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| - Back in April 2014 I purchased a Kia Sorrento from Mentor Kia. It was one of five Kias purchased by my family that year. Brett was the salesman who sold both my wife and me our cars. The day I picked up my car Brett only had one key and told me he'd order another.
A couple weeks later he left me a message saying the key had come in and I could stop in to have the service department program the key for my car. Later, when my wife took her car in to be serviced she asked for Brett and was told he no longer worked at Mentor Kia. She asked about the key but nobody knew anything about it.
On Dec. 16 of this year I took my Sorrento in for a recall and also I asked how I could get a second key. At that point I was ready to pay for the key. When Amber told me Brett was back I went into Brett's office to see if he still had the key. He didn't and suggested I go to the parts department to request one. The man in the parts department was rude and his response after telling him Brett had originally ordered me a second key was, "Somebody's going to have to pay for that."
I was promised the key and now the rude man behind the parts counter can't even tell me how to go about ordering a second key. I walked out and waited for my car to be finished.
I told Amber about the man in the parts department and she said she'd look up the "We Owe" file, which until that point I had never heard of. She came back and said there was no record of Mentor Kia owing me a key and nobody knew anything about it. Meanwhile, Brett, the salesman, sat in an office 30 feet away. You'd think someone could have asked him?
At that point I didn't press the issue because my patience had run out, thanks to the rude guy in the parts department.
Also, at that time I requested a quote to have my radio fixed. The Bluetooth system stopped working a month after I bought the car and apparently it's not covered after 36,000 miles. I also requested a quote to replace a broken turn signal on the driver's side mirror. I declined the quotes when they came back at $640 + tax for the radio and $164 + tax for the turn signal.
Later that day I emailed Mentor Kia general manager Sean Klemencic explaining to him the issue with my key. He responded by telling me Mentor Kia had a policy that customers have 30 days from time of notification to pick up parts. Had I known that policy or even knew that Brett had to place an order for the key I would have arranged to pick up the key previously.
Klemencic also said this:
"Because we consider you and all of our customers as great customers...Amber and our Used Car Mgr did pull and examine your file (even though it was approximately 17 months PAST the 1 month expiration date)...and found that your "We Owe" form with your signature shows nothing additional was due. So it really exceeds any of their empowerment (by time...amount...and written confirmation) to make a quick adjustment in the spirit of customer satisfaction...as we sometimes do."
Again, I never heard the term "We Owe" until last week when I had my car serviced. Brett didn't mention anything about a We Owe form nor did he have me sign anything saying I had a part due. He simply said he'd get me a second key. I made the mistake of trusting a car salesman, specifically one at Mentor Kia.
I responded that my wife did stop to pick up the key but was told Brett no longer worked there and nobody had any knowledge of the key.
Klemencic then responded with this:
"1.) You were not promised an additional key...verbally or in writing."
This is a blatant lie. Again, I'm not surprised considering they're used car salesmen.
"2.) The customer that previously owned your vehicle brought us an additional key shortly after you purchased it as a matter of courtesy upon finding it in their home."
This statement proves they're lying.
Brett told me I could come in to have the service department program the key for my car. If the previous owner of the vehicle turned in the second key why would it have to be programmed for my car? It already would have been programmed. That's what happens when you try to defend one lie with another.
"5.) Brett admits he kep't the key at his desk for a bit...then gave it to the receptionist in case you arrived on his day off...for a couple of months..then gave it to a manager...(he believes perhaps your family member Ryan as he'd be the natural choice, being both your family, and the Used Car Mgr)"
So, now we get to the point that Brett did have a key for me. But, Klemencic said I was never promised a key, verbally or in writing. If that's the case, why did he have a key?
I purchased a brand new, factory radio and installed it myself. Total cost: $70 and less than an hour's time. Mentor Kia wanted $640 + tax. That's ridiculous. Also, I purchased a new mirror (I only needed the turn signal) for $83 and installed it in about 35 minutes. Again, Mentor Kia wanted $164 + tax.
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