United Motors Intl. Downey, CA

[frsh4]

April 5, 2011

I omitted all names and prices. The following is from my perspective. I am not trying to incite anyone to do anything rash. I am merely documenting a bad business venture.
“If he doesn’t get the full amount that he’s asking he’s going to sue you.” This is what I told the owner of United Motors International on behalf of my father when the owner told me he was going to be refunding my money and that he’d be repossessing the car.
The car is a 1994 Nissan 240sx. My dad purchased this car on March 26, 2011 from United Motors International which is located on 12141 Lakewood Blvd. The aforementioned car was a gift for me. I was there during any and all transactions and negotiations.
On April 2, 2011 I went to United Motors Intl to pick up the car which they told me I could take home. The car had not yet been serviced as they were not expecting me to pick up the car so soon. The employees at United Motors Intl thought they had around three weeks to service my car and have everything ready. When I got there they told me that the car hadn’t been serviced yet to which I specifically told the owner, to his face, “I don’t need the car today, I can wait until it’s ready.” The owner, who seemed distracted, shook off my comment and replied, “No, take it. I need the space.” He knew full well that the car hadn’t been looked at, that there still might be problems with it but he sent me home regardless. He cared more about freeing up space in his lot than making sure that a customer’s car was examined and safe to drive. He failed to comply with his own policy which, to my understanding, is that United Motors Intl. always services a car after a sale and ensures that the car is in proper working condition before they let a customer take it home.
I was unsure about taking the car home when I knew that they hadn’t properly looked at the engine which was trembling, showing signs that it wasn’t in proper condition. The only thing I saw them do that day was replace the switches that controlled the windows. I reluctantly took it home because I was under the impression that I would be back the upcoming Monday, April 4, 2011, because the car needed to be smogged. This is what an employee told me over the phone. So I figured if I have to bring it back on Monday for the smog then they’ll service it that day too. When I told the owner that I’d be back on Monday for the smog and the servicing he said no, that it wasn’t necessary. I thought this was all weird because they hadn’t looked at my car, but the owner was adamant in that he wanted the car off his lot because he needed space.
On the morning of April 4, 2011 I started the car to go to school. Within the first few seconds of the car being on it sounded like it wanted to turn off. I didn’t do anything; I just waited to see what would happen. The car remained on so I rolled down the windows and waited for the car to warm up. For no apparent reason I tried to roll up both windows. Only the passenger side window rolled up. The driver’s side window remained motionless and out of sight. It would not roll up. I tried and tried but the window remained down. After about 20 minutes I gave up knowing I couldn’t take the car to school like that so I put it in my neighbor’s driveway. When I put the car into gear the car stalled then shut off. I restarted it and attempted to get it in the driveway. As I was pulling in the car almost turned off again however it just made feeble noises and stayed on long enough for me to park in the driveway. Instead of going to school, I had to miss a day and take the car to United Motors Intl. for them to properly service my car. I saw the owner there and I voiced the problems I had with the car that morning. He told me to come back in five hours and the car would be ready. I was annoyed and frustrated by this because they should have service my car BEFORE sending me home with it. That way they wouldn’t be responsible in the case something else happened with the engine. Since they didn’t service it they were still responsible for any and all problems the car had. I picked up the car at approximately 6 p.m. that same day. After bringing it home I thought the worst was behind me. Almost a full day with the owner’s mechanic, I figured he fixed any little problem the car had.
This morning, April 5, 2011, I took the car to El Camino. I arrived in the student parking lot with no complications, or so I thought. I turned the car off and began to wait for class to start. No longer than five minutes passed when I began to see white smoke come out from underneath the passenger’s side of the car. I got out thinking the car was on fire but then I noticed that a liquid came out from the car. The coolant was all over the asphalt. I had no time to deal with this because I had class. I called my dad and told him what happened and he sent a tow truck to take me back to United Motors. The cost of the tow truck was $60. My dad paid for it but he was hoping to be reimbursed by the owner as it was his fault for not servicing the car like he was supposed to. I arrived at the dealership and I told the owner what had happened this time. He told me he would have it fixed and that he would keep it for a whole day, to drive it around and see if there were any more problems. I had no problem with this as I just wanted a running car, I didn’t care how long it took. Before I was about to leave I told the owner that my dad wanted $60 for the tow truck. The owner told me that he was not going to pay for the tow truck. That’s when everything went bad. I had my dad on the phone; he wanted to talk to the owner but just then a customer came looking to buy a car. The owner hurried off to help them, leaving me alone. My dad hung up and tried calling the owner’s cell phone, but I was told his battery was dying. He called me back and told me to hand the owner my phone. I tried explaining that the owner was busy at the moment so my dad told me to find Karla, but she had told me to talk with the owner. Basically no one wanted to talk to either me or my dad. At that point I could see that the owner was trying to avoid me. I patiently waited for him to finish up with the customer. When he walked away I confronted him again and told him what my dad told me. That he could talk to him on the phone or my dad could leave work and talk to him in person, but in an exasperated tone he told me he was going to take the car back and that I could have my money back. I couldn’t believe it at first. Didn’t we sign a contract? Wasn’t there an agreement? I would’ve argued with him but at that point I could see he was no longer trying to be reasonable. All signs of an understanding, patient, ethical businessman were gone. All he wanted was me off his lot. I told my dad that the owner was taking the car back and that they were refunding me the money. That’s when he told me to tell the owner, I was acting as the middleman due to the fact that the owner was refusing to speak with my dad. I was told to take the money for the car and the money for the tow truck but the owner was still refusing to pay for that. That’s when I told the owner that my dad would sue him if he didn’t give me the full amount my dad requested. The owner found this amusing and with a smile he replied, “That’s no problem.” I couldn’t believe how non chalant the owner was acting. I was given the down payment we paid and I left.
When this deal began the owner was a nice man. He was reasonable and understanding. He even worked with my dad on the price of the down payment. However that soon changed. He failed to service my car, which lead to complications that my father and I had to deal with. I had to drive and/or walk back in forth to that dealership. Is it right that he made us pay for the tow truck, especially now since he repossessed the car. Towards the end of this horrible business deal this man proved that he was negligent, incompetent, and apathetic towards customer service. In the end what did he lose? Nothing, yet. His reason for taking back the car was the fact that he didn’t “need the headache.” He saw how persistent my dad was and he simply chose to terminate our agreement. I believe what the owner did is illegal. He had no grounds to terminate our contract. For me it’s not about the money, it’s about simple business ethics and the fact that this man has none. All I wanted was this car and now it’s probably going to be sold. So I am now seeking reparations for the time and effort we wasted with this man.
Would you want to be sold a car that doesn’t run properly? Would you want to be turned away? Would you like to waste your time? Would you like to deal with someone who just wants to make a quick buck?
This man doesn’t care about the customer; he cares about money and clearing up space in his lot. He will sell you a car that’s not in “very good working condition”, as most of his cars are advertised, he will turn his back on you. This man lulls you into a place where you feel safe then he shows you a completely different side.
I recommend no one do business with him. I understand he has many 240s but in the end it’s just not worth the “headache.” He provides no guarantees on any of his cars, so you’re just overpaying for a rolling shell. He advertises his cars as "runs and drives smoothly" but all the cars i saw were not as advertised. He offers no warranty either, so as soon as you drive off the lot you're screwed.
This man sells cars for a living and I imagine he’s been doing so for a very long time. I’m sure he’ll continue to keep doing so for a long time as well. But ask yourself, what kind of business man does business like this? No one wants to get cheated out of their hard earned dollars and cents. No one wants to waste their time.
Now instead of having a car, instead of having peace of mind I am back to square one and quite possibly I am behind that. I now have to deal with the fact that this man stole three weeks of my time, I missed classes because of this bad business deal and we even lost money, money that won’t be reimbursed.
In closing I would just like to inform anyone that its better to avoid doing business with this man. save your time and money and avoid this scam.

[godrifttoday]

Cliff notes?

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by godrifttoday

Cliff notes?

lol. guy pays for a car, car promised to be serviced, it isnt car breaks down. deal goes south. bad business. all the mumbo jumbo is just warning others to stay away,or be careful?

[R@ddy]

fuck united motors!
STAY AWAY FROM THEM!

[adrians_s13]

correct me if I'm wrong... but i heard from the grapevine that these were the same owners as Expo motors in Long Beach?

but yeah... I kind of had a feeling about that place being super fishy. A car lot full of ae86's, s13 and s14s? hmmmmmmm sounded fishy to me

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by adrians_s13

correct me if I'm wrong... but i heard from the grapevine that these were the same owners as Expo motors in Long Beach?

but yeah... I kind of had a feeling about that place being super fishy. A car lot full of ae86's, s13 and s14s? hmmmmmmm sounded fishy to me

i can't comfirm that first part.

apparently he gets alot of his cars from auctions and so on, from kids with 240s. i saw a guy try to sell him his 89 pos hatch.
he fixes the exterior, somewhat on some cars. he makes them look presentable.

as i was driving off the lot the car turned off on me! lol.

his cars are really not as advertised.

[DRIFTING_SIL_EIGHTY]

Quite a few people had bad experiences with them. Search their name on here and you will see they have a past. Surprised they are still in business. At least you got your deposit back.

[LB240driftr]

Dunno if expo and united are the same owners but they are definately affiliated. Expo motors has cleared it's lot with all 240's and pretty much all imports for that matter. A buddy of mine got one from them for super cheap and it ran decent but of course had tons of fees and they were trying to "clear the lot".
When I was looking for my first 240 I checked out united and nearly bought a pos hatch for $900 but soon found that all their cars had their quirks so I'm glad I went a different route...sry 2 hear this story hopefully there is some dealers selling nice 240s out there who have proper ethics

[CeezS13]

Their adds look hella sketchy.

Did anyone ever notice how they have pretty much the SAME description on all their adds about different cars? LOL

Sorry to hear that man, but luckily you got your deposit back without any more problems.

[SinGarage]

LSD FOR NISSAN 240SX CHEAP 300

Are these the same guys?

[JayDM s13]

ya, i heard the same thing that this place was linked with Expo motors in LBC, i use to live with my wife and inlaws and would drive by that place all day. lot full of s13's & s14!!!

now, the name changed and theres maybe like 2-3 cars. no more s13's or s14's...that place shut down...maybe they got cought up! buahahaha!!! ya me and the brother in law stopped by United Motors...they do have sweet looking rides, but im SO glad reading this post. i will not buy there cars!!! i guess that place is good for window shopping. ya eFF United MotorS!!! good for posting this up

[JayDM s13]

singarage i think its United Motors...the ad looks the same, just as like all the other ads about their cars! muahaha!

[JayDM s13]

frsh4, what 240 was it? what color? just curious

[Chundo_s13]

is this the place by Downey landing with all the red 240s in front ?

[CelicaDRIFTER]

Originally Posted by Chundo_s13

is this the place by Downey landing with all the red 240s in front ?

YESS. the only place you'll drive by and be like WTF theres a bunch of AE86's and S14's!

i remember they were asking for $10k for one of their red/black 2tone AE86's. bone stock, just a paintjob and a 4agze swap. wtf.

they were closed down for quite sometime last year. felt sorry for their guard dog since no one was around.

[CrimsonRockett]

Yep. Definitely not surprised.

I drive by there all the time. You can tell they pick up these cars at auctions and mark them as high as they possibly can, hoping someone will be stupid enough to buy from them.

They were referred to as a "chop shop" in a previous thread.

[SPECIALTURD]

yeah i went there once looking for a part and some philipino guy was asking me if i wanted to sell em my car for cheap i was like wtf hell nahh ALL THE CARS LOOK LIKE PROJECTS!!!

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by JayDM s13

frsh4, what 240 was it? what color? just curious

it was a burgundy s14
i'm almost positive it looks stock now
but when i purchased it it was dropped and had some unknown brand rims
no wing no oem lip

there are a few burgundy s14s there but the one i got was the only one with coilovers.

aand im glad my post has kept some people from the possiblity of being scammed.

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by CeezS13

Their adds look hella sketchy.

Did anyone ever notice how they have pretty much the SAME description on all their adds about different cars? LOL

Sorry to hear that man, but luckily you got your deposit back without any more problems.

help me by flagging them on cl!
lol.
it is false advertisement
their cars are said to be in perfect running condition, etc
but in reality some of them dont even start!

i just hope this thread helps others realize not to go there.
might not be as lucky as i was.

[ZenkiDD95]

Thanks for posting this up! I ALMOST bought a car from these guys. I made sure to Carfax every single one of the cars I was interested in and everyone of them had serious issues and were titled as Salvaged or Junk. Save your money people and buy elsewhere. Really tempting with all those S14s there but be patient and find something clean.

Glad to hear you got out when you could frsh4.

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by ZenkiDD95

Thanks for posting this up! I ALMOST bought a car from these guys. I made sure to Carfax every single one of the cars I was interested in and everyone of them had serious issues and were titled as Salvaged or Junk. Save your money people and buy elsewhere. Really tempting with all those S14s there but be patient and find something clean.

Glad to hear you got out when you could frsh4.

that was a smart move! lol. i shouldve done the same.
yeah totally agree its not worth it

[hessianben]

You actually got off in really good shape. You're lucky he decided to take back the car instead of half ass fixing it. So you're out $60. Small price to pay for the valuable lesson you learned. /;

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by hessianben

You actually got off in really good shape. You're lucky he decided to take back the car instead of half ass fixing it. So you're out $60. Small price to pay for the valuable lesson you learned. /;

yeah in retrospect i agree.
i couldve been stuck with monthly payments and a car stuck full time
at my mechanic's shop.
i just hope that more people read this.

stay away from this place!

[Buc-town]

In addition to flagging then in CL, leave a comment of your original post in Yelp! and may be you could write to Better Business Bureau if they're registered.

[qwerth]

yeah I went there around early april the whole place looked super iffy

[roboticnissan]

Is this the place with 10 86s out front and he wants 8k for a stock gts and 4k for sr5?

[VROOOM]

that place is soooo shady. the company i work for takes cars to F and J auto repair right next to that place. i would never do business with them.

[frsh4]

Originally Posted by roboticnissan

Is this the place with 10 86s out front and he wants 8k for a stock gts and 4k for sr5?

yes indeed.

[NotoriouS14]

ive been there..outrageously priced whips and shitty service....
he has all those cars just sitting their, rotting away..no buyers..he should lower his prices seriously.

[im_blessed]

This reminds me of a place I went to called Proto Motor Sports