Advantage Suzuki an Online Presence ... The Used Car Salesman is Alive and Well

Just for kicks and giggles we Googled "Advantage Suzuki, Albany" and came up with some items of interest. But before you go to the link below we must make you aware that the Advantage Suzuki discussed in the article is located in Hattieburg, Mississippi, and may not have any connection whatsoever with Advantage Suzuki in Albany, New York. Nevertheless, it would appear that there is little "advantage" dealing with any "Advantage" if we read some of the reports that come up on a Google search for "Advantage Suzuki".

In a civil, well written, well articulated piece on a site called Ripoff Report by a woman identifying herself as Roxanne Wells, a 28 year old housewife, we read some allegations that cast more light on an "Advantage Suzuki". If we cut through all of the 'personal' problems that Roxanne had at the time and simply look at what the concerned Advantage Suzuki and "Delbert" did, we have to shake our heads.

When reading the story, please don't get caught up in Roxanne's background problems. Look only at Advantage Suzuki's and Delbert's conduct. After all, if Roxanne admitted all her problems up front--which she claims she did--, any honest, and ethical professional would have been up front with her, too, and would have either

• forgone the sale and explained to Roxanne that a number of things had to be taken care of before she could reasonably expect to purchase a car, OR
• would have gone through the necessary steps to assist her in purchasing a car honestly.

True, Roxanne may have brought some baggage into the picture but that's not the point. The point is that Delbert--or whatever his real name is--and the concerned Advantage Suzuki did some very questionable things and caused unnecessary problems to an apparently honest consumer.

Again, keep in mind that the Advantage Suzuki in Hattieburg, Mississippi, may have no connection whatsoever with Advantage Suzuki in Albany, New York. We are posting this link only to illustrate another "Advantage" debacle.

But click here on review to read another consumer impression of Advantage Suzuki in Albany.

For Sale! Like New! A large selection of pre-owned cars!

Living Up to the Name "Used Car Salesmen" or Fraud?

Advantage Suzuki of Albany, New York, Takes Advantage

Albany, New York. Business as usual in the failing Tech Valley. Picture this scenario: You are looking for a used car and you peruse the automotive section of a regional Newspaper, the Times Union, a publication of the Capital Newspapers Division of Hearst Corporation and you find a perfect match offered by what you presume to be an established and reliable dealer, Advantage Suzuki in Albany, NY. So you tear out the ad and make your way to the dealer, test drive the car, decide it's what you're looking for, negotiate a sale price, make your deposit to secure the deal, take a day off from work to take care of the banking and insurance aspects, etc. Then you get a phone call from the salesman who says "We've got a small problem."

Well, that's what happened to AJ (intitials changed to protect the individual) when he responded to an ad appearing in the January 24, 2009, issue of the Albany Times Union. The ad was part of a larger offering placed by an Albany, New York, authorized Suzuki dealer, Advantage Suzuki, located at 760 Central Avenue in Albany, New York.

The Advertisement

AJ went directly to Advantage Suzuki the following day and spoke to a salesman there, Russell Frost, test drove the 1999 Suzuki 1999 Suzuki Esteem GLX wagon VIN# JS2GB41W4X5161845 (Advantage Suzuki Stock No. 21-417) and found it to be what he was looking for. AJ negotiated a price for the vehicle with Frost and confirmed the deal with Frost's manager, David Laurence, who agreed to sell AJ the vehicle for $3,200.00 (from the original $3,990.00). That was on Sunday, January 25, 2009.

AJ takes the day off on Monday to make banking arrangements for the purchase, to arrange for insurance coverage, and the usual formalities connected with buying a car. At about 3:00 salesman Frost leaves AJ a voicemail message saying that there was a "small problem."

AJ returns salesman Frost's call and is told that the vehicle will not pass the required New York State vehicle inspection, that the state inspector would not pass the vehicle because of deterioration of the vehicle subframe. Salesman Frost informs AJ that the if he wanted the car, the repairs would cost about $2,700.00, in addition to the negotiated and agreed price.
AJ makes some inquiries with other automotive specialists, smells a rat, and makes arrangements to return to Advantage Suzuki to inspect the so-called defects himself. He brings along a witness.

On arriving at Advantage Suzuki Frost meets AJ and leads him to the repair bay where the car is raised on a lift. Frost attempts to demonstrate the deterioration using the light of his cell phone (impressive, eh!?!). AJ's witness tells Frost to get a proper light. Frost is unable to respond to questions and when asked if he knew what a "subframe" is he says "No. I'm not sure." (This is a 'professional' selling cars to the public!) He points out a square part but is unable to identify it or its function (it was the oil pan). At this point patience is wearing thin and AJ instructs Frost to get a mechanic who at least knows what he's pointing to. '

Frost enlists one of Advantage Suzuki's own mechanics, M. (name not used here to protect the individual) who explains the problem and can point out the affected parts. M. states that in its present condition the inspector would not release the vehicle. The vehicle was, in M's own words, not "retail ready". When pressed to explain the term "retail ready" M. explains that what he meant by not "retail ready" was that it was not in suitable condition to be sold.

When confronted with this situation, salesman Frost admits that the vehicle was not inspected before it was advertised, that if a vehicle looks pretty good it is put out on the lot, and that the ad was placed in the automotive section of the Times Union "to make the Saturday paper" (absolutely undaunted and careless of any effect on the responding public!!!).

AJ asks salesman Frost what he intends to do to make good on the deal. Frost says that he can offer to do the repairs for a reduced rate if AJ agrees to the original advertised price of $3,900.00. AJ asks Frost to give him the total figures for all costs and fees and agrees to consider the offer. (Frost then informs AJ that the down payment made was "reversed", that is, credited back to AJ's credit card. AJ had not previously demanded return of the down payment.)

The next day, on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, AJ calls Advantage Suzuki to speak to a manager (on the Monday evening there was apparently no manager present) to discuss the arrangements to be made. Instead of the $3,990.00 AJ makes a compromise offer of $3,500.00 for the vehicle including the necessary repairs.

This time he speaks with manager Joe Barakat who refuses the offer of $3,500. Barakat says that he'll go ahead with the repairs and sell the car for more money and make something on it. AJ, already disappointed and feeling abused, refuses to pay the $3,900.00 and rejects the offer.
The important issues in this incident are that Advantage Suzuki either placed an ad in the public media (including the Internet) advertising a vehicle for a specific price which obviously was intended to draw the public attention and attract potential buyers. Advantage Suzuki did this either

• Knowing the vehicle was in their own words not "retail ready" -- in other words knowing that the vehicle was not suitable for sale for the intended purpose because of defects, or


• Were unaware (but should have known!) that the vehicle was not "retail ready" yet still offered the vehicle to the public for sale and implied its operability and suitability for its intended use; that is, implying the vehicle was suitable for operation and transportation.

By Advantage Suzuki's own admission, the vehicle "looked good" and was put out on the lot and the ad was placed in the newspaper "to make the Saturday paper." Advantage Suzuki negotiated and agreed to sell the vehicle for $3,200.00 to AJ -- even presuming that minor repairs would have to be made to protect the seller's and the buyer's interests and to offer a reasonable warranty -- accepted a down payment in good faith (establishing a contract) and then, on discovering that the vehicle was not "retail ready" attempted to extract from AJ more money for repairs, and when AJ refused to pay the additional money and insisted that the original deal be honored, Advantage Suzuki managers David Laurence and Joe Barakat refused, even saying that they intended to make the repairs and sell the vehicle for more money and "make something on it."

From these facts it is obvious that:

• Albany's Advantage Suzuki either did not care whether the vehicle was "retail ready" when it advertised it or that Advantage Suzuki did not take reasonable steps to ensure that the vehicle was "retail ready" before the ad was placed.


• Furthermore, it is very obvious that Advantage Suzuki management doesn't give a rat's ass for drawing a consumer into this irresponsible mess and then ignoring the inconvenience caused to the potential buyer.


• Finally, Advantage Suzuki apparently has no regard for its agreements and commitments regarding its deals made with consumers acting in good faith; in fact, Advantage Suzuki acted in bad faith by agreeing to a price and then, discovering that it was at a dis-Advantage due to their own negligence, tried to get the buyer to foot the bill and then they refused to honor the deal.
  

On our Scoundrel Scale, Albany's Advantage Suzuki scores a 9.5 or two pink rats.

That's a rare high Scoundrel Score.

And now, does anyone wonder why businesses are tanking at an unprecedented rate in the Capital Region area?

Advantage Suzuki has been invited to comment.

We notified Mr Dave Laurence, one of the involved managers at Advantage Suzuki, of this blog entry. Mr Dave Laurence has submitted a response but, before publishing his response, we have asked Mr Laurence to respond specifically to the facts reiterated in the comment below.

To see the facts for which we are requesting Mr Laurence's comments, click on "Comments" below.

We note that the same ad for the same vehicle appears on page C-11 of the Times Union newspaper as shown on the online Times Union. (HWV: 28Jan09)

We do not waive the opportunity to file a formal complaint with the Times Union Consumer Advocate, Suzuki of America, and the Albany District Attorney and the Office of the Attorney General.

Advantage Suzuki's website can be viewed at: http://www.kookyforsuzuki.com/index.htm

The actual Advantage Suzuki advertisement in the Albany Times Union can be viewed at: http://tuweb1a.timesunion.com/adsonline/images/pdf/332004401.pdf or http://tuweb1a.timesunion.com/adsonline/displaylarge.asp?Adid=332004401&adPage=11&adsection=C&Adname=Advantage+Suzuki&adURL=&adEmail=&viewdate=1/26/2009

Advantage Suzuki is rated: "Okay sales and service, rude finance manager‎ - triker1‎ - Jun 5, 2008" at http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf8&ie=UTF8&q=albany+advantage+suzuki&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&hl=en&latlng=2097647586842328569&ei=6oqASafsGobaNqWDsLwC&dtab=2&action=open

Publisher's Disclaimer: The facts published herein are representative of the author's personal knowledge or have been subjected to reasonably accurate fact checking and verification prior to publishing. The persons named herein have been offered the opportunity to respond by way of comment to this blog. We reserve the right to change the content of any posting at any time without notice.
All comments are moderated and may be edited for content or length.

What? Nothing to say?

Pompous piggies!

Mr Benham and Mr Horne have apparently gone underground ... since August not a peep! Coïncidentally, the lawsuit arising from Benham's and Horne's Internet abuse and defamation was filed in New York State Supreme Court in August against defendants Benham, Horne, and co-conspirators Ross and Luckacovic. Since then they've all been deathly silent.

C'mon blowhards! You had a lot to say before...why so quiet now? Did your so-called "attorneys" (yeah! right) tell you to shut your reeking mouths. Well, that won't make the lawsuit go away, lads and lasses. Ball's in your court (no pun intended). Putting your snouts in the air and closing your eyes won't make it go away.

Interestingly (using the word very loosely), Benham is hiding under some rock somewhere (as usual) and making believe he doesn't live where he said he lives in several recent communications. But given the number of documented frauds he's perpetrated to date that shouldn't surprise anyone, should it? But where now is the pundit of Internet pseudo-ethics, the defender of integrity and professionalism à la Benham (Saints preserve us from the Huns and Benham's pseudowisdom!)? The "professional" translator with all of four (yes, that's read "4") years of translating experience (if you can believe that bit of nonsense) who's set himself up to be the arbitor, defender, adjudicator of the international professional (he includes himself in that classification) linguist community. Nevertheless, Benham has been served with the lawsuit summons and complaint at his last known address. If he applies his language skills and "vast" interpretive competencies to diligently reading the charges against him, he may humbly seek a settlement. That's sufficient under the law.

Horne (is that really you?) published this ridiculous pose with someone he obviously picked up at some nursing home and dressed up the poor ol'dude. In fact, Horne actually found it necessary to point out which one he (Horne) is in the picture (what's with the silly outfit, though, and the gloves???) If that's a genuine "judge" perhaps he can help Horne out in his defense. Horne is allegedly "traveling" a lot lately (on the lam? We wonder if his passport shows all the aliases he tends to use?)--or so he says. Since getting wind of the bailiffs' visits, he's apparently not answering his phone and not answering his door. He had so much to say and contribute by way of scandalous poetry and commentary just a short time ago and had so much vital information to share with us all on practically any and every subject under the septic leech field, he's silent now. Wonder why? But he's been served with the papers and despite the former U.S.-American-now-new Canadian's (one might ask why the color change) ridiculous insistence on being "Canadian French" now, he's being sued in English--that's his native, birth language, by the way. Talk about inventing one's self!

As for their accomplices, Joan Ross and John Luckacovic have been served with the lawsuit papers for their parts in the cozy relationship with Benham and Horne. Things will go much differently now that we know exactly their strategies and we have their sworn deposition transcripts that contain some incriminating statements against their accomplices. No dried up haemorrhoidal judge is going to do a fast-and-easy on this one and their insurance companies may think twice about footing the bill for their defense this time.

We still have an "ace in the hole", so-to-speak, and we'll play it at the appropriate time. So stay tuned and thanks everyone for the leads! Keep in touch and keep us informed and we'll do the same.

Happy New Year 2009!

And Remember ...

P.s. One wonders: Will Terry W. be dressing up like a court reporter this time? Or will she be masquerading as a trollette (won't need much makeup, will she?)?

Pathological, YES! Intentional, Maybe not!?!

I've often marveled at the revelations by some people's recycling bins.
This may sound strange at first but just think about it for a moment. Most of us notice the many recycling bins that line the streets for pick-up on specific days of the week. One can't but notice the contents and creature curiosity or a particular item sometimes urges one to have a closer look.

For some time I have mused with the notion that some of these Internet trolls and sockpuppets and their co-defendants (again!) may suffer some psychopathological condition--indubitably they have sociopathic leanings--or that they might be pathological liars--as some indeed are--but then, I charitably mused, their recycling bins may give a clue to what is actually going on. For example, when deposing one of the defendants--Joan Ross, to be precise (after all, that information is public record)--I asked if she were on any drugs. Whether she lied or not or perjured herself (again!) or was simply ignorant, she answered "No!"--naturally accompanied by her typical indignant ranting diatribe of abusive invective and nonsense--but then the ol'recycling bin reveals to public view and speculation a clue to the possible underlying problems.

As we all know alcohol is by definition a drug. When one consumes an alcoholic beverage, the active substance (ethanol or in some desperate instances methanol) alters psychological, physiological, mental processes and, depending on the amount consumed and the frequency of consumption, those effects can be either transitory or the consumption may have chronic effects, including but certainly not limited to sociopathic and/or unpredictable behavior, misperception/misapprehension of and inappropriate responses to stimuli, loss or partial loss of intelectual and mnemonic faculties or outright blackouts. My sense of justice and fairness oblige me to take under consideration all possibilities, including the peripheral and circumstantial as well as common-knowledge facts and those facts of which I have personal knowledge. My conclusion is fair and reasonable: past experience and the physical evidence indicate that there may be an alcohol-related and/or drug problem associated with an indifference to truth and chronic lying accompanied by a disregard for the consequences, or it may be that the problem may actually involve the afflicted's total unawareness of the difference between reality and his/her perceptions and statements.Now alcholism manifests itself in (1) a pathological/sociopathic auto- and xeno-abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages either publically or clandestinely, (2) the abuser's external manifestation of the effects of the abusive consumption, (3) the effects of the abuser's consumption on those around him/her, (3) the reaction/response to the alcoholic's behaviors by the subject (the alcoholic) and the objects (those around him/her). But the abuse of alcohol is frequently only the behavioral aspect of much deeper psychological problems, such as anger, self-hate, unresolved guilt, inapropriately processed grief, etc. , or worse (outright socio- or psychopathology).

What would be your conclusion if you were to have observed a large bin of liquor and wine bottles deposited by a neighbor regularly for pick-up similar to the one shown here (the contents are fairly uniformly represented by the visible contents; I confirmed this)? Even more shocking is the individual's indifference to public opinion (or her unawareness of the impression made) and her open display of the 'evidence' (most socialized persons would at least use a covered bin). But it may be that the open bin represents the victim's pitiful cry for intervention or for someone to help her? Where's Robbie the Crypt-Keeper now when he's needed?