I made an arrangment with a dealership to put down a total of $3500 on a 2002 Lexus RX330. First installment was on August 28, for $1500, Second on Sept 3 for another $1500 and owed $500 which I had agreed to bring by Sept 17 in cash. I was told to write out a post dated check in the amout of $500 to secure the sale until I would bring in the $500 in cash. In the begining of the transaction, I asked the sales, rep Hossein if I could bring the car for inspection even though we didn’t have the complete money at the time. He insisted that we leave the car and once we bring in the rest of the money, then we could take it out to our mechanic. Fine. We did just that. When I went to give the dealership the last of my downpayment, I asked to take the car and bring to my personal mechanic for inspection before handing them over the last of the balance. I went to the dealership and told Mr. Hossein that before I give him the $500 I wanted to take the car to the mechanic. He said ok. We went to the mechanic to find a number of things wrong. The air conditioner motor was broken, only the lower vents were blowing as the upper vents weren’t working, the back brake light had no bulb, the transmission light “D” for Drive, did not light up, there was a broken cup holder in the middle compartment, the back left tire was almost completely balled. Barely any tread life left, just enough to barely pass the inspection, and the car shook once you drove it over 40mph which my mechanic said that the rotars needed to be replaced because it was causing the the car to shake. He also saw that the oil gasket had a small leak because there was spilled oil around it. I had my mechanic write all of the issues down on a piece of paper. I then brought the car back to the dealership and told them what my mechanic discovered. First, they said that it should have been written on a company letterhead, HOWEVER, THEY NEVER MENTIONED IT BEFORE WE LEFT TO TAKE THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC! They insisted that the car had just been inspected and that nothing was wrong. Then Hossein went to the car to check himself and noticed that there indeed WAS a very loud noise coming from the airconditioner, he did see that the “D” wasn’t lit up and the back brake light wasn’t working (obviously because there wasn’t a bulb). There was a manager there, not sure what his name was but he had a pony tail and he was pretty tall. He said well, the car is old and regardless, it is going to have some issues. He asked for a quick estimate from my mechanic to get a sense of how much the parts and labor were to get the vehicle fixed. As we were waiting for my mechanic to call with an estimate, he asked Hossein if they should give us a discount for the car depending on how much the estimate was and Hossein said no and insisted that there was something probably stuck in the airconditioning vent and that it was nothing major. Then my mechanic called and went online and quickly researched the parts over the phone and gave us some prices for each of the issues that were wrong. The manager then said as far as the cup holder, he wasn’t going to replace it because it was cosmetic and that his wife has a broken cup holder in her car and he won’t invest in replacing it for her so he definitely wasn’t going to replace it for us. Then it came down to the three major issues: air conditioner, brakes and tire. The labor and parts totalled $1250. (Again, it was a quick estimate done over the phone).
The manager immediately said no, that it was too much money to invest in an old car and was adamant about not fixing it. So we asked him if he had any other SUVs in our price range and they had nothing. The manager then said to forget it and that they would just write us a check and he would auction off the car. We said that we didn’t want any other car and that we had to get an SUV and we just wanted our deposit back. The manager looked into the system to see if the tags were ordered and they weren’t so he said we were good and that it shouldn’t be a problem. The manager then spoke to Marc filipovic and told him that we weren’t taking the car and to process our paperwork and refund the money.
They said that it would be easy because THE TAGES HAD NOT BEEN ORDERED YET. Well, while Hossein and the manager were talking amongst themselves a few feet away from Marc Filipovic’s office, Marc opened our folder and then we asked for our $500 check that we had left at the begining of the week. He handed the check back to us since they never deposited it. As Marc gave it back to us he said “not to tell those guys because they would give us the run around.” My husband and I told Marc that we definitely wanted our money back and that we needed a car but we weren’t going to get something that was costing me almost $18000 (total cost at the end) and I would have to invest in it right out of the dealership plus I was thinking for the safety of my children. Before we left the dealership, I told Marc that we would try to look online over the weekend to see what else they had in their other locations and that IF I fOUND SOMETHING I WOULD CALL but in the interim, we wanted our money back.
Well, I called Marc on on Monday, Sept 20 in the morning to see if they had already processed our check and he said well, no because I thought you were going to look online to see if you found anything” I said no, I told you to go ahead and process the check and IF I had seen something I liked then I would call, BUT I DIDN’T and I DIDN”T CALL. So i said, well how long does it take for them to process my check and for me to receive it. He replied” did you want me to mail it?” I said, no I can come and pick it up once you get the check. He said ok, we should have the check by Thursday, Sept 23 the lastest. Fine, I said are you sure it’s Thursday and will I get the whole $3000?
He said YES and reassured me that it would be ready for pick up on Thursday. Well, the following day, Tuesday, Sept 21, when I went home at around 9pm, I saw a missed call on my personal and work cell and an email from Marc asking to call them asap. unfortunately, I had left both my cell phones at home as I rushed out the door that morning to go to work. So, I immediately replied to Marc’s email telling him to call me no matter what time it was. So he did. He called me saying that if I was still interested that they were GOING TO send the car out to get fixed and IF I still wanted it, it would be ready.
I said no, I didn’t want it because of how the manager and Mr. Hossein handled the issue and that i didn’t want to do anything with Darcars and I was going to take my business elsewhere. He said ok, well I’m sorry about what happened and I said I was worried because I thought something was wrong with my check when I saw that the finance manager had emailed me. He said no, no, I just didn’t want to process the check until I had heard from you to see if you still wanted the car and that if I did, he wouldn’t have needed to continued to process it. I said, no, I am standing firm and I was disappointed at the customer service when it came down to the end. I said, well since you didn’t process my check yet, would i have to wait longer to receive the check? He said, no, that he would process it first thing in the morning of Sept 22 and that I should still receive it on Thursday, Sept 23. I said, Great, well have a good night.
Then I called back Mr. Hossein after my conversation with Marc and asked him if everything was ok and he said well, I tried calling you earlier but you did not answer. I had apologized to him because I had left my cell phones at home and didn’t see his call until around 9-9:30pm. He told me, Well, WE ARE GOING TO SEND THE CAR TO GO GET FIXED and that IF I STILL WANTED IT, THAT IS WOULD BE READY for me by the next day to take. I said, no, I did NOT want the car and was still not interested anymore and told him that I had left the Darcars dealership with a sour taste in my mouth.
Then I said thank you and that I didn’t want any car nor do any business with their dealership. I explained to him that I was very disappointed at the level of customer service that went down on Friday and how him and the manager handled the situation and literally told me that they were going to auction the car off because they simply did not want to invest anything into an old car!!!!! I said, that I asked around other dealers in the area and had a personal friend of a friend that ownes his own dealership, i had explained the situation and they all agreed that it was wrong of this particular dealership to handle our situation the way they did. I said, I felt they were dishonest and shady and I didn’t want the car or anything again from their dealership.
Hossein said, ok, well I’m sorry that you feel that way and have a good night. So, today, Friday, Sept 24, I took off of work to stop by the dealership to pick up the check and run my errands. Well, when I got to the dealership
I told the receptionist that I was there to pick up a check from Marc and that he had one waiting for me. She went to Marc’s office and came back saying that Marc said that there wasn’t going to be a check for me because it was declined by their manager. I immediately asked for their manager and he said that he didn’t know anything about Marc and the check. Well, I told him that Marc said that our check would be ready by Thursday and now we just learned that there is no money! I said that I had missed calls and emails from you guys trying to let me know how all of a sudden you were going to fix the car but when it came to giving my money back, everyone was silent.
I had to learn about this the day AFTER my check was supposed to be ready. I told the manager, that when I had left on Friday,Sept 17 I specifically said that I did not want the car and had fully explained that to Marc and Hossein on Friday, Sept 17, Monday, Sept 20 and Tuesday, Sept 21 and also explained to them everything I had typed up in this report and NOW the manager tells me today that the DEPOSIT WAS NON REFUNDABLE?!?!?! I said, NO ONE, NOT HOSSEIN NOR THE FINANCE REP who processed my paperwork or your website ever mentioned that to me.
They said that the general manager declined the check request because they sent the car to get fixed to make the “customer happy”. I SAID NO, it was the lack of customer service and the manager and Hossein’s reactions that caused us to walk away from the deal! I said you guys probably told the GM that if they had fixed the car then we would take it. THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE! IT was the you (manager) who decided to say that was going to auction off the car and write us out a check and that it would take a little long but we would eventually get it back!! NOW I’m being told it’s all of a sudden NON REFUNDABLE??? I also told them, If it were non refundable, how come when you heard what the cost was going to be to fix the car, you said in plain bold terms, we’ll just give them their money back and auction off the car! AND your finance manager Marc without hesitation gave us back our last deposit check of $500?? How come no one said it was non refundable then?
I said, you guys are forcing me to buy a car that I don’t want or trying to force us into buying a car from Darcars, which was I very clear about not wanting to do business EVER with them because you sent out the car to get fixed, without my consent nor my knowledge! The manager said, WE ASSUMED that if we fixed the car, you would take it. I said NO! I was very clear to Hossein and Marc on Friday, Monday and Tuesday night that I DID NOT WANT THE CAR!!!! You guys took it upon yourselves to fix it and now you want me to pay for it because you guys paid for the fixtures?
NOT FAIR AT ALL. I shouldn’t be held responsible for anyone’s assumptions and actions. I had asked to speak with a GM and then insisted that she was off today, Friday, Sept 24 and that she would return, Monday, Sept 27 after 12pm. I said that I wanted to meet with her and with everyone involved in this transaction because I believe that you guys told her something completely different than what I had told you guys over and over. They told me that most likely, I would probably have to take them to court and that it could take forever. The manager said that there was a customer that put down a $2000 deposit on a car and then decided not to buy it and he’s been going back and forth for 2 yrs in and out of court and he still hasn’t gotten his money back and that they still have the money but that customer would have to buy a car from them and that it could cost me more in legal fees etc…
THIS IS EXTREMELY DISHONEST!!!!!!!!!!! Then I repeated myself saying that I specifically told Marc and Hossein that I did not want the car on more than several occasions and told them why, which was because of the shadiness and lack of customer service. The manager claimed that he never knew about my conversations with Hossein and Marc. I think Hossein automatically said to the GM and the manager that I said if they fixed the car, then I would take it. ISN’T THAT PERJURY?? They are saying something that I NEVER EVER EVER SAID because the manager kept insisting that that was the only reason why I walked away from the deal was because of the things that were wrong with the car. I told him it was because of them and how they were quick to tell me they’ll give me back my check and auction off the car!!!!
Now I have to wait the whole weekend for Monday, Sept 27 to see the GM and plea for my money. I’m afraid that it’s just buying the manager, Hossein and Marc time to expedite the tags order and make it seem as if they had ordered it all along!!! The title was never transferred in my name and again, THEY LITERALLY SAID TO MY HUSBAND AND ME THAT THE TAGS WERE NEVER ORDERED and that it was going to be a little easier to refund my money especially since I paid cash for both deposits!!! THESE PEOPLE MUST BE EXPOSED!!!
DARCARS is refusing to refund my down payment as they are now trying to say that downpayments are non refundable. we were NEVER told that was the case and it doesn’t say anywhere on their website that all downpayments are non refundable. In the very begining, the Sales rep, Hossein was telling my husband and myself, while we were waiting for the decision of the finance bank to help me finance the car, that once you put the money down that it takes a long time to get a refund but you do get your money back.
I never drove off with the car, title or anything in my name nor were there tags issued to the car. I simply backed away from the deal and dealership because if the dishonesty. I am left without my deposit of $3000 and I was told by the manager of DARCARS that in order for me to get my money back I would probably have to sue them and that it could take a very long time because Darcars is a large corporation and most people do not win. Because I now have to wait for my downpayment, I am unable to purchase a new car and I only have until Oct 3 to purchase one or my insurance will relapse. I sold my last vehicle and informed the insurance company that I had sold my car. They just took off the vehicles from my policy and gave me 30 days from the time of sale to find a car and add it to my insurance. DARCARS should be exposed for their dishonest and shrude ways of conducting business and bullying their way into people’s pockets

What does FIT mean to me? Why do I want to attend FIT? FIT represents opportunity. FIT is the one step that I feel is necessary for me to achieve my dreams. Without the education and the networking opportunities that this school offers, I feel I will always be a step behind. The experience, the people, everything learned there would be incorporated in the real world. The environment alone is motivating. To be surrounded by people with the same drive and ambition, there’s just no comparison. This is why I’d like to attend FIT and complete a degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications.

To be honest, I haven’t always had straight A’s or been an honor roll student, but I’m ready to achieve it and aim for nothing less. I’m determined to succeed and take advantage of all the classes involved with your Advertising and Marketing curriculum. After taking several years off from school, I now see the importance of getting a solid education. FIT’s approach at teaching is unique from any other college, which is the reason why I know I would benefit from your school. The hands-on approach and close connection with the industry is something that I’m excited about. Honestly, with this school, the possibilities are endless.

Fashion plays a huge role in my life. To me, it’s a lifestyle. Ever since I was young, it’s been a part of who I am. I want to use my creativity to my advantage. In the future, I see myself using my degree and hopefully landing a career with companies such as Nike, Ralph Lauren, Puma, etc. My goal is to be a Marketing Manager or work in advertising at a company that involves fashion, art, or even music. The field is something that I already have an ample amount of experience with. I’ve worked retail and have been a manager at places such as UNIQLO, H&M, and Williams-Sonoma. I’ve even worked/interned for a small independent magazine, helping with marketing and sales. I feel like I’m ready to take the next step. With a degree in my hand, I’ll feel confident and prepared to aim for that dream job.

The one event that really motivated me to apply to your school was actually a simple conversation with somebody I looked up to. A cousin of mine, who is now an Art Director for a PR firm, asked me how I was doing and what aspirations I had for the future. He knew I attended college at Kean University for a few years, and asked why I didn’t finish getting my degree. I basically told him that I felt like they weren’t offering me what I needed. The over crowded classes and style of teaching just weren’t right for me. His simple response to me was, “Why don’t you try a school like FIT? Maybe it’s not college itself, but the college you went to.” That one question has basically led me to where I am today.

After the conversation, I immediately contacted several of my former High School classmates. I knew a couple had attended FIT, so I decided to try and ask them a few questions about their experience with your college. Both ended up graduating and now have great careers. One is an Assistant Buyer at Barney’s and the other is a Project Manager for American Eagle. After speaking to them, I knew this was something I had to do. Working in the fashion field has always been a dream of mine and I can’t picture having a career in anything else.

Hopefully, I’ve proved how determined and ready I am to attend your school. I could go on and on, but in the end, I would just like you to know that attending college at FIT would change my life. The chance to meet teachers and peers that are in the industry is priceless. If I am accepted into your school, it would be an honor. I would take each class seriously, and strive to get the best grades possible. I would be proud to one day say that I graduated with honors at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Hopefully, you give me the opportunity to make it happen.

Do you guys think I should basically redo the entire essay? Anything positive that you see? Also, how do you think I should start off the essay? When you say lesser words, do you think my essay is too long? The essay has a maximum of 750 words.