On 3/14/09 I visited Nissan of Garden City in order to purchase a car. I met with a sales person named Jose. After taking my application, he informed me that he would get me approved for a 2007 black Nissan Murano at a cost of $14000. As part of the agreement he agreed to pay the remainder of my existing car note for my 2000 Toyota Sienna at $6298.00, which was a huge incentive. He said it would take 10-14 days to be approved because this was a "special arrangement".
On 3/26/09 I called Jose to explain that I needed to continue to make payments on my Toyota Sienna. He apologized for the inconvenience and said that he would make 2 payments totaling $1006 with \"voucher money\" from the dealership. He asked for my bank acct number so he could transfer the voucher money into my account, allowing me to pay my current car note. I later found out that this transfer was deducted from my down-payment, in violation of our agreement.
On 4/2/09, I told Jose that I refused to wait any longer and that I wanted a refund. He reassured me that I could pick up the new car on Thursday, 4/9/09. However, on 4/9/09 when I called Jose to arrange for pickup of the new car, he stalled. I did not hear from Jose at all that day, although I tried contacting him repeatedly. The next morning I finally spoke to him and requested a refund again; he then transferred all but $50 back into my account. I later called Nissan of Garden City to make a formal complaint and get the $50 refunded. However, I was told that no one was available and that Ricky, the sales manager would return my call. I have not received any call to date, nor have I received the $50 I am owed.
I would like my refund of $50, as well as to lodge a formal complaint regarding the business practices of the sales staff at Nissan of Garden City. I am also concerned about the exposure of my personal and confidential financial information unnecessarily and would like some recourse taken as to the security of my information.
The practices of this business are predatory and deceptive. On the day that I was supposed to pick my vehicle up, Jose claimed that he was just "verifying the numbers" and then I would be able to pick the car up. In fact, Jose did not have any deal in place and wasted 1 month of my time claiming that the additional time was needed to process a special loan with a low interest rate. Additionally, the staff at Nissan of Garden City did not provide me with any solution or alternatives to address my problems with their sales tactics. I have been promised return phone calls from both Ricky (sales manager) and Mark Farouq (sales manager) and have received nothing to date.
Damage Resulting = My personal information (paystubs, bank account information, utility bills, credit report, employment information) was exposed to a con artist that had no intention of selling me a vehicle. $1000 was deducted from my down payment, leaving me with an incomplete deposit on a legitimate car deal.In addition, I still have not received my $50 refund from the dealership, nor do I have a car.
Natoya
St. Albans, New York
U.S.A.