ComplaintsforRome Pre-Owned Auto Sales

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I test drove a 2021 ***** ****** GX on 9-13-23 and subsequently agreed to purchase from Rome Pre-Owned Auto Sales. Pick up date, selected by dealership, would be 9-20-23. During this 1 week delay, salesman Joseph G***** promised to have the oil changed, brakes replaced, dead fob battery changed, and an answer as to give me $100 for the camera system in my trade or remove and return it to me. I left with the vehicle on 9-20-23 assuming that all had been completed with the exception of the dash cam trade/return. As of today, I still do not have an answer regarding the dash cam, and the dealership refuses to return phone calls. The battery fob was not replaced. When I did not see an oil sticker verifying a change, I asked Mr. G***** who said that the next oil change would be due in another 5,000 miles. On September 28, 2023, I had the ****** GX inspected by Up Front Auto which determined that neither the oil nor the brakes had been serviced as agreed. In fact, the brakes are "very delaminated and pitted"--a safety issue that was intentionally ignored. I'd also like to mention an excerpt of Rome Pre-Owned Auto's claim found on their web site. "From our A+ BBB RATING to our endless customer reviews, to the straight forward display of pricing, warranties, and rates Rome Pre-Owned stands alone in customer service." This dealership is not BBB accredited and has a C rating.

  Customer response

  10/19/2023

  The issues have been resolved.  Thank you for your help.

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On Jan 30th, I obtained a pre-qualification letter from Capital One bank for an auto loan. I began to search through vehicles i was pre-qualified for and inquired with Rome Pre-Owned Auto Sales. Rhiannon, reached out to me the same day. She put me in touch with the sales manager, Dan. I expressed to both of the on numerous occasions that I would ONLY like to apply for my loan through Capital One. I’d even call back right after we hung up the phone just to remind them that I would only like to run my credit through Capital One! I submitted a credit application and I noticed an inquiry made on my credit through the dealership but not the bank. Dan repeatedly tells me I am 100% approved through Capital One, all I need is a down payment and insurance. Feb 4, I drive an hour away to the dealership and I notice on his computer that I was still listed as a prospect instead of active and approved but he continues to tell me I’ll be approved and can take the car home the same day. So I get on my phone and start to quote my insurance price, as he’s on his laptop, which I assumed he was finalizing the purchase details for me. I check my emails and there are SEVEN new credit inquiry he’d made while I was sitting right there. He ran my credit through SEVEN more banks and did not even ask me for my approval after i SPECIFICALLY EXPRESSED how imperative my credit score and history are to me. He said nothing at all and when I asked he told me that my approval from Capital One had expired the same day i was approved for it so it was only good for one day. I am a Real Estate agent so I know that is not true in any form. When I asked why didn’t he communicate with me before inquiring on my credit so many times he said he just did what needed to be done to have me approved but I never gave him permission to do that. He should’ve asked me. He told me he didn’t want to sell a car to me once I realized how unethical he was and I haven’t heard back since. He sold the car to someone else..

• Initial Complaint

  11/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company sold me a vehicle that they knew was a part of a class action lawsuit(1 year ago). (2013 ******** ***transmission) Right as the warranty was up the transmission went and cost me 6500$ and I was without a vehicle for 4 months due to parts not available. Instead of apologizing and finding a way to help- the owner told me “Go a head and get a lawyer instead- either way it’s going to cost you thousands of dollars”. They sold the car with a smile on their face to a woman who was fully pregnant. 5000 miles before the warranty was up I had called and brought the vehicle in because of issues With the transmission (shifting bad, gears not catching- at this time they CLAIMED nothing was wrong) this was before the warranty was up. They didn’t want to eat the cost so denied that there was an issue even knowing it was a part of a class action suit. Yes I should have looked up class action suits and have learned! But it was a clean, one owner vehicle and I was desperate for a third row! They knew this and took advantage of me and my hard earned money! They returned my kindness with lies and disrespect! My husband was told by our mechanic to contact the attorney general.

  Business response

  11/21/2022

  I have reviewed all notes and claims with this customer,   Every interaction with my service department has been positive and the last known communication was 9/19/2022 when she said her transmission had failed.   While we never like to see a customer have mechanical issues this is certainly not something we intentionally did to take advantage of a pregnant customer.   Customer stated we knew the vehicle was a part of a class action suit?  That is not true,  the customer stated that we looked at her vehicle and told her it was fine?  I have no records of that taking place,  Customer stated that the owner, who is me, told her to go waste money on a lawyer?  I am the owner and I would absolutely never make that statement to a customer.  We have sold thousands of vehicles with almost perfect reviews across the board.  I take customer service very seriously and make things that are my responsibility and things that are not but in the gray area right for my customers right every day, 24,000 miles is not anywhere near a gray area.    This customer drove the vehicle for over 24,000 miles before the transmission failure.   How can I be held responsible for a mechanical failure 24,000 miles after purchase.  NYS determined that a dealer is responsible for a vehicle with her mileage at time of sale for 90 days and 3,000 miles not over 1year and 24,000 miles.   I am very sorry that this customer had an unexpected issue with their vehicle.   Class action suits are not something any dealer reviews or does not sell a vehicle because of.  Thousands of class action cases exist with almost every manufacturer and they are in no way a stop sale or sell with caution vehicle by any standards in the industry.   Recall yes needs to be addressed and fixed not class action suits or TSBs.    Customer also stated we did not want to "eat" the cost when she came in for the concern 5000 miles before failure that I have no record of.   Customer had an extended warranty, we would have been paid and made a profit so absolutely no reason for me to lie about not being able to duplicate her concerns if that appointment did take place and I have no record for. Customers are welcome to bring this vehicle to any garage for a second opinion should she have felt we missed something while she was under warranty.   I wish every customer that purchased a pre-owned vehicle from my dealership never had issues but that's not a reasonable expectation and customers should be aware of the potential for mechanical failure outside and dealer warranty without blaming the dealer.     

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