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Serra Hyundai

1503 Gadsden Hwy, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35235-3101

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Serra Hyundai Reviews (%countItem)

I believe the dealership used unethical and possibly illegal business practices in securing the sales contract on this vehicle.
January 22, 2019 - Account# *** -
Sales Contract for - 2013 FIAT 500 Abarth, VIN ***, Model# ***, Mileage 61,665 from Serra Mazda, ***, ***, AL, *** (Tel# (***)***) Advertised "Sale Price"- $9,400.00 / "Retail Price" - $11,900.00 / "e-Price"- NEVER RECEIVED (after submitting required personal contact information)
WINDOW STICKER - visible in photos on website (windshield, passenger side), removed prior to test drive, never made available to me
"Double Down" Sale Promotion - "Let us file your taxes for you then we'll double it ... $2,000 tax refund + $2,000 from Serra Mazda = up to $4,000 toward your down payment" (in all new or used vehicles in stock) I was denied the use of this promotion and no explanation was offered. My refund was $750, and if it had been matched that would've given me $1,500 toward my down payment, and saved me from having to pay anything out-of-pocket.
"SERRA's FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY" - A charge of $1,456.00 for an "Optional Extended Warranty or Service Contract" for a term of 24 months or 24,000 miles was added to the contract, thereby increasing the price. If the car comes with a FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY via SERRA MAZDA, why would I: #1 - need an Extended Warranty or Service Contract; #2 - want a 2-year warranty on a vehicle I'll be paying on for 5 years; #3 - finance a 2-year Extended Warranty or Service Contract for 5 years? The answer to all 3 questions is: I wouldn't because it makes no sense.
When asked about my down payment, I told Mr. (sales) that I could put down $500. When he continued to press, I agreed to $600, with the understanding that was actually more than I was comfortable with. In the end, however, I was asked to submit a check for additional $250 to be held by the Finance Manager, ***. However, I was told that since they couldn't hold a post-dated check, I would have to date it for that day (January 22, 2019) and be assured it would be held until the agreed upon date. Total - $850 out of my pocket.
I attempted to contact ***, General Sales Manager, via his email (***@serramazda.com), twice, both times listing the discrepancies I have outlined here and asking for an explanation, as well as some form of resolution. These same emails were also sent to the following individuals in management at the dealership:
***, Used Car Manager
***, Finance Manager
***, Customer Relations Manager
The only direct contact I had was with *** through emails and telephone calls. I was never given an explanation for any of the complaints I had, and therefore no resolution.
It all boils down to this: "Cash Price" - $12,100 (which is higher than the advertised Sale Price AND the Retail Price); an additional $1,256 for an Exteneded Warranty.... I don't WANT or NEED. And denied a promo that would have saved me out-of-pocket expense on down payment. Additionally, in their zeal to get my money, they flooded the Credit Bureau with financing requests. Within 48 hours I received notification from 11 different lenders advising me of the request. My credit score wasn't good to begin with, and they succeeded in putting it in the toilet.

Desired Outcome

I want them to VOID the contract or buy it out and take the car back. The car is a daily reminder that I was taken advantage of by individuals who apparently had no concern about how their actions would continue to affect me long after driving the car off their lot, and probably well beyond the payoff date. In addition, I want a correction to my credit score. This whole fiasco never would have taken place if they had dealt with me in a fair and honest manner.

Serra Hyundai Response • Apr 18, 2019

Contact Name and Title: *** CRM
Contact Phone: XXXXXXXXXX EX.0
Contact Email: ***@serramazda.com
Mrs. *** contacted Serra Mazda via email, (Monday, January 28, 2019), addressing her feelings towards being ineligible for a promotional incentive while in the dealership purchasing her 2013 FIAT 500, (the previous Tuesday, January 22, 2019). Multiple unsuccessful attempts were made to contact her this day via telephone call so common ground could be sought and to explain her ineligibility guidelines once again. Mrs. *** followed up with another email, (Friday, February 1, 2019), stating that Serra Mazda needed to place a "stop payment" on a check that she wrote Serra Mazda for the down payment. She stated she would be getting back with Serra Mazda when she could provide the amount owed because her fiancé had removed her from the account routed to that check. (Serra Mazda has yet to receive the amount of the check) Mrs. *** stated in that same email that she worked nights and was unreachable during the day and that text message or email would be the best means of contact for her. A reply was submitted Sunday, February 3, 2019, requesting an available time or date more conducive to her schedule, so that a proper discussion or conference meeting could be conducted to communicate her concerns. Wednesday, February 17, 2019, Mrs. *** sent yet another email with an attachment letter stating Serra Mazda: refused to contact her, misled her in the pricing of the vehicle, unrightfully denied her additional incentive funding for her vehicle, and she was to be abandoning the vehicle the following morning regardless of any outcome. The following day, (Monday, February 18, 2019), Mrs. *** sent a final email with Serra Mazda's "Used Car Buyer's Guide" disclaimer as the heading in bold font. Serra Mazda's disclaimer states that, "the window sticker overrides any contrary provisions in the contract of sale", but Mrs. also discloses multiple times that she never specifically saw an exact price listed on a window sticker but that she was sold the vehicle a price that wasn't on the window sticker.
Mrs. *** was sent multiple emails requesting return contact. Mrs. *** was successfully contacted Monday, February 18, 2019, via telephone call. She was informed that the matter of her wanting to return her vehicle would have to be taken up with by lien holder, (financial institution), because Serra Mazda no longer held her information pertaining to the purchase. Serra Mazda offered her several free services to retribute her being ineligible for the "Double Down" incentive, (filing her own taxes through Turbo tax and did not meet base requirement of refund). The additional $1456.00 was explained as it is the "Serra Platinum Package" fee and not a maintenance or extended warranty. The Serra Platinum Package was discussed including: the initial inspection, thorough detail upon delivery, the providing of breakfast, lunch, popcorn, and free WiFi upon all servicing, free shuttle transport, FQI (Final Quality Inspection) upon delivery, tax/ title fee, administrative and document fee. She conversation concluded with the fact she was not upset with the vehicle or experience as much as she was with the issue it had brought upon her personal relationship, relating to what she disclosed in an email sent January 28, 2019.

Customer Response • Apr 18, 2019

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
In an attempt to address Mrs. response point by point, I have listed each item, in order, with my reply below.
My initial inquiry regarding the "Double Down" promotion was sent via email to ***, Sales Director, on January 28, 2019, with a 'courtesy copy' to *** (Used Car Manager), *** (Finance Manager) and *** (Customer Relations Manager). According to Mrs., several attempts were made to contact me in order to explain my "ineligibility guidelines once again". In addition to the fact that I had no voicemail messages or emails from anyone at the dealership in response to my email, I was never given ANY explanation, at ANY TIME by ANYONE as to why I was "ineligible" for the promotion. That's why I emailed Mr. in the first place. (Also, for future reference, I didn't file my taxes until the 24th, two days after my trip to the dealership.) I have asked the same question numerous times, but have yet to receive an answer: Where in the rules and regulations for the "Double Down" promotion (as seen on Serra Mazda's website) does it say the tax refund must be no less than $ to be eligible? In other words, where is a minimum amount given? I carefully read and re-read all the print I could find and never saw anything relating to a minimum. The maximum amount eligible is $2,000 ("up to $2,000"), with a maximum "Double Down" amount of $4,000 ("up to $4,000") towards the down payment on any new or used vehicle available in their inventory.
Since I had not received a response to my letter, on February 1, 2019, I sent a 2nd email to Mr. referencing the January 28th letter (sending a 'courtesy copy' to the same 3 managers as before) and informing him that I had put a 'stop payment' on the $250 check I left with ***, Finance Manager, to be held until my next pay period, which was February 1st. I didn't ask Serra Mazda to put a 'stop payment' on my check, as stated by Mrs. ***, nor did I ever say anything about "getting back with Serra Mazda when (I) could provide the amount owed".
The 1st response I received regarding my emails came from *** (Customer Relations Manager) on February 3, 2019, via email. She made no direct reference to any of my complaints, and didn't answer any of my questions.
On February 6, 2019, I sent an email to Mrs. (with a 'courtesy copy' to Mr., as well as the other 2 managers) in which I again outlined my work/sleep schedule and asking that she set a time for us to speak regarding my complaints.
Email dated February 7, 2018, time stamped "at 8:19 AM", from Mrs. letting me know she would be in the office that day (Thursday) until 5:30, asking me to call. Unfortunately, I was asleep by the time the email was sent (I work from 9:00 PM til 5:30 AM, Monday thru Friday), so I didn't see it until after 2 o'clock. I tried numerous times to contact her before she left for the day, but the switchboard operator never answered when I was prompted to "dial '0' for the Operator". I was not able to speak with Mrs. that day.
By February 17, 2019, when I emailed Mrs. again, we had yet to make direct contact. In this letter, I listed my concerns and questions starting with the "Double Down" promotion; then the "Cash Price" of $12,100 listed on the sales contract versus the "Retail $11,900" and the "Sale $9,400" listed for this car on Serra Mazda's website on the used car inventory page. I also reiterated the fact that I never received the "e-price" for this vehicle after submitting my contact information as instructed, nor did I receive it from *** (Sales Director), after 2 direct requests were sent to his office or from *** (Sales Consultant) after a direct request was sent to him; the additional charge of $1,456 for the "Extended Warranty"; and the fact that during my time at the dealership (a span of several hours), I was never given the price for the vehicle no sticker price, sale price, final price,, etc... I asked *** (Sales Consultant) for the "best price" , and he assured me he would ask (I don't know whom he was supposed to ask) on one of his many trips away from the desk where I was seated. But I never got an answer that day, just as I had never been given an answer when I asked the same question in my emails. I went on to assure Mrs. that this was not a case of "buyer's remorse". I also let her know that over my lifetime I've owned 10 vehicles, 6 of which were purchased from a dealership, so I'm familiar with the process. Additionally, I made her aware of the fact that not only was my late father an inspector for companies that sold extended warranties, he was also an ASE Master Certified Mechanic, and he took the time to educate me about the buying/selling process, how to properly maintain a vehicle, etc...
In closing, I will address Mrs. final remarks. I NEVER said that I intended to "abandon the vehicle...regardless of any outcome". If I had intended to do it, I would've done it whether I spoke with anyone at the dealership or not. Mrs. stated that several "free services" were offered to me as retribution for the fact that I was ineligible for the "Double Down" promo, making reference to the fact that I filed my own taxes through TurboTax and my refund didn't meet the minimum requirement. However, I didn't file my taxes until January 24th, 2 days after I purchased the vehicle. And I've asked several times, via email and over the phone, where in the ad for the "Double Down" promo does it state a minimum refund requirement, and I have yet to get an answer to that question. But I can tell you this much: I have the printed ad from the website, tiny fine print and all, and nowhere does it state a minimum amount, only a maximum. So, as far as I'm concerned, because I haven't been given a straight answer, I should have been able to use the promo and put $1,500 towards the down payment on the car, saving me the out-of-pocket expense. Additionally, no one explained the details of the "Serra Platinum Package" or discussed its benefits, highlights, etc..., so I certainly didn't know it would cost $1,456. I did see something on *** desk about it, but it was across from me, therefore upside down, and to me it looked like it was something to do with new cars. I was never told otherwise. Finally, Mrs. is correct in stating that the experience has caused problems at home. However, that is NOT the major issue. The fact remains that I believe I was not treated fairly, that several things could have and should have been done differently by Serra Mazda and overall it was definitely not a pleasant or positive experience. I will not recommend Serra Mazda to anyone in the market for a vehicle, and I would strongly suggest to anyone who is shopping for a vehicle that they not undertake the task alone. Two heads are better than one. If nothing else, you'll at least have a witness.
I am no more satisfied now than I was when I filed the complaint because Mrs. response was full of inaccuracies and she still managed to leave my questions unanswered.

Serra Hyundai Response • Apr 24, 2019

The "Double Down" promotion is a special finance incentive that Serra Mazda offers during the month of January. The promotion gives customers the ability to be given double the amount for their tax refund toward the down payment of their vehicle. At the time the promotion was discussed, the conditions of the incentive were as well. The conditions were that the taxes would have to be filed through Serra Mazda and the amount of refund exceed $750.00. Mrs. *** opted to file her taxes independently, stating she felt she would receive more than what we could get back for her. Mrs. *** disclosed in her email, January 28, 2019, that she later filed through TurboTax and received an amount of $745.00. Conclusively, the amount Mrs. *** was due back inevitably qualified her as ineligible for the "Double Down" promotion.
Mrs. *** was explained all details of the business transaction at the time of negotiation, commitment, and delivery. Mrs. *** contributed supporting documents confirming her interest and at no time during the close of the transaction did she voice any questions pertaining to information on the window sticker, objection of vehicle selling price, nor did she petition the conditions of eligibility for the "Double Down" incentive. Mrs. *** signed, physically and electronically, 27 acknowledgment documents verifying and consenting the possession of the 2013 FIAT 500. The compliance documents itemized the amount of the vehicle as the Listing Price was for ($15000.00), the amount the Vehicle Selling Price was sold for ($12100.00), the Total Amount Financed was ($13965.46) and Down Payment Amount ($850.00) in which, the amount of $250.00 has still been unsatisfied by Mrs. ***. There is no current record of Mrs. *** arranging the sum of the amount to be retrieved.
Mrs. *** sent an email to Serra Mazda, (Monday, January 28, 2019), addressing her feelings in reference to not being contacted and being ineligible for the promotional incentive while in the dealership purchasing her 2013 FIAT 500. After the exchange of dialog via email, Mrs. *** indicated her solution to her dissatisfaction, "I intend to return the vehicle to your dealership during the hours of operation on Monday, February 18, 2019". A record of (19) cyber and telephone attempts were made to reach out to Mrs. ***. All attempts were unsuccessful until Monday, February 18, 2019, via telephone call.
During the conversation, Mrs. *** was informed that the matter of her wanting to return her vehicle would have to be taken up with by the lien holder, (financial institution), because Serra Mazda no longer could legally intervene and repossess the vehicle. Serra Mazda offered Mrs. *** several free services to retribute her being ineligible for the "Double Down" incentive. Serra Mazda explained the service contract she purchased was through Credit Acceptance (financial institute lender) and not Serra Mazda. There are still attempts being made for resolution of this matter.

Customer Response • May 05, 2019

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
When I met ***, Serra Mazda Sales Consultant, on January 22, 2019, at the dealership, I asked him about the "Double Down" promotion because I had just seen it advertised that morning for the first time. He claimed to have no knowledge about the promotion - no details of how it worked, how long it ran, etc... - but he assured me he would ask about it. However, I had to "remind" him about it twice before he finally came back to his desk where I was seated and asked if I could provide my W2's and other pertinent info in order for my 2018 Federal Tax Return could be calculated. Using Mr.' computer, I was able to retrieve my W2's, which he printed and took with him to another office. When he returned, his EXACT words to me were: "Since your refund is only about $750.00 ..." followed by a full shoulder shrug. That was it. There was no explanation of the promotion's minimum refund requirements, no apology, no anything. I was confused and a little disappointed, but I didn't argue because I had just seen the ad on t.v. that morning and had not had a chance to review the details. Also, at no time did I claim that I would be able to get a better return by filing my own taxes. For one thing, if someone were filing my taxes on my behalf at the behest of the dealership, I would hope they were a professional who knew what they were doing. Second, I knew what my refund was going to be because I had already worked on my 2018 Federal Tax Return but had not filed it yet. Upon returning home later, I went to the dealership's website (***) in order to review the details of the "Double Down" promotion. In the 'fine print', I learned "Serra Mazda will match your Tax Refund up to $2,000 off MSRP on all new or used vehicles in stock in the form of a down payment.", and that the "Offer excludes tax, tag, title & includes dealer fee of $699." I also found the expiration date and tax filing info: "Offer expires 4/30/19. Filing service completed by Elite Tax Max and is complimentary if a vehicle is purchased during your visit." Nowhere in the details of the "Double Down" promotion was there any mention of a 'minimum refund amount', only that they would match UP TO $2,000. I have a screen shot of the ad, including the details in fine print.
As for the price listed for the vehicle on the dealership's website, I didn't have my paperwork with me which included all the vehicle's stats, specs, etc..., but I believed the info given on the contract was correct. Why would I think otherwise? So I was very upset when I realized the price on the contract was very different from the price listed on the website. This is the price I referenced in every communication I sent to ***, Sales Director at Serra Mazda, as well as ***, Sales Consultant at Serra Mazda, prior to my visit to the dealership on January 22, 2019. These communications were requests I sent inquiring about the best price for the vehicle in question, but I never received an answer, only stock responses to my email. This is also the only response I received from my initial inquiry which was prompted by me filling in my contact information in order to get the "ePrice" on the vehicle in question. This is a link on the dealership's used inventory webpage for all the vehicles, along with the "Retail" ($11,900 for the vehicle in question) and "Sale" ($9,400 for the vehicle in question) for each. Again, the "ePrice" prompt asks for your contact info in order for you to receive the "ePrice" for that vehicle, and even though I submitted my info on the link, I never received the "ePrice", just a stock response from Mr.. (I have a copy of this letter and all subsequent letters pertaining to the vehicle in question.) So, if the price listed on the website as recently as January 21, 2019, the day before I went to the dealership, was given as "Retail $11,900" and "Sale $9,400", why was it listed on the contract as "Cash price $12,100", a $200 increase over the "Retail" price and a $2,700 increase over the "Sale" price listed on the website? I've asked this question more than once, but haven't received a satisfactory answer. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the only satisfactory answer is "We made a mistake." Period.
As for the window sticker, I know what happened to it, even though I never saw what was on it. There was a large piece of white paper folded and slightly crumpled in the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle in question when I took it for a test drive with ***. He picked it up, looked at it and told me it was the window sticker. When we arrived back at the dealership after the test drive, he threw it away. So, it was there, just not on the window and I never saw what was on it.
As for the "free services to retribute" (in retribution for) me being ineligible for the "Double Down" incentive, Mrs. is referring to the stock letter I received on February 22, 2019, which contained her business card and a $25 REGAL card (for REGAL Cinemas). On the back of her business card were the following handwritten notes: "Free oil change, Free tire rotation, Top off gas tank ... for Sales Customer Relations 2-20-19" along with 2 sets of initials, which I assume belong to *** and ***. The letter does not address any of the issues the and I discussed because, as I said, it's only a stock letter with a "fill in the blank" for the recipient and date. The "free services", while I'm sure were offered with good intent, don't even come close to retribution for not only the money I paid out of pocket, but also the increased financed amount, the time I've spent dealing with this matter (and my time like everyone else's is worth something), and the worry and aggravation I've had to endure while dealing with this matter. I can't put a number on some of these, but a number can be put on the contract amount and therefore the amount financed. I believe the facts show that I have been wronged, either by design or by accident, by the dealership, and it must be made right. However this happens, whatever has to be done, it's the only way that I will feel it has been handled in a satisfactory manner. No amount of free services or gift cards will make up for it.

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Address: 1503 Gadsden Hwy, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35235-3101

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+1 (205) 655-7362

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serramazda.com

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