I spoke to Sheriff Bowen and he stated he tried to serve David Bowen at Atlanta Car Exchange and he keeps avoiding him to get the paperwork.
- 13. Im still receiving text messages from Barry as of February and I just told him to contact my lawyer or tell the judge his story and to stop texting me.
- Im frustrated because Ive been talked down to because Im a woman & black & Ive been lied to from the beginning by someone who was suppose to be my friend for 6 years. I dont understand how they can fast talk and cheat people out of their hard earned money and get away with it. The state of Georgia needs tougher laws to protect the consumers rights.
Report Attachments
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Learning From Life
lawrenceville,Georgia,
USA
Buying From Them For 30 Years
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, July 04, 2016
I have been buying cars from Atlanta Car Exchange for 30 years, since they began. I have bought 17 used cars from them, or that is how many I can remember. I have also sent them my family and friends for cars. I see a couple of people out of the thousands of customers they have helped with their used car needs on here. I have to go with the old adage, you can't please everyone. I have seen nothing but integrity from David Bowen. We have actually become friends over the years. Seeing these malcontents bashing his good name is disappointing.
barry zaklad
atlanta,Georgia,
TO PISSED OFF DIVA
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, December 06, 2014
MISS DIVA, WE MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO ACCOMIDATE YOU WITH YOUR CAR ISSUES AND OFFERED GOODWILL TO HELP SERVICE YOUR CAR EVEN AFTER YOU HAD IT FOR MONTHS AND DROVE IT THOUSANDS OF MILES BEFORE YOU CALLED US. YOU CHOSE TO GO TO COURT WHERE YOU LOST AND WERE ORDERED TO REMOVE THE NASTY AND FALSE STATEMENTS ABOUT OUR COMPANY. IM SURPRISED THAT I STILL HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT THIS YEARS LATER. WE HAVE OVER 10,000.00 CARS AND SUVS SOLD OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS AND I WOULD HOPE MORE WOULD POST THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH US AND THEIR VEHICLE.
Pat
Lithonia,Georgia,
Atlanta Car Exchange
#4General Comment
Sat, November 29, 2014
I am very disappointed, that I found this negative report regarding Atlanta Car Exchange. I purchased a nice Lexus Ls 430 Gold, I had it for nine years, I had the best experience with Barry when I purchase my vehicle. I had no problems, very little maintenance & up keep. Throughout the nine year when it was eight years into having this car, I finally had to have my alternater rebuild. It didn't cost much at all. I only had to keep oil change & basis needed maintenance. I always had a pleasant experience with Barry & David, this report on ripoff is very disappointing to the excellent reputation they have. They both are very compassionate about their customers. They treated me with respect, honesty, & care. Barry is so nice and was so kind to me, he make you feel like a family member. I will always do business with Barry & David, I have referred several of my church family to them & they all had pleasant experience and excellent customer service with Atlanta Car Exchange.
DAVID B
atlanta,Georgia,
BITTER WOMAN
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, October 11, 2014
JUST NOTICED THIS REPORT AFTER TWO YEARS. LETS JUST START OFF BY SAYING THAT WHAT IS POSTED HERE IS BY A PERSON THAT IS NOT A HAPPY PERSON. FOR ONE I HAVE NEVER MET YOU AND WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY HURY OR DECIEVE YOU. FOR YOU TOO POST THE NASTY POSTS IN EXTREMELY BIZARRE. YOU DID HAVE THE CAR FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES AND FOR TWO MONTHS AND NOTICED AN ISSUE WITH THE OIL SMELL. MY PARNER IN BUSINESS BARRY QUICKLY HELPED YOU BECAUSE HE SAID YOU WERE A SPECIAL CUSTOMER AND TOO KEEP YOU HAPPY. THIS VOLKSWAGEN HAD LOW MILES WHEN YOU BOUGHT IT SO THERE COULD NOT BE THAT MUCH TO REPAIR. AFTER YOU PICKED UP THE CAR YOU DROVE IT MONTHS AND MONTHS AND THOUSANDS OF MORE MILES. YOU CALLED AGAIN AND SAID SOMETHIME STILL WAS NOT RIGHT. WE PAID OVER $1600.00 IN GOOD WILL TO KEEP YOU HAPPY BUT DID NOT HAVE TOO . KEEP IN MIND YOU HAS SAID THAT THIS PARTICULAR VOKSWAGEN HAD A RECALL IN THE 1.8L ENGINE AND THAT THE FACTORY THAT BUILT THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. BUT INSTEAD YOU HAVE BLAMED US AND WRITTED HATEFULL AND FALSE STATEMENTS ABOUT MY COMPANY. YOU ALSO CHOSE TO SUE ME IN COURT AND THE JUDGE DISMISSED THIS CASE BECAUSE YOU WERE IN THE WRONG. PLEASE REMOVE ALL THE STATEMENTS SINCE THE JUDGE ORDERED YOU TOO. WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS OVER 20 YEARS AND HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION. DAVID B
PISSEDDIVA
Atlanta,Georgia,
United States of America
ATLANTA CAR EXCHANGE - LIARS & CROOKS
#6Author of original report
Wed, May 09, 2012
David E. Bowen and everyone that works for him including Barry Zakland are liars and crooks. He called me crying last month after I filed a report on Ripoff.com because I'm "making his business look bad, he's broke, and may have to close the business." I was in the process of taking him to court when he called to settle. He stated he would pay a certain amount each month for 12 months. He's only made one payment and now all of a sudden he was in a really bad car accident and is hurt and can't make the payments now. I'm sick of getting lame excuses from David and everyone who works for him so back to court we go. I'll let the judge handle it. So if you see any post for his cars on craigslist atlanta http://athensga.craigslist.org/cto/2996246087.html or 770-BARRY 757-7727 ATLANTACAR.COM....they are in Dunwoody by Perimeter Mall.
BEWARE!!! When you deal with crooks you get screwed over every time.
PISSEDDIVA
Atlanta,Georgia,
United States of America
Ripoff.com Works
#7Author of original report
Fri, March 23, 2012
After a report was filed on ripoff.com the owner, David Bowen, called and wanted to settle the lawsuit all of a sudden. He called and sincerely apologized and said he and his salesman, Barry Zaklad, were in the wrong and he wanted to make it right. He met me the same day and gave me the title to the car, signed off on it so the lien would be removed, & we agreed to a happy settlement amount. Not the amount I was looking for but David claims he has no money so I had to take what he gave me I suppose. I agreed to try and take this report off of ripoff.com but seeing as I can't I decided to update the complaint and right something nice. I also agreed to drop the lawsuit as long as he pays the settlement amount. Thanks again ripoff.com!!! You guys work wonders...I'm sure I will be using you all again in the near future.
