The buyer of a vehicle from a popular auto dealer is frustrated that 18 months after the purchase she is stuck with a defective vehicle and the Consumer Affairs Commission is operating slothfully in helping her get her more than $4M refund.
“It is long overdue for the legal mind at the disposal of the commission and its commissioners [to] be engaged to resolve this issue speedily so that we can be refunded our money,” Grace Gonsalves has said.
The woman is accusing popular auto dealership Kenrick’s auto sales, of Eccles, of selling her a faulty reconditioned 2001 Rav 4 and of being reluctant to give her a refund after she highlighted the problems to them.
The auto dealership claims that while it stands ready to give Gonsalves a refund, it is her own fault that she does not have it because she chose to make complaints about the business to the Consumer Affairs Commission and now her refund will have to undergo a series of administrative channels requiring documentation from that agency, before she can be refunded.
“From day one, we were prepared to give them their money back… we don’t run our business like that. But she went to Consumer Affairs and now the matter is in their hands. We have to wait until they give us the paperwork okaying everything… be reminded too that the vehicle is being driven by the lady every day and we are losing too,” a representative from the dealership said.
Gonsalves said her woes began in April of last year, when she and her husband bought the vehicle from the dealership. She said that from the time she drove the vehicle out of the showroom to her residence in Georgetown, it stated leaking oil and jerking. “The vehicle was leaking oil and bucking like a rodeo bull while driving,” she recounted.
She said they took the vehicle back to Kenrick’s the next day and was given an old AT 192 car to drive while her vehicle was being repaired. She said the problem continued and resulted in the vehicle being taken back to the auto dealership four times in three weeks.
The couple then sought the service of an independent mechanic who checked the vehicle and informed them that the vehicle’s computer box was defective and that oil was leaking out. He recommended that the computer box be replaced with a new one or it would damage other components of the engine.
Gonsalves said that for a fifth time the dealership took the vehicle and promised to fix the box. However, three weeks after the vehicle had been returned to them the problem recurred and a decision was taken to bring the matter to the attention of the Consumer Affairs Com-mission.
According to Gonsalves, the commission undertook an investigation and found that Kenrick’s “knowingly selling a used, defective vehicle under the pretext that it was a reconditioned vehicle.” Accord-ing to her, he was given the option of repairing the vehicle, replacing the defective part or giving her a refund. After months had elapsed and realising that repairs could not be effected, she said the commission ruled that a full refund be given.
She said that the dealership informed the commission that he would pay out a refund less a 10% restocking fee once the commission engages the Guyana Revenue Authority to have the vehicle deregistered.
The commission is currently engaged in that process. However, after months, Gonsalves said whenever she checks with the commission she is always told that it is still engaged in the process. “We are beyond frustrated and all contact with the commission yields declarations that they are in the process of consulting GRA to discuss demands of the dealer,” the letter states.
“We have endured enough with this vehicle and are tired of being treated as if we are at fault while the perpetrator sits pretty on our millions while we suffer with this derelict death trap of a vehicle,” the woman further said.
The dealership acknow-ledged that the vehicle had a problem with an oil leak initially but said that the problem had been rectified. Kenrick said that it was explained to Gonsalves that since she insisted that the computer box be replaced, it would order one from Japan.
He showed Stabroek News the new computer box and packaging with date of order of the computer box to support his claim. The man said that he was saddened that Gonsalves would go to the media and berate him when he tried from the beginning to alleviate the problem.
“We told them bring back the vehicle when they started complaining, but the lady said they liked the vehicle and then this and that…when the box came, we called them and they said deal with Credit Affairs people not us… they were angry and ’buse me up but I understand their frustration because I think I would have behave the same so I didn’t answer them back,” he said.
“This business expanded, not through big advertising in papers and TV and so.
It’s been one tell one tell one…I live by the principles that what you do will befall you sometime and I would not try to rob anyone out of their monies and these people know that. I have a business and my customers are my source. Without them I am nothing, I know that,” he added.
