I am writing this letter to express my outrage and disappointment during my interaction with both Randy Reuben and Joe Pickens at Claremont Toyota (508 Auto Center Drive, Claremont, CA 91711). Through my interactions with both individuals, I was lied to, insulted, and severely threatened during my car buying experience. Being a Toyota enthusiast for all my life and a current Tacoma owner, I was very excited about the new FJ Cruiser and determined to purchase one as soon as possible. Claremont Toyota was my dealership of choice due to their large selection of FJ Cruisers.
I visited Claremont Toyota several times between June 15 and June 23 in order to choose the exact FJ Cruiser that I wanted. My father, Serge Baghoumian, placed a $15,000 down payment on the vehicle. My plan was to visit Claremont Toyota during the week of June 26 in order to finalize the paperwork, finance the remaining balance on the vehicle, and drive the FJ Cruiser home.
To my dismay, I received threatening and insulting phone calls from Randy Reuben and Joe Pickens that ultimately deterred me from purchasing ANY vehicle from Claremont Toyota.in an attempt to sell the FJ Cruiser by the end of the month and make sales figures, Joe Pickens left me a threatening message stating that My father and I will lose the 15,000 dollar down payment if we do not pick up the car and finalize the deal by June 30.
He also stated that Randy Reuben would lose his job if I did not pick up the car before the end of the month'. Without having finalized all the paperwork and without having driven the car off of the lot, I knew that Joe Pickens was only lying to me and threatening me. At that point I lost all trust in him.
I called Joe Pickens on his cell phone (951-264-5785) on June 30 and he stated that I (Aris Baghoumian) have created a very serious situation' and that if I did not pick up the car by June 30, he will be forced to flat-bed the FJ Cruiser to my home'.
Joe Pickens' threats made absolutely no sense. First he stated that my father and I would lose the $15,000 down payment if I did not pick up the car, then he stated that he would be forced to flat-bed the car to my house. At this point I knew I was DONE talking to Joe Pickens due to his outrageous lies and threats.
Since I was very appalled and frightened by Joe Pickens' threats, I called Randy Reuben (909-910-3306) who was the main sales associate handling my purchase. I expressed to Randy my disappointment at the way I was being treated by Joe Pickens. Being a new car buyer, I was very concerned about Joe Pickens' threats, and so I asked Randy Reuben to explain the situation to my uncle, a professional in the automotive industry. Randy Reuben stated that He will not speak to my uncle and that I should be ashamed of myself for creating this serious situation'.
The threats, lies, and lack of respect portrayed by Joe Pickens and Randy Reuben ultimately deterred me from purchasing an FJ Cruiser altogether. I feel extremely violated since Joe Pickens and Randy Reuben tried to take advantage of me due to the fact that I was a new and inexperienced car buyer. I called other Toyota dealerships regarding this matter and I was told:
My father and I will not lose' the $15,000 down payment for the vehicle
Joe Pickens is not allowed to force the sale and flatbed the vehicle to my home
As much as I like Toyota vehicles, this horrible experience may force me to NEVER consider buying a Toyota vehicle again. I am very determined to voice my disappointment through mail, phone, and forums on the Web, to prevent other car buyers from experiencing the deception and despicable service that I experienced at Claremont Toyota. I am also taking legal action to protect myself from the threats put forth by Claremont Toyota.
Aris
Glendale, California
U.S.A.
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