Kia of Carson

Kia of Carson is trying to rip you off. Read this before you go. I worked with a salesperson named Concepcion. Their website listed the 2027 Telluride Hybrid EX FWD at $48,910, but after Read this before you go. I worked with a salesperson named Concepcion. Their website listed the 2027 Telluride Hybrid EX FWD at $48,910, but after a test drive, once I was already invested in the process, I was quoted $53,875, nearly $5,000 more than their own advertised price. They printed out a piece of paper with a lot of numbers on it, not clearly broken down, and when I asked to take it with me, I was refused. That should be a red flag for anyone shopping here. I pushed for a clear itemized document anyway, and once I finally got one in writing, I could see exactly what they were doing. What followed was a long back and forth because the math simply did not add up. Concepcion sent me a picture of a quote on her computer screen, and going through it line by line, I found they were listing discounts and rebates that were never actually being subtracted from the amount I would be financing. When I pointed this out, she insisted this was normal practice. It is far from normal, and in my understanding, it may actually be illegal. This kind of pricing may violate California consumer protection law, specifically the Unfair Competition Law (Business and Professions Code Section 17200) and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (Civil Code Section 1770), both of which address advertising a discount that isn't actually applied to the price. When I asked them to remove an add-on I never requested, I was told it wasn't possible. I brought all of this directly to their General Sales Manager, Steve Shaban, and the price still didn't move. I've since filed complaints with Kia corporate and the state. Kia corporate sent back a generic boilerplate response, so I'm not expecting much to come of it, but I wanted other buyers to have this information before walking in. After leaving Carson, I went to Kia of Cerritos and worked with Serbie instead. Completely different experience: upfront pricing, an honest itemized breakdown, and no games. Cerritos priced the identical vehicle at $47,785, over $6,000 less than what Carson tried to charge me. I ended up buying my Telluride from Serbie, and it was the easiest, most transparent car buying experience I've had. If you're shopping for a Kia, save yourself the headache and go see Serbie at Cerritos instead." More

We purchased our vehicle from Kia of Carson expecting the level of customer care that should come with such a significant purchase. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. On the drive home, husband n level of customer care that should come with such a significant purchase. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. On the drive home, husband noticed an overwhelming fragrance inside the vehicle. We later discovered a fragrance bar hidden in the car. Wife developed hives from removing it and has been unable to ride in the vehicle because the scent remains deeply embedded. We spent the next NINE days trying to reach and get assistance from Richard Landeros and Sales Manager Steve Shaban through multiple emails, phone calls, and voicemails. During one call, salesperson Tony repeatedly spoke over wife stating that she should have disclosed her allergies, despite her explaining twice that she did not know she had an allergy. We did not receive ONE response until NINE days after our initial reaching out, and only after informing the dealership that we intended to escalate the matter to Kia Corporate, and further. Day 11, we are still left asking for simple, reasonable answers: What fragrance or chemical product was placed in the vehicle? Why has it been so difficult to receive basic communication? Will the dealership acknowledge the inconvenience, time, and expense required to remove the lingering odor? Finally, fragrance should be a CHOICE. Many people have allergies, asthma, migraines, or chemical sensitivities, albeit unknown, and undisclosed fragrances can create health concerns, which is now something we are dealing with. Instead, we were sent a customer service survey on behalf of Richard Landeros stating: “if for any reason you cannot fill out this survey COMPLETELY SATISFIED and DEFINITELY RECOMMEND, please call me or our General Manager, Steve Shaban.” — That message felt at odds with the lack of timely communication and support we experienced. This could easily had been handled differently, professionally. After having to repeatedly seek assistance, we’re left with no choice but to share our experience publicly. We hope Kia of Carson will improve its communication and customer care so others don't have a similar experience. More