I had a dispute with Car-Town Kia (another story entirely) and after a battle, they agreed to pick up my car, because they didn't fix the problem the first time and because I live in Frankfort, and fix it. Short story, they sent some bum that had no proof of insurance and expected to drive my car instead of towing it. So the work didn't get performed and I filed with the BBB. I filed with someone named Carrie Hedberg, and kept checking on the status of the report over a period of several months, and she gave me various status reports (but no real progress!), until one day she replies (pasted from her email):
"I have researched your request for the status of your complaint. I cannot locate your complaint in our system. Would you be willing to resubmit your complaint on our website www.ky. BBB.org? Or, if you wish you can attach a copy of your original complaint. The Dispute Resolution Specialist that will be processing your complaint is Mr. Nate Gatewood. I apologize for any inconvenience."
Whaaat? I'd been emailing this lady for months checking on the status of my complaint, and now it just... Disappeared!
I ended up having to refile the same complaint, now months later (this would eventually cause me a problem by Kia saying the car was later out of warranty). But anyway, Nate Gatewood at the BBB, myself, and Car-Town Kia sent some messages back and forth, and Car-Town Kia admitted to the BBB that we definitely did HAVE a verbal agreement for them to pick the vehicle up, but the BBB would not enforce it because they said Car-Town called it a "good faith effort." Mr. Gatewood IF I'd had the agreement in writing, then "maybe we could do something." Whaaat? Car-Town Kia's admission of an agreement isn't enough? But in writing, it would have made a difference? So EVEN THOUGH BOTH PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT, the BBB would not do anything. I also reported various other unethical events, such as Car-Town Kia telling me I badly needed a transmission fluid change, even though I'd hate it changed just prior to my visit! Mr. Gatewood said that if they'd charged me for a change, then maybe we could have gotten that fee back, but since they didn't change the fluid there was no remedy. But isn't this completely unethical behavior? So my complaint was dismissed. The BBB wouldn't even tell me how it would be marked in the records! I suspect it was put down as "Resolved" or something along those lines, even when the truth is that I paid my local mechanic $100 to fix the problem, which was a joke and should have been found by Car-Town Kia the first time. And the other issues I complained about were just forgotten.
I even emailed the main office of the BBB and asked who I speak to about filing a complaint on the BBB itself. I received no response.
Any organization that receives money from the very people you are complaining about is useless. You can't trust them to be impartial.
Bek1
Frankfort, Kentucky
U.S.A.
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