Toyota of Elizabeth City

Reviews 3

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Lisa Melita

Updated review. Very questionable business and advertising practices. We received a real run around from several staff members when we tried to have questions answered about one of their promotions. BBB issued an Ad Review of this particular promotion and dealership did not respond. No real surprise there. BBB is updating their info on this business. Also, several online business review sites have removed "customer reviews" of Toyota of Elizabeth City due to the fact that they were posted by individuals associated with the business. This is really unfair to the consumer who is trying to make informed purchasing decisions. I have founded suspicions that there are still a few more of these false reviews out there, so please consider all of this and use caution when dealing with this business. . Original Review: My son went in to buy a new vehicle. They were extremely friendly. They had this nice, slick, glossy ad promising a free iPad, TV or gift card with the purchase of every new or used vehicle. As the deal went on, my son asked about the promo. They would not honor it because he was given what they considered to be such a good deal. He would need to pay full price. No where in the ad did it mention this requirement. Oh, then he would need to pay an addendum. Again, no where on the ad. Anyway, he was tired of arguing and would have to return to pick up his vehicle anyway, so he decided to broach the subject when he came back in. The next day, I called and asked about the promo. I was told everyone purchasing a vehicle gets the gift advertised. That was until I told them who I was. Then their story changed, The sales manager could not adequately explain the promo rules so he became angry and flustered and hung up on me. Third attempt to address the promo subject was when my son went to pick up his truck. He asked about the promo rules and was directed to the finance person. The finance person gave the full price addendum explantation, but changed his story to "you have to have a scratch off number" on the ad. Nope. Not true. That, in the rules, applied to a sweepstakes that anyone could enter, according to their ad. But they continued to argue, making up rules each day and with each person. Fourth attempt to address the issue, my father made contact with the dealership. They proceeded to tell my father that my son voluntarily opted out of the promo. Wow. A lie. The extremes they went to to close a deal, to deceive, to cheat....just wow. Their latest, we have caught them writing their own reviews on a prominent consumer rating website. The employees can pen a rather glowing review. We reported the reviews and they have since been removed. Now, We are worried about having to deal with this dealership for warranty and service work. Uuuggghhh. We have reported them and their ad to Toyota, to the BBB and will be filing a complaint with the NC Attorney General for deceptive advertising practices. So, if you decide to deal with these shady people, just be cautious. You may not get what you were promised or offered. You will definitely not get straight answers. Be wise, be wary. Obviously we do not recommend this business.

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Kip McDonald

Have purchased four vehicles directly and sent three family and friends that purchased since 2010. Hands down the finest dealership I have experienced. Pleasant and fair buying experience, a capable and responsive service department, and willing to work through problems when they arise. When I need another vehicle, I will go to Toyota of Elizabeth City! UPDATE - Since the management at this dealership changed hands in September 2015, it has become a completely different experience. My 2005 Tundra became eligible for a complete frame replacement in January 2015. When September arrived and my truck became unsafe to drive, the frame had yet to arrive. I was put in a rental and called Toyota Corporate and opened a case. The frame arrived two weeks later. That is one issue that I am pursuing with Toyota. Issue #1 - After the arrival of the frame, it took Toyota of EC two weeks to get the truck in the shop. At first there was visible progress. My habit was to visit on Friday mornings to watch the work progress. When nothing had changed for two weeks in a row, I called Toyota Corporate again, Toyota of EC was pulling the technician working on my vehicle for other jobs. Issue #2 - On the last Friday visit prior to the job being completed, there was no progress from the week before. I went into the Service Manager and asked that the technician be allowed to work on my truck until the job was complete. He informed the service staff that the technician was not to touch anything else until my truck was complete. When I went to leave, I could not get out the normal way and was allowed to drive through the fenced-in area in the back and exit on the opposite side of the building. While driving through there I noticed two Toyota of EC employees sitting on the lowered tailgate of my (unattached) truck bed taking a smoke break. I drove back around to the service department and asked to speak with the manager. The Service Manager went to remove the two employees from the truck bed. After being made to wait twenty minutes I was shown into an office where I expected to speak with the GM of the dealership, Fil Catania. I was disappointed to find that I was being met by the Used Car Director. The main thrust of the conversation was not how this situation might be handled but rather if I would consider giving the dealership another chance. I left without anything being resolved. While speaking with another Toyota of EC employee later that day, I discovered that the GM had actually refused to meet with me. I have my truck back and all work incidental to the recall has been completed satisfactorily. With the way that the repair process and my complaint was handled, our family has decided to take our Toyota business elsewhere. It will mean driving 85 miles to the next nearest dealership. Not only will I miss the convenience of having a dealership close by, I miss the people that worked there under Tom Simms and the small-town way they treated their customers.

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Chet Beam

I have never bought a car here but would never consider it after the way I was treated by the service department. I was recently on vacation with my wife at the outer banks when my check engine light came on. I called them and they said come on to the dealership and they would get me right in and check it out. So we drove for two and a half hours to the dealership. Thats when it all went south. After waiting for an hour and a half, with my truck inside the shop, to run the computer diagnostics the service guy returned. He said its not what you think it is. Explained to me what it was and that it was going to be just under $3000 to fix the truck. Now Im no mechanic but 3 grand to fix a couple air intake valves seemed a little expensive, well maybe a lot expensive so I decided to get a second opinion. I immediately called a reputable Toyota mechanic in my home town. I told him what was wrong and asked him about the price they quoted me. He said nothing short of replacing the motor should cost that much on my truck. He told me what to do to be able to drive it back home and I did so. Upon arriving back in my home town I took the truck to my mechanic to be checked out. He ran the diagnostic test and came up with the same thing the dealership did. Heres the catch, he called to a parts house in Charlotte and ordered the parts. Total... 700 bucks. Took my head off my motor replaced the parts and put it back together. Total... 8 hours @ 50/hour for a total of 400 bucks. Truck fixed and running great for 1100 bucks. I feel the people at this dealership were trying to take advantage of me and I was not about to let that happen. I advise anyone thinking of using them for service to think again. And as far as buying a car here, I would advise against that too. If the service department tries to take advantage of people i can only imagine what a car sales staff would do. STAY AWAY!