Complaint Review: Big Hearted Smitty's - Chattanooga Tennessee

I had stopped off one Monday at Big Hearted Smitty's to look at a red 1997 Honda Accord ($6900) that I had seen from the street. I didn't really like it, and I told this to the sales person. He informed me that there was a white 1994 Honda Accord ($5000) that was also for sale. I looked in it, took it for a drive and really liked it. I had been looking for a car for a little over a month and this car was absolutely the best car I had found yet. I told him that I wanted to purchase it but I had to go to my credit union to get the money for the white car. He gave me a write up with the VIN and make/model and everything else that the credit union would need.

I came back the next day, Tuesday, with the money. The sales person was with another customer so I waited. He came in and the first words out of his mouth were, "I have some bad news." He informed me that the car was no longer available for sale but to make up for it they were going to give me a deal on the red accord that I had looked at first. They told me that I could have the red accord for $5000, which was a good deal since they wanted $6900 for it. I drove it, and everything was good with the exception of the alignment. I had the engine checked out by the local Goodyear. Big Hearted swore that the car had never been in an accident.

When I got back, I told him that I would take it, but only after they paid to have an alignment done. They agreed to have the alignment fixed and the sales person took the key and drove out of the lot. He came back about 30 minutes later and I drove the car again. It drove great. We did all the paper work and I gave him the check.

My uncle was looking at the car later that day and noticed some things that I did not know to look for. We took it in right then to have the body looked at and were told that it was in a major accident, even though the carfax report said it only had a mild fender bender. We drove to Big Hearted Smitty's the next morning (Wednesday) only to find out that they were closed even though their open hours on the sign included Wednesdays.

My uncle and I went back on Thursday morning and talked to the sales person because he refused to get the big Smitty himself. After 30 minutes of trying to get my money back, he started yelling and getting an attitude and basically told us to leave and never come back. This is where my dad decided to join the fight. We tried to put a stop payment on the check from the credit union, but their lawyers said that they couldn't do that with out taking a risk of being sued.

My dad called numerous time to Big Hearted Smitty's and could never get the big man, only little sales people. After about two weeks of this, the sales person that sold the car called my dad and threatened him to never call again because he was about to get fired, and that he would regret it if he did call again.

I hadn't even had the car a month and I had to take it in for a brake problem only to find out that I had to have the entire front end brake system replaced and my front axle replaced. One week after that I had to take it in again for busted wheel bearings in the front passenger wheel. Those two repairs totaled over $650. I did not take it back to Big Hearted Smitty's to get it repaired after the treatment I have received from them.

I don't know what to do, but I am definately writing a nice letter to the Better Business Bureau and any other organization that I can find. I am going to do my best to keep people from buying from Big Hearted Smitty's ever again.

Christopher

Antioch, Tennessee
U.S.A.