John Koons III ripoff nothing but a bad experience since dealing with John Koons III Totally Disgusted Marlow Heights Maryland

On October 8, 2004, I called 1-800-new car from an ad that I had seen on tv. The gentlemen that answered the phone said that he was with a customer and asked if I would call back. I told him that I would. I did not have to, he called me back. He said his name was Ricardo Leonard and that he would be able to put me in a new car. I explained to him that I had credit issues. He got my information from me and called me back and told me that he would be able to put me in a vehicle and asked me when I would be in to see him. I told him that I would be there on October 9, 2004. When I arrived on October 9, 2004, Ricardo Leonard had already phoned my home twice to see if I was coming. Ricardo Leonard explained that he would not be able to put me in a new vehicle because of credit issues that I had. Ricardo assured me that I would be leaving with a vehicle that day. After looking over the parking lot, there was nothing that I liked or within my price range.

Finally, as Ricardo Leonard and I were still looking, his manager asked him if he were looking for a big car and he said yes. He said here check this out. It was a 2001 Dodge Intrepid. I told him that it was the size car I was looking for. We took it for a test drive to the metro stop and back, it seemed to run fine. I told Ricardo Leonard that I wanted the vehicle. He said okay we are going to get you this vehicle. He said he needed $1,000.00. I told him that I had $500 cash and that I could write him a check for the other $500, but that he could not cash the check until two weeks from the day, which would be October 23. He assured me that it would be fine.

After that, Ricardo Leonard took me in to meet the finance guy. He offered me three options and I told him which one I could afford. It was not until after I left that evening that I saw that there was no cooling off period and that I was being charged 27% APR. When I left the dealership and drove to St. Mary's the vehicle seemed to ride fine.

Ricardo told me that I would have to bring the vehicle in on October 12, 2004 to have a radio installed. On October 10, 2004, I got in the vehicle and was driving and I notice black smoke coming from the exhaust system. My boyfriend said pull over because the smoke was so dark that we thought the vehicle was on fire.

We pulled over and luckily the vehicle was not on fire but it was smoking really badly. My boyfriend said to take the vehicle back right away. I told him that today was Sunday and they were closed on Sundays and he said that we will take it back on Monday. On October 11, 2004, I called Ricardo Leonard and told him that the vehicle was smoking really badly and he told me to bring it back in. When I took the vehicle back in, Kelvin in the Service Department waited on me. He told me that he was filling in for Todd and that Todd would be back on Tuesday, October 12. Kelvin said that he would arrange for a rental car for me because he knew that the vehicle would not be ready by the end of the day because it was smoking so bad.

Kelvin informed me that Todd would be calling me on Tuesday to let me know the status of my vehicle. I asked Kelvin to not call for the rental car yet because I wanted to speak with Ricardo Leonard about getting another vehicle because I believed there was something major wrong with the Intrepid.

I went to Ricardo Leonard and told him that I no longer wanted the Intrepid because I believed that there was something major wrong with the vehicle and that I wanted another vehicle. Ricardo Leonard said that he had to speak with his manager and get back with me. My family and I walked out to the parking lot and Ricardo Leonard came back to me and said that his manager said it seemed funny that the vehicle was not smoking on Saturday when I purchased it and he wondered what I had done from the dealership to my home. I told him that I really did not appreciate that comment and asked why would I mess up something that I would have to pay for? Ricardo Leonard assured me that the vehicle would be ready on Tuesday and if not, he would personally give me a ride home in his own vehicle.

My family and I went back to the Service Department and Kelvin called Enterprise and Enterprise came and picked us up. Once we arrived at Enterprise, I was informed that the only vehicle that I would be able to get was a compact car because John Koons III was only paying $27.00 a day for the car. I explained that the vehicle I had purchased was a full size vehicle and the employee explained that he understood my position but that was the policy. I ended up driving a cavalier vice an Intrepid. The following day, I kept calling Ricardo Leonard, Kelvin and Todd to see if the vehicle was ready. No one returned my calls. I called several times. Finally, after 8:00pm, I called and asked to speak with the manager of used vehicles and the employee informed me that they did not have a particular manager for used cars. She transferred me and I got someone's voice mail.

I informed her that I really needed to speak with someone and I got Eric Cameron, Eric Cameron was the only employee that helped me. I had my sister on the line and she was asking Eric Cameron some generic questions and he informed her that he really could not answer specific questions because he was not my salesman and was not involved in the sale of my vehicle.

My sister told him that she understood that he could not answer questions specific to my situation, but what was John Koons III policy on exchanging vehicles and Eric advised that John Koons III does not normally accept vehicles back. I explained to Eric how no one had returned my calls and I had been calling all day and he took my information and assured me that he would speak with Todd in the morning and call me back. Which Eric did do what he said he would do.

The next morning Eric called and said that he had spoke with Todd and Todd said that he didn't see where anything was wrong with the vehicle, but that Todd would be calling me back and that if he didn't call me back by 2:00 for me to call Eric back. I explained to Eric that I had the rental car and that I didn't want to have to pay extra money for the rental car because I was only supposed to have the rental car for one day. Eric said he understood but that I would keep the rental car until my car was ready. I ended up leaving work early on October 13 and went to the dealership to see if someone would speak with me in person.

When I arrived at the dealership, I met Eric (the only person that would return my call and help me). Eric told me that he had called me at work again and that I would not have had to make a special trip out to the dealership. Eric took me and my boyfriend to the Service Department and he showed us Todd. Todd then went to check on the vehicle, he said the vehicle was ready. I asked if the radio had been installed and he said that he did not know anything about it. Todd explained to Eric what was wrong with the vehicle acting as if my boyfriend and myself were not even there. Todd said that we could leave the vehicle if we wanted to have the radio installed because there was no ticket on it. I chose to leave the vehicle. Eric walked me and my boyfriend out and told me that we keep the rental car until my vehicle was ready.

On Wednesday, October 13, I received a notice from my bank showing me that two checks that I had written were returned because a $500 check had been presented for payment, which was supposed to be presented on October 23. I called the dealership on October 15 and they told me that I would have to speak with Jack Parson. I was informed that he was already gone for the day. On Monday, October 25, Jack Parson had left a message for me. I returned his call on Tuesday, October 26, and he never returned my call. He called me back on Wednesday, October 27 and I returned his call. He was calling me in reference to my check that had been returned. I explained to him that the check should not have been presented for payment until October 23 for payment and Jack Parsons was very rude and asked me how was he supposed to know that the check was not supposed to be presented until October 23? I told him that Ricardo Leonard assured me that he would make sure the check would not be presented until October 23.

Jack Parsons told me that I needed to take that up with Ricardo Leonard. Of course, I have left messages for Ricardo Leonard and he will not return my calls. I asked Mr. Parsons who would be reimbursing me for the fees that my bank charged me for overdrafts due to John Koons III presenting the check too soon and Mr. Parsons said that no refund money would be discussed as long as I owed John Kooons III.

I told Mr. Parsons that I have had nothing but a bad experience since dealing with John Koons III on October 9, 2004, and he told me too bad. John Koons III is the worst business I have ever had the displeasure of doing business with in my life. The vehicle is still not running right and I purchased on October 9, 2004.

Totally Disgusted.

Angela
Lexington Park, Maryland
U.S.A.