Christa K on BBB 4 years ago
06/14/2019, 02:52 AM
We were sold a Kia Soul EV. I need to be honest, it was a high-pressure sale. We went along with it because they were closing and we knew we wanted the car. We negotiated a bit on price but didn't get as much for our car (trade-in) as we were hoping. After the paperwork was signed, we were told that the second key fob was in another building and that we could come back to get it. I said no worries, we don't need it right away. When I came back to the dealership a few days later, there was no second key. The salesperson told me I'd have to pay well over $100 for a new key to be cut and the fob to be programmed. I found it to be astounding that they wouldn't just comp us with the key since it was their mistake. We politely insisted that they give us a second key for free as part of the sale. In some states it's actually illegal to sell a car without a second key. The salesperson said he would pay for the laser cut and then he stormed off in the middle of the conversation. Then the service department said we'd need to pay $25 to have the key programmed. So we left with our unprogrammed key fob.
A short while later, I was contacted by their finance department to pay the extra due on our car's registration. Since we got a fancy license plate, the state provides a secondary temporary permit while the plate is being made. I spoke with them and said I'd pick up the papers when I'm in Kirkland. A week later, I came by and the papers weren't there. Pardon my language but they spoke to me like I was an idiot. They insisted that the paperwork was given to me at the point of sale and that I was mistaken. After 30 mins of waiting, we find out that they had actually put the papers in the mail. Of course, I was never informed of that and drove to Kirkland for no reason.
Overall, our experience of buying an electric car-something we were very excited about- was soiled by the staff we had to interact with. I contacted customer service but was only redirected to the same people. I should note that there does not appear to be a single woman on the staff there.
As it stands now, I have been told that the service department will contact me about programming the key, but that hasn't happened yet. The salesperson claims that he is paying for it. Considering that programming a key takes about 5 minutes, I really don't see how that story adds up.
I will never have my car serviced here. I will never recommend it to friends. Every good business knows to make up for their mistakes but that concept is apparently lost on them. I feel betrayed and misled.
