Esquimalt woman speaks out about vehicle purchase horror story

CHEK

An Esquimalt woman speaks out about her vehicle purchase horror story after CHEK News helps a Victoria woman who went public about her issues with Everyday Motor Centre. Tess van Straaten reports.

There’s good news for a Victoria woman who went public about a vehicle purchase nightmare.

Laura Shaughnessey bought and then returned a minivan from Everyday Motor Centre shortly before the company went out of business.

She has documents showing the sale was cancelled and her loan with CTL Corp., now called IA Auto Finance, was cancelled but CTL sent the single mom a letter saying she was on the hook for about $22,000 less what the vehicle would sell for at auction.

As a result of our CHEK News investigation and coverage into the issue, CTL has dropped its claim against Shaughnessey and issued a statement saying, “CTL has released Laura Shaughnessey from any and all obligations.”

READ MORE: Loan company goes after Victoria woman for vehicle she doesn?t own

But other consumers are coming forward with complaints about Everyday Motor Centre, including Esquimalt mom Leah ter Hart who says buying a second-hand SUV turned into a nightmare.

It was a debacle!”v ter Hart told CHEK News. “That’s my favourite word for describing what this entire experience has been ? a debacle.”

She bought a Nissan Pathfinder from Everyday Motor Centre in Victoria in April.

Her 89-year-old dad paid for the vehicle and was told they could pick it up after it was detailed but when they drove by the lot a few days later, they were in for a shock.

“All the cars were gone ? including mine, which had been paid,” ter Hart said. “We panicked!”

Ter Hart learned the dealership had gone out of business and NetZone Finance had seized the cars.

But with a very basic, hand-written receipt, proving ter Hart owned the SUV wasn’t easy.

“I didn’t have a bill of sale,” she said. “I didn’t have completed transfer forms, I didn’t have the switched registration papers. I had nothing but a big hole in a bank account and no truck.”

After a three day battle with the finance company, ter Hart finally got her vehicle but the next morning ? after driving a grand total of 18 kilometres ? the nightmare continued.

“I made it as far as Elk Lake and the car stopped working,” ter Hart explained. “I couldn’t get it into drive, I couldn’t get it to work.”

The transmission had to be replaced but despite a “three-day, 300 kilometre exchange guarantee” and an extended warranty, ter Hart’s out $6,200 for the repairs.

She says Everyday Motors strung her along and then told her to apply for compensation from the Vehicle Sales Authority (VSA).

“I submitted the zillions of pieces of paperwork in triplicate they asked for and they took one look at my claim and rejected it,” she said.

Ter Hart is a sales rep and the VSA fund doesn’t cover vehicles used for work.

CHEK reached out to Everyday Motor Centre for a statement about the purchase and ensuing problems and received this response:

“I asked the VSA to look into the case of Mrs. Hart in the hopes that they could use my contingency fund to assist her,” Ian Fraser of Everyday Motors wrote. “I’m sorry to find out now we did not get the result we were hoping for.”

Ter Hart says she plans to appeal because she hadn’t actually used the vehicle for work.

She’s also contacted the Office of the Ombudsperson for help.

The VSA has received other claims about Everyday Motors and officials are asking any consumers who may have lost money to come file a claim.

 

 

 

Tess van StraatenTess van Straaten

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