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| 3-Day Buyback Guarantee? |
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| Below is my correspondance with a user to this site. It just makes me sick everytime I read it...Just another example of Saturn's craptacular customer service. |
| On jan 27th i purchased a used 02 saturn which was a buy back -first owner had returned unit under the 30-day money back guarantee. When i bought it there were 1744 miles on it. On jan 29th the dash light which indicates that the daytime running lights are on, failed to light until i had been driving for about 15 minutes - not sure how important this is. On jan 30th i felt the car did not have the same power it had just 2 days ago - it seemed a little sluggish & like it was shifting a little bit rougher. Later that day i heard a rattling type of noise combined with a slight screechy sound while on my way home. As i phoned my boyfriend to report this to him, the service engine light came on so i took the car straight to the dealership to return it under the 3 day return policy. I was eventually told that the gas cap was on crooked (which i had never even touched yet since i had only driven the car about 50 miles total in the 2 days i had it) and that this was the reason the service light came on. They did not look at the headlight display on the dash at that point. I was then told by the manager that the 3 day return policy does not apply to my vehicle, but that he would talk to the general manager & that i was welcome to leave the car there. Which i did. How this turns out for me is yet to be seen. Do you have any advice for me besides never buy a saturn? |
| My Response |
| Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Any news on the car? How did they claim the 3 day return policy didn't apply? Please let me know any new developments - I'm interested in posting them on the web site, good or bad. With our saturn, we fought and fought and were able to recover about 1/4 of the cost of the repairs. Unfortunately, we were totally out of warranty and had no legal action - it sounds as if your situation may be different though. Don't let them get away with it. Thanks. |
| User Response |
| Thank you for your response. Like you, I am sorry it has taken so long for me to respond to your message. The night of my first message I had left the car at the Saturn dealership - telling them that I was returning it and at that point the manager was to speak to the general manager. The manager phoned me the following day telling me that I could not return the car because by-back vehicles are not included in the 3-day buy back policy once they are sold again. Whatever! I had called the Attorney General's office in my state and was told that there was no protection for me in PA unless I could prove mechanical defect in the car. I was also told that they would have to take the dealership's word for it that the gas cap was indeed the problem which caused the check engine light to come on. Not at all what I wanted to here. Anyway I had no choice but to keep the car. I had them look at the headlights while the car was there and they supposedly drove it several times in order to determine the source of the rattling sound I had heard. They must have found and corrected the problem with the headlights, because it has not happened since. The rattling noise was never heard by them though. While the car was there, they also re-aligned the front fender and driver side door panels (they were not lined up straight and there was a noticable gap). This was good, yet I still hate the car. I am currently experiencing two new problems with it, the driver's door window still goes up and down, however, the "automatic down" feature fails to work so I have to hold the button down until the window goes all the way down. This is an inconvenience which will definitely be addressed the next time I have to take the car for any service (I have no desire to go wait 1 1/2 hours just for this). It won't be too long before I have to take the car in again, because the other new problem seems more pressing. The first time I start the car when it is "cold" - it starts but then I hear an aweful sound. I have absolutely no clue what this is caused by, but I have been hearing it at every "cold start" for the past several days. I know that I will have to go take the car & leave it overnight in order for this noise to be heard by the mechanics, and this is an inconvenience that I am not willing to endure just yet, but soon. Meantime I will just continue to express my opinion about my Saturn to as many people as can and hopefully they won't ever buy one. I have been so upset about this issue for weeks now, and I am to the point where I am looking forward to the day I get to trade it in and already trying to figure out just how many years away that day is! It really stinks, but you live and learn. Thanks for "listening"... it feels good to vent a little (so to speak). |
| My Response |
| Have you considered taking the car to a third-party mechanic? They are often able to look over the car for a relatively low fee (in comparison to the price of the car) and provide insight as to any problems. Additionally, they can provide insight on problems that have been so-called fixed. I would highly recommend taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic before returning it to the Saturn dealership. Did anyone at the dealership ever indicate the car may have been in an accident? That is often the only way that fenders and panels become mis-aligned. I would recommend taking meticulous notes on the vehicle's condition. I once came in contact with a gal who had gotten a vehicle replaced under the lemon-law in Missouri because the dealership was unable to fix the reading on the digital thermometer in the vehicle. Were you at any point told by a salesperson you could return the vehicle in 3 days if not satisfied? If so, have you contacted any local media about the situation? For example, local television newscasts love stories like this. It wouldn't hurt to send the local stations the e-mails you have sent to me. Did you receive a carfax report on the vehicle when you bought it? Carfax reports will occasionally provide insight into the history of the vehicle - major accidents, etc. As stupid as it sounds, it may also be worth a call to the service department at Saturn of Lincoln Nebraska (402-435-3000). When we had our problems, they were the only ones who were honest. They will give you an honest answer on the buy-back issue. Anyway, I hope your situation is able to be resolved - please let me know of any major developments. |
| User Response |
| I just received a response to an e-mail I sent to the Saturn Customer Assistance Center and I am not very happy. My inquiry was Does the 3 day moneyback guarantee apply to vehicles returned to the dealership by the previous owner under the 30 day moneyback guarantee? My answer was Yes if the vehicle was sold to me as a used car then it qualifies for the 3 day moneyback guarantee. Now I know that I was lied to. BUT WHAT DO I DO? I sent another e-mail to the customer assistance center asking for their help. Do you have any advise to offer me? |
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