Mercedes-Benz International

Filed by :John
Pickering ON L1X 1W3 Canada
Filed against :
Valley Motors Inc Mercedes, Audi, Subaru, Volkswagen, and Used Cars.
9800 York Rd
Cockeysville MD [protected]

Complaint Description: My name is John I am a 54 year old male residing in Pickering Ontario Canada. I am married to Beverley and we have two sons, Andrew who is 19 years old and Alexander who is 17 years old. I have just recently retired from the Toronto Police Service after serving over 30 years as a front line Uniform Police Officer. My wife Beverley is also a retired Police officer. She served 30 years as a front line Uniform Police Officer with the Durham Region Police Service. Durham Region covers the area just east of Toronto Ontario. For the last couple of weeks I have been researching the internet looking for a car to purchase from the U.S. The Canadian dollar has recently almost been at par with the American dollar. It was a good time to shop south of the Border. Vehicles for the most part are a lot cheaper to purchase in the United States compared to Canada. After searching for several days I discovered a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette model Z06 VIN#1G1YZ26E995113221 advertised for sale. Valley Motors Mercedes located at 9800 York Road Cockeysville Maryland had the car up for sale listed at $52, 950.00. I made an inquiry on their web page asking for information about the car. About an hour or so later I received a phone call from a female caller who identified herself as Jennifer Zaicko a sales representative for Valley Motors. We spoke on the phone for several minutes and I told her I was very interested in buying the Corvette they had up for sale. I asked her if the car had ever been involved in an accident. She told me she would make some inquires about the car and call me back the next day. The following day I received a phone call from Jennifer Zaicko. We further discussed the car in length and I asked if there were any dents or scratches on the vehicle. She told me the car was in great shape and that she would provide me with a video to check out the Corvette for myself. That same day, Wednesday October 20, 2010 at 4:15pm I received a video via e-mail which was about two minutes long. Ms Zaicko. In the video Jennifer refers to me on the recording and films the entire car while providing Commentary. The vehicle was in great shape and well worth the money they were asking for. On Thursday October 21 2010 at 2:11am I sent Jennifer Zaicko an Email message making an offer of $51, 000.00 cash for the Corvette. Jennifer called me back later that day and we further discussed the price. We finally reached an agreement that I would pay $52, 500.00 for the car and that the dealership would waive any administration fees .I asked Jennifer if she needed a deposit. She told me that the dealership required the full amount ($52, 500.00 in U.S. funds). They would not take a deposit. I asked her to provide me with the Dealership's banking information in order to wire the full amount as soon as I could. She sent me the following email. Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010, 5:46 PM Sorry for the delay. Here we go Acc#************BA routing# *********** swift Code For international wires BOF*****Bank of America, N.A. 100W. 33rd ST New York, NY 10001 $52, 500.00 Let me know you recieved this. I wired the Dealership the entire $52, 500 in U.S. funds the next day at noon (Friday Oct 22, 2010). On Saturday the 23rd of Oct 2010 at around noon, with Jennifer Zaicko not returning any of my phone messages or emails, I called the Valley Motors Dealership's used car department and spoke to an unidentified male individual. I asked to speak to Jennifer Zaicko. The male stated that she was busy with a customer. I asked him if he would pass a message along and to have her call the customer who purchased the black corvette from her on Thursday as soon as she could. The male taking the call asked me "What Corvette" I replied "the Z06" He said "oh that car, that car was sold" I stated "Sold. Sold to who?" He replied "The guy from New York. He took it a couple of days ago on Thursday. The Corvette's gone "The male then rudely hung up the phone. I then contacted and spoke to Abe Abrahimi, the Used Car Manager, who advised me that the 2009 Z06 Corvette was sold on Friday in the late afternoon and abruptly hung up on me. To this point every person I’d dealt with from Valley Motors Mercedes had lied to me one way or another. Jennifer Zaicko has scammed me of $52, 500.00. Was there ever a 2009 Corvette Z06 for Sale in the beginning? On Monday 25 October 2010 I sent emails to Mr. Charles Fenwick Jr., the owner of Valley Motors Mercedes and Peter Fenwick, the dealerships New Vehicle Sales general manager. In the letter I explained to them the entire event in chronological order. I also pleaded with them to return my $52, 500.00 at the Friday October 22, 2010 international exchange rate. Neither gentleman bothered returning my call. These are two high ranking members of the Mercedes Corporation. This was absolutely inexcusable. At the end of the business day I finally received email from Valley Motors Chief Financial Officer. Valley Motors Chief Financial Officer, Allan Shapiro wrote: "Dear Mr. John Your refund has been turned over to me to process, which I just tried to do. Unfortunately, the wire department of our bank (Bank of America) appears to be closed as of now and will not let me wire your refund to you until tomorrow. I was supposed to be off tomorrow. I can't promise when, but I will come in and get this wire done and get you your refund." I replied: "Mr. Shapiro, I’m not sure if you were aware of my correspondence with Mr. Charles Fenwick Jr. and Peter Shapiro yesterday via E-mail. I asked Mr. Fenwick to have my money returned to me using Friday's closing currency exchange rate. Mr. Shapiro on Friday October 22, 2010 it cost me $54, 495.00 Cdn to transfer $52, 500.00 U.S. into your company's business account. The rate on Friday, when I did the transfer was $1.38000 Cdn for $1 U.S. The difference between Friday and Tuesday’s currency exchange rate, the day you made the money transfer with the U.S. dropping on the Market, now cost me $1, 375.00 Cdn." Mr. Shapiro sent me the following reply. "Dear Mr. John I am sorry for not responding sooner, but I left yesterday after wiring you your refund, and I was in meetings until now. We received $52, 490.00 in U.S. funds from you. This was net of a $10 fee noted on the incoming transaction. I wired $52, 500.00 in U.S. funds to you yesterday, absorbing the $10.00 fee. I do not know what the exchange rate is or was and cannot be held accountable for it. Allan Shapiro" I responded with the following message. "So Mr. Shapiro what your saying is your company obtained my money on Friday October 22, 2010 in good faith from me. I purchased a 2009 Chev Corvette Z06 worth $52, 500.00 in U.S. value which was equivalent to $54, 495.00 in the Canadian value on Friday. Your Company, in my belief, never had a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to sell to me. Your company held onto my money for 5 days. I wanted my money returned to me equivalent to Friday's currency exchange. That leaves you owing me $1, 375.00 in Canadian Funds as of yesterday. Mr. Shapiro due to the way this entire business event was conducted by Valley Motors Mercedes do you feel I am being treated fairly? Valley Motors Mercedes has a general duty of integrity, honor and fair dealing toward the general public. You and your company also are duty bound to expose or halt, where found, any scheme designed to deceive or defraud the automobile buying public. Mr. Shapiro, will you and Valley Motors Mercedes return $1, 375.00 in Canadian funds still owed to me? A one word answer will suffice, Yes or No?" Mr. Shapiro replied: "No".
In closing, Jennifer Zaicko and the Valley Motors Mercedes Dealership located in Cockeysville Maryland advertised a black 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with the VIN# 1G1YZ26E995113221 for sale for the amount of $52, 950.00 in U.S. funds. When I answered the ad and purchased the car for $52, 500.00 U.S, funds from Jennifer. She instructed me to wire Valley Motors Mercedes the full agreed to price of $52, 500 in U.S. funds into the Dealership’s business account which she provided me. They wouldn't accept a deposit only the full price for the corvette. Trusting what I thought to be an established Mercedes Dealership, I sent them the money. After numerous failed attempts to contact Jennifer (she never spoke to or emailed me again) On Saturday the 23rd of Oct 2010 at around noon I called the Valley Motors Dealership's and spoke to two male employees. The first male, answering the phone in the Used Vehicle Sales Department, told me the 2009 Corvette Z06 was sold Thursday evening and that the buyer took the car with him that night. The second male Abe Abrahimi, Used Vehicle Manager, tole me the 2009 Corvette Z06 was sold Friday late afternoon. Who’s telling me the truth? To this point every person I’d dealt with from Valley Motors Mercedes had lied to me one way or another. When I attempted to retrieve my $54, 495.00 Cdn funds equivalent to $52, 500.00 in U.S. funds, Valley Motors held onto my money for 5 days. When their Chief Financial Officer finally made the money transfer I only received $53, 119.88 in Canadian Funds leaving me short $1, 375.00 Cdn. Valley Motors still owed me $1, 375.00 Cdn in the spirit of fairness. . Valley Motors Mercedes had defrauded me of $1.375.00 in Canadian funds. I have bought American vehicles in the past. The first car was purchased from Marshall Golden Motors in Cleveland Ohio and the second car from a Ford dealership in Rochester New York. In both cases I was treated with respect and the transactions were completed in a professional manner. In conclusion I truly hope that anyone thinking of purchasing a Mercedes, Audi, Subaru, or a Volkswagen from the people at Valley Motors in Cockeysville Maryland, DON’T. To all my Brother and Sister fellow Police officers down in Maryland, think twice before buying your next car from these bandits. Do like I do and buy American made vehicles. I own a Chevy Avalanche truck, two Dodges, and a Ford Mustang. God bless Canada and God bless America.