On 10-26 I called Nationwide Auto Outlet directly as a result of a 1997 white Cadillac Deville listed on ebay for sale. The Item # on ebay was 190044675934. The "Buy it now" price was listed as $3800. I told him I was interested in buying it now, but would they consider a lower price. He dropped the price to $3550 and that included their $200 processing fee. Before this agreement of price, my FIRST question, since I am from SW Louisiana and very familiar with Cadillacs as well, was, "How is the AC?" Tom said, "It's perfect! It blows colder than ever... I've felt it myself." Then I asked about the heater. He said. "It's perfect! The engine is perfect!" I asked if there were any problems with the engine AT ALL, any oil leaks? And he said, "No! The engine is in perfect running condition... It runs great... I promise you... You can't go wrong with this car... Its a steal." We then talked about the interior and exterior, he said it was never wrecked, and it has been, to what extent, I'm not sure, but a panel has been replaced.
He HURRIEDLY told me that he would hold the car for 1 hour, but that I needed to get the money to him in one hour and get the papers faxed to me and signed and faxed back for him to hold the car. Foolishly... Not knowing any better that handling things this way was buying it "outside of an ebay transaction" but its obvious now that he knew that. I ran to the bank, ran to Kinko's, sent the fax, received the fax at the bank and faxed it back while paying for it with my company debit card on the phone in front of my bank officer, Jarrod Lege, @ Chase Bank, phone 337-236-7182. I then negotiated with Zack @ Dependable Auto Shippers, DAS, 1-800-763-4165 ext 5181, to have the car shipped from Trenton, NJ to Beaumont, TX, their nearest drop off to Maurice, LA where I live. The distance between this drop off and my house is 137 miles, approximately 3 hours driving.
The car arrived as promised by DAS on the night of the 13th day, November 9. I drove to pick up the car on Friday, November 10. My friend, Anne Adams and I left my house at noon. When we finally arrived back at my house it was 8:00PM. When I went over the car with the lady at TNT Wrecker Service, the DAS drop off point, and started the engine... The "Service Engine light was on and no cold air was blowing."
I left there and drove approx 1 mile to the nearest gas station to put gas and check the fluids.By then I realized the AC was completely out because the car's warning system flashed, "Very low Coolant, turning compressor to protect engine." I called Wayne Wilson at Nationwide Auto Outlet and advised him of the problem and told him I was very upset. He said calm down it could be something minor, it was fine when it left his place. It took many phone calls to finally get him on the phone before he told me to take it to a mechanic, that he wouldn't pay the high price of a Cadillac dealership, etc. And "let's see what the problem is."
I drove it to the Cadillac dealership at the next exit, and they could not look at ii. I drove it there since I was from out of town, that's where the gas station attendant told me the nearest service place was.
They advised me of David's Cadillac Repair on College St, the next exit up. I called him and he said he could look at it. I drove to the next exit and on the exit ramp the dash started flashing warnings, "Turn engine off. Engine overheating!" it flashed the warning several times and was smoking. So I turned it off until the light changed. Since David's shop was just down the road, I started the car again when the light changed and turned left... Within in a hundred yards or so, the dash flashed again, "Turn engine off NOW! Engine overheating!" Then it said, "Engine Idle" and it turned itself off as I coasted into a glass repair place.
I called TNT Wrecker service to come tow the car the other mile to David's Repair Shop. It took nearly 20 times dialing the number in NJ for the woman to actually put Wayne on the phone. It was then 4PM Central time, 5 PM NJ time, so I knew it wouldn't be long before they wouldn't answer the phone at all since it was 5 o'clock on a Friday afternoon. I told her it was urgent. SHE ACTUALLY LAUGHED and said, "What do you want us to do about it from NJ?"
Wayne told me to calm down and tow it to David's Repair and let's see what's wrong with it. He also said, "We will take care of it, if its a bad car... There was nothing wrong when it left, but we'll take care of it. We don't sell bad cars." I asked him at least 10 times, are you going to pay the $700 shipping and he NEVER ANSWERED that question.
At David's Cadillac Repair, three mechanics looked at it, including David Alevy the owner who said that he has worked on Cadillac's for 25 years. They all watched as David opened the cap, which was the wrong cap by the way, to the overflow. They were all ASTOUNDED as was David from TNT Wrecker Service as he watched also. There was no water or coolant in the car at all, and they found what they estimate to be 4-5 cans of STOP Leak GUNK poured in there. They all agreed that there was no way they did not know about the problem before they sent the car and that they put the stop leak to try to hide the problem. The total assessment is that the "head gasket is blown" and that the engine is ruined. The mechanic said there is no way to fix the car, but to put a new engine. The estimated cost of putting a new engine is $5500.
I tried to get Wayne to give the tow truck guy, Dave, from TNT a credit card to pay him on the phone and he refused 10 times, even when I told him that it was not the right thing to do. His response was, "That's your problem."
Wayne Wilson told David Alevy to put coolant and check the pressure and that he would call back at 11 in the morning to check the status. David did that and we conference called with him at 11 NJ time. I have a recording of the call where Wayne said he would buy the car back, but that I had to pay to get it back to him and that I was responsible for all other cost, the mechanic and the tow truck.
The mechanic, David Alevy tried to tell Wayne that that was not the right thing to do, that it was obvious the car was bad before they shipped it. Wayne kept trying to get David to hang up from the call... Then stuck to his guns about me paying all the expenses to get it back there. I told him, "There was 4-5 cans of Stop Leak put in that car." Wayne told me, he didn't like my attitude, and said, "I'm not paying for a penny for your car, your stuck with it!" He then hung up on me. David couldn't believe it nor could I. I have all of this phone call recorded.
I am stuck having paid $3550 to Nationwide Auto Outlet on my debit card, $629 shipping charge on my debit card to DAS, $51.75 on my debit card to TNT Wrecker Service, and now there is a bill for $232 owed to David's Cadillac Repair Shop. As well, I filled the car up with gas and spent money on the gas to drive to Beaumont and back. The total out of pocket expenses up to this point add up to $4462.75 plus approximately $100 in gas that I have the receipts for.
I am a single mother with 4 children and have to have a means to get them back and forth to school and myself to work. Every penny I have was put in that car and the shipping and I will have to rent a car until this is resolved since I sold my car to pay for this one.
I need help DESPERATELY and IMMEDIATELY on this matter.
I have also talked to CHASE Bank and opened a complaint with them for Internet fraud to dispute the charges to my card... The complaint # is 763151460820001. Their phone number is 866-564-2262 and their fax number is 214-965-4129. The woman that opened the complaint is named Dewonia. The mechanic has already faxed them the letter verifying the problem with the car.
I spoke to Wayne again and gave him a second chance to make this right by paying the shipping charges there and back with the towing, and he refused as well... He also threatened me that when they receive the "disputed charge from the bank" that they will file criminal charges for "Car theft" and have me arrested for stealing their car.
These people are ugly, heartless, and have had clear criminal and fraudulent intentions from the start. If you research other feedback on ebay you will see that this is not the first complaint like this.
Something needs to be done to stop these people from harming innocent people.
I thank you in advance for any assistance you can give me on this matter.
Witnesses:
David @ TNT Wrecker Service, 5385 Fannett Rd. Beaumont, TX 77705-6715, the man who towed the car and also witnessed the mechanic open the reservoir and witnessed what was estimated to be 4-5 cans of stop leak that had been put in the reservoir and the fact that there was no water or coolant in the car.
Also the terminal representative @ TNT, who witnessed the fact that the "service engine soon" light was on when the car was started and before it was even driven.
Anne the friend that drove me to pick up the car and had to turn around to get me at the auto repair shop in Beaumont.
David & Jerry both certified GM mechanics, David is owner of the repair shop that the car was towed to, "David's Cadillac GM & Honda Specialist" and Jerry is another mechanic from the same shop.
Laureen
maurice, Louisiana
U.S.A.
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