Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Bluff Road Auto Sales's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Bluff Road Auto Sales

  1400 Bluff Rd Columbia, SC 29201-4810

• 

  Bluff Road Auto Sales

  633 S Assembly St Columbia, SC 29201-4554

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/13/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was leasing a vehicle from Bluff road auto sales since 2021. In February 22 of 2024 I went into the establishment and gave them 1000 dollars to cover February Payment. The rest was put on my principle per the lady that took the payment. I then went in on February 28th to make my March payment but she put it as a February payment again. Then on May 6th 2024 my car was towed. They told me that I had owed for March and April. I have receipts showing where I made my payments however they were very rude and not listening to anything I was saying. They kept saying I owed them 1300 dollars. They were charging me $325 for a towing fee and charging me for two months worth of payments. The young lady then said they would be charging me for the key that I paid for to have replaced which I have a receipt for as well. I am 9 months pregnant and was put on bed rest due to the stress which caused me three weeks worth of wages. I don’t want the car back because I do not know what they have done to it however, I do want a refund of the full amount of the car and for this to not be put on my credit.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2024

  Mrs. ******* paid $1000 on February 22, 2024. This amount was applied to her January payment that was past due, and January and February payments for Collateral Protection Coverage. Judith asked Mrs. ******* if she wanted the remaining $362.84 applied to principal and Mrs. ******* said yes that she was trying to pay off the loan fast. The receipt that she was given explains how the money was posted and when her next payment was due.

  Mrs. ******* paid her February payment on 02/28/2024 in full. There was no mention from Mrs. ******* about how the prior month payment was applied at that time. The receipt says how those funds were applied and when her next payment was due. 

  Mrs. ******* did not pay her March or April payment or return any of our calls, text, or email attempts to contact her about her account. Her vehicle was picked up in May.

  One other item that I would like to clear up is that Mrs. ******* purchased her vehicle. The vehicle is financed. She is not leasing. 

  Thanks,

  Clint Wactor

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The 1000 that I gave in February was NOT to cover January. I was NOT PAST DUE IN February. I made two payments in January one on the 12th to cover December and one on the 30th to cover January so when I came in and made a payment on February 22nd it was for FEBRUARY. I have receipts showing those payments as well. Also, this is not Judith. No one took my payment except her so no one can tell me I told her to put no money any where. Then I CAME AGAIN February 28th which is ONE day away from March to of course make my March payment. March was literally the NEXT DAY!  Also, if I was still due for February when I came in with 1000 on a February 22nd why would you put 367 on my principle instead of paying the February payment that was due on that exact day?  Doesn’t even make sense. My lawyer will figure it out tho. Soon and very soon.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2024

  Mrs. ******* originally complained about how a payment was applied. If she wanted the payment applied differently, she could have said that when she made the January payment. She could have said something when she made the February payment. She had to make a full payment in February because the amount that was remaining from January was not applied to February. 

  Mrs. ******* could have asked why she had to make a full payment when she made her February payment but, she did not. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a 2019 GMC Terrain from Wilbert on May 15th, 2023 and I’d like for you to review my experience as detailed below: 5/15: Purchased the car and was really pleased with my experience. Fast. Friendly. Excellent customer service. I really felt like I got a good deal and made a good purchase. Mr. Wilbert also stated during my walk thru as I was asking questions about the cars history “We do not sell cars that need fixing..” 5/16: Heard the noise as I accelerated while pulling out of my driveway. Sounds like an internal scraping noise. Most consistent upon initial acceleration but can be heard if coasting during speeds of >10. 5/18: Driving home in the rain and the rubber of my left windshield wiper flew off. I replaced them the next day. 5/19: Confirmed noise not normal by having a family friend check it out. 5/23: Called to make appt for service. 5/24: Car went in. Was informed it needed to stay a full day before Walter took it back (no one said this when scheduling) so they inspected the vehicle for 2hrs and Walter asked me to bring it in again for a full day. Scheduled for 6/2. 5/26: Cancelled my 5/27 trip because noise grew more consistent/louder. 5/26-5/29 morning: Didn’t drive the car between the night of 5/26 and the morning of 5/29. Drove to Walmart and back on 5/29 morning. 5/30: Drove 3 minutes away, pulled in to drop my son off (the car shut off while in gear as normal) but it didn’t restart when I took my foot off the gas. Wouldnt restart after much troubleshooting. Wouldn’t shift into N and kept giving a “conditions not consistent with shifting” error message. Called your company they called a tow, I got dropped off by the tow truck before he took the vehicle in for service. Continued on separate document...

  Business Response

  Date: 06/07/2023

  Mrs. ******* did purchase a GMC Terrain on May 15th. She called on May 24th to schedule an appointment with our Service Department because the vehicle was making a noise. The vehicle battery died a couple days before her scheduled appointment. We had the vehicle towed and replaced the battery. Shortly after Mrs. ******* picked up her vehicle. She called and said that she heard the same noise that she heard before. We had the vehicle brought in and discovered the Alternator was working only intermittently. We could not find an Alternator for the vehicle in Columbia so we had it sent Next Day Air from Charlotte. It will arrive tomorrow. 

  Mrs. *******s warranty does not cover electrical. or towing however, because she only recently purchased the vehicle we have covered all of the repairs including the alternator that will be install tomorrow.

  We regret that Mrs. ******* is experiencing an inconvenience of being without her vehicle for a few days.

  Clint W*****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a vehicle from the dealership. The vehicle check engine light was on when I took possession of the vehicle and I notified the dealership. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership as precaution. The vehicle was covered under warranty by the dealership for the first 30 days. I made several attempts to contact the dealership regarding the status and was not given any information for over a month. Then they tell me the vehicle was ready however I owed them money for repairs. I never authorized any repairs on this vehicle that would be out of pocket. I was also advised that they installed some type of speed limiter to the vehicle. They did not have my authorization to do this and this will have to be removed at their cost.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Mr ********* purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro on November 29, 2022. Mr ********* discussed the performance changes with me before he purchased the vehicle. The vehicle had performance modifications like Headers and performance exhaust,  the vehicle was very loud and powerful. Mr ********* left the country on November 30 2022 and left the vehicle in the care of his son who was at college. His son called our service department on December 1, 2022 and spoke with Walter who is our Service Advisor. His son said that the vehicle was skipping and the check engine light was on. His son said that he had taken the vehicle to a performance shop and they made some minor adjustments. Walter advised him not to drive the vehicle and to have the vehicle towed or trailered to our shop. His son had the vehicle trailered to our shop on January 27, 2022. Our inspection of the vehicle revealed that someone had turned off all of the safety features designed to protect the engine. We called in a shop owner that specializes in working on performance engines. I will attach his findings that he sent to me via email.  The reason that the vehicle started skipping is: The adjustments that were made to the vehicles computer made one side of the engine run rich with fuel while the other side was running lean. The side that was running rich was dumping the excess fuel into cylinder #7. The fuel washed the lubricating oil from the cylinder causing damage to the ring in the cylinder. We had no choice but to have the ring inspected to diagnose the problem. This process involves taking apart some of the engine. The vehicles computer keeps record of what is done to a vehicle 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  My son did not take this car to a performance shop or conduct any work on the vehicle.  The car sat at the school parking lot until I could afford to have it towed back to Columbia for the dealership to look into the check engine light.  I am not appreciative of the dealership lying to me and making assumptions about the condition of the vehicle.  The vehicle was taken back to the dealership in the same condition that was given to me.  They took it upon themselves to repair the vehicle which is covered under the warranty.  I never not once agreed to pay anything out of pocket for this repair.  At no time did the dealership contact me directly or request payment for for repairs.  I would not have authorized it as it was under warranty by the dealership.  They performed all work and assume responsibility for it.  They also stated that they added some type of speed limiter to the vehicle.  This work was not authorized by and not wanted.  They need to remove it at their cost.  I may work overseas but I will not let someone try to lie to me and take advantage of me because I am not in the country.  I did not authorize any additional work or agree to pay at any time for repairs out of my pocket.  All of the work was conducted without my consent.  i will not be responsible for paying for repairs that I did not authorize.

  I contacted the dealership several times calling daily and was unable to get a response from them until they had finished the work and demanded payment.  I never, not once authorized anything to be done that would cost me out of pocket.  Its very simple.  I am not paying for this and they will take responsibility for it.  I contacted them by phone and by email and never was given information until they finished their work and were asking for money.  

  I purchased this vehicle and understood what I was buying.  This vehicle is my property and not that of the dealership.  I will solely make the decisions on work that will be accomplished to this vehicle and not the dealership.  Everything they did, was based on being within warranty and at the cost of the dealership.  They never had my expressed consent or authorization for me to pay for anything regarding repairs.  They will take responsibility for this and remove the speed limiter at their cost, or I will seek legal action.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/09/2023

  Our Service Advisor tried to reach Mr ********* by phone a few times but he was not able to get anyone to answer. Our Sales Manager did speak with Mr ********* and explained what we were finding with the tuning at the time but the call was not clear and difficult to hear so they finally had to end the call.

  Mr. *********'s son was in constant contact with us and according to his son he was in contact with Mr. *********.

  Every vehicle like this comes with a Rev Limiter from the manufacturer. When all of the safety feature that protect the vehicle were turned off, the Rev Limiter was also turned off. We re-set the Rev Limiter. Everything that was done to this vehicle was logged into the vehicles computer and is now logged in the computer that belongs to Mike Bruce at B&B Corvette. I am sure that Mike Bruce would be willing to speak to someone about these things.

  Mr. ********* left the vehicle with his son at college in Charleston. The changes made to the vehicle did not just happen, someone made those changes. Those changes caused the problem with the vehicle. 

  The vehicle was trailered to our shop and we were given instructions to diagnose the problem that the vehicle was having. We had to call in a third party with a tuner to correct the settings so that we could find the problem. 

  We found the problem on a piston ring and the only way to find the problem was to pull out the piston. Pulling the piston for observation was required to diagnose the problem and is 50% of the cost. We just could not imagine someone not wanting us to put the engine back together after replacing the ring. 

  Mr. ********* being in Iraq and not having the vehicle in his vehicle in his possession makes what has happened less clear but we did what were were asked to do and the changes made to the vehicle were make after the vehicle was purchased by Mr. *********.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a car from Bluff Road Auto Sales on June 16th 2022 around July 17th 2022 I had to take my car to a shop for them to tell me that there was metal in my engine oil and that the engine needed to be replaced. When I contacted Bluff Road Auto Sales I was told that I needed to bring the vehicle to them so they can have one of their mechanics look at the vehicle. The service manager asked me to also forward along the pictures that was sent to me by the first mechanic that look at the vehicle to see that there was metal in the engine oil. When Bluff Road Auto Sales got the vehicle they told me that they would have someone evaluated and they will contact me back within the next week. It was almost 3 days later before I was contacted to let me know that the car has been looked at and what was wrong with the car. The first mechanic I took the vehicle to was right and that the engine needed to be replaced. I spoke to one of the managers there named Bradley and he said that the engine did need to be replaced and I would have to pay $2,000 out of pocket because it was over the warranty. I explained to him that I haven't even had the car for 30 days before an issue occurred with the car. He explained to me the only way to get it resolved would be to pay the $2,000 out of pocket because I was over my warranty and they were picking up the majority of the cost of the engine. I also asked him if that was something that they should have seen before the car was actually sold he said that it was probably an oversight and that all things that they do not see when they are inspecting the vehicles. It took them about a month to fix the vehicle and once I got the vehicle back on August 9th or 10th I paid them $2,000 and I got my vehicle. The next day the vehicle was making a sound that it wasn't making before I dropped the vehicle off to them in July. I called back and spoke to the service manager Walter who did not answer the phone but I left a message.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/07) */ Mrs ****** purchased the vehicle on 6-14-22.The vehicle was brought to our shop about August 12, 2022. The vehicle had been driven 5,600 miles. The vehicle was out of warranty coverage. We sent the vehicle to *** Auto Repair in Lexington SC and they replaced the engine. The cost was $7,380.83. We agreed to cover $5,380.83 because she had recently purchased the vehicle. Mrs ****** agreed to our offer and paid $2,000 and had her vehicle repaired. We had not had any further complaints from Mrs ****** however, she stopped making her payments after she picked up her vehicle. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/10/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I have called back several times to talk to the service department about issues with the vehicle after I picked it up. No one from the service department ever returned any of my phone calls. The amount of miles I put on a vehicle I was purchasing is irrelevant. Since I picked the vehicle up I have had to put it back in the shop for an issue that they claimed they fixed. I have been in communication with some employees there and they know exactly what the entire situation is. I know no one there is willing or going to accept responsibility for the issues with the vehicle and I know that from me having to pay 2000 for an engine problem that was not any fault of mine. It was explained to me by someone there and another mechanic, that this was an issue that was over looked before selling the vehicle. Yes I did not make any payments after I received the vehicle back because again I did not have it, it was in the shop and I expressed that to employees that work there that were supposed to relay messages and have people call me.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/06/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  10/3 was two weeks from the date the vehicle was purchased and the date it was dropped off for repairs as of 10/5 the business refuses to help us anymore per Walter in service. We put nearly $5,000 down on a challenger-we had the vehicle for less than 2 weeks and it was not accelerating, shaking uncontrollably and the breaks were bad even though they were "new"... Walter, the dealership service writer cleared the initial check engine light and said my car was fine.. 5 minutes after getting on the highway my car is shaking AGAIN... I take it back only for WALTER to say no codes came up for the engine light but the injectors were bad... how did you know that then Walter? Walter hung up and blocked my number and the store is no longer helping us in trying to get our vehicle back. We traveled to Columbia from Sumter 3 days in a row and the dealership will not replace the gas in the vehicle they were "fixing" nor will they stay a little longer so I can get my vehicle due to not having anymore time to take off of work because I had just taken the day off before and was told nothing was wrong.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/06) */ On Mrs ******** complained that the vehicle started shaking but then stopped after when lower speed below 50 MPH. She also complained about excessive brake dust. The vehicle was brought to our shop on 10-4-2022. We did not find any problem with the vehicle. The check engine light was not on at any time during the first visit. After Mrs left with the vehicle she called and told us the check engine light came on. We ask her to turn around and brought the vehicle back to us. We were able to diagnose the cause of the check engine light and repair the vehicle. None of the items were covered by the warranty but we made all of the repairs at No Charge. We did not provide gas money to Mrs ********.