Gateway Classic Cars of Houston

Thoroughly dissatisfied with my experience with Gateway Classic Cars and recommend anyone considering doing business with them to tread lightly. In summary, my purchase was complicated by inaccurate description of vehicle, poor negotiation skills between agent & owner, failure to provide title in timely fashion, and most significantly, vehicle damage between time of purchase and delivery in the amount of thousands of dollars without any proper admission of guilt or reasonable integrity on the dealer’s part. Details of my experience are provided below. I recently purchased a ’94 Dodge Viper and worked primarily with Shayne on this deal. I worked with a financier that he & Gateway Classic Cars had recommended and what I understood to be a fair relationship with as well. Shayne and I communicated via telephone & text for several days prior to my visit and inspection of the vehicle. During this communication, he was fairly prompt with his responses and answered my questions. However, many of the things he communicated were not fully accurate. For example, he assured me over the telephone that all electronics, including the stereo were in working order. This I found to be false as speakers were clearly blown. Not a major problem but an inaccuracy nonetheless. He also assured me all parts to the convertible top were present, which for the most part they were. However, he failed to point out that the back window to the vehicle (~$1,000.00 item) was missing. After our communication I decided to make the 10 hour trip to Houston with intent on purchasing the vehicle as had been described to me. I worked with a financier that Shayne had recommended citing that they had a good relationship with them. I had completed all necessary steps and requirements on the part of the financier and was cleared for purchase of the vehicle in any amount that would have been reasonably negotiated for it. After inspection of the vehicle, noting the speakers to be blown, the back window to be absent, and all other parts of the convertible top to be present and in working order, along with all other points of inspection/test drive, I decided to begin negotiations. From a seller’s perspective, Shayne did a decent job, but from a buyer’s perspective, not so much. I made an initial offer which Shayne failed to elicit any sort of counter from the seller. In the end the seller made out with a fair amount more than I had intended but nonetheless a deal was eventually made. Once a price had been agreed upon, paperwork ensued. As mentioned previously, I was working with a financier that was recommended to me by Shayne & Gateway Classic Cars. I had completed all necessary steps and paperwork and had been approved on their part for purchase of this vehicle. I had also completed sale paperwork on the dealer’s part at that time. I was prepared to take possession of the vehicle that day, except, Gateway Classic Cars insisted that they needed “check in hand” before they would release the vehicle to me. Despite verification that everything was in order on the financing side of things (from their trusted partner) and even after receiving e-mail confirmation with tracking number of the check being en route to their location, they would not release the vehicle. Due to weather & transportation issues, this eventually led me to have to spend several hundreds of dollars to have the vehicle shipped to its destination. Once the vehicle had finally been delivered, a few problems were noted and would later arise. First, they managed to deliver the vehicle without any sort of temporary tag for me to actually be able to drive it. To their credit they eventually e-mailed one to me, but a hassle nonetheless. Most concerning, however, was the fact that the CONVERTIBLE TOP HAD BEEN DAMAGED between the point of my inspection/purchase and delivery of the vehicle. In addition to my own inspection at the time of purchase, pictures are present of this top being in working order on their website, as well as in my own personal possession on my phone. They had managed to break one of the retractible arms of the top when placing it in the car for delivery. To replace this top is currently a $3,995.00 expense as it stands online at the time of this post. They failed to acknowledge this fault or accept responsibility. Needless to say, feasibility of legal options is being investigated. Finally, delivery of the vehicle title was less than prompt or efficient to say the least. After a couple of weeks had passed since purchase of the vehicle, there had still been no word of the title being delivered to me. After inquiring about this with Shayne, it turned out that the owners/sellers of the vehicle had traveled outside the continent and it became uncertain whether they would be able to provide the title within the 30 day window the financier had requested for me to register the vehicle. Keep in mind, the owners/sellers were in the U.S., and to my knowledge local in the area of Houston, at the time of my negotiation & purchase. Gateway Classic Cars simply failed to acquire the title. Arrangements were made to get a hold of the title, and I was assured by the manager at Gateway that the title would be shipped via 2-day shipping to me immediately after our conversation. Fast forward 4 days, and the title still had not been received, and after conversing with Shayne, had not been shipped by their manager at all as promised, let alone via 2-day shipping. Eventually the title was shipped and received and I was able to get the vehicle registered but not without much prodding. The title also raised questions. Shayne assured/assures the vehicle to be single own despite their being mileage/dealer/name issues on the title. Needless to say this entire experience has been a hassle. As a seller it seems like Gateway will cater significantly to them by gaining them the greatest amount for their vehicle and also given them the privilege of being very relaxed with delivery of title and other important points of a sale. From a buyer’s perspective though, Gateway seems to be a nightmare. Or at least the Houston location anyways. I can’t say that I would purchase from them again except under unique circumstances and certainly not without doing more homework than I would care to do. That said, I would also encourage anyone considering doing business with them to tread lightly.