My case is in regards to the practices of the company Great Cars and Trucks. I did, I now realize, a mistake when I agreed to the proposal of the campany's representative, who presented himself very politiely as Jeremy Livingstone to put an add on the company's website. Mr. Livingstone called my on April 26, 2006 after I had put out an add in the Northern Alberta Auto Trader for my vehicle, a 1990 Volvo 240. I had asked $ 1500 for my vehicle. Mr. Livingstone explained that he was in contact with a large network of used car dealership, and that his clients were looking for my particular model of car. He would get me in contact with other dealers for a commission fee, he explained. He was positive that I would be able to get $ 3100 for my car. You are going to hate me, as your phone is going to ring off the hook, he informed me. And, against all odds something would happen and my car would not sell, his company promised the money back, but added that that has never happened before.
After consulting with my girlfriend we decided to follow his advice, and gave him my VISA number over the phone. As the days, and then weeks went by and I had not received a single phone call from any car dealers or customers, I tried to call Mr. Livingstone back on the phone number he called me from, (403) 5370081, but without any success. I left two messages but never heard back from him. I then started to research the company and found out that there were hundreds of complains from other customers who had had similar experiences.
I waited out the ninety day period to file for to get my money back. I realized that this is a scam so I made sure to have all paperwork ready and make copies of all documents. The company makes money by setting up a number of hoops and obstacles to make it hard to regain the money. But ok, I thought, I tried to follow their instructions. As it turned out, this did not seem to matter.
Here are the step I took.
1) I went to their website to print out the money back guarantee form. When you click on the icon for Northern Alberta, (Accessed July 24, 2006), the form does not show up. www.vehiclesforsale.ca. I had to go through Southern Alberta to get the form.
2) It then turn out that the address, provided at the form is incorrect, as I would bitterly experience. The address provided on their form www.vehiclesforsale.ca, 5032 16th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB, T3B 0N3 is not only invalid, they do not have their mail forwarded.
3) You need to provide a copy of title and a signed money back guarantee, both notarized. Something I did, and actually had to pay money for. In any case, I followed the instructions. The claim had to be postmarked within five calendar days days after the ninety day period. My forms were notarized on July 24, 2006. They were mailed off the following day. I paid extra for a Certificate of Mailing, USPS Form 3817. The envelope is also clearly postmarked July 25, 2006. Mail between Indiana and Alberta takes four days.
4) However, I get my letter back, as the company website and the form provided the incorrect address.
5) On August 28, I now call the company, Great Cars and Trucks/www.vehiclesforsales.ca, and ask what is going on. I am not able to get hold of Mr. Livingstone, but talk to a woman with an Australian accent who declines to give here name, but present herself as Jane. She treats me rudely, and condescending, cuts me off in the middle of a sentence and puts me on hold three times, for periods up to three minutes. She tells me I have the wrong address and that I need to follow the instructions on the website. I explain that there is not money back form for northern Alberta and that I had to click on Southern Alberta (where Mr. Livingstone had called me from at the first place.) I ask her if she is aware that the website gives incorrect information and provides no contact phone number. She does not offer any explanation. However, she provides me a different address, Great Cars and Trucks, 221 #2 3012 17th Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2A 0P9, and says that as long as I have the documentation and postmark, it should not be a problem. I send in the entire letter, put in a new envelope, and mail it off. Just in case, I make a copy of the postmarked envelope at the postoffice.
6) On October 27, 2006, I get a letter in the mail from the company, dated October 16, 2006, but postmarked October 25. It is a generic form, claiming that unfortunately we are unable to process a refund for the Money Back Guarantee. Our policy clearly states that a notarized copy of the Money Back Guarantee, as well as a copy of the advertised vehicles registration, stating that the vehicle has not sold, must be received by Great Cars and Trucks, postmarked within seven (7) calendar days after the 90-day guarantee date from the date your vehicle was posted on the website. Your ad was posted on April 28, 2006. Your Money Back Guarantee was postmarked on July 24, 2006. This is a total of 87 days. Actually, the form the company provides does not clearly state a seven (7) day period to claim a refund. It claims five (5) days. It also gives the wrong address. I was contacted by Mr. Livingstone on April 26th, 2006. My refund letter was postmarked on July 25. This is not complicated math. It should have been received within a five or seven day period, had the address been correct.
7) The rejection letter provides a third address, 3515-32nd Street SE, Calgary, AB T1Y 5Y9. It does provide a name of the person who processed my claim, just a initial signature, which can be read as either JRC, IRC, JRL, or IRL. Is this the signature of Jeremy Livingstone or Jane?
8) When I call Great Cars and Trucks on 1-866-672-2305 at 11:15 AM on October 28, 2006, Sam answers the phone. She explicitly rejects me request to have her name, I do not have to give you my name. I explain the situation, and ask to talk to either Jane or Mr. Livingstone. She says no. I ask when they will be in, she claims not to know. They work from home, and I do not have their numbers. She does not know when they will be in, maybe in a week or two, Sam says. She puts me on hold three times without asking if that is ok in a rude and condescending way. I ask her to get my file so we can discuss the matter, as I have both forms notarized and postmarked on the requested days. In fact, I have followed all steps of the complex process. But never received a single call on my add. She puts me on hold for a minute, then tells me she does not have it. There is nobody else I can talk to, she explains. But there is a Bess I could email at [email protected] or [email protected]. Sam reads the address very quickly, and declines to repeat the address. As the company has provided erroneous postal addresses in the past, I need to be certain that the info is correct. But no. Again, no names provided, neither for Bess, nor herself. I cannot call Bess. As written correspondence has taken two months (59 days) in the past, I do not think this is an acceptable option. Even my question what the correct address to the company is, is dismissed. It clearly states on the form, I am told. When I dispute this and read her the three conflicting addresses I have been given, she very quickly reads me an address, which I did not have time to write down. She declines to read it a second time a little slower. I do not have to do that, Sam explains.
Those of you who have been scammed and live in Alberta, contact the Alberta Government Services at 1-877-427-4088. They are very helpful, and have already received hundreds of complaints. I would also recommend to press legal charges with your local police.
Per
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
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