We were lied to and swindled at Keyes Lexus Van Nuys. - Louis
We were lied to and swindled at Keyes Lexus Van Nuys. We went to lease a Lexus UX for my wife at Keyes Lexus. The monthly cost seemed very high but the salesman, Danny Banayan, assured us we were paying the MSRP price of $45,830. We were brought to see John, the financial person, to sign the papers. A computer tablet was placed in front of my wife, and she was instructed how and where to sign. My wife signed on the tablet trusting John and the process. I also signed as instructed. Naturally John tried to sell us on tire insurance and to prepay the required service costs. I was expecting that and rejected them. We were given a flash drive and were told the lease papers were on it. We drove the car home. I was not given the sticker sheet taped to the window which I thought was strange. The next day I discovered that $4,440 in additional costs for three options I did not want were added to the price of the car. I was not told about them nor was there any description of what they were on the pages on the flash drive. I called John, it took a few days to reach him, and asked what the options were. He said Danny should have explained them but would send a new copy of the lease agreement which included the options. The two versions of my lease agreement do not match up. I called Danny and asked for a paper copy of the lease and the car’s sticker. He said the person washing the car must have thrown the sticker away. I insisted that a copy was in their computer system, and he eventually texted me a copy. I still have not received an exact copy of our lease.
Before posting this review and complaining to the Department of Consumer Affairs and Lexus Corporate, I called the general manager, Ramin Hakakain, and left a message explaining our issue. He called me back Thursday 5/23. I explained my complaint and my almost 40-year business relationship with the Keyes dealerships and 14 years as a customer of Keyes Lexus. I emailed him the two copies of my lease and he wrote me back that he would get back to me the next day. He did not, so I emailed him. He called and apologized and said he would get to me by Monday, 5/27. Again, he did not. Ramin may not have the authority to solve my problem. He should have at least called us.
Keyes dealerships were acquired by a large auto conglomerate, Lithia Motors. In my opinion, their sales and service has changed for the worse. I think their employees are under increased pressure to squeeze every cent out of their customers.
For those of you who have read this far I recommend that you do not let yourself be rushed. Look carefully at every piece of paper and ask if there are any dealer options added on. My wife could have declined those options if she was looking at paper not a tablet. Make sure you are given a printed copy of your purchase agreement or lease. Do not let the financial person badger you into agreeing to buying any of their insurance especially if you can afford the repairs they are insuring. A good rule of thumb is do not insure anything you can afford to repair or replace. Auto dealers, especially Keyes Lexus, are not looking after your interest and may not have any integrity.
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