3.25.16
So, I'm in the market for a car. My friend, Paul, contacts me about this super clean Lexus RX 400h that's just what I'm looking for. My specs have been tough to navigate because I'm particular about color etc. This car seems to be a gem!
Paul and I get to Pasadena and meet Edwin in a BevMo parking lot. He shows us the car, offers for me to take it for a drive, shoots a picture of my CDL and off we go. As I'm driving, Paul is tinkering with all the great features this car has to offer. I'm excited. Everything seems to be working well and I'm feeling great about the prospect of owning this car.
Edwin and I talk about the price and we agreed upon a negotiated price that seemed fair for us both. He was very nice and took note about how far I had come to look at the car and worked with me on that as he was going to detail the car for me when I was to pick it up. I gave him a $250 check made payable to Access Autos for "good faith". He then told me he would take the car off Craigslist immediately and no longer drive it himself. We then discussed the Credit Union he and his partner like to use and wanted me to go through them. No problem. The name of this credit union is American 1, and they are based out of Jackson Mississippi. So, with this being a Friday, and them being 3 hours ahead, I would have to wait until Monday to contact them to get the ball rolling.
3.28.16
I contact American 1 via the web address Edwin provided for me. I filled out all the information needed to process the request for my loan, and now I sit and wait to hear back from them. Minutes feel like hours as I just wanted to get this loan and pick up the car and have it for my kids when I see them on Wed. Waiting.
3.29.13
Angela from American 1 calls me back! She has received my information and is sending it to the underwriters for review! I'm getting very excited.
Angela calls back and leaves me a voicemail stating that I have been pre-approved but she needed a little more information faxed over to her. I call her back and let her know as soon as possible I will fax over what she needed.
3.31.16
I received a phone call from Angela, stating she needed MORE information regarding stipulated monthly payments. WTF?! I was in a store, I sat down, went through my emails and found the last two months worth of electronic funds transfer of the stipulated payments. I screen shot them and emailed them right away. I call Angela back, I am getting frustrated now, and let her know I would appreciate it if she needs anything else so I can get it done altogether and in a timely fashion. She says I need not do anything further.
4.1.16
It has now been 1 week since I have seen the car and 5 long and tedious days of sending personal information via fax to Jackson Mississippi!
Edwin sends me a message asking what's the latest. I tell him I'm still waiting and that I am very frustrated with his credit union and that I would have liked to have had this done sooner rather than later. He specified how sorry he was about the frustration and that my car was "waiting" for me. I thanked him for being so patient.
4.2.16
Paul contacts me with information on another car. He advises me to dump Edwin and his transaction and stop payment on my "good faith" check and to go and take a look at this other car he found for me. We talk this over and we decide that this has been such a shitty transaction so far and has been too long and drawn out. And, decide that I will contact Edwin on Monday to say thanks, but no thanks!
I walk into the car dealership to look at this car, I love it. I drive it, my kids are with me, and we are all super happy. Long story short, at the dealership I was in and out of there in 3 hours, with a car, loan approved, and feeling elated at how easy it was and what a good experience.
American 1 contacts me. LOAN DENIED. Strange, I just bought a car that required me to obtain a loan and had no problem getting the loan whatsoever. All within 20 minutes. SO, FUCK YOU!
I contact my bank to stop payment on the "good faith" check. They alert me to the fact that it had been CASHED on 3.29.16!! What the FUCK, Edwin?! Fraudulent activity has been reported to the Consumer Affairs Office of California.
Here's the link to the Craigslist ad. I don't think he ever took it off, nor was he ever going to sell the car to me. Which makes me lose a little faith in human kindness. So sad there are people out there taking advantage of good hearted people like me.
Karma is a bitch, and its name is Linda.
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UPDATE:
Yelp HQ contacted me about my review of Access Autos. Apparently, they "heard" my review was potentially posted for the wrong business. No, I didn't mistakenly post about the wrong business and the fact they are trying to discredit me in this manner is almost just as appalling as this whole experience has been.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ctd/5501608661.html read more