Jim Burke AUTOMOTIVE
2415 7th Ave S
Birmingham
AL
35233
(205) 252-8154
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By taking a few minutes you can let everyone know how well you were treated or you can register a complaint of Jim Burke AUTOMOTIVE.
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Jim Burke AUTOMOTIVE is unclaimed, so the information on Car Dealer Check is gathered from 3rd party sources . If the image or description of Jim Burke AUTOMOTIVE is incorrect please press here to send the correct information for review. If you run Jim Burke AUTOMOTIVE please claim your Car Dealer Check listing to update it.
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Pressure from salesperson to "Buy Now"
Normal
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How did you first contact the Dealership
Internet
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Did you purchase from the Dealership
Yes
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Would you Recommend this Dealership
No
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Name of Your Salesperson
Michael
My Jim Burke AUTOMOTIVE reviewDescription Of Work:
I was sold a used 2003 Subaru Forester with significant progressive rust issues that were not disclosed or visible on visual inspection due to coverage with several coats of spray paint.
Member Comments:
After 6 months of searching locally and on the internet and several test drives of similar vehicles I made a 400 mile round trip to consider purchasing this particular Subaru Forester based on the AutoTrader on line add, dealer/sales person description, and assurance that if there were significant problems of which I was not aware at the time of purchase that the dealer ship would ‘make it right’.
The day after letting the sales person know what day I would be able to make the trip to see the vehicle I noted they had raised the online price at AutoTrader from $7500.00 to approximately $8375.00. But they would ‘honor the original price on line the day before’.
Upon return home, when inspected by my mechanic for an oil and coolant leak, he discovered significant rust affecting all portions of the vehicle from the brake lines, to the frame, shock absorbers, brakes, bolts holding engine and all major components in place. He informed me that the rust progression would continue, there was no reliable way to stop it and that any further work on the vehicle would likely be significantly more costly due to increased labor costs when trying to replace or remove parts for access due to the severe deformation of the bolts keeping parts in place. In addition the rust is likely to cause many further problems such as damaged brake lines, frame, brake and suspension issues. The extent of the rust problem was not apparent until he had removed the water pump and radiator to search for the cause of the coolant leak due to several coats of spray paint that had been recently applied and were covering the rust from immediate visual inspection.
I contacted the sales person, Michael Jackson, the General Manager David Battles and finally ‘Jenny’ (Mr. Burke’s) assistant. I explained the situation and requested one of 2 solutions. They accept the vehicle back and refund my purchase price, or compensate me for the difference between the difference based on Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds for a car in ‘good’ condition versus ‘fair to poor’. The differences ranged from $2200.00 to $4000.00 less that the price I had paid. As another 400 mile round trip to return the vehicle was very difficult for me, I requested less than the lowest price difference represented by Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds ($2000.00). I was told after a week of ‘consideration’ that they ‘were going to do nothing for me as the rust was not their fault’. Initially, I had stated that I felt perhaps the person trading the vehicle into them had placed the spray paint there; but that since according to their on line AutoTrader add and the sales person’s assurance the car had been carefully inspected by their mechanics, I felt they should have been aware of the rust situation prior to offering the vehicle for sale and made that known to prospective buyers. They continued to deny any awareness of the rust which raises concerns that either their ‘mechanical inspection’ is very cursory or incompetent or that in fact the condition was covered cosmetically at their facility. I offered to e-mail pictures of the rust and will do before pursuing the matter legally in order to document the severity of the condition.
Ultimately, I would strongly recommend that anyone considering a used or new vehicle purchase from Jim Burke Automotive in Birmingham, Alabama choose another dealership or be aware that there is very little chance that they will take any action at all to rectify significant issues with vehicles they have sold or to promote customer satisfaction. Their promises of ‘the sale never ends’ and ‘guaranteed customer satisfaction’ appear to be the usual ‘car salesman sales pitch’.
If they eventually take an honorable action to rectify this matter I will certainly update this information. In the mean time I would avoid any interaction with this dealership.
Cindy, It was sad to read this story about how Jim Burke downtown Birmingham treated you during your recent sale. I’ve had a bad experience with them as well. They advertised a vehicle for a specific price. I went down for a test drive mentioning I’d be looking at other vehicles that day. They delayed me for (4) hours just to test drive, appraise my vehicle, then, in the last hour finally discussed pricing which was far above the advertised price. Then, offered far below the Kelley Blue Book value on my trade in. Although I made it very clear what I was willing to pay for the vehicle based on it’s KBB value, they said KBB was not reliable. They also only provided what my monthly payment would be with NO APR LISTED (all of which was hand written on a scrap piece of paper). During several conversations with my credit union through the time I was there, I was aware of the highest APR I would be charged if I got the loan thru my credit union. I finally left the dealership (after wasting 4 hours) and was too tired to see the other vehicles. I had to ask for my car keys more than once so I could leave. During the evening, after thinking about the final price we discussed, I emailed the salesman with a final offer and he agreed asking me to arrive in their dealership at 9:00 on Saturday. When I arrived, 45 minutes later I was given the APR for the first time (8.99%). I don’t have bad credit and explained I’d go through my credit union to get a rate no higher than 4.0% (probably lower like 3.75%) to which they stated I had til Wens at noon to get the loan and if I didn’t I’d take their offered – stating this was the only way to hold the vehicle. They wasted the majority of the day on Friday jerking me around on price (false advertisement), and monthly payments, only to have the weekend roll around and no bank open (during a holiday weekend) ensuring there was no possible way to pay the car at the negotiated price with a reasonable APR that I was well qualified for. By the way, the APR from the bank they said provided the APR is actually 5.9% (not 8.99%). According to that bank, the 5.9% APR is for someone with poor credit. Clearly, after jerking me around on the price of the car, my trade in value, they had raised the APR to make up for the difference in the negotiated price to make more of a profit. I told the salesman at the beginning of our conversations, that I had two chronic diseases and could only handle a low payment that was the reason for my interest in that particular vehicle. Also, since they kept me in the dealership for so long, I said at least a few times, I had to go eat or I would be sick (low blood sugar). They offered me chocolate. I walked out of the dealership and as I approach my car to leave, they made an announcement over the loud speaker, “Joe (or whomever) The Jeep is for sale”. How tacky and unprofessional is that?! These dealers are rip off artists. Searching the BBB, I see they have had (22) reports filed against them. Although the BBB indicates all complaints were settled, from my own experience, the BBB are geared to support the business by accepting any response to a complaint, as acceptable whether proven or not.
I hope you pursue legal action against them. They also told me the car I was interested had been fully inspected. But, after this awful experience, I highly doubt it. Let me know if I can help with anything here in B’ham. Good Luck to you.
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