Automaxx of The Carolinas
reviews and complaints

I bought 3 cars from Automaxx and I gotta say, it's the best place to get a used car! They give you a free warranty and they really certify the cars. No sneaky fees or anything. It's a family-owned business and they really care about their customers! I'd totally recommend them, 10/10!

This place, Automaxx of The Carolinas, is hands down the worst auto dealership I've ever been to. No competition. They claim that the $590 closing/documentation fee is already included in the price of the vehicle, but surprise surprise, it's actually an extra charge when you do the paperwork. And get this, they also require you to pay an additional $695 for LoJack, even if you don't want it installed. What a ripoff! I will never set foot in that place again. They should be ashamed of themselves for being so dishonest. This kind of dealership is exactly why people have a bad impression of used car sales.

If I could give negative stars, I would. You can't trust them. They said they'd buy my truck after I gave them all the right info, description, pics, and VIN. They confirmed the amount and I drove 2 1/2 hours to close the deal. But when I got there, they admitted I gave them everything, but they made a mistake and could only offer $3K less. When I complained, the "buyer" got rude and refused to talk. Seems like they wanted to pull a "bait and switch" and didn't like that we wouldn't go along. We had to leave. If that's how they treat sellers, I bet it's worse for buyers.

If I could give this company no stars, I would. My dad just bought a car from there, a week later the check engine light came on. He called them and they said they would fix it for free, but then they called him back and said he has to pay for the repair and to get the car back because they checked it out for him. On top of that, the car had a dent on it and the salesperson said they would fix it, but now they're saying it's his responsibility. They don't keep their word. I was gonna go there to buy a car for my teenager, but not anymore. Based on these reviews, they've done this to other customers too. Terrible!

No good customer service unless they want to make money. I've been trying for weeks to get my money back for GAP insurance I bought after selling a car I got from Automaxx of Summerville. Becky, the person they told me to talk to, never answers or transfers calls. I had to go through someone else just to get her to call me. When she finally calls, she says she'll email me the papers I need to start the process, but she never does. I've tried calling her so many times since then, left lots of messages, and I'm still stuck in the same spot with no customer service! This is the second time I've tried to cancel my GAP, and the exact same thing happened 6 months ago when I tried to talk to the Finance Director (no answer, no response to clear messages).

We bought a 2019 Honda Accord last week from Automaxx in Summerville, SC. We asked the dealer to take pictures of any problems and got the response, "...couldn't find any scratches/dings or problems on the inside to take pictures of. It is super clean." They brought the car to us in NC as agreed, but it had two cigarette burn holes on the back seat and the inside smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. The only options the dealer gave us were to drive the car back to SC within seven days so they could "sow" the seat holes or get our money back. Because of our work schedules, we couldn't bring the car back to them in seven days and they wouldn't pick it up or give us more time. I wouldn't recommend buying a car from this dealer because the manager, Mike, said it's normal for a one-year-old used car with 25K miles to have burn holes in the seats and they consider it to be in excellent condition.

I went to Automaxx to find a new car for myself. I had a specific payment range in mind. I test drove several cars and initially chose one, but my husband didn't like the sound of the engine. So, we tried another option, a Honda Fit. The staff at Automaxx thought it would be a good fit for me, so I gave it a try. After two and a half weeks, I realized I didn't actually like the car and decided to go back and ask for a different one.

At first, everyone at Automaxx was helpful and said they would give me a call. However, Friday and Saturday passed without any calls. Finally, on Monday, I went to find out what was happening. The person who was assisting me seemed surprised to see me and couldn't provide any information. Eventually, they told me that my finance company wouldn't finance another car for me.

I reached out to my finance company, and they confirmed that they had received the request and were ready to proceed. However, Automaxx refused to cancel the previous deal and proceed with the new one. They were still making the sale, but they chose to leave me unhappy and unsatisfied with my purchase, even though it was only seven days past the return period. I would understand if it had been a month or a couple of months, especially since I hadn't even made the first payment yet, which is due next month.

I will never recommend Automaxx to anyone, and I won't do business with them again. They showed no compassion or understanding, and it seemed like they only cared about certain customers. I observed how they treated people while I was there, and it was not a pleasant experience. As the one making the payments, I don't understand why I should be treated as if I'm worth less than nothing, especially when they have done it differently before. They only cater to whom they want.

When it comes to buying a used car or truck, my go-to place is Automaxx of The Carolinas! I've purchased two vehicles from them and both have been problem-free. However, my most recent experience was not as smooth as the first one. I brought a check to pay for a truck I had my eye on. An older gentleman informed me that the truck needed some body work, but assured me that if I bought it, they would take care of the repairs. I expressed my gratitude and agreed to bring it back for the necessary fixes.

I arrived at 1:45 in the afternoon and didn't leave until 6:50 in the evening. During that time, they changed the oil, fixed the wiper handle, and made sure everything was in working order before I headed home. I was thankful for their efforts, but also quite tired and eager to make the two-hour drive back home. However, when I got home and requested to bring the truck back for the promised body work, things took a sudden turn. They seemed hesitant and claimed they couldn't fix it after I sent them pictures. I was baffled by this sudden change. How could the truck go from being in the body shop, ready to be worked on, to them saying they couldn't fix it? I went through great lengths to address this issue, even going over hills and through water. Unfortunately, I faced obstacles along the way. I was hung up on twice, had to communicate through a middleman, and eventually received a small check to contribute towards getting it fixed elsewhere. I was upset and confused by all of this, but in the heat of the moment, I agreed without considering the consequences. It wasn't a smart move on my part.

I've tried calling them multiple times, but haven't been able to get through. All I want is for my truck to be fixed. I've been nothing but loyal to Automaxx. I even traded in my beloved Mustang and constantly recommend this dealership to others. However, after my recent experience, I feel like a liar when I talk about this place to people. I have a quote for the repairs, which amounts to $1500. So, after paying $30,000 for this truck, I now have to spend more money to fix it, despite being assured by the dealership that they would take care of it. It's incredibly frustrating, to say the least. I understand that I agreed to certain terms, but as a loyal customer, I shouldn't have had to fight so hard for a resolution, only to receive a $250 check and be left to find someone else to fix my truck.

I applied for a specific vehicle online after the sales person told me to. The vehicle was sold the night before and they still ran my credit report. Priscilla told me that the car was sold the night before and that she never pushed my application through to the finance team but my credit report shows it was ran anyways.

Automaxx of The Carolinas is a car dealership located in Summerville, South Carolina. I recently had a transaction with them regarding a 2016 Chevy Impala. We agreed on a down payment of $2500. However, on March 22, 2022, the Director of Finance, Michael, who I authorized to withdraw the money from my account, took $2575 instead. This was not what we had agreed upon. To make matters worse, nobody provided me with a receipt, despite my request for one. I am now in need of the $75 that was taken without my consent.

I found out from my bank that the dealership faked my signature on the bill of sale, title application, and all the other paperwork. They added extra fees without my consent, and even raised the sales price. On top of that, I bought a second key for my truck on the day I got it, but I still haven't received it. When I drove the truck home, I encountered a problem, and they told me I could take it to a dealership in Texas since I have a 3-month, 3,000-mile warranty. However, my truck has been at the local dealership since February 29th. I had to rent a vehicle for a whole week, and now Automaxx isn't responding to my messages anymore. I spoke to a lawyer, and they told me that this is a serious crime involving forgery and wire fraud. So, I'm currently in the process of contacting the Dorchester County Attorney and the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

On October 31, 2022, my daughter bought a Chevy Malibu from Automaxx of the Carolinas. When she got home, she noticed her key fob didn't have a real car key in it. She called the dealership the next day and talked to the salesman. He said he would take care of it. He called her and said to come by the dealership on Nov 12, 2022. When she got there, the salesman told her that he talked to the manager and they would give her a new key, but she had to buy it. They didn't tell her right away that they wouldn't give her a real key for her car because she had 7 days to return it. All my daughter wants is a real key for the car they sold her. It feels like they didn't tell the truth when they sold her the car. They should have told her from the start that the car didn't have a real key. And if they weren't going to give her one, they should have told her on Nov 1, 2022 when she called. The car's advertisement also showed it had remote start, but it didn't. We don't care about remote start, but I think if you buy a car, the dealership should give you a real key or tell you there isn't one. They sold her a car with false information. All we want is a real key for her car.

I went to Automaxx and bought a car on December 29. They told me that if I wasn't happy with the 2015 Nissan Rogue, I could bring it back within seven days. On Tuesday, January 4 (day 6), I went there to let them know that I wasn't satisfied because there wasn't enough space. They said I would have to pay an additional $3000 for something else, even though I had already given them $1300 as a down payment. I called them on Wednesday (day 7) to inform them that since they didn't have a larger vehicle for me without requiring more money, I would return the Rogue and get my down payment back. They had told me I could bring it back within the seven-day period, but they refused to refund my down payment. They were very rude to me when I went there, and they wouldn't give me my money back, claiming that the website only mentioned exchanges and didn't mention refunds. I explained to them that the website didn't specify "exchange only" or "no refunds." They kept giving me excuses while I was there, saying that the owner and finance manager weren't present. The owner's son told me this but never called the owner to inform him of the situation. I called them today, January 6, and they were rude to me on the phone, saying that I wouldn't get my money back and that the director and owner were once again not there.

I bought a car from this dealership last July. On my way home, I noticed a weird shaking while driving and went back to the dealership the next day. Their technician checked it out and took it for a spin, saying there were no issues with the car. Not trusting their opinion, I asked for a refund, but they said I could only trade it for something else they had. I reached out to the manager, who happens to be the owner's son, and he basically said I was stuck with the car. When I bought it, the car still had some factory warranty left, and I also purchased an extended warranty. However, after I was stuck with the car, I realized that it had modifications that voided my warranty, even though I was never informed about it. To make a long story short, yesterday while driving home from work, going through a school zone at 25mph, the gear shifter suddenly popped out of the center console, and multiple airbags deployed. This caused things to fly out of my glovebox, the side curtain airbags tore my seats, and the car got stuck in gear, so I had to get it towed. I'm waiting to find out if the car is a total loss, but my insurance won't cover anything because there wasn't an accident. The so-called "warranty" won't cover anything either because it wasn't valid when they sold me the car. Now I'm stuck with a $35k lemon that I can't even drive, and the dealership refuses to take any responsibility. It's frustrating because I could have lost my life yesterday if everything had deployed while I was driving faster.

Dealer had ad for car, told me it sold but had other cars. Talked a lot about Kia Forte for sale. Planned to visit and drove 2.5 hours. On the way, they called and said car sold. Got to dealership, gave license, then told car sold. Left and called manager. Manager apologized and said car not marked sold until gone. Said their process flawed. Asked relative to ask about car, got email saying it was available. They used ad to bring people in even though car not there. Deceptive advertising, against SC Code.

12/29- I dropped off my 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe at Automaxx for service 'cause some random lights on the dashboard were coming on. I also asked for an oil change. Only the check engine light was on at that time, but I mentioned the other lights too. They did the oil change and checked the car, but the diagnostic didn't show anything. They said I gotta pay $125 for the diagnostic. So, I took my car back. But guess what? As soon as we were leaving, the ABS and other lights came on again. We went back to the office and left the car there. They told us that Sarah would handle the service for our car.

12/30- Sarah called us and said that one of the sensors needed to be replaced, and it was covered by the warranty. Hyundai was gonna deliver the part on 12/31. I asked about getting a refund for the $125 diagnostic charge. Sarah said it was related to the check engine light, so no refund. But I told her that I reported the other lights randomly being on, even though only the check engine light was on when I dropped off the car. I said it's all one issue, not two separate ones. Sarah said she would talk to her supervisor.

12/31- I picked up the car and asked about the refund. Sarah said she forgot, but she would talk to her supervisor on 1/3/22. She put a reminder in her phone and said she would call by 12 noon on 1/3/22. But guess what? No call on 1/3/22.

1/4/22- I called and left a message for Sarah. She called back and said they would give me a service credit for $125 instead of a refund. But I insisted that these two issues are still one and I expected a full refund. Sarah kept saying it's only a credit. Every time she responded, there was a pause like she was being coached. I asked her if her supervisor was coaching her, and she said "no". She said her supervisor would call me and then said he was available. I was put on hold. After about 2 minutes, the call got disconnected. I called back and left another message for Sarah. But no return call.

1/5/22- I called again and left a message saying that if we couldn't agree, I would file a report with the ComplaintsBoard.com. But still no return call until 1/8/22.

I referred my brother to this place 'cause I bought a car here like 4 years ago and it was alright. On 09/28/2022, my brother went and asked me if I could co-sign for him in case he couldn't get approved on his own. I said yes. I wasn't there 'cause I work full time. Then, his salesperson, Tabatha, called me from her personal number and asked if she could check my credit and if I could send my LI through text. I said yes. After that, I didn't hear anything until my brother showed up with his new car. At that time, I still thought I was just the co-signer even though I hadn't signed anything or been to the place in person. About a week and a half later, they kept calling me every day to sign the papers, so I went there. When I got there, I had to wait for 30 minutes just to talk to finance/Mark. I was in a hurry 'cause I had my 3 kids with me and needed to go to work. There were so many papers, and since I trust easily, I just signed them. I thought I was only the co-signer. Mark was also distracting 'cause he kept talking about other things while I was signing. He never mentioned that they put the vehicle in my name. I wasn't the co-signer, I was the buyer. I never agreed to that. My brother put his money, and I wasn't even there. I never gave a copy of my LI in person, I never gave my income info, or anything to be a buyer of a $21,000 car. Clearly, they lied to the bank. Just 3 months ago, I financed a car from Toyota for $35,000, so honestly, I didn't think I could even help as a co-signer for my brother. Basically, they lied. I went to Automaxx to try and fix the issue, but the guy there told me that being the co-signer and the buyer are the same thing and that it didn't matter what they put me as. But it does matter, especially when they do it dishonestly. It was just a back and forth thing 'cause he said he's in the industry and knows what he's talking about. But I know right from wrong, and everything they did was fraudulent. I hope someone stops their lies.

I was talkin' 'bout a vehicle from this company for several days (Thursday - Tuesday). I decided to buy on Monday, Sept. 14. My loan officer asked for all info, includin' bill of sale from Automaxx. On Tuesday mornin', she got the info needed to proceed from Automaxx. I then talked to the Automaxx sales person, to see what else she needed. She assured me that as soon as she had a photocopy of the check from the loan officer and the trackin' info, they would pull the car off the lot and hold it 'til the next day when they would get the check (loan officer was to fedex overnight the check for the vehicle). I signed all documents for the loan and put the vehicle on my insurance. I then confirmed (again in writin') with the Automaxx sales agent that she had all she needed. I was told - in writin' - at 11:50 a.m., Tuesday. Sept 15 by the Automaxx sales agent, that Automaxx had received all the documentation, it was ALREADY sent to business office and everythin' was a go. She said she would contact me next day to see time and location to deliver the car, as I had already confirmed that I was optin' for the home delivery. This was at 11:50 a.m. At 1:11 p.m. the same day, I got a call from Automaxx business office, Ecommerce Manager, tellin' me the car had been sold to someone else. When asked how this could happen, she said when they went to pull the car off the lot, another person was there signin' paperwork - an hour and 21 minutes AFTER I had been told car was already off the lot and paperwork was in the hands of the business office. Then, at 1:32 p.m. (21 minutes after this phone call tellin' me car was sold to someone else) I got an email from the same Automaxx business office person, askin' why I hadn't picked up my new vehicle yet, as the info had all been provided. I ain't never heard of anythin' happenin' like this! They sold a car that they told me IN WRITIN' was a go for me and was on MY insurance. I had to call my insurance company right away to have 'em remove the car from my insurance. Please help.

I bought a car from Automaxx of The Carolinas on Oct 21, 2020, and still haven't received the tags or title as of Dec 9, 2020. I found a car for sale that I liked and after three weeks, I agreed to purchase it from this dealership in SC. They advertised free delivery to GA/NC/SC, which was helpful during the pandemic. So, I had the car delivered to NC on Oct 21, 2020, and paid the total amount with a cashier's check. I tried contacting my internet sales representative, B S, and Jenna, who answers the contact email address on the website, multiple times to let them know that the 30-day tags were about to expire and I still didn't have the title or tags. Unfortunately, they didn't respond. It has now been 50 days since I paid for the car, and I still don't have the tags or title. On Dec 8, 2020, I informed Jenna that I filed a SCDMV form DE-002c, which is for failing to provide tags and title within 45 days of purchasing a car. Finally, I received several calls from "reps" and an email from Automaxx (Jenna), where they mentioned that their third-party vendor responsible for title transfers might have made a mistake and they will investigate. The car has been parked since the 30-day tags expired on Dec 21, 2020, but it is still insured. I paid the dealership $125 for a title fee, $20 for the temporary tag, and $590 for "DOC" fees, but they haven't provided any other updates or solutions, except blaming their third-party vendor. I checked the State of Florida's car title search database, and the car's title is still active. I also have a bill of sale from the dealership. Despite the challenges of buying a car without seeing it during a pandemic, the car is as expected and matches the carfax report. The internet sales rep, B S, did a good job by sending me the repair audit and the items fixed on the auction car, which helped seal the deal. However, I assumed the dealership would make the post-sale transaction a positive experience, but that hasn't been the case. I'm not sure what will happen next, but this whole experience, which was meant to support a struggling business during an economic downturn, just doesn't seem worth it. I bought a car that I can't use, and I'm not even sure if I own it.

I just bought a 2016 Toyota Prius V wagon from Automaxx. It came without some important stuff that should've been included. They delivered it to my house, so I bought it without seeing it first. The car itself was fine, but it didn't have the following things that should come with a certified pre-owned premium vehicle: Only one key fob, when they should give two--- costs around $275 to replace. No floor mats or cargo mat--- costs around $250 to replace. No retractable cargo cover--- costs $625 from Toyota. The tires meet the minimum safety standards, but they're noisy. I knew this when I bought it, but if I have to replace them, it'll cost around $600. They delivered the car to me for free, but it barely had any gas. Every other car I've bought came with a full tank. It's not a big deal, but it doesn't make me happy. The outside of the car was detailed well, but the inside was sloppy. Again, not a huge problem, but it's not good customer service. When I called the dealership to complain, they said they could give me another key fob and floor mats, but I'd have to pay for them. They sell the car the way it is to keep the price low, and they can't stay in business if they give everything that's missing. My previous car, which was a year older but had fewer miles, came with all these things at a similar price. I think their price was fair if the car had everything it should. Selling a certified pre-owned car without all the original equipment seems like bad business to me. They don't see it that way, so I'm complaining to you. Six months ago, I bought a similar car from another dealer in Orlando, FL. It had none of these problems and was in great condition. Unfortunately, it got wrecked in March, which is why I bought this car from Automaxx. I expected the same great service, but that didn't happen.