I am very frustrated with my car purchasing experience through Lanny Berg's several weeks ago. As a younger female with very little car experience I take responsibility for my lack of knowledge in several aspects, but still cannot help but feel taken advantage of.
I went to Lanny's and purchased the first car, a 2002 suzuki after a test run for a very inexpensive price of approximately $2000 after taxes (probably because they are moving shops and trying to get rid of cars and the AV axles we noticed were failing). I drove it off the lot contented with my purchase and when the check engine light came on after five minutes down the road, my friend and I returned back to the shop. After checking it out, they offered to either reimburse me or swap it out for a different "much better car." Looking back I wish I had taken the money and went elsewhere, but I was reassured over and over again that I was getting the good deal on this 97 Saturn wagon, and they were doing me a favor. I was told the car was in great working condition and worth almost twice what I was paying for it. It drove great for a couple of days around town, but once I purchased licenses and tabs and drove home in a different state, a number of hours into my trip the entire transmission gave out of me.
I took the car to a mechanic who informed me that the car had extensive transmission leaks and was pretty much worthless and needed to be rebuilt for the car to even be driveable. The quoted price for rebuilding the transmission was over $2000 dollars. I was told by another mechanic the car itself (with a functioning transmission) would be lucky to have a value of $1000(half what I paid).
So at this point I am ready to pay almost $4,000 for a car hardly worth a quarter of the price, and stuck missing work because I am unable to leave the state till this is dealt with.Yes these are "me problems" but after calling Lanny Bergs back to complain about this frustrating debacle, I was met with hostility and an attitude from the manager basically repeating: "Yeah I cant guarantee anything will last when you only pay $2000 for a car."
Yes I only paid $2000 for the car, but I was repeatedly convinced that this car was worth "almost double" and "in great driving condition." They said they had mechanics at the shop where I purchased it, and the last thing I expected was to leave this place twice in one day having purchased two separate faulty cars.
I suppose I didn't expect anything from them financially (however that would have maybe helped), but the last thing I expected was to receive not only zero apologetic sentiments, but an attitude that made me feel like an annoyance to the managers day for being upset that the car I had purchased lasted less than four days before completely failing on me, and words basically reinforcing that its my fault for not spending more money on a car..
This place is probably fine, I feel taken advantage of however and pretty duped. I feel that they are trying to push cars on people because of the fact that they are moving locations. If you do purchase one, take it to a DIFFERENT mechanic to have it THOROUGHLY checked out BEFORE you purchase a car and end up pissed off and poor and feeling like an idiot like I do. read more
