Complaint Review: Melbourne Truck & Auto Sales - Melbourne Florida

I Went to Melbourne Truck & Auto originally with friend as he was interested in a vehicle there.  He took it out for a ride and upon starting it the engine made an unnatural noise which even the manager John heard. It seemed to run alright but did make a rattling noise when accelerating at different speeds. He said he knew John the manager from talking with him from previous conversations, although he had never bought a vehicle there before, telling me he thought he was a straight shooter. He decided to get a newer one elsewhere which afterwards I went back the next day deciding to purchase the vehicle cash with the $3000.00 I had thinking the noise was something minor and otherwise the vehicle seemed to be in good condition. John stated it belonged to his cousin who is his business partner and was taken meticulous care of which I fell for.

Well, the next day I wanted to take care of the rattling noise I was hearing upon acceleration and brought it to my mechanic in town who has a great reputation with all his customers and said he would check it out for no charge. The engine made a noise upon starting and he said he immediately knew what it was and that it had a bad engine bearing and would last perhaps only another month before I would need the engine replaced. He said whoever had this car knew it was bad as it had been going on for some time, which in this case was his business partner. Also, the oil gauge would stay in one place with the engine off. I didn't notice this myself until the mechanic showed me saying this could have been rigged to show oil pressure even thought there was not enough. I should have perhaps pursued this issue further

 I brought the car back to Melbourne Truck & Auto telling John of the situation and trying to resolve it in a dignified manner offering to let him keep two to three hundred dollars for his time and paperwork while refunding the remainder back thinking this would be fair. He yelled he would not give back any refund of any kind saying my mechanic didn't know what he was talking about and that a replacement engine could be found at a junkyard. Well, I didn't buy a car only to replace the entire engine a couple of days later. I then asked about a reasonable replacement in which I could put the money I had spent for the vehicle towards another and pay an additional price if the car was worth more. I checked out one in which I thought was good and was willing to pay the additional amount  with payments. The next day  manager John made some excuse that the car couldn't be sold for some reason and I only had a choice of a couple on the lot. I took a Saturn out for a ride around the block and the transmission was so bad I felt lucky even to make it back. Unbelievable that these con artists resort to selling cars as this. There was then the final choice and the car was listed at $3,785. I felt I had no choice and took it. I felt my $3000.00 would go toward the price at which John deduced $250 as he said that would be the cost to check out the engine on the other car saying it might just be engine sludge. He didn't deduct anything off the sticker price of $3,785 for the car I was getting to replace the other one and somehow I would enc of paying another $1,700 for this one. I took it and realized what a rip-off this was as my dealer friend elsewhere stated this car would go for $400 at an auction which is along the lines of what I thought. The top was no good being full of rips and the body wasn't great either. The only thing worth it was the radio. I kept it for a couple of weeks and then brought it back on my way out of state on a trip and just left it on his lot calling him on my way to North Carolina and telling him the keys were in the flower pot and I was not happy at all with the situation I was totally disgusted over this whole ordeal.

I found out later from friends who wished I had talked to them sooner letting me know Melbourne Truck & Auto does have a bad reputation in town among people who have dealt with them as I heard from associates of mine of how they were taken by these con artists. Recently someone I know was at their office and overheard them talking about dealing with their customers. They couldn't believe the words used to describe their customers and how they swore over having to deal with these people. They said they were surprised as they care nothing of their customers or of having to deal with them at all. All they want is to rip-off as many as they can.

I came to know a couple of people who have worked for Melbourne Truck & Auto after I described my situation. They both said John is a con artist and they would get his cars ready for sale and there were so many mechanical issues with many of the vehicles that didn't concern Melbourne Truck & Auto by selling them to the unsuspecting public. They get their junk from Melbourne Auction which should speak for itself as many of those vehicles are not worth it. I am good friend with another used car dealer in town and he said he doesn't get his cars from the auction as he couldn't sell them knowingly with issues to his customers. He refunded a couple of his customers in good faith as they returned cars bought from the auction with mechanical problems. He now has a business partner that gets their cars elsewhere  and now they have them checked out prior to selling them to avoid unhappy customers. Even his business partner who has previously be active in the car business said to me he knew Melbourne Truck & Auto has a bad reputation around town.

Melbourne Truck & Auto has lost more than I have as they have lost a potential customer and referrals. As I am active in community affairs in Melbourne and an active member of a few organizations in Brevard with ties to the business community, I spread the word to many in regard to my experience to save others from dealing with the con artists at Melbourne Truck & Auto. To have a bad reputation in Melbourne is like a virus  as Melbourne is a small town and spreads it all over the community. I have posted numerous fliers in many locations throughout Brevard informing potential buyers to stay clear of Melbourne Truck & Auto. I have spoken with a few people who have thanked me as they were considering my doing business with them that makes me feel good to know I am helping other through educating them about rip-off artists such as Melbourne Truck & Auto and the sleazy character of the manager John toward his customers. It does work in the end.

I have previously purchased 17 cars within the span of perhaps ten years from my other friend who is a used car dealer as I have been treated well knowing he will take care of a situation the proper way as he knows even to refund a purchase or replace a vehicle bought within a reasonable amount of time helps that person spread the good word along with that person coming back again to buy there again. Naturally he has to make a reasonable profit from selling his vehicles and that comes from treating people right in the first place.  I have also purchased cars from Frank Brett who has an excellent reputation from all I spoke to and was impressed with the way he treats his customers. He s I purchased my current vehicle from a place with a good reputation for much less than the piece of crap at Melbourne Truck & Auto.

Stay away from these cons artists at Melbourne Truck & Auto. I found it interesting that John the manger would talk about other car dealers and how bad they were to people while he is just about on the top of the list in the community for taking people and ripping his customers off. When he talked against Frank Brett the red flag should have gone up as Frank has always treated his customers the proper business way and that translates into them coming back and referring others. There are a few other used card dealers in town that have good reputations and the ones that don't get found out by the word spread by those who have been ripped off such as myself.

In closing I hope I help someone else out there from being scammed by the con artists at Melbourne Truck & Auto. Don't be a victim of this criminal enterprise!