V.E.O. Car and Truck Sales Buyer Beware - Fraudulent Dealership Williamstown New Jersey

Dear Potential Buyers of VEO Car and Truck,

Avoid this dealership at all costs. Please see the below formal complaint I had to file with the BBB, FTC, NJ Dept of Consumer Affairs, and several other organizations. I still have not had the issue resolved.

To Whom It May Concern,                                                                             

I would like to formally file a complaint against VEO Auto & Truck Sales located in Williamstown, New Jersey as I believe they have committed at least two acts of auto fraud, breach of warranty, breach of contract and unfair business practices. The breach of warranty includes both a written, implicit warranty as well as an implied warranty of fitness and implied warranty of merchantability.

On December 23rd, 2015 I purchased a 2001 Toyota Celica for $3,500 in cash with a 90 Day Power Train Warranty and a 14 day guarantee that the dealership would cover any repairs needed to pass PA State inspection. I took all the necessary precautions and had the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic, got the Car-Fax, and test drove the vehicle myself before purchasing. Since day one, this car has been an absolute nightmare and quite clearly falls under New Jersey's consumer protection laws. In the first 10 days that I owned the vehicle I have had to place two oil changes into the car ($80), a brand new stereo system ($100), have it jumped twice on January 3rd (covered by my insurance but about $100 a piece), and a new battery installed($113; also on January 3rd). Both the repair shop and myself both contacted V.E.O. several times during this initial period to try and correct the problem. On January 4th on my way to get the car inspected, the car started smoking white hot gas out of the engine. At the mechanic, I learned that the car had "red lined", meaning that the engine had gotten so hot from water leaking into the engine and mix with oil, causing the gaskets to blow and the cylinders to shatter. These defaults in the engine mean that it needs to be completely replaced.

I then contacted the warranty company (CARS Protection Plus) who were familiar with V.E.O., but had no warranty on file for my car. As it turns out, V.E.O. never sent in the warranty, which would make filing a claim impossible and is now guilty of both auto fraud and breach of warranty. When I confronted V.E.O. about this they initially told me I would have to wait at least a week until the sales manager returned from vacation to even get an answer, and would not let me talk to the owner in the  interim. When the sales manager upon his return from vacation still refused to honor both the warranty and the 14 day contractual agreement, I filed a complaint with the BBB and posted on V.E.O.'s Facebook page to warn other consumers.

After several more phone calls, on January 6th V.E.O. promised that they would repair the vehicle as a result of their missteps with the warranty and the contractual agreement, and towed the vehicle back to the dealership. Aproximately a week later, they falsely claimed that there was a second warranty (which I was unaware) that would provide the funds necessary for the repair. Upon receiving the second warranty (with Diamond Warranty Corp), I noticed that V.E.O. had purchased another warranty after both the car sale date and after they were made aware of the defects in the vehicle. This warranty was back dated to January 4th, the date that the most major of the defects became known, another count of auto fraud and breach of warranty. V.E.O. now refuses to make any repairs to the car at all. This whole situation is preventing me from being able to perform my work duties as an outside salesperson, and could possibly result in my termination despite a stellar sales record. My hope is, that by writing this, V.E.O. will simply do the right (and legally binding) thing, and fix the vehicle in an earnest fashion. My hope is that this will prevent any lengthy court procedures.