DriveTime, Ugly Duckling ripoff over priced ****box with a 25% interest rate and 80,000 miles AustinAustin Texas

One long run-on sentence and then claims the "BREAKS" were going out. So...what broke on the breaks? I'm impressed! All these whiners...I wonder what their payment record is?

PEOPLE, PEOPLE, THIS COMPANY IS A RIP OFF!! DONT LISTEN TO DRIVETIME TROLLS AND BROWN NOSES!! DONT WAIST YOUR TIME WITH DRIVETIME!!! THEY BUY CRAP CARS FOR DIRT PRICES, FIX AS LITTLE AS NEEDED, JACK UP THE PRICES AND INTEREST RATES, SWEET TALK YOU INTO A CRAP CAR PROMISING YOU THE MOON ONLY TO BLEED YOU DRY AND THREATEN YOU ABOUT YOUR PAYMENTS!!! READ WHAT ALL THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS COMPANY!!! 200 PLUS PEOPLE COMPLAINING CAN NOT ALL BE JUST A STRING OF BAD LUCK!!! ITS BAD BUSINESS, WITH A ( 3 TIME LOSER ) BAD COMPANY!! JUST FROM WHAT I CAN READ THEY KEEP CHANGING THE NAME TO PROTECT THE GUILTY!!SECOND CHANCE...UGLY DUCKLING...
DRIVETIME... WHATS THE NEXT NAME ON THE DRAWING BOARD...WAISTOFTIME?? SO TELL YOUR FAMILY, TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS, STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!!! WHAT IS IT THEY CALL US...OH YEA COCKROACHES..

Drive Time Overpriced, low quality vehicles Austin Texas

This is in association with the article titled "DriveTime, Ugly Duckling ripoff over priced ****box with a 25% interest rate and 80,000 miles AustinAustin Texas"

The above article was ablout an ex employee named Rick who advised consumers about the poor quality vehicles offered at Drive Time in South Austin (TX). Rick advise that the cars were only made to look nice on the outside, but in actuality were lemons.

I happened to purchase a vehicle from Drive Time in June 2005. THe vehicle was an Oldmobile Alero, year 2000 model. Took the car for a test drive with my sales associated, named "BOB".

The vehicle handled ok, but the only cosmetic issue at that time was the cover to the passenger side front airbag (It looked like it had come off before, but was explained to me that it was warped due to the sun). The entire interior of the vehicle was lether, and the car was a GLS model, fully loaded. It had 82,000 miles on it already.

I was in need of a car, so the warped cover and the high mileage were items I could deal with. After I signed the papers,completed the deal, and drove home, I started to smell antifreeze from the front of the car. Low and behold, it was a definate leak, and was not advised to me at the time. I figured I was still within my 3,000 warranty, so a couple of days later I went back to this dealership and asked them to fix it. They told me I had to Drive to Round Rock, because that is where the regional repair center is. I drove there and found the place, after having to drive through the construction that was going on at the time.

When I arrived they told me I had to pay 40.00 so they could look at the veheicle, even though I expressed the fact that i should not have to since the car is still under warranty. After about 30 minutes of arguing I relented, because I needed my car fixed. I paid them, and then they told me that they may need to keep it the entire day. So I asked them if they would give me a loaner car and they said they do not do that, its not their policy. I would have to go to Enterprise to rent a car, but I would have to pay out of pocket for the expenses. I argued again, but to no avail. I again relented, needed transportation while my newly purchased, still under warranty vehicle was being "repaired".

There was an Enterprise rental location just down the road from where I was at, but the front desk guy called the one in the middle of Downtown Round Rock, about 3 miles away. I hitched a ride from two old guys who were transferring vehicles between the two locations (convenient) and when I arrived at the farther location, there were not any available cars, all had been reserved.

So, after about 45 minutes waiting for a ride back to the dealership, I had no where to go. I lived 60 miles away, so I could not call anyone to pick me up.

After about 5 hours I got a call that my car was fixed and ready to pick up. I was a block away, so I walked to the dealeship and picked up my car. Sure enough the leak was fixed, and no antifreeze leak.....


Until two months later. I had already gone over the 3,000 miles. I contacted Drive Time again about this, and was advised that it was repairded per factory recommendations, and that normal uptake would have prevented the leak from occuring. So I was S.O.L.

I dealt with it, but then all of a sudden other things started beaking:

The sunroof went off its track, was jammed for the longest time and now is stuck in the vent position (even during the rain)

The foglights went out

The electrical started acting up- the security feature, which prevents the car from starting, came on suddenly on a trip to San Antonio. I was stranded for over an hour until it decided to turn itself off and I could sart the car again. Now it does is sporatically.

The lever to adjust the seat back broke, so now I cannot adjust the seat, nor can anyone else who wants to borrow my car.

The heater went out, just a few days ago. Now in the onset of the colder winter months, I will be freezing my a*s off, with no way to heat up the interior of my car, nor with the ability to defronst my front windshield if ice is covering it.

My emgergency light button has broken, and has slipped back into the dashboard, making it nearly impossible to retrieve it. But even worse, If I break down again, I will have no way to turn on my emegerncy lights.

And the coup de gras:
Driving in San Antonio, my car suddently lost power, and the power steering went out. I had no way to turn the vehicle easily, and stalled right in the middle of traffic. Risking further damage to the vehicle I waited about 2 hours and then drove it to a nearby mechaninc. It cost me about $200.00 to fix it. And wouldn't you know, I needed that 200.00 to make my bi-weekly car payment.

Drive Time called me and asked why my payment was late. I told them, and all they told me was to take better car of my car and to pay them immediately that comming friday. I called the South Austin location and spoke to the sales manager to complain, who basically told me sorry for the troubles experienced with the car, but that I could not trade it in for another vehicle with them without first paying the difference of what I owe versus what they would give me as trade.

Yay.

So now, thankfully the car operates, but I am fearfull of what else may go wrong with it. Carfax.com advised that per the VIN, it has not been in an accident, So per that I know it is not salvaged.

I am working my a*s off right now with my employer, thanks to the busy christmas season, and all the overtime I get on my next paycheck, I am going to try to trade this vehicle in and get a brand new car.

BTW, Kelly blue book values the car at about 1500.00, and I owe drivetime more that 8000.00. And I pay 23% interest. So, yeah.

The fact still remains, the company's people apparently are dishonest, sadistic, unprofessional opportunists and that's just for starters. A company is only as good as its people and I wouldn't touch these sleazebags with a 100-foot pole!

I agree 100% with what the person said about them buying cars for 2 to 4 thou, I bought a suv from them, and they did not fix crap on that car before they sold it and it was a nasty mess on the inside too. I can't see them paying more than 4 or 5 for that car at the auction with all the problems it had (I discovered most of them after it was too late). And they charged me over 13 thou for it plus another 8 thou for interest.

Most cars sell at auctions for less than 8 thou, I have family that work at car auctions there in TX, I know how much the cars go for. I have not seen a car at drivetime that they would have spent more than a few thou buying.

I agree with the first guy about this company yea, they will sell you a car and not tell you the truth I bought a grand am from them looked great rasn great and all the above but had to keep taking it in for repairs and get this THE BREAKS WERE GOING OUT did they tell me about it when I bought my car well of coursr NOT!!!!! I had problems all through this time and to top the cake I had about 3 more payments before the car was paid in full and the engine and motor both blew up!!!!!!!! Honesty no these people dont know what honesty is if it hit the dead smack in the face. They are LIARS,CHEATS,CONS, and everything else in that catagory and they care about NOBODY BUT THEIR SELFS.....

Now that you have vented your anger regarding an old job, maybe we can gets some facts out in the open. DriveTime provides 2 different warranties for their customers. They provide a 30 day/1,000 mile warranty that covers their 53 point inspection. there is no deductible for this warranty. They also provide a 180 day/6,000 mile limited warranty that covers the Engine, Transmission, Drive Axle, and Air Conditioning. Yes, it does have a $40 Diagnostic fee per visit. However, if the vehicle does have to be kept past 24 hours after it is diagnosed for a warranty issue, there is a rental re-imbursement. This is up to $25 per day.

Your comment that Drive Time buys their cars from the auction for $2,000 - $4,000 and then sells them for $12K to $18K is obsurd. They buy nothing behind book value and spend over $1,500 on average per car in repairs. Please let me know any other used car company that would do the same.

Your name calling and finger pointing validates the fact that you are upset about your employment with them. Next time don't let that get in the way of the real facts. And always remember, in the future if you need a car, they can get you financed for very little down and you can always choose your interest rate.