On 9/1/03 I bought a (used) car at Saturn of Knoxville in Tennessee. (It was a 2001) It was supposed to be a 5 star gold certified checked vehicle. Well the next day I was having problems with the car. Not major mechanical problems but still it was supposed to be checked so I didn't expect to be having problems so soon. The coolant light came on and also I heard a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. I went back the next day and said, look I don't think this vehicle was checked properly and I do not want the car anymore. Since it was less than 24 hours I didn't see the problem. Of course they said no.
I went back about a week later to have something else checked, and I then spoke to a manager because I was still unhappy with the car. I was sent to see Lou Esch, who was EXTREMELY rude & arrogant to me and wouldn't let me explain the problems I was having with the car. His attitude was, 'well you are a woman and you don't know what you are talking about' and he insisted that he was right and I was wrong. I finally told him how rude he was being and that I wasn't going to sit there and listen to him anymore, and he said "GOOD GET YOUR ASS OUT THEN"! I couldn't believe he had the nerve to talk to me like that, and in front of my 1 year old daughter!
I stopped payment on the check I used for the down payment, but since I didn't want that to go on my credit report I ended up paying it anyway. I was thinking of just returning the car to the lot but then I would have a loan to pay off and no car.
Well now I was really mad. I contacted the Better Business Bureau, who said they could not help me, and I called lawyers to try to get advice on what I should do. I also called the Saturn company and I spoke to an area manager but all they did was tell me they would use my complaint as a 'teaching tool' so this kind of thing doesn't happen again. How does that help me? I was not offered any kind of compensation for the way I was treated.
With the loan and the down payment I am going to be paying about $8500 for a car that is only worth about $6000. I can't believe those A-holes have my money. Since I signed the contract I don't think there is anything I can do. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will NEVER even consider buying a Saturn again, and I hope this report stops at least one person from buying one, because that will be worth it.
Christina
knoxville, Tennessee
U.S.A.
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