OT: metro auto wholesale

powdertoastman · 11-04-2004, 01:56 PM

this is OT but i wanted to get the wort out about these guys. NEVER buy a car from them, EVER. we got a car from them back in april (1997 ford tauras), everything was ok for about 2 days then a "service soon" like came on on the dash. i called them up and they said it was nothing. went to pass DEQ and they said it wont pass because of the serivce soon light, it turned it is means the O2 sensers are bad. i called back again and they said "sure, we'll fix it, its oregon state law that we have to." so i went to the auto shop they told me too. to make a really long story short, after 5 months of going to the same auto shop and NOT getting the problem fixed, they said it isnt the O2 sensers, but the wiring harrness for them that is bad. they said that metro auto wholesale told them to order the new wiring and put it in. so after a week or so, i got another call from the auto shop saying i needed to call metro up. i did and they said i had to go to a new shop now. so i once again called them up, set up a time to take my car in, and took it in 2 days ago. the next day i get a call from them saying to come pick my car up because metro auto wholesale WONT pay to have the problem fixed. i asked why and the shop said the wiring harrness is $1100!! so i called metro up, and talked to the SAME guy who sent me to the new shop, and he said "we dont have $1100 in our bank to pay for something like that, so you have to. also you waited to long, its been 6 months since you got the car and now its your problem." i told him that the first shop jerked me around for that time and its not my falt. he told me he closed the book on my car 2 weeks after i bought it because he never heard from any auto shop at all. i told him he was lieing and i know he did because I called him about it more then once since then. after a few mins he hung up on me and wont take my calls now.

now i can not get my car thru DEQ, can not get plates on it, cant get tags or insurance on it. so if i get pulled over now i will get my car taken away and get like a $2000 ticket. i just want to get the word out on them so no one else gets taken for a ride like i did. im still fighting it, i called the BBB and filled a compliant with them. that should piss metro off more then a little. and im going to get a lawyer to sue them if they wont fix it. so if you know anyone buying a used car, warn them about this place. sorry just had to rant, very very very pissed off right now.

nathan

Illusion · 11-04-2004, 02:12 PM

By Law the Dealership is responsible... They can loose their Dealers license if they do not follow the law... There have been a few out here that already have lost their licenses... bbb.org will help you out... Also you should check into getting a temporary tag for the car.. Its about 30.00 for 90 days here in Oregon... Dont know about Wa though.. Metro Auto can be nice and can be jerks It all depends on their mood and the person you speak with... You can also try and talk with the owner over there... Yeah I went my rounds with them as well... And they finally ended up buying the car back after 4 months... Shortly after that they changed owners...

James

powdertoastman · 11-04-2004, 02:28 PM

yea ive talked to a few people over there and they have all hung up on me, everyone of them. it pissed me off when they did that. i called one lawyer up and he wanted $50 per 1/2 hr just to talk to me, so i said no. i filed with www.thebbb.org yesterday and metro now has 10 days to respond to it. if they dont it will go on the bbb's site for like 3 yrs for everyone to see. so im hoping that is enough to get them to want to fix it or buy it back or even give me a different car. also does anyone know of any law sites for OR that i can look up about this law? i know its out there, just cant find a site with it so i can shove it in metro's face and show them. they told me when i got the car that it was a law that i cant get the plates from them if i live in washington, i knew it was bull but went along with it anyway because i had been in there for like 5hrs signing stuff. now they say because i did pay for tags or any of them with them they dont have to pay for this. just one reason after another not to pay. they also said since i live in washington the law doesnt work for me, i need to find out for sure on that. so if someone has info it would really help, thanks.

nathan

Illusion · 11-04-2004, 02:39 PM

Call Legal Aide... Shoudl be in the phone book... They are a non profit organization for laywers and such.. They should be able to help ya out... There is usually quite a wait for a laywer from my understanding but its free... here is one article http://www.bend.com/news/ar_view^3Far_id^3D9476.htm

Its about another Dealership here in Oregon that was doing the same thing..

hope it helps some,
James

powdertoastman · 11-04-2004, 07:36 PM

thanks for the site james, i just got done filling a complaint with the attorney general's office in salem, i was told that they have 32 complaints open on them right now and a HUGE lawsuit is being put togeather. so im going to get in on it too to get my car fixed. i called them back again today after talking to the AG's office and told them to fix it or ill file with the AG, and the guy get SUPER pissed at me and started to yell at me. he told me he wanted to talk to the AG over the phone so he could complain about me (dont ask why he thought he could), and i told him i would come in in person to liston in on that phone call. he then said if i show up, i will go to jail and i am now banned from EVER going to thier building again or they will call the cops on me. i want to see the look on thier face when they get taken to court over all this.

nathan

liquidfunk · 11-05-2004, 12:01 AM

what form of payment did you use? If by chance you used a credit or debit card, file an affidavit with your bank. State the product is not what you were told it was and you were defrauded.

I work for washington mutual, this is what I would do.

If you paid cash, your hosed.

mousehole · 11-05-2004, 12:35 AM

Not sure which law obligates them, but depending on if this was sold as is or if there was a disclaimer for the registration they may or may not be liable. File a complaint with the AG office, the bbb complaint doesn't carry much weight. Also a lawer won't be worthwhile, file suit in small claims court. Not sure how much you paid, but most likely a refund won't cover attorney bills to make representation worthwhile. The will have to respond to a lawsuit, and it is only a small (I believe $30) fee to file. Also your residence being in Washington doesn't affect applicability of the law, since business was conducted in Oregon, and that is where they hold their license.

p.s. This information is provided without warranty expressed or implied : )

powdertoastman · 11-05-2004, 01:04 AM

i payed cash, dont trust banks. one of the reasons they gave me about not fixing the car now is that i never payed the tax after buying the car (they wouldnt pay for it and made me). after reading over a paper they gave me, it said i CANT pay the tax untill i get it to pass DEQ. while on the phone with the AG's office, the lady i was talking to looked up the law about this, and it said, a car dealer, new or used, can NOT sell a car that wont pass DEQ, even if they didnt know about it. if they do sell a car that wont pass DEQ, they MUST fix it and pay for all costs. they have 30 days to fix the problem and make it pass or they must give the money back for the car if it wont. if a dealer in OR sells someone a car that lives in WA, they MUST fix the car to pass washington DEQ laws. and if not within 30 days must refund money. thats what she read from a law book she said. but metro auto wholesale told me that it has been more then 30 days so it is MY problem now, not thiers.

i cant take them to court untill the AG's office is done with thier case, but thier case should take care of it for me, either getting the car fixed, replaced or refunded.

nathan

mousehole · 11-05-2004, 01:52 AM

your on target with that, but check your paperwork. The consumer protection law that requires the car to be able to pass DEQ, also allows for parties to sign an agreement stating that they agree to the contrary. You mentioned you signed papers for 5 hours, so I'd review the signed papers just to be sure. Most of the dealers pulling this scam aren't smart enought to slide this little agreement past the buyer, but you never know. There have been a couple of dealers in the Portland area who have pulled this, so luckily you aren't starting a new fight. Also check the DEQ site, some usefull info there.
Good Luck

wanareef · 11-05-2004, 07:42 AM

Man- sorry to hear your problems. for sure Metro will not be on my list to shop from

liquidfunk · 11-05-2004, 09:52 AM

Nathan, maybe next time you should trust the bank, Had you even written a check off an account with us I could have gotten your money back. its almost like an insurance of its own using plastic.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, My wife and I JUST finished up a similar type of deal with a kitchen table. It finally got delievered tuesday and it was purchased over a year ago by my wife as a christmas(last year) present.

Dont shop at Ripleys furnature in Tigard either

Maybe we need to make a "dont shop here" thread for all those crappy businesses out there.

impur · 11-05-2004, 11:07 AM

Being in the auto finance industry, i'd say this is a pretty common problem. My company does business with Metro, as well as most of the dealerships in oregon and washington. There are no lemon laws in oregon to help you out unfortunately. Also i'm sure you signed an As-Is agreement, stating you accept the car as-is. Of course since it does not pass DEQ there should be some circumstances to help you out there. Had you financed the car or used credit/debit card you would have more help. We routinely help out our customers who have complaints or troubles with certain lots. A fincance company can lean pretty hard on a dealership, sometimes swaying it in the customers favor. Good luck, keep us posted. I'm very interested in the outcome.

Miles

powdertoastman · 11-05-2004, 12:19 PM

its a very long story why i dont trust banks, and my credit has something to do with it. but this is from the site james posted for me, here is a little part of it. “It’s important to remind Oregon consumers that when purchasing a car from a dealer, they should assume that it is legally operable unless both parties have signed an agreement to the contrary,” Myers said. “In that same vein, customers purchasing cars in the Portland and Rogue Valley areas should assume that vehicles offered for sale by used car dealers will pass DEQ emission tests and that failure to do so violates state consumer protection laws.” that right there says they are in big trouble for not doing anything about it. my parents have gone thru stuff like this with another used car dealer here in vancouver like 10 yrs ago or so and they lost because the guy left town and was never found, so they are helping me win this one. thanks for the support and info, i can use all the help i can get on this. lol and yea, we should make a "dont shop here" topic. ill keep everyone posted how this goes.

nathan

robz · 11-06-2004, 01:46 AM

Metro auto wholsale! THE DEALER THAT BEATS YOUR MEAT! OH YEA!

powdertoastman · 11-08-2004, 03:12 PM

well today i went into the auto shop i first took my car to when it wouldnt pass DEQ. and after talking with the mech. that worked on it he said that metro auto wholesale is getting ready to close up shop soon. he said he knows someone who used to work there and they went by the other day and said metro is moving all thier cars off the lot and fast. he also said that if this goes to court he will get on the stand for me. metro was trying to tell me that they never heard from any mech. that worked on my car, but he says other wise, and he has paper work to prove it. so he is going to write me up a statement and im going to send it in to the AG's office with my suit. hope i get them before they close.

nathan