Matthews Kia of Schenectady

Initially my wife was interested in buying a car from Matthew’s Kia of Schenectady. She decided to wait, but after researching the Sportage I reached out to her Sales Consultant and was put on a waiting Matthew’s Kia of Schenectady. She decided to wait, but after researching the Sportage I reached out to her Sales Consultant and was put on a waiting list for a car. My Sales Consultant, Dave, finally called me and said they had a car available - 2023 Kia Sportage. I went into the showroom on a Wednesday. I test drove the car. I walked around it. I stared at it for hours. Buying a new car is a big deal. Finally, after lots of back and forth, I decided to go ahead with the deal. We signed a Sales Agreement. I gave them $1K. They took my trade in lien release. We scheduled the pick up for Monday and organized insurance transfer. Fast forward to Saturday morning. I called the dealership several times. I was on my way to my bank to get their check, and I was feeling antsy and excited - I wanted to see if I could get the car sooner! I left a couple of messages, but the call back I received left me speechless. Around noon, John “Johnny” Okyem, a Sales Manager, called. I thought he was calling me back about picking up the car earlier than expected, but he jumped right in - the car I was trying to purchase had “extensive transport damage,” and as a result was no longer available for purchase. Luckily there had been a flatbed at the dealership on that Saturday morning so that they could send it right back to the manufacturer. Good riddance. He explained that the damage had happened when they received the car - the situation couldn’t be helped. This threw me because I’d spent so much time with that car. So. Much. Time. If there was damage it was very well hidden. After much probing, Johnny said that he was going to be straight with me - “you deserved the truth.” He “admitted” that there was an accident on the lot that morning, and that’s why the car had to be sent back; a distracted Sales Consultant had backed into it. These situations are unfortunate, he said, but they do happen. Later he would talk about how he himself had once damaged a $60k vehicle on a lot. Impressive, Johnny. After all of this information, I was silent. Partially because I was so, so disappointed. This meant more waiting. I had been on a few other “waiting lists” with other dealerships, but I called them as soon as we signed the Sales Agreement to give up my spot. I was also silent because I didn’t believe him at all. It sounded like a nervous, last minute lie, and he was being very pushy. The entire time we were talking, Johnny was still trying to (manically, borderline unkindly) “cut a deal” with me - he had another car coming in three weeks that was a different color, even more coming in November, either way he could get me good deal. Do we have a deal, or what? Say the word, and we have a deal. You won’t be disappointed with this deal. I told him I was on my way to the dealership and hung up. I ditched my plans and headed to the dealership. I gave my name and proceeded to sit alone for a great deal of time before being approached again - 30 minutes? 45 minutes? My best guess is they were hoping I wouldn’t be so upset when they finally sat with me. Johnny came over and reiterated his story and slogged through all the options. He talked about how forthright they were being, cos they cared about their customers: hey, he said, we could have sold you a broken car, but that wouldn’t be honest, would it? No, Johnny. You’re right. That would have been decidedly dishonest. We have established that Johnny is familiar with morality. Cool. When he was done, I calmly told him that I believed he sold the car to someone else; perhaps someone who used dealership financing instead of personal financing, or someone who purchased all of those add-ins I initially agreed to, but then declined… He acted like this was the most absurd thing he had ever heard, and vehemently denied the “accusation.” He continued to make me feel crazy for even suggesting it. Ok then. I was just checking. What makes matters worse is that the entire time this man was still trying to make a deal: “Do we still have a deal?” “Do we have a deal here?” “This is a great deal for you”. None of the “deals” were great. The offers were disorganized. Johnny did not seem to understand what he was offering me. They didn’t match what I had originally financed, and there were times when I had to explain to HIM why it wasn’t the same: paint up-charge, additional package, etc. He would assure me it would be the same, but when I asked for clarification - “so, you’re going to give me THIS car for the same amount of money, even tho the MSRP is higher on the website when it’s built this way?” He would then go away to a computer, only to come back and say, no - it was going to be more expensive. Sir, I believe I explained that to you 10 minutes ago. We eventually settled on a replacement car that would arrive in a few months, but before leaving I asked for a list of damages to the vehicle I had previously tried to purchase, and their bill of lading (document that proves the vehicle was sent back to the ‘manufacturer’ as indicated, AKA, Korea?). I was told to come back on Monday and they would have them ready (everyone in finance had left for the day). Fast forward to Monday. A very kind woman wrote down the documents I was requesting and my information and handed it over to Johnny, who seemed surprised to see me. After watching employees scatter, whisper, and make phone calls for about a half hour, I was finally approached by Johnny again: “Here’s what we can do for you,” he said, and offered me three years of dealership service on whatever vehicle I chose to purchase. I repeated my request for documentation - literally the ONLY reason I had come back TWO MONTHS before a different car was available for me to purchase, and at HIS instruction - to which he responded, “I can’t give you those things.” When asked why, he told me that it was because the vehicle was not actually damaged, rather THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE. I guess I wasn’t crazy after all. He stated this was done under a different Sales Manager. When I asked their name he told me, but added that they no longer worked there - frickin’ KUDOS to whomever is in charge of Matthew’s website upkeep, because within four days of selling a car the name of that person didn’t exist anymore under “Meet Our Staff.” It was at this point that I requested my trade-in lien release and my deposit be returned. When Johnny came back with these things I asked him for his first name and spelling of his last name, to which he replied “I’m trying to be the nicest I can be to you. You have your stuff. Please leave.” With the current car climate finding an available car is difficult enough. I never thought that I would have to worry after signing the Sales Agreement (which states that it is a legal, binding agreement). I would have been disappointed to know the truth, but I am also a reasonable person. I understand that mistakes happen, and that miscommunication exists. I most likely would still have worked with Matthew’s if they had explained the issue and been honest from the beginning because I adored my Sales Consultant. After the scramble to return the bank check, dissolve the car loan, reinstate my insurance, and be put back on dealership lists, this time at the bottom… I recommend no one come here. I know that’s unrealistic, and the chances of anyone ever actually reading through this whole review is slim, but to save yourself trouble and frustration, avoid Matthew’s Kia of Schenectady. They wasted my time, they added stress to an already stressful situation, and they were blatantly dishonest; all the while making me feel like a fool for thinking something was out of place. They don’t deserve my business, or yours. More