On 12/15/07 I bought a 2007 Santa Fe from Brad Benson Hyundai. From the very beginning, I have had many problems with the dealership.
My salesperson Ali Givehchi used very high pressure sales tactics and psychological manipulation. For those of you who are comfortable with that, it's no problem, but for a first-time buyer like myself, I did not appreciate it, nor did I handle it well. He tried (and succeeded in) selling me a service loaner (demo car) as a "new" car, telling me that it gets the original owner Hyundai Factory Warranty. However, in the flurry of pulling a fast one on me, I failed to notice that he marked the car as "used" on my sales contract. I noticed it too late, after taking delivery of the car. I called Hyundai Customer Assistance (HCA) for help and told them what had happened. Liz from HCA called the dealer and told me that something didn't look right about my transaction, and that she was going to investigate. It turns out that the dealer was trying to pass off the demo car as "used", despite telling me that it was "new". When confronted by Liz, the dealer told her that they would put in an RDR (retail delivery report) to ensure that I was listed as the first retail buyer.
They had me take delivery of the car that very same evening, and now I know why. The next day, I noticed significant damage to the interior hatch door that was difficult to see at nighttime. I immediately confronted them about the damage, to which they shrugged and said there's nothing they could do about it. Later on, the sales manager Mohammed Zadeh even admitted to me that the detailing department knew of the damage all along (this is the same guy featured in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch? V=jMu9HSsYF9E). Very tricky and deceptive sales practice, so beware. If a dealer wants you to take delivery on the spot ("spot delivery"), it usually means that they have some trickery up their sleeves.
The temporary plate issued to me was due to expire on 01/03/08. On 12/27-31 I called the dealer and asked if my plates and registration were ready for pickup. On all four days, I was told that they simply had not arrived yet. I then called the New Jersey DMV, who confirmed that registration and title were completed on 12/27/07 and were already picked up by the dealer on 12/27/07; I even got the transaction identification number for reference. I then called the DMV complaint line and spoke with Tanya Browning. She said that she's dealt with numerous complaints about Brad Benson in the past, so much so that she even has Brad Benson's personal phone number. She called the dealer, and they told her that they indeed had the plates, but weren't giving them to me because my "check didn't clear". There are many things wrong with this. First, my check cleared on 12/19/07, a couple of days after I gave it to them. Second, if that were indeed the case, why didn't they tell me up front when I called them on 12/27/07? It was only a lie in order to appear legitimate to Tanya at DMV.
They pulled the same trick with my title. On 12/31/07 I was told by Mohammed that the title would take another 4 weeks to pick up. This did not seem right to me, since the DMV already confirmed that the dealer had already picked it up and there is no lien on the vehicle. On 01/07/08 I called the DMV complaint line and spoke with Tanya again. She called the dealer, and they told her that the title was ready for pickup. Basically, you have to solicit outside help from higher authorities in order to deal with their chicanery.
Another example of this: When they rushed me out the door on 12/15/07 with the car, I didn't stop to think that they had only given me one key and one remote transmitter. Nowadays, most (if not all) new cars come with two keys and two remote transmitters. When I asked for the second remote on 12/17/07, they said they didn't have it. On 01/02/08 I called Hyundai Customer Assistance (HCA) for some corporate help and spoke with Tonnie. Tonnie called the dealer, and they told her that they have a 2nd remote ready for pickup. So I went to the dealer to pick it up, at which time they told me that the remote had to be programmed. I declined their offer, not wanting them to mess around with my car while out of my sight. I went to my car and tested the 2nd remote. Not only did it work on my car, but I looked at the serial number, and it matched the serial number on the first remote that they had given me. This confirmed to me that they had been lying all along about not having the 2nd remote, and that indeed it was the one that they should have given me to begin with.
Brad Benson Hyundai also overcharged me on my title and registration fee. Under the terms of the sales contract, you are entitled to a refund should their estimated cost exceed the actual cost from the DMV. On 01/07/08, they told me that I had to wait 6-8 weeks for my refund. After everything else that had happened, I wasn't about to trust their word. I told them that I getting ready to contact Tanya and HCA again for help, to which they responded that they would give it to me right away.
Bottom line: Stay away from Brad Benson Dealerships. Look them up on bbb.org and you'll see that they have an "unsatisfactory record". There are plenty of other dealers in New Jersey who don't have an unsatisfactory rating; some even are accredited by the BBB. That's not to say that you're guaranteed to have a smooth transaction there, but your chances are definitely going to be better than at Brad Benson. If you do get into trouble, try to contact corporate (eg. HCA) for help, as well as the New Jersey DMV complaint line. If you are a victim of a sour deal, what Brad Benson will do is create as much hassle for you as possible. This includes making you drive to their dealership as many times as they can to pick up what's owed to you, piece by piece.
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