Raymond Gregoline Ray Gregoline Car auto broker rip-off Indianapolis, Indiana

I was introduced to Ray Gregoline through his neighbor. The guy claimed to be an auto broker with more than 15 years experience in car brokering and that he is affiliated with this company US Auto Brokers.

We needed two used cars - one for my teenage son and a 4WD SUV for me. Our budget was $15,000, we would pay in cash.

In my initial briefing from him (as witnessed by his neighbor and my friend), he said he will bring me to car auctions a day or night before the actual auctions to checkout cars and come up with a shortlist of cars he could bid for me the next day. He claimed to be a mechanic and an expert in cars and said I should be able to rely on his assessments of the cars I choose at auction lots and he would inform me if they can be won at auction at my budget. And because he had bad experiences in the past wherein he won cars at auction for clients who would change their minds after he bought the cars, he required a $500 good faith check before he would bid for a car for me. Said the $500 would be applied to total cost of the car. If we did not end up getting a car from the auction, he would return the check.

He also informed me that he sells 4-year bumper-to-bumper extended warranty for used cars at $1295. We needed two used cars one for my son and a 4WD SUV for me. I told him that since these would be the first two used cars my family is buying; I am definitely interested in getting the warranty. As such, we had to bring down our car purchase budget to $12,000 for both cars. He assured me it is very doable.

First visit to the car auction, he said, was for him to understand what kind of cars we wanted. That he would not bid for any at that auction. At our second auction visit, I identified two SUVs I liked and which he said could possibly be won at the next day's auction within my budget. He demands for the $500 check. When I gave him the check, he adds that there will be an auction fee of about $200 I will have to pay to release the car if we won the bidding. And that I will have till the end of auction day to present a Cashier's check to the Auction Company to pay for the car. This was not what he said in his briefing. There was also no mention of the auction fee then. But I figured we were so close to getting a car from the lot, I could swing another $200, and just get the cashier's check. Anyway, I would have to get the car from the lot.

Well, after three car auctions, he tells us that the cars I chose went for higher than my price ceilings. But kept telling me it was just a matter of time. He then presents me with a 2000 Jeep Cherokee (from a private owner not an auction) that he claimed was a great buy. Said the price was $5800 with his $500 fee included. And because it is a private owner sale, he will give me a dead of sale where I can declare a lower purchase price to the BMV and pay substantially less taxes.

Told him I will buy the Jeep if it passes the 99-point used car check at a Jeep Dealer. He agreed, and I arrange for the check. He refused to let me borrow the Jeep, offering to have the owner drive the car to the dealer. Said the owner had limited insurance on the car and did not want to risk my getting it into an accident.

Jeep Dealer check shows the brake pads and rotors damaged, rear hatch props and front hood props did not work and needed changing, CV Boot Kit torn and leaking, valve cover gasket leaking, serpentine belt and filter needed change... etc, etc. Estimates for repairs $1495. Ray tells us dealers overprice things and he can find a mechanic to fix all these for us. He will have owner fix brakes and boot kit. But not rear hatch and front hood props. So we tell him, we will take the car with all repairs promised at $5500 to allocate some money to repair the hood and hatch props, which was estimated at $700. He got very annoyed in the phone call and told us "this frosts me" and that he would inform the owner of our offer. He did not call the next day. Day after I see on our online banking statement that the guy cashed the $500 check I gave him for the auctions!

Emails and phone calls have not been returned. Googling "US Auto Brokers" and "Raymond Gregoline" online leads to a link to a cancelled page and to a home page for Global Trade Associates LLC in Chicago. Company claims to deal in Road salt, Dust cement, Gold Bullion and Gold Dust!!!

Do not deal with this guy!!! He claimed to deal primarily in high end cars. Hard to believe a broker of his claimed status would scam one for $500. His neighbor is a witness to the initial briefing he gave me on the $500 good faith check. He apparently does not even care that his neighbor referred us to him. He kept mentioning to me as we met at car lots that he was spending time and effort for me going to the auctions. Isn't that his cost of doing business? I too was spending time going to the lots, believing his claim and assessments that cars I choose can be won at my budget. How can he sell cars from auctions if he does not go to these auctions???

Further he mentioned that he spent money having the Jeep Cherokee detailed before he showed it to me. I did not ask him to detail the Jeep. Again, for all intents and purposes, this is his cost of doing business. I paid for the Used Car check at the dealer.

Let me stress after three auction visits, he only went to the actual auction for me once, and he could not win a car from a shortlist we identified at this car auctions. Our third auction visit was to a lot that even he ended up deciding none of the cars there was worth bidding for. This is not a case of us having stiffed him with a car he bid and won at an auction.

We believe, as other people weve talked to agree, $300 off on $5800 asking price for the Jeep Cherokee was a sensible move on our part given that we were still facing an estimate $700 repair for the hood and hatch props. We have been fair in our dealing with this man.

Further in one of our meetings at the lot, he told me that he was tied up the day before with a prospective buyer for a Mercedes Benz. But the deal had gone bad with the prospective buyer threatening to send people to kill him! When I asked him why the guys we so mad, he said because he claims I lied to him. This should have raised a red flag to me!

Again do not deal with this man. We have reported him to the police, they are considering an investigation. We will also be seeing a lawyer for this. The amount may only be $500, but this man has to be stopped from doing this to other people.