Anonymous

Felon

Brandon is still selling vehicles. He just does it out of his home instead. He posts to Craigs list. Buyer beware! He is still shady! The state has been made aware that he is still selling against state orders. Sold us a car with messed up title. Took two months to get it fixed so we could register the car. Also bought an Xterra that did not last three weeks. Brandon is a complete fraud that continues to screw people over regularly! If you see a vehicle for sale and you go to his house please be careful so you don't get robbed also!
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Anonymous
map-marker Dewitt, Iowa

Car Review

stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full stars-rating-full
Sold a pos car. Said they'd change the brakes and battery. Didn't change the brakes and put in an old battery. SCAM ARTISTS. BEWARE TO GET RIPPED OFF!!
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Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised
Anonymous
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Prowells Wholesale Automotive - Car Review from Des Moines, Iowa

Okay. Long story short, these s.o.b. sold me a car and guaranteed me that nothing was wrong with it.I even checked under the hood and took it out for a test drive. Everything was checked out good so I took it home. About a week later the car started to smell like oil. Turns out oil leaking from gaskets! $680.. Than about another week after that the car started to low idle and would die, took it back..,$420.they didn't even fix the unadjusted windshield wipers hitting the side, which I later discovered once it started raining... these people are *** artist and will say anything to get your money..buyer beware
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Reason of review:
Damaged or defective
Anonymous
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Had to SUE them, we WON, and they still won't pay!

We purchased a vehicle from Prowell's that included a 90 warranty. The car broke down within 24 hours of the purchase, and when I say it broke down, I mean it shifted itself into neutral on the highway almost causing a fatal collision with a semi-truck. We contacted Prowell's immediately and were assured that they would "make it right." We turned into over them and they took it to their "repair" shop. They had the vehicle for WEEKS. They never called to give us updates, they refused to honor the agreement which guaranteed us a rental car, and eventually they even told us to "stop calling them" because they had no idea when it would be ready. I asked Lindsay, the owner's granddaughter, for a refund and she first refused stating that the car was sold "as is," but once confronted with the warranty, she instructed me to contact her attorney. We too, as the previous poster, were not given the title until nearly six weeks after the original purchase. We had to hire an attorney and file a small claims case against Prowell's. The judge found in our favor, but Lindsay refuses to pay. This is nearly 60 days after the judgement and she still directs me to speak to her attorney (who NEVER answers the phone) every time I call to inquire about the payment. So, we purchased the vehicle for $6,000. We managed to obtain a $1500 chargeback from our credit card, but we spent over $200 in filing and misc. fees, $700 in attorney's fees, and are looking at another $100 to collect. Needless to say, it definitely cost us to deal with this company. I honestly feel that Lindsay Prothero and Prowell's Wholesale Automotive are as underhanded and slimy as they come. They misrepresented the vehicle, refused to honor the agreement they sold us, and now refuse to abide by the court order. BUT, if you too find yourself in this situation, be sure to take a look at CONSUMER FRAUD PROTECTION ACT, as this is the ACT that the judge referenced in our case.
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Loss:
$6000
1 comment
Guest

would you mind getting in touch with me I'm having a similar issue with prowells and would like to talk to people about how they went about it. if you could email me @ annamg54321@***.com that would be great thanks

Anonymous
map-marker Omaha, Nebraska

Stay Clear of These Crooks

I went in, test drove an SUV and put $2000 of the $2995 down payment on the car. That was on a Saturday. On the following Monday I called and told them I had changed my mind and did not want the car. I said I would come that evening to pick up the down payment, as they had cashed my check that morning. They informed me that they would have to talk to the owner and he would call me back. No return call on Tuesday, so I called again. The woman in the office informed me that they "do not give refunds." I asked again to talk to the owner. He was not available, but would call me back. I then had my lawyer write a letter informing them that they could not keep the money. During the time of the initial down payment until they finally got back to me after receiving the lswyer's letter, the car remained on sale on Craig's List. They said they would give me $1600 back because thay had put the car in the back lot so as not to sell it. That was not true. I contacted the Iowa Atty General's office and they wrote letters to them. one and a half years later and they have still not sent a refund to me.
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Loss:
$2000
2 comments
Guest

well if you knew any better you would have known that the down payment was non refundable before you agreed to posting a non refundable down payment on a vehicle you didnt want this is your fault hard for me to believe people even sent letters for you

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-858429

It is illegal to keep a deposit in Iowa. And a used car sale is not final until customer takes delivery.

Take them to small claims court and you will get your money back.

I can't even believe this guy is still in business. He is a crook.

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wolfenii C
map-marker Middletown, New York

Prowell's Wholesale Auto

Updated by user Sep 09, 2011

This dealership is in Des Moines, Iowa

Original review Sep 09, 2011
I write this from the outside looking in. My son purchased a 97 Cadillac El Dorado from Prowell's Wholesale Auto in July and was lied to from the very beginning. The salesman told them that they did not want any other car on the lot as this El Dorado was the finest on the lot. When asked about things that needed to be fixed, my son was told that "Everything works just fine and there was no problems with the car at all". Upon test driving the car it was discovered that the speedometer did not work, but he was assured that Prowell's would take care of that. They did fix that issue. I went with him to pick up the car and it seemed to run just fine on the way home. However, the very next day as he was going to work the "Check Engine" light came on. Prowell's was called and son was told to bring it in and they would take care of it. The next day it was at the shop where they pulled it in, and in less time than it would take to read the code and take out the O2 sensor, the car was backed out and told the sensor was dirty and they had taken it out and cleaned it. ANOTHER LIE...They had cleared the code and called it good. In less than 24 hours again the "Check Engine" light came on for the same thing. Next, the belt tensioner on the water pump went bad and allowed the car to get hot. We thought at first the thermostat had stuck and changed it out. While doing that, it was discovered that the heater core had been bypassed and the car had NO heat. ANOTHER LIE. Prowell's did have the car towed to their shop and do the labor on the water pump at their expense and my son paid for parts which were another $120.00. Upon retrieving the car from the shop, now it was discovered the turn signals no longer worked. Since they had worked before it was towed, it was up to them to fix the problem, which they did, but only after a huge scene at their office. At this point my son had possession of the vehicle approximately 5 days that it was driveable. On August 13 I picked him and daughter up to go to the Straw Poll in Ames and the Cadillac was left sitting in Ankeny. When we returned and I dropped them off, they left and were on the way home when the "Check Engine" light started flashing and the engine lost all power. It was at this point that it was decided that the car would be returned to the dealer as it had been misrepresented from the very beginning and there was no sense in throwing good money after bad. My son was told when he returned the car that he could put the money he paid onto another vehicle and continue the contract. ANOTHER LIE. Prowell's was suppose to call him back on Monday. ANOTHER LIE. Only after a visit in person was he called and asked to come in and talk to them and they would work it out. At that meeting he was told that the dealer would find him a van and they could continue to do business. When he looked at a minivan on the lot was told that he could not have that one as it was sold and instead of all of the money he had paid, he would only be allowed half to be put on another vehicle.. Again THEY HAVE LIED as this all happened Aug. 13, and as of today, Sept.9, nary a word from anyone at the dealership. I have nothing good to say about these people as they do not seem to honor their word on anything they say. This is not the way to treat the public if you wish to have their business. IF I were looking for reliable transportation, Prowell's would be the very last place I would look. The misrepresentation of the vehicles on the lot has turned me away from ever darkening their doors again.
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1 comment
Guest

this is posted on here twice and is *** that you expect a car lot to be able to predict the future if the belt tensioner wasnt bad when you bought it then how would anyone know its going to go bad so its not a "LIE" when they say it worked....it broke on you and if you werent such an *** you probly woulda found a lot of easy solutions to the problem

Shadowcat
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Prowells Wholesale Auto Des Moines IA Liars and scammers part 2

As we bought this auto in the summer, again, we were told everything worked great on this Cadillac. Who would think to test the heater in 100 degree temp? The belt tensioner went bad on the water pump and while replacing the thermostat we found that the heater core had been disconnected due to leaking and the vehicle had NO heat. The hoses were cleverly ran down splice as to look like they were running through the firewall to the heater core. They did have the car hauled to their shop via a flatbed, but on returning it to us, the vehicle had NO turning signals. After 10 days of them having the car we were told that they could not figure out what was wrong. They did have us take the car to a specialist that they did business with to fix signals who did not get to it for 2 more weeks. Upon taking it home once again the engine coded. Again we were told it was the oxygen sensor and it was our problem to have it fixed. We drove the car approximately 20 miles after that, dropped it off at wifes work and rode to straw poll in Ames. When we got back, we picked up the car and proceeded to try and go home. This time on the interstate, the check engine light started flashing and engine lost all power. It was at this point we returned the car to the dealer and asked if we could use the money we had paid towards a different vehicle and were told yes. When it came time to work on deal for different vehicle, all stories changed as to what they would do. Now it seems they would only put less than 1/2 of the money paid towards another vehicle and it would basically be a vehicle of their choice. I say this as they had a minivan that I was interested in and was told I could not have it. This was unsatisfactory to us, so then we were told that he would find a vehicle that would work for us and we could deal then. This was on Aug 13 and to date we have received NO communication from them. Lastly, the resold the car within 2 days of my returning it, after I had a chance to sign the title, as I was assured that the owner would be calling me the next day as to work out the deal on another vehicle if I did. All I had asked them to do was stand by their word and make the deal right after they had lied as to the condition of the Cadillac. They have made it very plain that not only will they uphold their word, but are looking for suckers to buy junk that will cost you a fortune to keep operational. Have made contact with Iowa Attorney Generals Office and an attorney and although Iowa does does not have lemon laws for used vehicles they do have laws against Unfair and Deceptive Practice. I will not ever do business with them again and to all who read this, I feel the motto for Prowell's is: LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!!
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Loss:
$1600
1 comment
Guest

haha you people are retarded im glad i dont own a used car lot how are they supposed to be liable for stuff going wrong on old used cars you decided to buy...if everyone was like you used car lots wouldnt exist. Find a good mechanic that knows how to fix things and doesnt rip you off and take cars to him before you buy it. Every used car has a problem of some sort.

Shadowcat
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Prowells Wholesale Auto Des Moines IA Liars and scammers

Bought my dream car a 1997 Cadillac Eldorado etc was guaranteed by the salesman that it was the best car they had on the lot it had every option you could imagine and everything worked. It test drove just fine except the speedometer was not working and he agreed that it was to be fixed by them if I purchased the car. My wife and I started to look at other cars but all the questions we asked were answered the same " you dont want this vehicle, you want the caddy its the best car on the lot". After hearing all the things that were wrong with all the other cars we looked at we decided to give them a refundable deposit on the car and they went ahead and fixed the speedometer. So we decided to take the car. 2 blocks away the ice cold air conditioning quit from a freon leak that was not new. they had just kept topping off the freon to get it through the test drives. The next day I drove to work the engine coded out and started missing, my wife called them immeadiatly. Keep in mind not even 15 mile on this car. They said bring it in and they would check it out. My wife took it in the next day and they pulled the car in the shop and had it back out and ready to go inless than 10 minutes. They claimed the O2 sensor was dirty so they pulled it out and cleaned and put it back in. In 10 minutes? No they didnt the mechanic reset the code because it coded again the very next day and I jacked it myself and there was not a single mark on any of the O2 sensors to give evidence that they were removed. Anyways to make a long story short I owned the car for 6 weeks 2 of which it was actually in my possession the rest in the shop. I finally had had enough where I took the car back to them. Will be continued. Do not buy from them this is not half the story!
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Loss:
$1600
1 comment
Guest

Oh My , You HAD to write three different posts trying to make this *** company look 3 times as bad.And if that were not enough you got your mother to write one too? Are you four?

:roll Let me get this straight: you took the car on a test drive and you accepted delivery BEFORE they fixed the speedo? You gave them MONEY BEFORE they fixed the car??? Sorry but that was not too bright. Then you said you test drove the car but you said with less than 15 miles on the car the check engine light came on,,Good grief before you paid for the car you should have driven it more than 15 miles..DUH!

Maybe you know nothing about cars,, and thats ok because they have a whole group of people who do called mechanics and if you would have taken that car to any one of them BEFORE YOU BOUGHT A CAR you would have known if the car was sound or not. To cry fowl when you didnt do your job as a consumer is a crock of ***. If you were to cheap to spend the money to have the car looked over dont blame a bunch of used car salesmen, its not THEIR personal car sitting on the lot, how the *** do they know anything about it?REALLY? Your not bright enough to figure out it is a used car dealers job to be full of ***?

To tell you the car you picked is the best on the lot? :upset To be angry at this dealership instead of your own stupidity is just plain un fair..

before you have a right to be a "pissed consumer" you should at least be a wise one FIRST.EVERY CAR DEALERSHIP IS SHADY.It is the responsibility of the buyer to have a outside mechanic check over a car BEFORE the cash changes hands..If you dont do that you have no right to later complain.And to have your MOM write too? For shame...GROW UP!

Anonymous
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Don't Buy from Prowell's Auto in Des Moines

We bought a car cash out right on Wednesday from Prowell's Auto in Des Moines that we were told was serviced by the sales man Jim. At the final time of sale the owners wife Lindsey said yes it was serviced. After paying them the $4800.00 and her making out the bill of sale she then informed us "I am so sorry but we don't have the title for this yet but you can pick it up tomorrow." I called the next day and Lindsey said the owner wasn't in yet and he is the one that would need to get out title and she would call us back. Never heard back from her so I called her again and she said he still wasn't in so she would have to call me back. Finally at the end of the day I called and was informed that I couldn't get my title until the following week. On Friday we were coming home from out of town when all the sudden the light came on and said low or no oil. So we pulled over to find we had very little oil that was black after being told they serviced it. So on Saturday we got up and went to the dealers and spoke to Jim again. Jim called Lindsey (owners wife) and told her of the situation and over the phone she said yes I thought it was serviced. Jim told us to drop it back off on Monday and he would do the oil change for us and pay us for the oil we already bought. When we went in today the owner was there and he said they would never agree to that and that he would charge us the reduce rate of $100.00 or we could buy the oil and he would change it. He also said his wife and his sales person would never agree to these terms. Then he said well if his sales person did then he didn't know how much it cost to have the oil changed in our car so he wasn't going to honor it. Don't ever buy a car from these people they have told one lie after another. We totally got cheated I love the car but after spending that kind of cash I didn't think we would have to put this kind of money in it right off the bat. I am going to call the BBB to see about getting my money back now and I will never refer their business to anyone.
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Kawon Tae
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Don't Buy from Prowells Auto

We bought a car on Wednesday cash out right. We looked at the car about a week prior to buying. When we test drove it my husband asked the sales guy Jim if it had an oil change. He told us they service all their cars. When we went back to buy the car I asked Lindsey (the owners wife) again has the car been serviced and she said yes. After writing the sales ticket and taking our money she decided to tell us they didn't have a title yet for the car and we could pick it up the next day. After giving us the run around the next day we were finally told we wouldn't get the title until Tuesday of the next week. Then Friday after coming back from out of town the light came on showing low on oil; when we pulled over to check we discovered it was almost completely out and black. We went to Powell's on Saturday when Jim called Lindsey on the phone and she said I thought it was serviced. So Jim told us he would order the filter to have it there Monday and they would take care of it. He also said they would reimburse us for the oil we already put in there. When we went today to drop off the car the owner said they wouldn't agree to such a thing and that he would do an oil change at the discount of $100. We explained the sales guy said he would take care of it and he said no he wouldn't. After we explained again he said well if he told you that then he didn't know how much an oil change cost in a car like that so we are not doing it. He was very rude and said that is all he could do for us. So it's Monday and still no title and no oil change. I wouldn't ever refer this car lot to anyone you would be a fool to by a car from them it will be nothing but headaches. Over priced and rude.
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2 comments
Guest

I guess you thought it was helpful to post this TWICE..thinking it would make them look twice as bad.I could care less about this company , but for you to be so *** as to not have the car looked at by an outside mechanic and then complain you got ripped off sucks..BEFORE you took cash out of your pocket you should have had it checked and waited to complete the purchase until they could provide the title. You were not very smart with your money and its your own fault you got ripped off. Next time dont ask if they serviced the car.Pull out the dipstick and LOOK YOURSELF..DUH!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-434639

I guess I can care less to but if it cost $100 for oil change and he had the money to pay for a car that would require that well as far as I'm concerned he would have the money to have someone check it for him.for the most part doesn't matter who you are with your poor or rich when you got your car dealer and buy a car with cash or credit you get excited and happy about he probably didn't think about that I would have because I have OCD .but with as many cars I have purchased in the in thepast 25 years cash or credit danie everybody for most everybody get excitedyeah hundred dollars for an oil change not saying I was but I don't cost that much if my memory serves me correctly would be a newer Porsche the engine is in the middle of the car and the normal backyard mechanic cant change it has taken to a mechanic!in most everybody marks or undergoes a thorough inspection on their vehicle but there are guys out there that are just plain vehicle *** which makes us guys look bad. to know about vehicles .another there are other gentlemen out there .like my girlfriends brother father and my and friends and other people have have gotten swindled by very persuasive sales people and car dealers as well as this guy for things that were wrong with the car and I know from my perspective even though I thoroughly inspected and take it to a mechanic.

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Anonymous
map-marker Middletown, New York

Prowell's Wholesale Auto, LIARS AND CHEATS PART 2

As we bought this auto in the summer, again, we were told everything worked great on this Cadillac. Who would test the heater in 100 degree temp? The belt tensioner went bad on the water pump and while replacing the thermostat we found that the heater core had been disconnected due to leaking and the vehicle had NO heat. They did have the car hauled to their shop via a flatbed, but on returning it to us, the vehicle had NO turning signals. We were told that it was our problem as they could not figure out what was wrong. Upon taking it home once again the engine coded. Again we were told it was the oxygen sensor and it was our problem to have it fixed. We drove the car approximately 20 miles after that, dropped it off at wifes work and rode to straw poll in Ames. When we got back, we picked up the car and proceeded to try and go home. This time on the interstate, the check engine light started flashing and engine lost all power. It was at this point we returned the car to the dealer and asked if we could use the money we had paid towards a different vehicle and were told yes. When it came time to work on deal for different vehicle, all stories changed as to what they would do. Now it seems they would only put less than 1/2 of the money paid towards another vehicle and it would basically be a vehicle of their choice. I say this as they had a minivan that I was interested in and was told I could not have it. This was unsatisfactory to us, so then we were told that he would find a vehicle that would work for us and we could deal then. This was on Aug 13 and to date we have received NO communication from them. Lastly, the resold the car within 2 days of my returning it, before I had a chance to sign the title. All I had asked them to do was stand by their word and make the deal right after they had lied as to the condition of the Cadillac. They have made it very plain that not only will they uphold their word, but are looking for suckers to buy junk that will cost you a fortune to keep operational. I will not ever do business with them again and to all who read this, I feel the motto for Prowell's is: LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!!
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Shadowcat
map-marker Des Moines, Iowa

Prowells Wholesale Auto Des Moines IA

Ok so I apologive for the liars and scammers part as I am just frustrated at the facts of the financial and personal strains this whole ordeal has put on my family. As I went to them because I have 3 boys and I needed a reliable vehicle for when I needed to take them places as all I have is a reg cab S10 in which we all wont fit. This was all explained to them up front and they assured me they could help and here I am in the same situation without the money to aquire a different vehicle.
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