Metro Ford - Holmes Motors - Carfax How Metro Ford make me repurchase my already paid in full vehicle because I wouldn't buy a lemon! ripoff Independence Missouri

In Feb. of 2002, I was looking to replace my 2002 Ford ZX2, as it had been involved in a wreck which caused over $5,000 worth of damage to it, and I wasn't sure if the car would be in good shape for too much longer, so I called up Internet Sales Manager James Mangan at Metro Ford, Inc. in Independence, MO, and asked him if he could locate a 2003 Ford ZX2 (the last year they were made) with low mileage, and with the same features my 2002 vehicle had on it (noting that I wanted to make sure that the 2003 vehicle was able to switch my car's audio system into the newer car if it did not have a cassette player (as mine did.)

In March of 2003, I notified Mr. Mangan that I had located a 2003 vehicle from cars.com which was located at Holmes Motors Wichita Falls, TX branch. (That address is 3501 Sheppard Access Rd., Wichita Falls, TX 76306 @877-566-8966. Mr. Mangan said that he would look into it.

When he called me back about it, he told me that the vehicle had a bent frame on it, but it was due to damage done by a car carrying rack, not by an accident. At first, I told him to keep looking, but when he convinced me that the people at Holmes Motors said that the car was okay, he told me that there shouldn't be any problems.

I saw on the Holmes Motors site that the car was a Carfax dealer, and that it had a buy back guarantee on it. Mr. Mangan told me that I had to put $4,000 down to purchase this car, plus I traded my 2002 vehicle into the dealership for $3,750 (way below the Blue Book value of the vehicle.) He also sent two of his people down to check out the car and bring it up here.

After he told me to make the deposit, he told me that the sale was final, and that I would have to accept the car the way it was - he also claimed that he advised me NOT to buy the car, but that was never said because he told me to sign a paper saying that I knew about the bent frame, and when I asked him once again about it, he once again stated that it was caused by the car carrying rack, and not an accident.

When I received the car on 3-29-06, the car wasn't as described, as the interior looked like an animal scratched the plastic molding on the doors and frame inside, the sliding cover to the sunroof didn't open and close smoothly, the driver's side power windows had a short in the motor, the console in the middle of the car was cracked (due to an accident, from what I have experienced previously), and the driver's side window was severely scratched. Mr. Mangan had an 'electronics expert' come to change the car's stereo (as the factory radio in the 2003 vehicle DIDN'T EVEN WORK!), but then he said that the systems in the car could not be replaced, and that he'd give me a $100.00 credit because of it. I then prepared to take the car home, but had second thoughts, so I went back to the dealership.

Upon return to the dealership, I told Mr. Mangan, as well as Used Car Manager Kevin Schultz at Metro Ford, Inc. that I didn't want the 2003 vehicle, and that I wanted my original 2002 vehicle back, but they refused, saying that they 'repeatedly warned me about getting this car' (which they both NEVER did), and that I HAD to keep the 2003 vehicle.

Mr. Schultz also said that sometimes you have to learn an expensive lesson sometimes, but it would work out someday - at that time, I said that I understood, but what I DID understand was that I was getting ripped off, not that the sale was final (as I stated that Metro Ford, Inc. could have returned the 2003 vehicle to Holmes Motors via the Carfax buy back guarantee, and just penalize me for canceling the sale, and maybe for the gas it took for their workers to go down to Wichita Falls.)

That night, I was a nervous wreck, and didn't know what to do.

The next morning, after calling several attorneys and the Missouri Attorney General's office, an attorney told me to get my original car back regardless - to do this, I had to call Mr. Mangan and Mr. Schultz two or three times, as they didn't answer to begin with. Once Mr. Schultz FINALLY took my call, he said that he 'could work something out' to get my 2002 vehicle back.

When I got to the dealership, Mr. Schultz (more or less) 'sold back to me' my 2002 vehicle by making me put down yet another $2,500 down payment, plus he made me sign a five year loan to repay my car (that I had paid in full in Feb. of 2005 from Blue Springs Ford in Blue Springs, MO), and also made me refinance the car via Ford Credit, with a high interest rate of 14.25%

I filed a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General's Office, as well as complaints with KSHB-TV's 'Call For Action', Carfax about the ethics of Holmes Motors (as they were a representative of Carfax, and their 'buy back guarantee.'), and Ford Motor Company itself, but all of them seemed to rule in Metro Ford, Inc's favor, and I wound up paying an additional $13,000 for my already paid for car!

Luckily, I paid off this car in a year, but in return, I just as for some type of justice for this wrong, as it cost me a full year's salary at the job that I work, which could have been money in my bank instead of money in both Holmes Motors, and Metro Ford Inc.'s pockets!

Duane
Liberty, Missouri
U.S.A.

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