Central Kia of Plano Reviews 2

I went in to this location to buy a 2017 Kia Sorento. They told me the vehicle was not certified but they would get it certified Pre-owned without any additional fees. I proceeded with the deal. I was pre-approved thru my credit union to get the vehicle and was not interested in their financing. I was told the warranty options for the vehicle and given all the paperwork to sign. They were going to allow me to take the vehicle that same night although the banks were already closed. I was super excited. I loved the car and it was a great deal. On the top of one of the forms that describes the vehicle being purchased, it was checked that the car was used. There was a blank line next to that box and it was blank. I didn’t think anything of it since I was told what my warranty on the car was and it was pretty standard. They told me they would contact my bank and complete the sale with them and I drove home in my new car.  I was waiting on my bank to process the paperwork and complete the sale. While this process was going on I looked thru the paperwork again and noticed that nothing specified the it was indeed a certified Preowned vehicle. I called Kia to ask where I could find that information. I was directed to Alonzo, the finance manager, as to where the documentation was for the pre certification. hHe told me he would send it to me when I complete the financing. I thought that’s kinda sketchy. I had conversation with my bank and they did not see anything about pre-owned certification. I called Kia again the next day and was told by Alonzo that he would only send me the pre certification document once my bank sent over the financing information. I told him I would not go through with the financing until I got documentation of the pre certification. He finally agreed to send it and it was not signed! There was a blank spot for me to sign and a blank spot for Kia to sign. I emailed him asking why it was not signed and he did not reply. I called him and asked him why it was not signed. He told me that it wasn’t signed yet bc they wanted to make sure I was actually buying the vehicle. So I asked to speak with his manager. He directed me to Ed. Who he referred to as his “director.” When I spoke with Ed, he said he was the sales manager, not the director. Ed’s 1st statement was asking about the financing. I asked him why he was asking about the financing when I asked to speak with him regarding the pre certification. He dismissed my question and proceeded to ask when financing was going to be finalized. I explained to him that I dont trust them and that they tried to sell me a car under false pretenses. I told him I was not sure if I wanted to do business with them anymore and he said I can return the car. Fortunately I recorded all of the conversation but wow!!! They are snakes

Central Kia of Plano is a dealership that has no shame. They have taken the greed of car sales to a whole new level. Here is a story that speaks for itself.

On 3/23/19 I placed a $1,000 “nonrefundable” deposit with Central Kia of Plano on a 2020 SW Telluride w/prestige package. The exterior was white and the interior was dune brown. The deal was for $600 over invoice and a quote of $21,000 on my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport trade in, after sending pictures. The deal was completed via e-mail.

On 5/23/19 I was advised by my salesperson that he was leaving Central Kia for a management position with another car company. Up to this point there was direct communication regarding the delays with the Telluride w/prestige package. My former salesperson called to advise me he was leaving but strangely I never heard this info from the dealership. In addition, prior to 5/23 Kia Motors Corporate had advised all Kia dealerships nationwide that they would no longer taking any additional orders on the SW-P because there was a huge backlog at the KMMG. I made several calls to the dealership checking on the status of my order with no additional info.

I was assured by my new contact person, Vincent Clementi (a sales manager) that the original deal was still in place and he had my folder with the info. Eventually I was given a deadline of 6/13/19 as a day additional info would be available. I called Mr. Clementi, who gave me a VIN #5XYP5DHC3LG028086 and advised my ordered vehicle was 1-2 weeks away.

On 6/14/19, the very next, I was contacted by Mr. Clementi and was advised that my ordered vehicle had fallen off the vehicle transporter along with 2 other vehicles and was a total loss. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I asked about seeing photos of the wrecked ordered vehicle but was told no photos would be forthcoming. At this point I became very suspicious and believed a good old bait & bait was being used. Up to this point I had been waiting 13 weeks.

I believe Central Kia simply doesn’t want to sell me the ordered Telluride at the agreed upon price. They still have my deposit. To say that this is unethical business practices is a huge understatement. It has also given me a clear picture of Kia’s business model and practices - shady & deceptive. Kia vehicles might be better but their sales methods are old and outdated.

In closing, this decision wasn’t made at the sales or management level but at the ownership level. This lets you know what kind of dealership you are dealing with, an unscrupulous one. I could have gotten a Telluride elsewhere but wasted my time on Central Kia Of Plano.
They refunded my money on 6/17/19. Be warned that the non refundable deposit is a ploy used by this dealership to lock you into a deal while they take your ordered vehicle and sell it to the highest bidder and you are still on the hook waiting for a vehicle or ready to move onto a respectable dealership.