Complaint Review: Great Cars and Trucks - Calgary Alberta

Still at it I see James. "have to take the site down to clean it" - what garbage! In numerous other denials you make you state that GC&T has no way of knowing which vehicles have sold and so can't remove any ads from the site but now you say you can - confusing isn't it? I would think it would be very simple James. Simply pull every ad down after 90 days because on your own admission they don't sell. You could then send each of these customers their refund cheques without them having to apply and you will have been earning interest on THEIR money for 3 months. Sweet deal eh? Cosmin you were one of the smart ones who immediately saw through the scam and still James tries to tell us that it is a fantastic web site that has financing. Just for your own interest go the page where you apply for finance and you will notice that it is not a secure page so anybody who fills out their details runs a huge risk of their details being hijacked and used for identity theft. James makes the comment on another post that anybody that applies for finance is a loser and wouldn't worry about their identity being stolen. This gives you an insight into the person (I was going to say man but he is not). Keep making a fool of yourself James. Every post you make gives us all a laugh.

Still at it I see James. "have to take the site down to clean it" - what garbage! In numerous other denials you make you state that GC&T has no way of knowing which vehicles have sold and so can't remove any ads from the site but now you say you can - confusing isn't it? I would think it would be very simple James. Simply pull every ad down after 90 days because on your own admission they don't sell. You could then send each of these customers their refund cheques without them having to apply and you will have been earning interest on THEIR money for 3 months. Sweet deal eh? Cosmin you were one of the smart ones who immediately saw through the scam and still James tries to tell us that it is a fantastic web site that has financing. Just for your own interest go the page where you apply for finance and you will notice that it is not a secure page so anybody who fills out their details runs a huge risk of their details being hijacked and used for identity theft. James makes the comment on another post that anybody that applies for finance is a loser and wouldn't worry about their identity being stolen. This gives you an insight into the person (I was going to say man but he is not). Keep making a fool of yourself James. Every post you make gives us all a laugh.

Still at it I see James. "have to take the site down to clean it" - what garbage! In numerous other denials you make you state that GC&T has no way of knowing which vehicles have sold and so can't remove any ads from the site but now you say you can - confusing isn't it? I would think it would be very simple James. Simply pull every ad down after 90 days because on your own admission they don't sell. You could then send each of these customers their refund cheques without them having to apply and you will have been earning interest on THEIR money for 3 months. Sweet deal eh? Cosmin you were one of the smart ones who immediately saw through the scam and still James tries to tell us that it is a fantastic web site that has financing. Just for your own interest go the page where you apply for finance and you will notice that it is not a secure page so anybody who fills out their details runs a huge risk of their details being hijacked and used for identity theft. James makes the comment on another post that anybody that applies for finance is a loser and wouldn't worry about their identity being stolen. This gives you an insight into the person (I was going to say man but he is not). Keep making a fool of yourself James. Every post you make gives us all a laugh.

Still at it I see James. "have to take the site down to clean it" - what garbage! In numerous other denials you make you state that GC&T has no way of knowing which vehicles have sold and so can't remove any ads from the site but now you say you can - confusing isn't it? I would think it would be very simple James. Simply pull every ad down after 90 days because on your own admission they don't sell. You could then send each of these customers their refund cheques without them having to apply and you will have been earning interest on THEIR money for 3 months. Sweet deal eh? Cosmin you were one of the smart ones who immediately saw through the scam and still James tries to tell us that it is a fantastic web site that has financing. Just for your own interest go the page where you apply for finance and you will notice that it is not a secure page so anybody who fills out their details runs a huge risk of their details being hijacked and used for identity theft. James makes the comment on another post that anybody that applies for finance is a loser and wouldn't worry about their identity being stolen. This gives you an insight into the person (I was going to say man but he is not). Keep making a fool of yourself James. Every post you make gives us all a laugh.

Cosmin; However I will answer your questions. First of all the search. Cosmin it is set up as a "google search" engine. You do not do a search under the "first" category if you are looking for a specific vehicle. The first category is "any of my keywords" & the second option is "all of my keywords". If you are looking for a Ford Tempo, for instance, type in Ford Tempo into the search engine & search under "all of my keywords". That will give you all the Ford Tempo's in the Province. You can also state the year if you wish. As for Ontario being down, it does go down for a few hours every month to be cleaned. Since GC&T allows customers to edit their ad's at will, sometimes customers do not remove their ad's themselves when they are sold. GC&T therefore has to clean the site on a regular basis. The "main advantages" to using GC&T are the 1 time fee & the fact that they have financing already arranged for your vehicle. Most people need financing to buy one, & it is very hard for you to sell a vehicle, at least one over $10.000.00 without it. I hope this answers your questions.

I have to tell you, that I can understand the frustration of these customers. I am from Ontario and I just received a phone call couple of days ago from one of your sells reps following an add I had in the local AutoTrader. I have to say I was left speechless about how pushy this sales rep was. At some point, after about 5 minutes of him talking at a fantastic words per second rate, I asked him to stop because I wanted to ask couple of questions. But to my surprise, he managed to somehow easily turn round my questions and back on his much preferred sales speech. I interrupted him another couple of times but with the same results as the first time. He kept going and going on his own. I had to interrupt him once more to tell him that I will call him back if I will decide I want his company's service. I never called back and never will. One of my questions was how come if I type in the name of a Ford car in the page's search field, there are Hondas and Toyotas and all kinds of other cars showing in the resulted pages. His very short answer on this - before continuing on his sales speach - was that there is a shortage of that type and that is the reason why it will sell so well. !??!! I just realized later that you can't search on multiple words (like mazda tribute or ford escort or other name like that) you can only search on one word (i.e. Tribute or escort or ford). But then why did he tell me that there are no Fords of tht type in their listing. Just now, while I write this e-mail, the ontario section of the site is unavailable. I also tried to find some reviews on this company on the internet and I found these reports, so I felt obliged to other possible customers to share my experience.

Dear Glen; Items listed on the website are left there until they are sold unless you ask for your money back. Possibly there was some confusion. I would advise you to fax a copy of your Credit Card charge to GC&T with a note explaining that it has still not sold & that it is "no longer" on the website. I am sure they will be glad to "re post" your ad.

You failed to address the whole point of me writing my last response. In case you missed it the first time it was called "My Ad Was Canceled" I was told that the ad would run until my vehicle sold, the trailer is still in my drive way so it obviously hasn't sold. What happened to the ad? If I had received even one call or email regarding my trailer I would not have even tried to get a refund. Not one call. Some bargain. I would have been better off to flush that money down the toilet or use it to light my cigar. I paid GCaT to provide a service guaranteed to work or your money back. Period. GCaT provided a service that did not work and then refused to return my money. Lastly, who are you James? Are you an employee of GCaT? An owner? Just a concerned citizen fighting for the rights of shady businesses' everywhere? If you have no financial interest in GCaT then why do you feel you need to respond and defend every complaint lodged against GCaT? Since you have never clearly answered this question before I hardly expect and answer now but I have to at least try.

Dear Glen; Unfortunately some salespeople rush a sale. They don't give the customer the time to study the website or the guarantee, as well as to see the ad's with 4 pictures & the ones with only 1. I can understand why they do that. It is also unfortunate. I am sorry if this was "your personal case". I personally advise against that, as people end up not understanding as you did. However I do also think that people who buy something are obligated to read instructions or directions & when they fail to do that, they should not be upset at the outcome. Definately not upset enough to write a "rip off report" blaming others for their own failure to do so. I am sure at this point you have spent quite a bit of money using other venues to sell your vehicle & either you were successful or not. However when you look back at the ordeal, you will probably see that in reality what you received was a bargain.

First off James, I the fact that there was 4 pictures not just one was what sold me on using you service. I say "Your" service but you have not stated clearly or consistently what role, if any you have with GCaT is. I was selling a holiday trailer and showing some pictures of the interior was important to me. I did not think when "your" salesperson said "you can post 4 pictures" this meant you can post one large picture or 4 small pictures. So you are correct I should have asked for allowable file sizes and resolutions. How stupid of me. I did ask one of "your" staff members who was able to sign the return form. She gave me a list of people who were accepted, and I had one of the people who she listed sign. Later I was told by James (not you obviously, but some other James) that the information given to me by a GCsT employee was incorrect and I was not eligible for a refund. Again my fault, I should have asked "your" employee if the information she gave me was correct and then confirmed it with someone. I am not sure who I should have confirmed it with but like I said my fault for not knowing who to ask. I really wanted to check out "your" website before I purchased an ad but the pushy salesperson convinced me that I should just place the ad now and check it out later. This was my clearly fault. The sales person did not clearly explain the full return procedure I did not specifically ask if I needed to have a lawyer or notery public sign the return form. I admit that this again was completely my fault. Now I recently checked my ad and found that it is gone even though "you" stated that it will run until my trailer sells. In all fairness I did change the ad to state my disatisfaction with GRaT and list the web address of ripoffreport.com. Once again James let me say that you are right it was completely my fault and I appolgize for any incovienence I may have caused you. Although if you don't have any affiliation with GCaT then I don't see how this could bother you and I wonder why you bother to respond to every complaint lodged against GCaT. I will not use GCaT again because I am obviously much too stupid, I should have known to ask the right questions and the right people. I will tell all of my friends not to use GCaT as well because they are only about as smart as I am. Hopefuly this will save James or whoever is in charge of GCaT a lot of trouble dealing with completely incompetent losers such as my self.

James, Thanks for your comments. Once again try to take your Great Cars and Trucks hat off and read your response to me. It makes no sense at all. The simple fact is that part of your 'hook' to get people to advertise with you is that if their vehicle doesn't sell in 90 days YOU WILL REFUND THEIR MONEY. Sure it has cost you money to prepare their ad, put it up on the web and host it - that is what you do - that is how you make your money. If your product and efforts don't work within 90 days then YOU tell the customers that they can have their money back. Having developed and hosted many hundreds of websites over the years I am aware of the costs involved in doing your job. Please don't insult my intelligence and tell me that by leaving hundreds of ads that didn't work in 90 days up on your site for longer than 7 days would cause anything more than a miniscule cost to Great Cars and Trucks. For goodness sake refund them - you say you will. If you don't have to spend all of your time rebutting reports on this and other sites you can give some quality time to Great Cars and Trucks. I believe that is what you are being paid to do by Great Cars and Trucks. I don't like refunding, nobody in business does but I do it every time I am asked and I find I get it back tenfold in goodwill - try it - it works. However if that is too hard simply remove your offer of a refund. Do the right thing and get on with business, while there still is a business. Life is terrific.

Dear Wally; It is not "hoops" that customers must go through to claim a refund. It instead is simple security measures that must be abided by. 1> There must be proof that the vehicle is not already sold. That involves paperwork. GC&T does not want to get "ripped off" by people claiming a refund when they have already sold their vehicle. 2> This must be done in a "timely manner" after the 90 days specified. The customer should not be allowed to have more than 1 week's more of free advertizing if they want a refund. 3> These conditions are clearly spelled out in the guarantee. People who work for GC&T are not millionaires & are simply making a living as honestly as they can. Now I don't know how you would suggest to promote someone using the service, as a salesman, if you also did not mention benefits definately offered by GC&T's website. Let's just look at what these people have gotten after 90 days when they want their money back. 1> The salesman's time explaining the website as best he or she can... answering all questions & often needing to call back "over & over" again while the customer checks the website & makes up their mind. 2> 90 Days of a full page ad with up to 100 words of description of their vehicle, advertized along with well over 50,000 other vehicles. 3> The inputers time who has to manually input this person's ad & handle any problems or questions this customer has had. 4> The cost of the website, phone room, Managers, equipment etc. They get all these 4 things & you think that they should still not have to follow rules when getting their money back when their car does not sell? None of the sales rep's I know hide the guarantee, or fail to let the customer know where it is for them to read at the beginning of the sale. As you mention, most customers are not too concerned with it in the beginning, & let's face it. That is not the saleman's fault. Lemme tell ya some facts that you obviously skipped over. Most cars do not sell privately. So if everyone did take their money back that did not sell their car... GC&T would not be in business. However these cars do not sell on other venues as well who do not have any guantee or financing! If you advertized with them for the same length of time that these people have who are asking for their money back... it would cost you in excess of $8000.00 in most cases. Now do you think these "other services" call these people up after they quit advertizing with them & say "Hey go with us again... there is little chance to sell your car"? Is that how you sell? They do get them to advertize with them again for 2 weeks at a cost not much different than GC&T charges for 90 days or more. So they must say something right? They can't mention financing because they don't have any. They can't mention any guarantee, because they don't have any. They probably do not mention negative aspects about their service, as they would not get many sales. I bet they do not even mention that the customer will be mixed with dealers & people that are looking for the customers vehicle are not looking for dealers. So my friend GC&T does step up to the plate. They do have benefits that these other companies do not. Clearly. Most people who go with GC&T realize this & think they did a good job, even if they did not sell their vehicle. They are happy they saved money from trying it other ways & they are glad that their vehicle will continue to be advertized at "no additional cost" to them. A few follow the rules & get their money back, not caring that everyone had done their job properly. They either turn their vehicle into the dealer or waist more money with another venue, as their chances of selling there are about the same as with GC&T or less in most cases. Then you have the few, as on this site that do not care about anything that has been done for them by other people They are upset they have not sold yet, do not follow the rules to get their money back & then complain loudly about it. They will say "I was never told this or that!" & they probably were. They will say "I could not follow the rules because..." & that is clearly their fault. Overall I believe that the "first group" is using more common sence. They don't waist any more money & have the ability to change their price or description at any time at also "no additional cost" to them. They are truly the "winners" who understand the concept. Luckily they are also the majority. As the old saying goes "You cannot please everyone". I do think however "deep down" that GC&T has come up with a wonderful concept & I am pleased at it's success for over 3 years now. I think it was a "great idea in the beginning" & I still think it is a great deal now. It definately is a "viable alternative"

James, I have followed your inane responses to consumers who have a grievance with your business. This last response tops them all. Understand that no consumer enters into a deal with your company with refund as a top priority, uppermost in their mind, because your 'sales people' do a real number on them and present your sales vehicle as bullet proof and guaranteed to sell whatever it is the consumer has to sell. You know that is not the truth and now all of the avid supporters of this site and anyone who googles your business name know it also. On the surface it looks perfect but it is not. Why make the consumer jump through hoops to get the refund they are entitled to? Why attack them personally and insinuate that they are somehow in the wrong because they, in good faith, paid you money to promote the sale of their goods? Why offer a refund if you have no intention of granting it? Why?? Because your 'refund promise' is the clincher to get people to advertise with you. I have always found Canadians to be similar to we Aussies in that if we make a mistake we stand up, cop it on the chin, apologize and then rectify the problem. You can't win on every deal. Be a man not a slimeball - give the customers a hassle free refund - they will come back again and recommend your business to friends. It may be too late because I could count on one hand the number of readers who believe any of your excuses given to your customers (yes, your customers) on this site! We are all consumers, even you, and I'm sure you would be most upset if another business treated you the way you treat your customers. Great Cars and Trucks - perhaps they are - good business plan - I don't think so. Give it some thought mate - you can turn your business around and pull it out of the inevitable downward spiral you are thrusting it into. It's simple - honour what you say you will do without making people jump through hoops - life is good.

Dear Glen; Your first paragraph answers it's own question. You did not ask. One picture is sufficient & all you usually get in most publications. You can put on as many as 4 but we ask you to size those & add them yourself. Second paragraph again answers it's own question. You did not ask. Even without asking, the directions are clearly written on the website. If you want a refund, you need a receipt. In this case it is your credit card bill. You have no receipt... then expect no refund. You are asking for something from someone else & so you need to give proof to that person or company that you are due what you are asking for. As for your third paragraph. No company works on "hear say". Otherwise it would not be there for you to read in writing. Finally in your last statement you really answer your own question. Yes this is true. Check for yourself before you buy anything & if the biggest thing to you is how to get your money back before you buy, make sure you do that before hand. How you would believe that this is anyone else's fault but your own is beyond me, but at least you will know that since you did not get your money back, you will have "as a courtesy" your ad still running until it sells with financing available.