ComplaintsforGateway Classic Cars of Tampa

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of transaction - 10/27/2023 Amount paid to business - $62,397.63 I purchased a *************************************** October. I live in *********, ** so I had contacted the business to send me pictures and tell me the condition the car was in. The man I was dealing with is ***************************. He sent me pictures of the car & assured me it looked really good, it started up on the first try & sounded good. He claimed he did not see any rust underneath. I put my trust in this company & believed they were reputable & would not be selling junk to people. I purchased the car, paying cash all at once. Upon receiving the car, I realized it had many problems. The headlights, turn signals & brake lights did not work at all. It did not start easily. It was incredibly hard to shift gears. I took it to a mechanic here that specializes in classic cars. My mechanic knew the car was in bad shape right away. I left the car with him overnight so he could do a proper inspection. He informed me that the frame of the car is rotten, the fan on the motor was completely loose & about to fall off, the engine thermometer had a bunch of holes drilled in it & was the wrong type for this car causing the engine to overheat, the alternator was missing brackets & about to fall off of the engine, the fly wheel on the transmission was grinded out & needed to be replaced which causses the car to be almost un-shiftable, the alignment & issues with the frame caused the car to be very dangerous to drive especially with no power steering, along with many other issues. I sent the ********************** back to the dealership hoping to get some money back or use the money I had spent towards another car but they informed me there was nothing they could do. They also listed the selling price on their website as $67,000 when I only paid $62,000. I feel they knew the car was unusable but sold it to me anyway. They do not operate in good faith & should be punished for their unethical practices.

  Business response

  12/05/2023

  To whom this may concern,
  
  The Company received a complaint from the consumer about a recent vehicle purchased. After investigating, the business believes some of these statements claimed were inaccurate to the facts. After review, it found no malintent transpired during the negotiations or transaction of this vehicle.

  
  Within the advertisement for this vehicle on our website, it clearly states the following:
  Dealership sells by consignments of classic cars.
  These vehicles have surpassed their original life expectancy.
  Vehicles being sold are not new and they can be expected to require greater upkeep and repair.
  Each purchaser has the responsibility to inspect the vehicle and is relying on their own inspection, knowledge, and judgement about any vehicle being purchased.  

  
  Upon review, it was discovered the consumer was provided with the opportunity to have the vehicle inspected and chose to forgo an inspection. This is acknowledged by the consumer in the completed purchase agreement.
  Furthermore, the vehicle was released to a 3rd party transporting company. The Bill of Lading completed by the transport company when they arrived showed no starting,mechanical, or operating issues being notated when turning over possession to them.The vehicle was driven out of the showroom and driven on to the transport trailer for the cross-country delivery by the transporter.  

  
  We cannot speak to the accuracy of the mechanics findings. However, in our 24 + years of experience weve seen many attempts to exacerbate their findings in hopes of tallying a higher bill and taking advantage of those who perhaps are lacking knowledge in this area. The fact this is your mechanic, we certainly would hope he wouldnt infringe upon your bond or relationship in this manner. However, we would always recommend seeking a minimum of 3 quotes, suggestions, or feedback before proceeding with any maintenance on a vehicle.

  
  Lastly, the price on the website refers to the advertised price of the vehicle at the time it was sold. In our opinion, this seems like a ***** attempt by the consumer to latch onto anything they can locate in hopes of tarnishing the companys reputation.

  
  In closing, the company was disheartened to receive feedback from this consumer of their dissatisfaction with the recent purchase. The company took the individuals claims very seriously and investigated the matter in its entirety. After reviewing the facts, the company found they upheld their portion of the agreement. As of now, the company considers this purchase to be completed in its entirety and has closed out this transaction.

• Initial Complaint

  04/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought an Opel from this dealership at their Tampa location and was told everything was in working order and was drivable. It was NOT in working order and the driving video shared was apparently from many months prior. First of all, they got the year wrong on the paperwork, which meant all of the paperwork had to be redone. I told them I would sign the new paperwork when I arrived in a week and a half time. After badgering me everyday for days to sign the updated paperwork remotely (should have been a big red flag, but I thought I could trust these guys), I signed the updated paperwork. They were clearly badgering me to sign the updated paperwork because the car was far from drivable. There was a MAJOR leak coming from the fuel tank (gushing ounces of fuel a second) AND a carburetor fuel leak, constantly dripping fuel inches from the exhaust header. Far from drivable. On top of this, they had to cold start the engine with starting fluid directly to the carburetor (likely also related to the carburetor leak issue, but sorting through that at the moment).Now when buying a classic car, I expect to have to do some work. I'm not complaining about the following, but would have appreciated being aware of these before buying - the headlights didn't work; one brake light was out; the aftermarket alarm for the car didn't work; there were some exterior and interior blemishes that conveniently weren't captured in various picture angles (I actually think some photos were doctored looking back at the picture, but obviously hard to prove)... These alone are annoying, but all of them are expected in buying a 50+ year-old classic car.What is NOT expected is to show up to a dealership expecting to drive a car away for them to have to start a car with starting fluid and when they add fuel, have that fuel pouring out of the bottom of the gas tank. Even if those were fixed, fuel dripping onto the exhaust headers is a recipe for highway disaster.

  Business response

  04/13/2023

  The business believes some of these statements were inaccurate to the facts. The **************** has been in contact with the consumer to discuss the situation in depth. During these discussions, it was revealed the consumer came to the facility to pick up the vehicle themselves. Thus, the individual had an opportunity to inspect and look over the vehicle in its entirety prior to taking possession. All concerns mentioned were certainly revealed then, if they hadnt been already during discussions and pursuit of the vehicle. Referencing the fuel issue, it is common for our facilities to add a couple of gallons to the vehicle prior to release. Vehicles are kept on a fuel restriction or reduction while being housed due to Fire ******** regulations and requirements. Also, on occasions some of these vehicles require a spritz of starter fluid, as vehicles fuel lines can run dry and need a slight boost. Again, prior to taking possession and pulling away, all of these items were visible. While we are disheartened to hear of the consumers dissatisfaction of their purchase, our review showed that no malintent transpired during the negotiations or transaction of this vehicle. 
  After reviewing all the facts, the company considers this purchase to be completed in its entirety and has closed out this transaction.   

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