ComplaintsforCarwise Peoria

• Initial Complaint

  04/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hi, my name is **** ****. I have been to 4 different lawyers, and they said to notify you so here I am. I hope you can help us. I don't know what else to do, my son and I bought a Grand Cherokee Jeep from Carwise Peoria on 4/4/23. We put 1500$ down and made one payment and the check engine light came on, so about week 6. I signed a warranty for 3 years and engine, transmission. and drive train. When i went to the dealership they said to take it to **** **** and have them check it so i did. before I have it looked at the manager says are you sure what warranty you have, and I said yes and tell him. he said people come in here all the time thinking they have one warranty, and they have a different one. When he checked mine, it said I had a totally different warranty. I know what I signed, and I would never signed a 23,000$ loan for no engine and transmission warranty. The warranty people said to take it to a jeep dealer, so I did. I couldn't get in right away, so I had to wait 2 weeks. When I took it there, I had to pay for the diagnostic out of pocket 358$ and they told me my engine needed 17,000$ worth of work. No warranty to cover it and that someone had poured stop leak in it, be it the people who traded it in or the dealer. These people are running warranty scams on people. I know there is more out there when the **** **** manager said what he did. This has ruined my credit; I have lost job and my apartment because of this business. I went and talked to the head Maintenace manager ****** and showed him the list and he said they would figure something out and went in back and came back out and said it would take them I bit to hear from the main office. I told him get ahold of me and left and he never called I called him, and he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about and then would not take my calls at all. These people are scamming people. Please help us, I don't know where else to turn. Thank you ****.

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  This is a regrettable situation with Ms. **** and Mr. ******. 

  As we understand it, the diesel motor that failed after purchase and outside the state mandated 15 day / 500 mile powertrain warranty (which applies to catastrophic engine, transmission, transfer case, and differential failure only.) Ms. **** notified us of the problem and we referred her to our sublet shop, **** **** who, upon further inspection, found the motor to have "stop leak" in it. Our company policy is to inspect our vehicles for mechanical issues and address them before sale. There is no way for Car Wise to have known about this chemical introduction to the motor without disassembling the motor, a practice frowned upon until a motor has failed completely. As **** **** is incapable of replacing or re-milling motors, MBPI recommended Ms. **** take the vehicle to an authorized Stellantis (Chrysler, Fiat, Dodge, Jeep, Ram) dealer for further inspection. Neither Car Wise nor Ms. ****** Vehicle Service Contract (VSC) provider (MBPI) pay for diagnostic services without prior authorization. As Ms. **** took the reins on taking the vehicle to the aforementioned service department, all diagnostic costs are the responsibility of the customer. 

  Ms. ****** VSC remains valid for covered items. While unfortunate, there is no way to know who put the stop leak in the engine to begin with. As mentioned above, our company policy prohibits the use of this type of product. 
  

  We have recently opened our own service department and our executive management team has agreed to tow Ms. ****** vehicle in AT OUR EXPENSE to have our factory trained technician further evaluate the condition of the vehicle and motor. We hope to come to a mutually agreeable resolution. We do not make any promises or guarantees as to what the outcome will be, but we will take every step necessary to resolve this matter. Our general manager, ****, has reached out to Ms. **** and informed her of our intentions of bringing the vehicle in to our newly opened and tooled shop. Again, we are certain we will be able to find a solution that works for everyone. 

  It is our understanding that Ms. **** has stopped paying the note on her vehicle, a regrettable situation between her lender and herself. We are not liable for missed payments, regardless of the reason. We will not entertain any further conversation regarding the missed payments and pending repossession. 

  Customer response

  04/16/2024

  They have decided to work with me they said. They said that they would fix my Jeep. I am going to work with them and will keep you updated how it goes. Thank you so much for helping me get this taken care of you have no idea how much this means to me and my son. Again, Thank you ****.

  Customer response

  04/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I will keep in contact to be sure they do what they are supposed to Thank you so much for your help.

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and I went to CarWise on march the 7th to purchase a vehicle. We found a vehicle sat done with salesman and worked out a deal. General Manager came in and said he could get us approved and asked if we would like to take the car home. We said yes!! And then this is where it all gets ugly. We put $1,250 cash down. And supplied them with bank statements. Court order child support documents and my pay Stubbs. We also informed them that my wife doesn’t always deposit her child support. They said no problem. So we left that night with the understanding we were approved. So fast forward to March 20th. We receive a phone call from **** the manager the same **** that said we were approved and was taking our new car home. Saying hey you’re not approved I need the car back. I’m sorry but almost 2 weeks you’ve taken my money and now you’re telling me after I have already spent money on the vehicle that I’m not approved. So not only have I waisted my time and effort. Now I have to yet spend more of my own money to take there car back with no reimbursement. This s absolutely absurd and people should not be allowed to be treated this way. DON’T send someone home in a plated car telling them it’s theirs and then take it back almost 2 weeks later. I have yet to receive my down payment back. And they refuse to reimburse me for my gas $$$ I spent driving back and forth from plus having to return the vehicle. Again this is wrong on so many levels.

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  Illinois is a "Spot Delivery" state which allows the delivery of a vehicle with a preliminary approval from a lending institution, but not finalized. This permits Illinois' 6,000 dealers to deliver vehicles to customers of all credit situations the day of purchase rather than sitting on down payments for days - weeks waiting for the lender to finalize and "fund" the deal. 

  Lenders set the requirements necessary for them to fund these deals. Car Wise is simply an intermediary between the customer and the lender. When a lender rejects income or documentation, it is out of the control of the business and non-negotiable. When a lender cannot substantiate income claimed (the specific case here),the lender will either ask for more documentation for further review or reject the deal as a whole. 

  In this instance, Car Wise tried everything we possibly could to keep this deal from folding, however, the bank declined the documentation supplied. Once declined, the deal died and we needed our vehicle back. 

  Finally, the $1250 down payment was fully refunded to Mr. & Mrs. ********. While we regret the circumstances, Car Wise is not responsible for time spent in transit and since no injury was sustained, whether real or perceived, outside of pride, we are unwilling to issue any additional reimbursements. We consider this matter closed. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a 2017 Jeep Compass, 11/26/2024. And my alternator went out 2/27/2024. There is no way that my car should not be working only 3 months after I bought it.

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  Alternators are considered a wearable item and are subject to periodic failure. 

  We are required by Illinois law to ensure the vehicle drivetrain (engine, transmission, rear main seal, transfer case, & differentials) will be free from defect for a period of 15 days or 500 miles.
  
  Ms. ******** was informed at the time of purchase that the vehicle is being "sold in an as-is condition with nothing else promised or owed." Ms. ******** was offered an extended service contract at the time of purchase and declined. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Car Wise owes my daughter, ******** ***** a total of $750.00. My Daughter ******** *****, wanted me to cosign for a car from Carwise in Peoria IL. I agreed to cosign for her because she has inadequate personal income to buy a vehicle. She gets a monthly disability check. They ask ******** to put down a $1,000, they debited $500.00 and a second payment of $250.00. My daughter does not have the vehicle, Hyundai, Tucson 2019. The vehicle is in my possession at my address, which I live in Bloomington, IL. Car Wise led me to believe my daughters name was on the car loan, with me as the cosigner. ******** was upset that she had to pay for a down payment on a vehicle she does not have. I called Carwise and got the run around, they never answers they phone and when they do answer a secretary answers and I have to leave a message . I called Car Wise on November 14, 2023 to speak with the general finance manager, named ****. He hung up on me and I had to leave a message asking **** to please return my call regarding my daughter ******** being charged a down payment or a vehicle she doesn't have. Car wise never returned my calI. On December 1, 2023, my daughter, ******** called me upset that they charged her for the second payment of $250.00. I called Carwise on December 1st to speak with the general manager and was always sent to his voice mail. I left a message to ask him to call me concerning my daughter being charged for this vehicle and told him I will report him to the BBB if he doesn't call me back. He immediately call me back within 5 minutes. I told **** that ******** is not on my car loan and asked him to please refund ******** back her money of $750.00. He looked at my loan and saw that she was not on my loan and he immediately agreed to give her a refund. My daughter said they did refund her the $750.00 and then the same day denied the refund and took back the refund.

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  A refund of $750 was issued in error to Ms. *****'s card and then reversed. $250 is still due in downpayment. Car Wise does not refund down payments based on whom is in possession of the vehicle. No additional refunds will be considered or given without the original contracted $1000 down payment being paid in full. The next installment of $250 is due 1 January 2024. Ms. ******** is welcome to contact us directly to resolve the remaining $250 balance. 

  Customer response

  12/15/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Carwise never revealed to my daughter or I that a no refund policy  was part of the contract.   Also The general manager agreed to give her back her refund, when he read that my daughter was not on my car loan.  I am seeking outside  help to get this matter resolved.  I'm not satisfied with  Car wise decision!

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Attached will be a letter I wrote stating my concerns and needs. In brief, I'll list some things that are within the letter, and extra details about my situation. I purchased a vehicle with Carwise on December 17th, 2022. After showing the exact vehicle I wanted from their inventory, my vehicle of choice was swapped at the last minute with one that looked extremely similar. Not only that but the vehicle they ended up giving me had more miles, damage, and was much more expensive. The salesperson insinuated he was giving me the best deal possible and was not being open about my options. My girlfriend and I spent hours inside while they processed paperwork but I really think they were just trying to stall and tire us out before making a big decision. For this reason, I believe I was treated unfairly due to my age and knowledge of vehicles. Although the amount financed was $19,812.69 the total of payments if continued as is will be $37,753.20. This is outrageous. Even though I was the one purchasing the vehicle and have been the only one making payment he still used my girlfriend as the primary borrower and put me as the co-signer. I also noticed after the first car detail that there is slight hail damage, rust inside the rear driver-side door and the right side trunk speaker is completely missing. When these things were discussed with Carwise they had little to nothing to say and left me with nowhere to turn but to repair these things on my own out of pocket. I have paid roughly $4,255 in total and put almost a thousand down on the same day. With a 3-day guarantee that Carwise advertises everywhere and on the radio, you'd think it wouldn't be an issue to simply fix the things wrong on the vehicle. With how long this has been drug on I have finally decided to stop being patient with them and take matters into my own hands.

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Financed vehicle from ***** ******* **** 08/12/2023 Refund the $749 I was wrongfully charged for a useless limited protection warranty that will not cover cleaning or replacing the filthy seat fabric. Apologize for biased service. Briefly explain the nature of the dispute. I have to wonder if *** ****** would have treated me differently if I hadn’t been single, female, and a senior citizen with no apparent support system, hence the reason for financing my purchase from ***** ****** **** DBA Carwise. I can only hope that other senior citizens aren’t being bullied out of $749. Apparently, *** ****** can’t be bothered with evidence that either the seats weren’t sprayed with ********* or that, if applied over filthy seats, turned the tan fabric black throughout the vehicle. Would you pay $749 to spray fabric protection over filthy seats? They’re hideous. I had been told that there was interior protection included in the price of my SUV. I had hoped that the warranty would cover the replacement of every seat cover. My hopes became shaky when I finally noticed that the contract included a $749 charge for a dealer installed option. It was necessary to revisit the dealership to obtain the limited warranty details. The warranty would not cover any existing stains. The warranty is useless to me. *** says that the warranty is required because he has the detailing and protection done in Waukegan. He didn’t care what the fabric looked like and refused to examine the evidence. He talked over me several times and told me to “have a nice day” each time as if ending conversations was a one-sided process. *** needs to learn manners which include evidence and agreeable endings. Boldly printed on the service agreement are these words: “THE PURCHASE OF THIS PRODUCT IS NOT REQUIRED AS A CONDITION TO OBTAIN FINANCING ON YOUR VEHICLE.” Please, help teach *** about fair financing. And a very big thank you to **** and team for being as supportive as possible despite the denials from ***.

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was told by the representative multiple times that I was approved for the 10 cents down on a car just to come into the office. I drove almost an hour away after taking the day off work just to get a car. Just to be denied for a car and they ran me and my mothers credits for my application. I’m highly upset & will be pursing a law suit against this company for false advertising

  Business response

  08/17/2023

  After reviewing our records of text conversations with Ms. *****, we were able to determine that no one within our organization informed Ms. ***** that she was approved. Ms. ***** was informed that we had our lenders available to address all "scores & situations." Ms. ***** was not informed of an approval. All appropriate disclaimers and disclosures have been filed and notice(s) of adverse action have been sent according in compliance with state and federal law. 

  Ms. ***** Was sent a finance application 30 July 2023 @ 1534.

  Ms. ***** then replied, "You guys really don't have anything I'm interest in and I only have 1000 down. Nd (SIC) I need something 3rd row seating but I would prefer something with the captain seats."

  Ms. ***** then set an appointment for 31 July 2023 @ 1700. 

  Ms. ***** came in for her appointment of her own volition and was unfinanceable due to unfavorable information contained within her credit report. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased a Kia optima 2014 in September of 2022 my first problem with the car was I wasn’t notified about the hail damage on the car until I washed the car and noticed no problem at all my car started acting funny about the end of October beginning of November of 2022 I took it to get looked at Carwise said it was my cylinder I got the cylinder fixed not even 24hrs of the car motor went completely out they never offered to help fix it or anything there is a recall on my engine Kia is backed up with motors for about a year and Carwise never offered to help even with me having a warranty I was told the car was a “Lemon” and I’ve researched the lemon law upon the car they didn’t even offer a rental until I had the car fixed .

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Well I went to Carwise back in October 2022 to get a loan on a vehicle well turns out the hit me with the bait and switch sold me a Lemon and not even a day of driving the car it started having major problems engine light kicks on had bad struts and a lot of the inside stuff like door handles were falling off, well I called, texted and emailed them about these problems and they continued to give me the run around telling me they would handle it get the problems fixed by continuing to say that they were waiting on ordered parts and now he we are March of 2023 nothing has still not been fixed and my car is left with me to fix over $3,000 worth of things on top of a car payment that had been repossessed

• Initial Complaint

  11/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Car wise took possession of the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze on 10/20/2022. They received the 10 day pay off on 10/21/2022. They had until 11/1/2022 to make pay off payment. It is now 11/30/2022. No payment has been made. The Chevrolet Cruze is still in my name without payment so my credit is being affected. We signed papers at least 3 times stating that the Cruze would be paid off. I have called numerous times to follow up. And now I will be the one to have a missed payment on my credit history. The pay off has gone up and I do not feel I am responsible for that amount.

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