Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/27/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 24th, I originally signed a contract with ******** **** *** ***** with a $1,000 down payment through **** *****. That contract fell apart due to me being self-employed and ******** **** not supporting self-employed buyers. On June 19th, I signed a new contract with ****** **** ******, which required a $3,000 down payment through ****** *****. My first bill was due on July 19th. Unfortunate circumstances made it very difficult for me to submit the first payment on time. When I was finally able to make the payment without hassle, ****** **** ****** decided to pull back on the contract and return ownership of the vehicle to Certified Auto Brokers. Austin and I spoke about getting a new contract, but doing so required the car to be reinspected. For that to happen, the vehicle needed to be shipped back to Buffalo. Austin assured me that he would cover the shipping costs for the inconvenience and that the matter would be handled swiftly. He led me to believe that we were resolving the contract mishap and that the car would be sent back to me. After the vehicle arrived back in Buffalo, I followed up with Austin. He stated he was having trouble resolving the issue because both banks were still showing on my credit. I offered an alternative solution, but Austin stopped responding. After some time, I decided to let the matter go, as no one from Certified Auto Brokers would contact me back. Later, I had my mail forwarded to me and discovered a check sent by Certified Auto Brokers in the amount of $1.50. I reached out to Austin again to ask how I ended up with a $1.50 refund. He stated that I was unable to get a refund due to the contract falling apart. I asked him to provide supporting documentation showing where in the contract with Certified Auto Brokers it states that I am not entitled to a refund. I also asked him to explain how I ended up with the $1.50 refund if the policy says I am not able to get one. Austin refused to respond or answer my questions.

  Business response

  02/26/2025

  Hello, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to Ms. ************** complaint. I am sorry that there was some confusion here. The situation was one that we actually discussed with Ms. ************** in great detail at the time of delivery. The bank in question (****** **** ******* has a "First payment default" policy, in which if the customer defaults on the first payment the contract is reassigned to us. At which time repossession is our responsibility. We did have to recover the vehicle. We explained to Ms. ********* ***** before she took delivery of the vehicle through *** the terms of the first payment default and that we would have to take the car back and any down payment would be forfeited in the case that she failed to make her first payment. We are located in Buffalo NY the vehicle was recovered in Texas several months later with considerably more miles. We opted to not to charge or report any of the additional expense and loss in value of the vehicle as is commonly the case. Simply, we did not see it as a likely scenario of recovering any of the additional money owed and did not see any point in harming Ms. ************** credit by placing judgements for the expense and loss of recovering the vehicle which far exceeded the $3000 down payment. As far as the $1.50 refund that is a auto generated check that goes out if there is any difference in registration costs. In this case the registration estimate was over by $1.50 triggering a check to go out to her for the $1.50. Please let me know if you need any additional information to clear up this matter. We appreciate your time.  Sincerely, Chris Taylor, Owner Certified AutoBrokers, INC 

• Initial Complaint

  09/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to the dealership to look at a truck and test drove it. I wasn’t 100% sure on it, but they convinced me to put down a deposit fee of $100. I did. I also filled out a credit application with the decision that he was calling me in the morning about my decision to run it or not. On my way home I wrote them that I did like the truck, however, due to the lack of features I was losing from my truck compared to the new one I would like to keep looking around. I didn’t hear anything. I texted them the next day later in the afternoon and finally heard minimum. Texted them again on Monday inquiring about different vehicles and heard minimum and finally wrote a bad review. Then I suddenly received a phone call and many texts with apologies from the “sales manager.” Agreed to take down the reviews and continue to work with him. They sent me a truck that was out of state and I agreed to proceed with the purchase. They informed me they were putting it on hold. I asked for a bill of sale and it to all day for that request, now my bank was closed for weekend. He then informed me he had do get money from my bank in order to buy the truck and have it in. I was upset informing him I could have done this, but now have to wait for Monday. I have the Bill of sale with ash the details and Monday comes and he informs me there is an issue with the truck. States the dealer is adding fees equaling $1500.00 and he is working on it. I inquired why this isn’t ironed out prior to sending me bill of sale and informing him unfortunately I have continued on with preparing purchase and therefore am awaiting arrival of vehicle. I receive message stating the vehicle is a no go, I apologize. No communication back or answer of phone call for several hours in which when he does, states that the credit check was for original vehicle, which was not authorized to be ran for and that there was no deposit done on truck from out of state. Many other communication issues as well. No truck either

  Business response

  10/14/2022

  This is simply our response copied from the other reviews that Mrs. ***** placed about her experience here. I truly wish that none of this has taken place but, her representation of her transaction we believe is not correct. Our view of the situation is listed below.

  Mrs. *****, Your reviews of our dealership breaks my heart. As you stated in the beginning of your review, we have a great reputation. One we are incredibly proud of and work incredibly hard at maintaining. So to say that this review is disappointing is a massive understatement. We have received negative feedback before and I always try to learn and grow from it as does the rest of my team. I typically apologize for the less than ideal experience and reassure the customer that we will learn and grow to be better because of their feedback. This review will be the same, we will always learn and grow from any feedback that we receive. However, in this instance I must take the time to defend my dealership, my team, and our reputation because the review you have written here and on various other platforms I feel is incredibly unfair and inaccurate. First, you stated that our initial communication was wonderful. We worked together to provide you with the information you requested. That information included pricing and a trade in appraisal. The appraisal you requested was sight unseen, we asked for an accurate description of your trade and photos which you provided. When you arrived at the dealership, we appraised your vehicle to confirm its condition. I need everyone who’s reading this to understand that the $3,000 difference was not because we changed the price of our vehicle. It was because we had to adjust the trade in value of your vehicle. We were forced to do that because you failed to give us accurate information in regards to your truck. To start, your truck was appraised with the information that you provided. As shown to us in the pictures you provided. We gave you the best trade value we could based on that information. When you arrived at our store to finalize your deal we then had to confirm the information given. After a short look over and drive of the truck we realized, as you must have known that the truck had major front end issues. For example it clearly needed a new steering column. Then after further evaluation, it was found that the sway bar links were attached with a zip tie. Obviously that is a major front end suspension component that we would need to repair. There were paint defects on almost every panel including bubbling paint above the rear wheel wells. I think that considering all of this our adjustment of your trade by only $3,000 was more than fair. I’d like to also point out that we were very transparent about this entire process, as we always are. We explained in detail what and why we were making the adjustments. You stated that we made this price adjustment without any explanation. I want anyone reading this to know that is completely false. You know we told you exactly why we were adjusting the trade in value. After explaining all of this to you, you had the option to decline our offer and we would have understood. However, you chose to accept the deal. So we wrote the deal and would have finalized your financing the next morning. However, the next morning we were notified that you texted the sales person that night and wanted to cancel your deal. At which time you also wrote your first of many negative reviews. Please understand that we NEVER submitted your credit for financing. Not for the original truck or the second truck we tried to obtain for you. That did not happen. It seems to me that this entire situation was created by your misrepresentation of your vehicle. What were we supposed to do? Just eat the thousands of dollars worth of work and give you the original appraisal? What would you do if you came to our dealership to buy a truck you saw us advertising that looked great and we told you was in great shape but wasn’t at all as we described? Or that it needed extensive repairs? I can tell you what you would do, you would write another scathing review. And that would be fair. We keep our high rating because we avoid using these tactics. Your review of our dealership because we adjusted the value of your trade after finding that it was wildly misrepresented is incredibly unfair. Let’s move on, Justin, one of our sales managers that you reference many times in your reviews contacted you after you left your review. Of course, even though we felt your review was inaccurate and unfair, we want to make every customer happy. We want everyone to have the same amazing experience we have been able to deliver to thousands of other customers. Justin again tried to explain to you why we had to change your trade in appraisal. You then stated you understood and also stated that the truck you agreed to purchase really didn’t have the equipment you wanted. You and Justin worked together to identify the perfect truck. There were a lot of requirements listed by you but we all put our heads together and spent hours searching for a vehicle that would work for you. We did find one and confirmed with you that the pricing would work and it was equipped how you wanted it. Once you confirmed we attempted to purchase the truck. In the end the dealer that was selling the truck would not adjust his fees which didn’t allow us to make the purchase. We tried our best and I am confident that there are not many dealers that would have put forth the effort we did. Unfortunately, we can not force the other dealer to sell us the truck. (part 1/2)
  [1:32 PM] (part 2/2) You also stated several times that Justin was difficult to communicate with and would often go hours without responding to you this past week as we looked for a truck that fit your needs. This is where I would like to take the opportunity to explain to you the human side of our business and any business for that matter. We all have lives and families outside of our dealership. While our customers mean the world to us, we do from time to time have to put down our phones and disconnect so that we can spend time with our families. Justin, takes one vacation every year and that was this past week. His first son was born at 24 weeks, celebrating his 4th birthday this year is nothing short of a miracle and he takes a week every year to celebrate that miracle. So, please understand that when he took a few hours to get back to you, it was because he was taking precious time away from that celebration but, I’d like to point out that he still made sure to respond, even if not as fast as you would have liked. In conclusion, I’d like to make sure that anyone reading this understands that we will go to the end of the earth to make our customers happy and provide everyone with the amazing car buying experience that they deserve. We are ultra transparent and we will always put your needs ahead of ours. The above review does not accurately reflect who we are or how we do business. It also does not accurately reflect this particular situation which is why I felt the need to tell our side of the story. We made mistakes here, maybe we should have insisted you come to the dealership to get your initial trade evaluation. However we respect our customers' time and understand that our customers would often prefer to make sure the purchase works for them financially before coming to the store. When Justin went on vacation myself or another manager should have taken over communicating with you but, Justin felt that putting someone else in on such a complicated situation and transaction would cause more problems. Those two decisions may have been wrong. We chose what we thought would be best for you at the time. We will consider a different approach if we ever find ourselves in the same situation. In the end Mrs. *****, I hope you find the truck you want and a deal that you are happy with. I believe your review of us was incredibly unfair and inaccurate. We are good people, trying to do our best. I do not understand why you would take so much time to discredit our name and our company based on your experience but, that is your decision. We will continue to provide world class service to anyone that walks through our doors. We will continue to always do the right thing no matter the cost. I am confident that if we stick to those simple principles we will continue to be successful. Thank you, Chris Taylor Owner, Certified AutoBrokers

  Customer response

  11/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  please understand that provided by this evidence, this company has made several statements that have contradicted themselves. They have said they have then they haven’t ran my credit report, now back to reporting they have. I would like it known to the general public  that this dealership is not a creditable dealership to work with for several reasons. They did not deliver The services that they should have and they are not attempting to backtrack on several statements. I would like the hard inquiry removed from my credit report as it has been clear that I did in fact sign the application “With the understanding I had to the morning” and informed them that night I was not interested at the time. I then gave permission at a later time, but as shown in prior attachments they not only denied running it, but continue to retract several other statements. 
  

   

  since the vehicle is no longer available for purchase at this time and I’ve moved forward with a hopefully more reliable dealership, I would like some compensation for all the inconvenience this caused and the disgraceful comments and false statements they made in regards to my previous vehicle. 

  It Is unprofessional for someone who believes in themselves to be highly valued in customer service to treat someone with such disrespect and cause such turmoil. I would hope this clears this up and this situation can finally be rectified as going back and forth is unprofessional. Seems to prove the lack of customer service even more. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business response

  11/10/2022

  See Attached Credit Application

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a truck for $19,500 and got an extended warranty one month after I started to have issues. When I took the truck back they would not honor the warrenty and refunded my money for the warrenty part of the deal. The truck had 72,000 miles on it when i bought it. now truck has 97,000 on it and my mechanic will not inspect the truck because the frame is so badly damaged and has been previously repaired by welding plates on the inside of frame rail. My mechanic told me that the truck should have never been sold to me and that I should not drive the truck and it is too far gone for road service. I have tried repeatedly to get a hold of and work with the dealer to resolve this issue and have had no luck. I had to go and buy a new truck so that i can run my business and not go out of business. I am lost as to what to do. I dont want to see someone else get taken advantave of because they dont know what to look for when buying a used car. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thank you

  Business response

  08/19/2022

  Hello and thank you for letting us know of this complaint.I will address the two issues stated separately.With regards to the warranty that was sold to Mr *****. We were unaware that the warranty would not cover the truck because of it's commercial use. Once we were made aware of this we immediately agreed to refund Mr *****'s purchase in full. He seemed to agree that was fair. I am honestly not sure what else we could have done there.With regards to the frame that Mr ***** is speaking about. We all must understand that Mr ***** purchased this truck almost 3 years ago, it was used just like many other trucks are used, as a plow/work truck. I think that anyone that saw the truck today vs. the truck that left here 3 years ago would agree that it's been a tough 3 years for that truck. To this point, it has also been through at least 2 NYS inspections since it's purchase. Which all require a frame inspection. Nothing has been said until this issue now. I just do not understand how that is possible. I don't know what the "plates" are all about. I am not going to pretend to remember when it went through our shop if there were plates there or not. What I am positive about is that if there was any frame damage we would have wholesaled the unit. However, what I really do not understand about this complaint is where Mr ***** states he has "tried repeatedly to get a hold of the dealer" we have spoke to Mr ***** many times about this issue. We have attempted to do everything we can for him. In fact we even ran the vehicle at our local digital auction. It was not processed as having frame damage. So the money it drew was with out the damage. However Mr ***** didn't like the number. Mr. ***** knows how to get ahold of me or anyone else here at anytime. His statement that he has no luck getting a hold of us is just false. He has not received an answer from us that he likes but he certainly can get a hold of myself the owner or anyone of my managers anytime.In the end I think Mr ***** was unhappy with how much his vehicle had depreciated over the 3 years and reasonably low miles he had driven it. That I understand. But, he must understand that the truck had been severely worked and it showed. That is what has reduced the trucks value by so much.****, This is Chris T*****, I would like to take a second to address you directly. Business owner to business owner. Your continued slander of my company is not fair, you have never reached out to me without me responding. You simply do not like my answers. Again, I understand that. But, I have done everything any reasonable person would expect. Your truck was not maintained well. You know that. It's not worth much now, I am sorry but that's not on us. I am not asking you to do business with us again but what I am asking is you stop slandering our name. I wouldn't do that to you or anyone else. It's not right. We have worked very hard to build a very good reputation. Thank you and I wish you well.Sincerely,Chris T*****, Owner Certified Auto Brokers

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩