Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/22/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased a jeep from *********************** on April 22nd , put $3000 down in cash and financed the rest through Corning credit Union . The following day it started running hot , reached out to ***** and he told us to take it to the mechanic shop he uses Market street auto and tire . **** replaced the radiator hose , about a week later it started running hot again , called ***** he said take it bk to the shop . We did and **** flushed the radiator and sent us on our way , another week goes by and it starts running hot again took it bk to the mechanic shop . Called ***** he acted like he had not heard anything about the jeep running hot but I have text messages between him and my son discussing the jeep. **** flushed the radiator again and wrote a receipt stating the system was gunked up with stop leak . Paid $120 for the service . Informed ***** and he said it was on the mechanics because he previously paid over $1000 on repairs for the jeep which he did not disclose previous or during the sale of any issues with the jeep. A few days later the jeep broke down in the middle of ************* , police came and made us exit the vehicle and called the fire department. I had it towed to the jeep dealership and called ***** , he told me to tow it back to the market street *********** so I did . **** said we needed to purchase a starter so he could crank it and see what was wrong . We did $250 starter from auto zone and took it to the shop . About a week later **** called and said the engine was blown and it would be $8000 for a new engine . So now we are out of a car , $3370 in cash and over $11 grand on my credit . The finance company reached out to me and had me get a estimate for the new engine and send it to them , I complied , they contacted the car lot and was told they are not willing to do anything to rectify the situation. I have worked hard to build my credit and $3370 is a lot of money to just give away .

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/21/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Bought used 2016 VW Passat from business on 2/15/2024. Went to drive car off lot and battery was dead. Seller had to jump start battery for it to start stating someone left the light on. Tire pressure light came on immediately after driving off lot. Business did replace battery the next day after car continued to show signs of drained battery. After about a week of driving car, check oil light came on. Appointment was made at *************** in ********** on 3/1/2024 where oil was changed and car was found to have an oil leak. At this time, both rear tires were replaced because wire was showing on tires and alignment completed. Within the next week of driving car, lights began to flash on dash(ABS, EPC and power steering lights). Made another appointment at *************** and diagnostics was done on 3/12. Car was found to have a misfire in engine and rapid oil consumption because engine was a knock above threshold and the only way to fix the problem was with a new engine. During this time, I attempted to reach Seasell Auto numerous times with no response. The only response I did receive was a text message on 3/15 stating "*******************. I just received your VM." When I attempted to call seller again, he ignored my call and sent another text stating he was assisting another client or away from his phone and I did not receive a call back. In the meantime I filed a claim with the extended warranty I purchased and as of 3/20 I have heard my claim was denied because this was a "pre-existing condition" because the oil was low when the adjuster went to the shop. The service advisor explained the oil was not low and a sample was taken. I have reached out to the warranty company and have yet to hear back. A used engine will cost $10,000 to replace in this car, which is more than I paid for the car. I have not even made the first payment on the car. It is due on 3/29/2024. During this time I have been without a car and have missed work at times due to not having a way there.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2024

  Hello. We hate to hear you're having issues with the vehicle you purchased from us. We were unaware of any under lying isses with the exception of the Battery needing replaced, due to a previous customer leaving an interior light on while test driving it. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 21462703
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  the fact of the matter is that this business sold me a car as is but did not disclose any issues with the car, actually stating they had no underlying issues with the car prior to selling it to me and when the extended warranty adjuster came to inspect the car in the shop, he found it to be a pre-existing condition. If it was a pre-existing condition, then Seasell Auto would have been aware of the issues. Again I must state I had only been in possession of this car 2 weeks prior to taking it to the shop the first time. Wire does not become exposed on a car like it was on the rear tires after driving for the amount of time I did. And the oil light should not have been coming on if the car was serviced within the 2 months prior to me buying it, like I was told, unless there was an oil leak, in which case, Seasell would have to of been aware of. 
  

  I was able to speak with *********************** at Seasell today after contacting him from a different number other than my cell. I was basically told the car was sold as is and there were no underlying issues prior to selling me the car. 

  So with that being said, I have requested documentation from Seasell Auto regarding the inspection and services provided by them while they had possession of the car. Im sure that is the only help I will be getting from this company after reading multiple reviews about their business because they do not believe in making their wrongs right. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2024

  Hello. Feel free to come by and get the requested documents. Thank you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 21462703
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I did go by ************* and collect the documents as requested, once ***** was able to find the folder containing the documents. One of the invoices I received from 1/15/2024(1 month prior to me purchasing the car) showing where the spark plugs were changed stated in the labor description..."Performed diagnosis of customers concern, multiple misfire codes stored, dead misfire on #1 cylinder. Found ignition coil for cyl one shorted out and spark plugs to have excessive carbon build up. Also low voltage DTCS present. Tested battery and found bad cell." This invoice informs me that ***** was aware of the bad battery in the car but he stated it was dead from a customer leaving the light on after test driving it. He did replace the battery. The other thing this invoice informs me of is the fact that he also knew the car had misfires. I understand I bought the car as is but none of this information was disclosed to me when I purchased the vehicle. When you buy a vehicle as is, you do not expect to be responsible for replacing a motor in the car less than 30 days of owning it. Now the extended warranty (that I also purchased through *************) has denied my claim twice because I did try to appeal the denial the first time. The extended warranty company (DOWC) has referred me back to the selling dealer to help resolve the issues since they were pre-existing issues. *********************** at Seasell Auto has made it clear to me that there is nothing he can do about my situation. He continues to let me know that he has lost $3000 on the deal and he is not sure what he can do. Also, when I purchased the car, I bought the car at the price the dealer was selling it at. I did not try to haggle him down. It would be nice if this business would do right by their customers, especially being a local company. I will gladly negotiate with this business to come to an agreement, whether that be exchanging for a different car, or them helping with the repairs on the current car, etc. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  FRAUDULENT! FRAUDULENT! FRAUDULENT! BUYER BEWARE!!!!! We purchased a 2010 Jeep Wrangler from Seasell Auto in **********, ************** on June 7, 2023 and by the end of June we were experiencing issues with the vehicle. We were assured that there were no problems with the vehicle prior to the purchase. Before we could even put tags on the vehicle, it started to overheat at an idle. We did purchase an extended warranty for $2200 and when we tried to make a claim we were told by the insurance company that we should never have been sold that insurance policy due to the miles on the jeep. This is completely fraudulent! We found out that ****** who sold us the vehicle was no longer working with Seasell a week after we made the purchase and purchased the extended warranty. Someone else from Seasell Auto actually called us to try and get a copy of the extended warranty contract and we found that to be suspicious at the time which was literally a week after we purchased the Jeep and that is when we also found out that ******, who sold it to us was no longer working there. That in itself is suspicious. Checking with the Better Business Bureau Seasell Auto has a rating of F due to recent bad business dealings. Seasell auto is not even accredited with the Better Business Bureau which tells you something is wrong. Buyer BEWARE!!I can provide documentation that shows that we have the extended warranty that covers the issue we are having with our jeep that we are being told is not being covered. I can provide that documentation upon request.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/20/2023

  Mr. & ***************** came into our dealership yesterday completely irate. We had a lobby full of customers and all they did was berate and bad mouth our business to our customers that were here. They then walked out into our display area (lot) and confronted customers saying negative false accusations about seasell.  They threatened us numerous times during their visit which gave us no choice but to contact the local police to have them removed from the premises as our staff did not feel safe. This was the very first time we have heard from them regarding any issues with a warranty claim or any issues with their Jeep at all.  This could have been handled in a very civil matter, however they would not be reasoned with. This issue is with the fact that the ******** purchased an extended service contract for their 2010 Jeep Wrangler with ******* miles and that it states that it will cover most parts but one of the clauses states that it will not cover the part that is broken on their Jeep if the vehicle has more than ******* miles. This is not an insurance policy that they purchased, it is an extended service contract which is not all inclusive to every part on a vehicle, this is why there are multiple options to choose from. I would take Fraudulent serious before I started throwing that word around. If this continues we will have our attorney file a cease and desist for harassment.  That said, we contacted ****, the manager from integrity warranty who is the third party that their service contract is with as soon as they came here yelling false accusations at our staff and customers about their policy being fraudulent. **** said that the Powertrain policy they purchased was a very good policy but unfortunately does not cover a head gasket. The ******** issue is not with Seasell but is with the policy they purchased through Integrity not covering each and every part on the vehicle. **** then personally contacted the Stuarts yesterday right after they left our business and sent them a warranty cancellation form to sign and and send back so that the refund they requested will be on its way. These are the necessary steps we have to take to cancel a service contract so that they can get their money back. **** informed them that their money will be being sent promptly to the back their loan is with to refund for the policy. As to why they keep complaining to us we have no idea. They completely understand that they are being SENT A REFUND so there is nothing else to talk about. Lastly, ****** is not with us anymore due to health related issues which have nothing to do with this. I find it very sad for someone to falsely say that it seems "suspicious" the salesman is no longer with us. The nerve of someone to make a statement like that.  His health issues have nothing to do with the Stuarts jeep purchase or warranty purchase that is definitely a completely FALSE STATEMENT.  Again they came in and asked to have a REFUND FOR THE WARRANTY AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING PROCESSED FROM THE WARRANTY COMPANY.

  The Stuarts are very well aware they are getting a refund sent from the warranty company.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to you regarding a car that I purchased back on 03 Jan 2021. I purchased a 2014 QX 60 Infiniti at Seasell Auto in Wilmington NC on Jan 3, 2022. I took the car for a test drive that day. Prior to buying the car I researched the car to see if there were any major issues customers were complaining about this model of Infiniti. The person who sold the car to me Steve drew up the paperwork to make the sale. After all the paperwork was done, I drove off the lot with the car and not even five miles down the road the car cut off and would not start again. Thankfully I was pulled into a gas station at the time. Mr. Steve sent his technician to try and start the car because he thought it was the battery and it would not start then the car had to be towed. Unfortunately, that day I could not drive my car home. Mr. Steve contacted me on Jan 7 to let me know my car was ready. I was working that day, so my aunt picked the car up for me at Seasell Auto. She drove the car to my house which is about 60 miles from my house. I drove the car back from my house which is about 60 miles back. My aunt picked up at Seasell Auto and began to drive off with my car, Infiniti, the car would not accelerate, and all the light started to get dim in the car, the steering wheel locked up and thank God I was able to pull the car in the parking lot next door to Seasell Auto. I contacted Mr. Steve via cellphone at 6:45 pm on 07 Jan and he didn't answer the phone, but he did send me a text and told me he was out to dinner with his family and apologized for this happening a second time after the car was supposed to be fixed. I had to call AAA to have the car towed next door because the car would not start for the second time. I also called my bank to see if I could cancel the check because at this point I have yet to have the car 24 hours. I have attached the complete story about the car since it was purchased on 03 Jan 2022.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/10/24) */
  Seasell AUto
  209 Old Eastwood Road
  Wilmington NC 28403
  
  I am responding to the complaint by ****** *****. The car was purchased on 1/3/22. The car did have an issue with the alternator after the time of purchase in which Seasell Auto did cover over eight hundred dollars to fix at the time. We received a call ten months later stating that she was having problems with the alternator. I explained that she should talk with the shop that repaired the car initially because it was so far away from the initial time of purchase. I feel that we as a dealership did everything we could to help the customer. Over ten months after the purchase if a problem arises we do have to revert back to our "As-Is" agreements that are signed at the time of purchase.
  
  -Seasell Auto
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/10/25) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  It was not ten months later.. I gave the days along with having to have the car towed several times.. After the check was chased they did not care. They stated my issue was with the person the fixed the car. Now I am left with a car that is not drivable and I am paying monthly bill. They are liars and I want them to give them the bank thier money back and take thier tash. I have been taken advantage of and this car dealership has no integrity. I have never purchased a used car that broke down the same day I purchased it nor in less than 12 months. Whomever wrote this can't count because it was 9 months not 10.Again they don't care about thier customers once the check cleared.