The Wallace Auto Group dealerships give a strong sense of family. On October 31, 2023, I asked for the CarFax on a 2023 Kia to consummate a two year lease. I was told that this vehicle had a "clean" CarFax, and although it had over 2,000 miles on it, it had never been titled or damaged.
After several hours, the finance paperwork was complete, and the sales manager who offered to provide the CarFax had left the property; no CarFax was provided.
Getting service at Kia of Wesley Chapel (FL) in February 2024, the Kia Service Technician indicated that the repair of body damage was not complete. Prior to this oil change, I had planned to purchase this car at the end of the lease.
At this point, I procured a CarFax for this vehicle, and discovered that four months BEFORE I leased it, on June 20, 2023, this car was reported to have moderate damage.
Apparently, the repairs were not properly completed. This leaves no confidence that a comprehensive repair was done.
The Wallace lease and purchase agreement limits legal remediation, requiring disputes to be taken to American Arbitration. American Arbitration found that Wallace Kia did not pay their arbitration membership dues, so they were powerless to settle disputes. This appears to be a common practice for Wallace Auto Group. With no means supported by Wallace to settle disputes, they appear to be in breach of contract. My certified paralegal is researching whether this constitutes fraud. Moreover, if this practice is common, there may be reason to consider class action remedial measures. The Kia General Manager denied several phone calls that we had and attempted to appease me with a less than mediocre offer. It is my hope that no one else must deal with these business practices.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Demand that your purchase or lease agreement 'line through' the requirement for "Arbitration," and have the finance manager sign that you are not required to settle disputes by arbitration. As noted above Wallace does not pay their arbitration membership fees, so American Arbitration has no ability to be your advocate.
Demand a business card of the person that your Wallace Dealership's General Manager reports to. That is to say, if the Wallace Mazda GM reports to Gary Marvich, Wallace Gen Mgr., Lee Smith, President, or Judith Powell, CFO, then you need that business card stapled to your contract, stating the Wallace corporate Title, e-mail, and phone number. You may need these in the future. read more