Performance Chevrolet LLC in Seneca, South Carolina is a member of the South Carolina Dealers Association. I am writing this report for my 84 year old father who suffers from old age mental deterioration, does not have a computer, is not independently wealthy but rather depends on Social Security and a small military pension for his livlihood.
He and my 70 year old step-mother live in Pickens, South Carolina, in a small modest home which is somewhat remote located about 10 miles to the east of Easley, South Carolina. My dad is a WWII vet who landed in Normandy with General Patton, fought his way across Europe, during the course of which he was wounded numerous times while serving as a tank commander. He is a former WWII POW. He was wounded numerous times and earned 5 purple hearts, a bronze star for valor and a whole host of other awards and decorations. He served in the US Army and US Air Force for 20 years and retired from active duty in 1963. Born in West Virginia, he came from a family with limited means and was one of 11 children. His father died when he was 12, so he had to make it on his own at a very young age. He enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the horse cavalry and became a tank commander before deploying for the invasion of Europe during WWII.
After he was released from German captivity after the war, he served in the US Army Constabulary, the military police force established to maintain law and order, before returning to the states. He served our country honorably for 20 years and I consider him my hero. He earned a high school GED after the war but never had higher education as he always was working to support our family. My mother passed away in 1975 from multiple scerosis at the young age of 50 and she is buried in Charleston. He remarried and his wife is a recent colon cancer survivor. Unfortunately, her cancer surgery did not go well due to what anyone would consider medical malpractice and over the past two years she has had to have a host of corrective surgeries to try and fix the mistakes her surgeon made. (She needs a good medical malpractice attorney) Financially, her illness and required surgeries have been financially devastating on the family, which has caused their credit to suffer. Again, if she wouldn't have had her medical problems, if they had more business smarts, had a computer, had an advocate and a good attorney, they would be in a better situation and would not have gotten in the mess with Performance Chevrolet LLC... Who took advantage these old, sick and needy people. So... Here the story begins...
About a month ago, I traveled to South Carolina to see my dad who I haven't seen in 8 years. I am a former Army helicopter pilot and disabled Vietnam vet who retired from the Army after 22 years of service. I am also physically limited and haven't been able until recently to make a trip down to see the family. I was only able to visit for a day and a half. So. After a short happy reunion, my dad told me that his 94 Chevrolet Barretta became unrepairable and he needed another vehicle. My Dad doesn't really drive anymore but the family needed a car... So, they went to Performance Chevrolet LLC in Seneca, SC to get another car. He ended up with a 92 Ford Taurus. I asked to see the car but he said it was in the shop being repaired and the dealership had given him a loaner. I then asked him how much he paid for the car and he said he didn't know as he hadn't received his payment book yet. (Not a good sign!) So I asked if he had a contract and my step mom said they did and she showed it to me. They charged him over $10,000 for the car with a 18 and 3/4 % interest! They really saw him coming! My step mom tells me that she has heard that they are all laughing and congratulating each other for being able to rip this old man off... Stuff like that gets around in small towns. I looked in the NADA blue book and the average retail for a 92 Taurus is about $8800 dollars. After putting $1000 down, and if the note goes to full term... This car will cost him around $19,000. This is where the story gets not only sad... But to make that much off a car deal is obscene. I contacted the Consumer Affairs Dept.in Columbia and immediately filed a consumer complaint. That was a month ago.
As of last Friday, I still had not heard anything, so I contacted the Consumer complaint dept and asked they get back with an update. On March 19, I decided to contact the dealership and try to speak with the owner. He was in a training meeting, so I spoke with the sales manager. He played the typical we didn't do anything wrong song... So I got nowhere with him.By the way... The car they sold him is a lemon as its been in for repairs continually and it still has problems!
Monday, March 21, I received a call from the Consumer complaint case worker in Columbia and was told that they had sent three letters out and had received no response... That should tell you something. I was informed that if Performance Chevrolet LLC did not respond by the 28th of March... Then the Consumer Affairs Dept.in Columbia would call the dealership. This has not given me a great deal of confidence in the consumer complaint dept.
So... I got on the internet and decided to start looking for consumer protection laws and advocates. It seems that South Carolina this past fall passed a anti-predatory business practice law. When read and compared to this case is a perfect match. An example of a predatory practice would be to have some elderly person come in who doesn't have the best credit, sell them a product (car) at an inflated price and then bury them in credit financing where the dealership makes a quadruple profit... And the customer is buried in finance charges and if they attempt to get out of the loan get threatened with repossession, destoying their credit rating... Etc. Etc.
This is what Performance Chevrolet did to my father. It is against the law and I'm not going to let them get away with it.
I need a strong advocate for my father and I hope that someone with legal knowledge, clout and the political connections to that part of the state will read this post and assist my father in voiding this contract, returning the car, getting his money back. Hopefully someone in law enforcement will take a hard look at this dealership as well.
My father's mental disability is apparent and documented... A letter of verification of his medication and mental disabilities was given by his VA doctor to the SC State consumer complaint Dept. I have lived in Massachusetts for the past 8 years and have not been in the mainstream due to my health. I am a 50% disabled vet and live on a limited set income.
Trying to advocate from 1000 miles away is difficult but hopefully with the will of our Creator... Will prevail. My dad and I both belong to the Masonic lodge and I am a Shriner. I ask that you keep us in your prayers. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. God Bless you and the United States of America.
Paul
Orleans, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
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