Thurber Auto Sales
Buyer Beware! Thurber Auto in Springfield Vt

Anyone that is even thinking of doing any kind of business with Jim Thurber in Springfield VT, stay away from him with a 10 foot pole. He is a foul-mouthed, sleazy, unethical and contemptible human being. He makes Danny Devito's used car salesman character in the movie "Matilda" look like Abe Lincoln. After doing a search of used cars on the internet, we found a car listed on autotrader.com being sold by Thurber. We went to his business (over 100 miles away from our home) and negotiated a deal for the car. There was the normal back and forth like any car negotiation, and we agreed on a price of $3750. During the test drive, the engine light was on (diagnosed as a failed oxygen sensor by his office manager) and the rear wiper didn't work. As part of the purchase, we agreed that he would get the two parts needed (oxygen sensor & wiper motor) at his cost and I would purchase those from him at his cost (which we did). After taking the car to a local mechanic, the issue for the engine light was an entirely different sensor, and the rear wiper issue was due to a pinched wire. I went to the parts dealers with receipt in-hand (Brown’s Auto Salvage in Bomoseen & Bond Auto Parts in Springfield) that Thurber had purchased the parts from, and was told that they could only refund the purchase directly to the dealer. They both said it would be no problem for the dealer to return for full refund. Since I was in the area, on Tues Nov 21st I stopped by Thurber Auto and talked to the office manager (I was told Thurber was out-of-town) to tell him what the parts dealers had said. I asked the office manager for a refund on the unneeded parts, and was told that Thurber would cut a check for the $140 when he returned from being out-of-town. As a sign of good faith, I even left the parts with the office manager so he could easily have the parts picked up by the parts dealers (I even offered to go back to Bomoseen to drop off the wiper motor). He took the parts and reassured me that the check for $140 would be sent to me as soon as Thurber was back in town. I re-contacted the business several times, but it was always that Thurber was still out-of-town. The office manager did say he would be back in the office on Thursday Dec 2 and that the check would be mailed that day. He said that I would have the check by Tuesday Dec 7 at the latest. When I didn't receive the check by Dec 7, I stopped by Thurber Auto on Weds Dec 8. The office manager then changed his story completely and that the parts would not be refunded because I had agreed to purchase them. I said that was true, but it was based on the diagnosis made by Thurber and he had also said on several occasions that he would refund the parts. At that point, he called Jim Thurber on the phone for further direction, and he handed the phone to me. When I said "hello", Thurber started a 30-second, unprovoked, profanity-laced attack on me calling me "a f*ing a*h*" three times, and said that I could "take my parts and shove them up my "f*ing a*", and that he shoud "come down there and shove them up my "f*ing a*" himself.” I couldn't get a word in edge-wise, but repeatedly said "are you kidding me?" to him regarding his behavior. I handed the phone back to the manager, and the manager told me that Thurber told him to give me the parts and "get the f* off his property". I told the office manager what he said, and his reaction was "I agree with you... That's why this guy loses more business that he does". I asked him how could he work for such an unethical and reviling person; his reaction was "that's why I'm leaving in two weeks". I should make it very clear that at no time during the entire sales transaction as well as the subsequent calls/visits was the office manager anything but pleasant and professional, as was I. It is the business owner, James "Jim" Thurber, that is the issue. Please learn from my mistake: do not do any business with this insolent, crude and disrespectful "human being".

Company: Thurber Auto Sales
Country: USA

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