I found a 1999 Toyota Camry with 160,000 miles for $3500 on Craigslust that was advertised as a private sale. It sounded pretty good, called and spoke to Ben Miller, the owner of what turns out to be a small used car dealer and leaser. Irregardless I went and looked at the car. Apparently the car was owned by his sister, who he said leased it in Georgia but is now unable to drive it because of health. He claimed she had only put mobile 1 oil in it, and there was writing on the engine that gave the impression that it had been looked after. All in all the car looked clean and potentially good but something was holding me back. I think it had something to do with the belittiling, condesceinding and downright rude attitude that Ben Miller took with me. Although I was buying a car for my first time, I do not deserve to be made to feel small and unintelligent.
After much deliberation we decided to leave a $100 deposit for the car and come back later with the rest of the money. We were lucky that I was still so unsure about the car so i called a mechanic to see if they would check it out for us. I let Ben Miller know that I intended to do that, and he told me of a place he knows where they would look at it for free. Suspicious of that, I said I would prefer not to do that, and was met with a judgemental atttitude once more. While driving to my chosen mechanic he informed me that it is a 15 year old car and I shouldn't expect perfection (which of course I wouldn't), he was seting me up to be told stuff was wrong and trying to make me believe it wasn't a big deal. When the mechanics checked out the car they discovered that the cracks in the windshield I was told was legal and passed inspection (which he showed me the sheet for) were actually illegal and needed to be fixed, so he also has a state inspector in his pocket. The mechanic also found that the axels on the front wheels needed to be replaced, one immediatly, I could see it breaking off. The break pads were incredibly worn down, they would need to be replaced immediatly too. There was somehting wrong with were the oil goes (and for the life of me I can't remember exactly what it was but that I would need to fix it). The power steering had started leaking, and finally the tires were not at all new like he claimed.
Along with that, the hazard lights did not work at all, the side mirrors couldn't be moved, one of the windows wouldn't roll down (electric windows), the back speakers didn't work and a couple more cosmetic things. At this point the mechanic said he would not even pay $2500 for this car. Ben Miller then had the audacity to come into the shop and yell at the mechanic and accuse him of not knowing how to do his job, of trying to convince me that things were wrong that were not, and was just down right rude to a man just doing his job with no investment in if I got the car or not. The mechanic believes that this car was actually bought at an auction, had previously been in an accident which would account for the new paint and that Ben Miller had messed with the odometer.
After this, Ben Miller then belittled me and told that if I was going to see a mechanic that I should go somewhrere reputable (we went to Meinke a nationwide company). He continued to belittle me and act as though he had done no wrong. The absolute only good thing he did that day was give me back my deposit. There are repoorts similer to this over the internet, where he has told the same story. He lies, and he is good at it. I would never recomend anyone buy a car from this man, I almost did and simply got lucky that my "gut" feeling told me to have it looked out. I implore you all to not let him take your money from you for a vehicle that is not at all what he claims it is, and then to make you feel bad about it. He is a horrible man!!!!
Millers Auto Sales Reviews
I found a 1999 Toyota Camry with 160,000 miles for $3500 on Craigslust that was advertised as a private sale. It sounded pretty good, called and spoke to Ben Miller, the owner of what turns out to be a small used car dealer and leaser. Irregardless I went and looked at the car. Apparently the car was owned by his sister, who he said leased it in Georgia but is now unable to drive it because of health. He claimed she had only put mobile 1 oil in it, and there was writing on the engine that gave the impression that it had been looked after. All in all the car looked clean and potentially good but something was holding me back. I think it had something to do with the belittiling, condesceinding and downright rude attitude that Ben Miller took with me. Although I was buying a car for my first time, I do not deserve to be made to feel small and unintelligent.
After much deliberation we decided to leave a $100 deposit for the car and come back later with the rest of the money. We were lucky that I was still so unsure about the car so i called a mechanic to see if they would check it out for us. I let Ben Miller know that I intended to do that, and he told me of a place he knows where they would look at it for free. Suspicious of that, I said I would prefer not to do that, and was met with a judgemental atttitude once more. While driving to my chosen mechanic he informed me that it is a 15 year old car and I shouldn't expect perfection (which of course I wouldn't), he was seting me up to be told stuff was wrong and trying to make me believe it wasn't a big deal. When the mechanics checked out the car they discovered that the cracks in the windshield I was told was legal and passed inspection (which he showed me the sheet for) were actually illegal and needed to be fixed, so he also has a state inspector in his pocket. The mechanic also found that the axels on the front wheels needed to be replaced, one immediatly, I could see it breaking off. The break pads were incredibly worn down, they would need to be replaced immediatly too. There was somehting wrong with were the oil goes (and for the life of me I can't remember exactly what it was but that I would need to fix it). The power steering had started leaking, and finally the tires were not at all new like he claimed.
Along with that, the hazard lights did not work at all, the side mirrors couldn't be moved, one of the windows wouldn't roll down (electric windows), the back speakers didn't work and a couple more cosmetic things. At this point the mechanic said he would not even pay $2500 for this car. Ben Miller then had the audacity to come into the shop and yell at the mechanic and accuse him of not knowing how to do his job, of trying to convince me that things were wrong that were not, and was just down right rude to a man just doing his job with no investment in if I got the car or not. The mechanic believes that this car was actually bought at an auction, had previously been in an accident which would account for the new paint and that Ben Miller had messed with the odometer.
After this, Ben Miller then belittled me and told that if I was going to see a mechanic that I should go somewhrere reputable (we went to Meinke a nationwide company). He continued to belittle me and act as though he had done no wrong. The absolute only good thing he did that day was give me back my deposit. There are repoorts similer to this over the internet, where he has told the same story. He lies, and he is good at it. I would never recomend anyone buy a car from this man, I almost did and simply got lucky that my "gut" feeling told me to have it looked out. I implore you all to not let him take your money from you for a vehicle that is not at all what he claims it is, and then to make you feel bad about it. He is a horrible man!!!!