Gerald Kia of Matteson

Gerald Kia of Matteson responded

Issiah N - I am truly disappointed to read your negative review. Our company goes the extra mile to help protect our customers. One of the things we do besides a very extensive and thorough inspection is add a LIFETIME WARRANTY on all products we sell that are less than 8 years old and have less than 100,000 miles at the time of purchase. You came in on Feb 8th to see a vehicle you found online. We have customers that visit our store from all over the country. Some drive their own vehicles, some take ubers, some fly in and others take a bus. We don't typically factor their means of transportation into the way we service them or the price they pay. Every customer gets excellent service. You liked the vehicle we had to offer but had concerns about a service light that came on between inspection and your visit. Something that happens rarely but we were happy to help and reestablish your confidence by looking into. We were happy to offer a solution to your needs and would make necessary adjustments before you completed paperwork and finalized numbers. Then you started your negotiation. Our vehicle was priced online at $13,297 which positioned it at 90% of the average market price for a vehicle with the same specifications. Average market price was $14,714. Although we knew the value of the vehicle to much greater our newest sales manager agreed to help you out and sell the vehicle to you at your number - $10,710.54 which translated to $12,500 after tax, title and license. The negotiated price was over $4,000 UNDER AVERAGE MARKET PRICE and JD Power Retail Value. Not only that we held the vehicle for you for five additional days - declining offers to buy from parties presenting figures to buy for thousands over your agreed upon price. Our only mistake was that we mistakenly stamped one of the offers with the "Lifetime Warranty" disclosure we use for vehicles under 8 years old 100,000 miles. It wasn't even a point of negotiation up until that point. Upon return five days later the adjustments were made and the vehicle was cleaned and gassed up ready for your arrival. You harshly tried to negotiate interest rate on the less than $9500 balance after down payment. All the presentations you received at this point had no "Lifetime Warranty" stamp on them and the vehicle was never represented as such. Once in the office you were very rude to the finance manager whose only job was to bill out your paperwork and offer any options that were available. You were buying a well equipped 2017 Chevrolet Malibu for $4,000 off retail and less than wholesale value. We were trying to make the process quick and painless for you. Then you began to argue that at some point someone had represented the product as qualifying for the Lifetime Warranty. The Lifetime Warranty is a product that only is applicable to vehicles with less than 100,000 miles and 8 years of age. We have no way of adding it to a 2017 vehicle as it is past the 8 years of age including the current model year. As a alternative - we offered a 2 year powertrain warranty to you - which you declined and angrily departed the business office. My business office manager - Andrew Vela - with no obligation of his own - reached in his own pocket and gave you $70 to pay for your ride home and stop and get something to eat on the way. You were never promised a Lifetime Warranty on our product by a manager and the terms of your purchase was never changed or altered by our company. How you get to the dealership has nothing to do with the deal we offer you or the Lifetime Warranty. People take all means of transportation to get here. That should never impact the deal they get. Bait and Switch is a term used for when a dealership brings you in on a particular vehicle or deal and it changes. You came to our dealership for a great deal on a vehicle - and received one. The Lifetime Warranty was something that was mistakenly stamped on one proposal - and corrected before you went into the business office to finalize. We would be happy to refund your full deposit directly to the credit card that was utilized while putting the deposit down. Although I know you won't find as great of a deal as you found here - I wish you the best of luck finding a 50,000 mile clean sedan with a Lifetime Warranty for $10k. Thanks for the feedback.

Isaiahjazz01 responded

Below is my response

Isaiahjazz01 responded

I am disappointed that your response misrepresents key details of my experience. I want to set the record straight. The Lifetime Warranty Was Confirmed Multiple Times One of the first questions I asked was whether the vehicle qualified for your Lifetime Warranty. Shaun checked with the sales manager and confirmed that it did. This was not a misunderstanding—I asked about it directly and received verbal confirmation. Additionally, the price agreement letter I received had the warranty written on it. The Negotiated Price Had Nothing to Do with Goodwill The vehicle was listed online for $12,994, and we agreed on $12,500 out the door because: The vehicle had a Carfax report showing moderate damage, which was not initially disclosed—this was clearly not a "clean" sedan. The vehicle had a check engine light on during the test drive, which was also not disclosed. The Dealership Delayed the Sale Multiple Times After agreeing on a price, you stated that the check engine light would be fixed by Monday, February 11th. I arranged an Uber to pick up the car that day, only to be told while en route that the repair hadn’t been done. The car wasn’t actually ready until Wednesday, February 13th—two days later than promised. You Changed the Terms of the Sale at the Last Minute When I arrived to complete the purchase, I was suddenly presented with paperwork stating the car had no warranty. I immediately questioned this and called Shaun, who once again confirmed that it did come with the warranty. The finance manager told me to sign, saying he would "get me the warranty" afterward. Why would I sign paperwork stating there was no warranty if it had been promised to me all along? When I refused to sign until I saw confirmation, Andrew finally admitted there was no warranty. I Refused to Purchase the Car Due to These Misrepresentations At that point, I requested my $3,000 down payment refund. I was told there was no cashier available and that I would have to come back another day to get my money back. I Have No Reason to Fabricate This Issue I have a full-time job, a family, and other responsibilities. I wouldn’t waste my time leaving a negative review unless I had a genuine reason to warn others. My frustration isn’t about the price—it’s about the dealership’s dishonest tactics and failure to honor its agreements. This experience was defined by misleading claims, repeated delays, and a refusal to provide an immediate refund. I walked away because I refuse to do business under those conditions, and I am sharing my experience so others can make informed decisions.

Gerald Kia of Matteson responded

Issiah N. - Thank you once again for your feedback. You state that the Lifetime Warranty was discussed verbally. I have no evidence of that but I will talk to all parties involved. Our Lifetime Warranty is not something you are charged for. It is complimentary for vehicles that it applies to. There is no reason for us to not allow you to have it. It is a Lifetime Warranty with no mileage or year restrictions. No one else that I know of offers this kind of warranty. The negotiated price has nothing to do with the carfax. In fact the ONLINE price reflects the condition of the car and the carfax - which is VERY CLEARLY and TRANSPARENTLY posted on our website for every customer to see prior to coming into the store and is free for all customers. You state the carfax shows moderate damage. Once again - it would be accurate to state the carfax shows "minor to moderate" - and that is factored into the price displayed online. We then agreed to lower the price to $10,710.54 to make the vehicle affordable for you. That is less than the wholesale value of the vehicle according to JD Power and KBB. We agreed to correct an issue that ended up to be very minor on the vehicle and held the vehicle. We could have not promised you to have the vehicle fixed by Monday February 11th because Monday was the 10th - and visiting on Saturday the 8th - there is no way we could guarantee to have the vehicle fixed the next business day - or the 11th - which was a Tuesday. Then you state the car was ready Wednesday - the 13th. However Wednesday was the 12th - so it seems you have a lot of information incorrect. I can agree it sounds like a lot of confusion - on your end and possibly a mistake on ours if you were verbally told that there was a Lifetime Warranty on the vehicle. But there is absolutely no reason for us to promise something and then purposefully not give it to you. It is a warranty that comes on all vehicles that it is applicable for - complimentary. It sounds like we did everything we said we would - give an outstanding price and take care of a needed repair and later presented the exact number we spoke about. We did not change our numbers. And when it was apparent a miscommunication occurred my employee graciously took money out of his pocket to provide a your uber ride home and an additional amount to grab food. The only delay on your down payment return is because you now are preventing us from returning that deposit to the card it was placed on - which is a standard policy. Best of luck in your shopping. Thanks again.

Isaiahjazz01 responded

Hello, I appreciate the opportunity to clarify a few key points once again: The pickup date was indeed scheduled for Monday, February 10th, as confirmed by Shaun on Saturday, February 8th. On Monday, while en route, I was informed the car would not be ready until Wednesday, February 12th. Due to a snowstorm, I could not pick it up until Thursday, February 13th. These small date corrections do not change the fact that I was misled multiple times. The Lifetime Warranty was not just a verbal agreement—it was explicitly written on the offer letter alongside the agreed-upon price and the check engine light repair. This was not a misunderstanding; it was confirmed again by the salesperson on the day of signing. The price was negotiated based on the condition of the vehicle, which included a check engine light and an accident history. The KBB Fair Market Value in good condition ranged from $11,500 to $13,400. At the time of the deal, I did not know the exact cause of the check engine light, which is a legitimate concern. The idea that I somehow took advantage of professional salespeople is misleading. Upon arriving to complete the purchase, I was presented with paperwork that excluded the warranty, despite it being part of our agreement. When I questioned this, I was pressured to sign documents that directly contradicted what was promised. The true loss here is my time and the unnecessary costs incurred due to your dealership’s last-minute changes. Your response suggests that this was a simple misunderstanding, but the facts remain: I was promised a warranty, that warranty was removed at the last moment, and I refused to sign under misleading terms. I also find it telling that while you were quick to correct minor date discrepancies, you are using that as a way to cast doubt on the entire experience—when we both know that the core issue remains unchanged. That, in itself, speaks volumes. I’m sharing my experience so other customers can be aware and make informed decisions. Thank you.

Gerald Kia of Matteson responded

Thank you for correcting yourself in your some of your previous inaccuracies - with regard to the date - we have been open every day this week and so the "snowstorm" had no bearing on our ability to sell you a vehicle. And whereas the date corrections in your words "do not change the facts" - they do bear to the significant issue at hand. You are one hundred percent inaccurate in your account of how you were treated. We would have absolutely loved to sell you the vehicle you wanted, at the price you wanted and with the warranty you wanted. The warranty is not available on that year vehicle. Regardless of want - we could not add the warranty to the transaction because it was not possible. If there was a miscommunication - which I am able to reasonably comprehend could happen... it certainly would not have occurred purposefully to in order to obtain any deal - let alone your deal - basically a wholesale transaction. We could literally have the vehicle wholesaled for the amount you agreed to. The carfax - you said was a moderate damage that significantly effected the price of the vehicle. Yet that actual carfax shows minor to moderate - and was posted on the website and visible to you or anyone weeks before you came to the store. The price was negotiated based on the generosity of the manager working the deal and nothing less. What was once priced at $15,285 we were willing to sell you for $10,710.54. I took the liberty of plugging that number into our software that scrubs the internet and all the major car websites to compare and contrast the price, miles and equipment. Based on the $10,710.54 price and today's market - the vehicle is not only the very best priced of it's kind within 1000 miles - it is the very best priced of it's kind with miles as a factor. So - your analysis of the pricing we gave you is completely without base. One thing you are correct on is the true loss - time. Time for everyone involved. Our extensive efforts to help you and your time in negotiating and trying to push an outstanding deal to one that was not possible. If there was a miscommunication at some point - which happens from time to time - we can do one of two things . We can apologize and try to move forward in a productive manner - or we can begin making baseless accusations and place intent where there is none - which accomplishes nothing. I am writing this response so that those reading these reviews can see we are a dealership that offers a complimentary free product to try to help bring value to our customers - never to mislead someone for no other purpose other than to waste time for all parties on what otherwise would be only a transaction based on a relationship gained and void of any profit motive Thank you once again for your feedback and best to you in your search -

Isaiahjazz01 responded

Let’s be clear: I was explicitly told—multiple times—that the car came with a Lifetime Warranty. That was a major factor in my decision. Only after committing to the purchase was I informed it wouldn’t apply. Trying to shift the focus to pricing and transportation is just deflection. I never questioned the price YOU agreed to—that was your decision. Once that agreement was made, I expected it to be honored. I received both written and verbal confirmation of that agreement, only for it to be reneged at the last minute. The bottom line? I was misled. Prospective buyers can decide for themselves what that says about this dealership.

Gerald Kia of Matteson responded

Isaiah - Let's be clear. I am addressing all the issues YOU are bringing up. No one is deflecting anything because it is completely unnecessary. You came in on a vehicle priced aggressively online and negotiated the price down well over 2,000... $4000 under average retail value. You are correct - we never questioned the price. We held a vehicle for you with several other buyers interested and a signed commitment from you on file with no Lifetime Warranty stamp. We reviewed the entire transaction before you went into the business office which you signed again. You went into the business office and brought up the Lifetime Warranty. You agreed you wouldn't buy the vehicle without something you said you were verbally told five days earlier and we agreed that we couldn't add the warranty because it was physically impossible. We graciously gave you money for transportation and food for the ride home and apologized for the miscommunication. You went home and recreated your version of what happened, with incorrect dates, inaccurate carfax data - hidden away yet posted publicly on the very website you visited before coming to see us, verbal commitments and other inconsistencies. We are and have been very sorry for whatever miscommunication you feel was malicious on the part of the salesman that spent hours going over the vehicle with you, arranging the additional service, working to get you the very best deal, having the vehicle ready cleaned and gassed for you, and the business manager that took money out of his very own pocket while apologizing for the miscommunication so that you could get back home without additional expense. We truly hope you find that perfect vehicle - with a Lifetime Warranty, low miles and at a wholesale price which will make you a fully satisfied buyer. Once again thank you for the opportunity and best fortune to you going forward. Hopefully reasonable buyers can see for themselves there is a big difference between an honest dealership trying to do everything within their power that they have in order to assist and make a fully satisfied customer happy - yet falling short, and a dealership that is portrayed as misleading, malicious and operating with bad intent.

Gerald Kia of Matteson responded

After all the communication the customer would not allow us to return his $3,000 deposit to the credit card he had used - as is our policy. He demanded to get a check or cash. As we were in the process of mailing the check to the customer we found out he had disputed the charge to his card. Fortunately - we were able to cancel the check, Otherwise the customer would have had a $3,000 check from us and we wouldn't have had the money from the card. There was no further communication that this was being done on his end after all the pressure to provide a check. Very dishonest, misleading and unprofessional. It speaks volumes about this customer.