Keating Toyota scammed my elderly parents

65,164 Views | 251 Replies | Last: 3 mo ago by Irish 2.0
tandy miller
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FLATOUT said:

Dr. Brown, I wish I had the opportunity to meet and speak with you under different circumstances but glad we got to know each other nonetheless.

It's obviously frustrating and disappointing to see what happened to the OP's parents and also Ben's name and reputation in this thread, but it goes to show you what level of influence a few can have on the overall picture of a company. Ben's stores have been incredibly successful compared to the competition across the state. That simply does not happen if you are pissing everyone off and running a fraudulent business, it just doesn't. That being said we are certainly not without our flaws.

Our stores are individually operated and in most cases are run by an operating partner. It is absolutely not company policy, directive, or our culture to defraud ANYONE EVER. Unfortunately when something like this does occur it seems to be shielded from the appropriate point of contacts view by a lower level manager/employee, and there is simply no excuse for that. I can assure you Ben would lose his collective **** over this situation and thread.

I wanted to post this final reply to the thread; knowing full-well that it won't change anyone's opinion on the situation, but to respond instead of simply going away.

If any of you ever want or need to contact me in regards to a question or concern involving one of our stores please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Andrew Wheeler
General Manager College Station Hyundai
awheeler@collegestationhyundai.com
Why dont you send it over to him and let him see whats going on at his dealerships? If i was him i'd sure as hell want to know.

FLATOUT
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tandy miller said:

FLATOUT said:

Dr. Brown, I wish I had the opportunity to meet and speak with you under different circumstances but glad we got to know each other nonetheless.

It's obviously frustrating and disappointing to see what happened to the OP's parents and also Ben's name and reputation in this thread, but it goes to show you what level of influence a few can have on the overall picture of a company. Ben's stores have been incredibly successful compared to the competition across the state. That simply does not happen if you are pissing everyone off and running a fraudulent business, it just doesn't. That being said we are certainly not without our flaws.

Our stores are individually operated and in most cases are run by an operating partner. It is absolutely not company policy, directive, or our culture to defraud ANYONE EVER. Unfortunately when something like this does occur it seems to be shielded from the appropriate point of contacts view by a lower level manager/employee, and there is simply no excuse for that. I can assure you Ben would lose his collective **** over this situation and thread.

I wanted to post this final reply to the thread; knowing full-well that it won't change anyone's opinion on the situation, but to respond instead of simply going away.

If any of you ever want or need to contact me in regards to a question or concern involving one of our stores please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Andrew Wheeler
General Manager College Station Hyundai
awheeler@collegestationhyundai.com
Why dont you send it over to him and let him see whats going on at his dealerships? If i was him i'd sure as hell want to know.


I did, and he did.
CDUB98
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But we still do not know if the asshat that defrauded this couple has been terminated.
Hungry Ojos
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Still confused. What incentive would some random finance guy have to intentionally defraud someone? What benefit does he get personally? It sounds like the dealership and the owner are the ones that benefit from this act. Hard to believe an owner doesn't know this is going on.
'03ag
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Finance guys are commissioned on selling those products
dubi
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'03ag said:

Finance guys are commissioned on selling those products
When Mr Dubi purchased his '19 WRX at Bryan Subaru, the finance guy tried to sell him this bumper to bumper service warranty that covered every item including paint and tires. $6,900 extra
CDUB98
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Hungry Ojos said:

Still confused. What incentive would some random finance guy have to intentionally defraud someone? What benefit does he get personally? It sounds like the dealership and the owner are the ones that benefit from this act. Hard to believe an owner doesn't know this is going on.


Meeting or exceeding target numbers and getting a nice bonus.
Bibendum 86
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Hungry Ojos said:

Still confused. What incentive would some random finance guy have to intentionally defraud someone? What benefit does he get personally? It sounds like the dealership and the owner are the ones that benefit from this act. Hard to believe an owner doesn't know this is going on.
I am admittedly an Old Ag who has posted here for a decade or more. This is without a doubt the most annoying drive-by post I've ever seen.
OnlyForNow
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If he wants to send out his lower ranking generals to face the music that speaks to his character (you).

If he wants to address this head on and face what has become a fairly interested crowd, he should.

Both have positives and negatives; and sure he'll never win some people over but most of the posters on here would respect a man/business owner that answers this issue straight up.
mm98
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dubi said:

'03ag said:

Finance guys are commissioned on selling those products
When Mr Dubi purchased his '19 WRX at Bryan Subaru, the finance guy tried to sell him this bumper to bumper service warranty that covered every item including paint and tires. $6,900 extra


We had that experience when buying our Ascent at Gillman. Nice guy but going through his pitch.

It was $160 per month over 60 months for the premium warranty coverage.

I asked him "why wouldn't I just invest $160 a month into an interest account to pay for repairs down the road?"

He sat silently and just moved on.
$30,000 Millionaire
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FLATOUT said:

tandy miller said:

FLATOUT said:

Dr. Brown, I wish I had the opportunity to meet and speak with you under different circumstances but glad we got to know each other nonetheless.

It's obviously frustrating and disappointing to see what happened to the OP's parents and also Ben's name and reputation in this thread, but it goes to show you what level of influence a few can have on the overall picture of a company. Ben's stores have been incredibly successful compared to the competition across the state. That simply does not happen if you are pissing everyone off and running a fraudulent business, it just doesn't. That being said we are certainly not without our flaws.

Our stores are individually operated and in most cases are run by an operating partner. It is absolutely not company policy, directive, or our culture to defraud ANYONE EVER. Unfortunately when something like this does occur it seems to be shielded from the appropriate point of contacts view by a lower level manager/employee, and there is simply no excuse for that. I can assure you Ben would lose his collective **** over this situation and thread.

I wanted to post this final reply to the thread; knowing full-well that it won't change anyone's opinion on the situation, but to respond instead of simply going away.

If any of you ever want or need to contact me in regards to a question or concern involving one of our stores please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Andrew Wheeler
General Manager College Station Hyundai
awheeler@collegestationhyundai.com
Why dont you send it over to him and let him see whats going on at his dealerships? If i was him i'd sure as hell want to know.


I did, and he did.


It might be a good idea to suggest to Keating that he address the situation himself. He should call the OP if he hasn't already. I would call if a business I owned defrauded an elderly couple of $20K. I'd probably give them the car for free. It would be a drop in the bucket for him. These aren't tasks that you delegate to an employee. The buck stops with the owner.

Keating should also pay to have an audit conducted on all of the past transactions of his dealerships and if there are discrepancies like this found, they should be made right. At the bare minimum this should happen for the dealership in question. People with great wealth and power should never abuse the little guy.

You're a good guy, Flatout, and I'm sure you have to balance your approach to this situation.
You don’t trade for money, you trade for freedom.
kb2001
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Hungry Ojos said:

Still confused. What incentive would some random finance guy have to intentionally defraud someone? What benefit does he get personally? It sounds like the dealership and the owner are the ones that benefit from this act. Hard to believe an owner doesn't know this is going on.
The finance office is the best salesman at the dealership, and they also get commission. It used to be that cash was king. If you were paying cash, the dealership could get a nice profit and send you on your way with little hassle. Nowadays, their is so much more transparency in dealership costs, that they can't get much margin on the cost of the vehicle. If you're paying cash, you're unlikely to get the price lowered at all, their opportunity for profit is gone if you're writing a check for it. They get their profits from dealer add-ons, these largely happen in the finance office through little things her and there that add up, an extended warranty, pre-paid maintenance, glass "security" etching, etc.
sonnysixkiller
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Had to buy a new a new vehicle last year and was thinking that it's a wonder these dealerships don't have security teams on the floor because it was hard not to punch their finance idiot in the fing face. It's a good thing they don't slither out from the hole they work in until the end of the process.
Alpha Texan
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dubi said:

'03ag said:

Finance guys are commissioned on selling those products
When Mr Dubi purchased his '19 WRX at Bryan Subaru, the finance guy tried to sell him this bumper to bumper service warranty that covered every item including paint and tires. $6,900 extra
That's sad. I'm currently waiting for a Subaru to come in to Sterling Subaru in Bryan, so we haven't had a chance to get to finance yet, but the salesman has been really great and the whole process has been very transparent so far.
Mookie
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My experience is that f&i folks are usually transient, like the carnival workers of the dealership. Get behind on child support, screw people over, make bank, pay for an opioid addiction, get fired, become an f&i guy at another dealership because he knows the lingo. Rinse and repeat.
DannyDuberstein
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One key with the finance guys is answering with an immediate and consistent "no thanks" while delivering zero inclination that you would consider anything they are pitching for a second. Now you obviously have to closely check the paperwork after that, but I've had luck with them getting the picture, speeding through the formalities once they realize nothing is going to happen, and having no issues on the paperwork. At some point they are ready to get you out so they can move on to the next target
dubi
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Quote:

That's sad. I'm currently waiting for a Subaru to come in to Sterling Subaru in Bryan, so we haven't had a chance to get to finance yet, but the salesman has been really great and the whole process has been very transparent so far.
HIs negotiations and price point went smoothly. It was the visit to the finance office that was a cluster F***.

Have your phone in your lap ready to record; the BS that finance guy was spewing was epic.

In fact I asked him to just move on that we did not want that and he refused because it "was so important to our financial security". Basically they were hiding the the cost in the monthly payment and it was simply nauseating. Imagine how many folks fall for that? "For only $113/mo you will never have to pay for a repair on this vehicle?" Mr Dubi had his calculator out and realized 60 x $113 = $6,780.

How many people have repairs of $6,780 over the regular 3/36 warranty? Most WRX owners change cars like they change their underwear.
Alpha Texan
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Okay, thanks! I really. really appreciate the advice. I just graduated in the last year and have to get myself a new ride, but have ZERO experience buying cars. I've been searching for several months and it's been hard. This thread has actually been really useful over the last several days in giving me examples of things to watch out for and advice on how to handle things.

This thread serves the purpose of an "advice" thread well, but I thought about starting a separate thread titled "car buying advice" that people can fall back on. It's just been super intimidating, going through this process but just not having experience in it, knowing tens of thousands of dollars on the line.
dubi
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DannyDuberstein said:

One key with the finance guys is answering with an immediate and consistent "no thanks" while delivering zero inclination that you would consider anything they are pitching for a second. Now you obviously have to closely check the paperwork after that, but I've had luck with them getting the picture, speeding through the formalities once they realize nothing is going to happen, and having no issues on the paperwork. At some point they are ready to get you out so they can move on to the next target
Just imagine the world where they don't give you any paperwork?

Here, check this usb for a surprise when you get home!
Jack Cheese
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dubi said:

DannyDuberstein said:

One key with the finance guys is answering with an immediate and consistent "no thanks" while delivering zero inclination that you would consider anything they are pitching for a second. Now you obviously have to closely check the paperwork after that, but I've had luck with them getting the picture, speeding through the formalities once they realize nothing is going to happen, and having no issues on the paperwork. At some point they are ready to get you out so they can move on to the next target
Just imagine the world where they don't give you any paperwork?

Here, check this usb for a surprise when you get home!

Exactly! I believe that is against federal regulations, and it's why I think OP should pursue legal action to stop this crap from happening to others.
aggiedata
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Go to a credit union and get pre approved for a new car loan now. Have that in your back pocket before you go into finance at the dealership. The finance guy will pull all kind of tricks. Never talk in terms of monthly payments. Never buy any kind of extended warranty that runs through the finance guy. Say no a lot.

Check out penfed.org for rates. Make them beat your pre approved rate.

That's my advice.
Alpha Texan
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oooo that site looks really helpful. Thank you so much! These are the Ted Talks I need.
dubi
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Alpha Texan said:

oooo that site looks really helpful. Thank you so much! These are the Ted Talks I need.
Where do you live? One of us old guys/gals would love to car shop with you!
Alpha Texan
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I'm shopping in BCS. At this point, the work is pretty much done.

The car me and the fiance picked out will be at the dealership in about a month, we already agreed on pricing for the vehicle. We didn't really try to haggle down at all because the Subaru dealership isn't adding a market adjustment like every other dealer we visited with. Everything was priced exactly how Subaru's site showed it to be, unlike some other places we looked.

Now it's just waiting a few weeks to go pick it up, but the help with regard to financing that you guys have given me on here has me feeling like I am prepared to deal with that, or at least I know how to prepare for that.

At the beginning of this process, I would've gladly accepted someone's assistance in town, and if any more questions pop up, I'll definitely be back here. This car buying process made me realize maybe I'm a bit more gen z than I ever realized because being 22 and dealing with this stuff is just stressful.
dubi
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Be prepared for the hard sell when you sign the papers. Also have a loan approved from a credit union.

In our case in 2019, the Subaru interest rate was lower than the credit union.

We are in BCS if you need any help.
EMY92
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Aggieland CU is another good option for financing. 4 years ago when I bought my Raptor, their rates were the best I found (I have extremely good credit and got a much better rate than advertised on their website).
Kvwina
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THIS SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO US! BAIT-AND-SWITCH AT COLLEGE STATION HYUNDAI.

KEATING AUTO GROUP IS A SCAM
Picard
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Kvwina said:

THIS SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO US! BAIT-AND-SWITCH AT COLLEGE STATION HYUNDAI.

KEATING AUTO GROUP IS A SCAM

You don't say!

Kvwina
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Look at my most recent post in the automotive group!! WHY HAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT NOT YET BEEN FILED AGAINST THIS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP?
Picard
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Kvwina said:

Look at my most recent post in the automotive group!! WHY HAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT NOT YET BEEN FILED AGAINST THIS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP?

Really? You don't say!

Caladan
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Wow - after reading this thread I am so glad the finance guy at the local Ford dealer got me in and said that he wasn't going to try to sell me anything, and that he just wanted to do me the favor of getting me in and out as fast as possible so that I could get on with the rest of my day. And true to his word, he didn't attempt to upsell me anything. I was in and out in under five minutes.

I may have to stick w/those guys.......
LCE
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Caladan said:

Wow - after reading this thread I am so glad the finance guy at the local Ford dealer got me in and said that he wasn't going to try to sell me anything, and that he just wanted to do me the favor of getting me in and out as fast as possible so that I could get on with the rest of my day. And true to his word, he didn't attempt to upsell me anything. I was in and out in under five minutes.

I may have to stick w/those guys.......


You might have found the only honest person working at an Auto dealership or it was his last day on the job and wanted to get out of there.
cliffbob64@gmail.com
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I see a pattern here! I am a 77 year old Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran who was scammed by Keating Toyota on October 28, 2023. They took me and my wife for about $25,000 or the value of my 2022 Jeep Wrangler (immaculate with only 10K miles) $33,000, depending on how you count through their Finance Department. If you have an attorney working on your folks case then we need to make contact somehow. Perhaps my wife nd I could join your suit. I think there are also probably many others who have. been preyed upon by these reprobates. Let's make contact and make Keating Toyota famous for their underhanded business practices.
lb3
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I purchased a vehicle from a Keating dealer in 2022 and luckily I knew their reputation from TexAgs. In the finance office I got out my calculator and checked the loan amortization and caught them bumping the interest rate about two and a half percent over what we negotiated.

BiggiesLX
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What **** heads. If you pre qualify through your personal bank can this be avoided?

I'd be tempted to take the finance paperwork home for the night, but I'm sure they'd pull the deal right then and there.
 
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