WATCH ABOVE: An Oakville woman who says she was misled by a Toronto used car dealership is getting her money back. As Sean O’Shea reports, the company agreed to refund the money after her story aired.
TORONTO — An Oakville woman who agreed to buy a used vehicle from a Toronto dealership is getting her money back, a day after a Global News story about her case aired.
Mignonne Baddeliyanage says Curve Motors didn’t disclose all of the information it should have when she agreed to buy a 2014 Porsche Cayenne for $68,000.
The dealership did tell her the vehicle had been in an accident and sustained about $30,000 in damages. It shared at least part of a CarProof vehicle history report that listed the vehicle as having “frame damage” and “structural damage.”
But she says Curve Motors did not tell her that the report showed the vehicle listed as a “total loss” which is insurance jargon for a vehicle that has been written off.
“They did withhold that information that was very important to me to make an educated purchase,” Baddeliyanage said.
It turns out the report was not entirely correct. The vehicle had not been written off, as the report stated, but had sustained extensive damage to both sides requiring repairs to door pillars, replacement of all four doors and other damage.
Still, the customer says she didn’t receive the full report until after she signed a purchase agreement and put down a $1,000 deposit. She says had she seen the report, she never would have bought the vehicle.
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Curve Motors refused to refund the deposit. The owner Amir Haji Hosseini told Global News the customer “lied” because she wanted to get out of the deal. However, he said she could get the refund if she agreed to apologize to the salesman.
“Apologize for what?” said Baddeliyanage, who said the dealership’s representatives were rude and condescending after she raised concerns.
The salesman, who identified himself as Shane, repeated to Global News on camera that the dealership would give a refund in exchange for an apology.
“She apologizes and she gets her money back, every penny,” said the salesman.
Within hours of the Global News story airing, Baddeliyanage says she got a call from the dealership’s manager promising to cancel the deal and return her money. On Wednesday, she went to Curve Motors and left with the full refund on her credit card.
“I’m so happy, I am so thankful I called you!” said a beaming Baddeliyanage who earlier bought a new vehicle. She says she felt soured by the used car experience.
Hosseini told Global News he fired Shane, whom he described as his “best salesman” days earlier.
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