On June 30, 2018 I purchased a 2000 Toyota 4-Runner from Cooper’s Wholesale Cars, 8041 HWY 45 Alt. North, West Point, MS. 39773, Hugh Cooper, Owner for $5000 + sales tax with a total price of $5,250.00. His email address is [email protected] and office address of 26823 East Main St., West Point, MS, 39773.
According to Kelly’s Blue Book the value of this vehicle ranges from $3813 - $6432, with fair purchase price of $5143 and a typical listing price of $5671, so with all prices listed his beginning sales price of $5900 is above the typical listing price. This did not bother me since I had been looing for this particular vehicle for almost a year. At first appearance of exterior and interior this vehicle was excellent and worth the top dollar price of this vehicle.
All consumers that are not professional body repair personnel or mechanics can only go on the trust and integrity of the used automobile salesman and the city, chamber of commerce and licensing agents that have signed their names to the permits and licenses to which any retailer under their jurisdiction where they sale and advertise.
My complaint of Mr. Cooper, even though yes, he had a Buyers’ Guide of “AS IS – NO DEALER WARRANTY” document within the papers he gave me without telling me or giving any indication that he as the dealer had performed an unrecommended weld and altercation to the main frame underneath the vehicle (see Collision Repair Information document included).
After my purchase which the vehicle had very worn tires and what I noticed what seemed to be top heavy sway. I first purchased $900 of new all-terrain tires and then carried it to my mechanic to have new shocks and struts installed(invoice included). When picking up the vehicle my mechanic told me the vehicle had an unusual amount of rust on the main frame and someone had done some welding on it which didn’t look good.
I immediately carried it to a body shop to find out that Mr Cooper had someone to have a fabricated piece of steel welded over the frame to which the amount of the rust or the severity of it could not be seen because of the cover-up. The body person immediately told me that there had been a 55 million law suit won because of that very thing of someone welding on the frame. I was given the document of Collision Repair Information titled “Body & Frame Component Sectioning” which applied to all Toyota, Lexus and Scion Models. I have included a copy of this document for you viewing.
While standing in the auto body repair shop I called Mr Cooper, which is stated in the Buyers Guide of any complaints contact him. I told home we had a problem of my purchase from him. First, I told him I liked the vehicle because I had looked for one of this kind for almost a year and was hoping he and I could work out something that saved us both a lot of trouble and money.
As I began to tell him what we had found and it was not a recommended procedure, he told me he had done nothing illegal that he had done it many times before. He also told me that he had a metal fabricator make this piece of steel and had someone to weld on the vehicle. When I told him, it was not an accepted repair he immediately told me that was Toyota’s and my opinion. I then told him again I liked the vehicle but was hoping we could work something out and asked him would he pay to have it fixed properly and he immediately responded no. After many more exchanged words of my trying to explain my concern with none of his concern or remorse of selling me a vehicle that hid probably severe rust damage to the main frame of this vehicle.
I then explained to him it looked like I had two choices; one being get a lawyer to which he said, “Go ahead and sue me, I’ve been sued before”, which tells me that this probably isn’t the first time he has done a customer wrong. My second, option to which I was hoping for some compassion of his part after admitting he had done it was to either repair the frame properly or at least help with the cost. Also, during this conversation Mr Cooper said he wished he had never sold me that vehicle, I guess he didn’t figure he would deal with someone that would research, call back or even look under the frame of the vehicle. You see most people don’t realize they have a recourse of a “AS IS – AUTO DEALER WARRANTY” and that is the reason I’m writing to you, because he represents you and you have either licensed him or to operate under these types dealings with trusting customers.
After several more back and forth words, he finally said, “Bring My vehicle back and I will give your money back and I’ll sell it to someone else”, now that seemed like a reasonable offer on his part but when I asked him about the money I had spent of tires and shocks and struts; he immediately said that ain’t my problem. I told him what I was supposed to do just put the tires and struts and shocks in my shop in hopes I could find the same vehicle somewhere else. I then told him I wasn’t about to let him have that vehicle back for him to sale to someone else, especially a single mom with children.
After that we ended the phone conversation and I went to other people and even got an estimate of how much it would cost to repair. Everyone I talked to advised it needed a new frame installed. Even if I put a used frame plus labor it will cost me in excess of another $5000, to which I cannot afford or need to put that additional money in a vehicle with that type of rust
Later that afternoon after I had research more and yes calmed down some I called Mr Cooper back in hopes of getting some compassion and help. Again, other than offering to give me my money back, to which I can’t his original tires or parts back, he had no indication that first he was worried about mine or anyone’s safety with the unrecommended main frame repair and cover up he had been a part of. Several body personnel on a chat room said the vehicle was unsafe and should not be driven. After a few more verbal exchanges I again reinforced my stance on not giving him the vehicle back to sale to someone else and if I did I cold not get his old parts and tires back. I told him I guess I could bring it over there and set it on blocks.
At this point I realized that even if I spent thousands of dollars with an attorney and won I would not instilled good moral and ethical dealings upon Mr Cooper if he admits he has done this many times and has been sued before.
Now, that was the end of our correspondence, until July 25, 2018 when I received a letter (included) from Mr Cooper to which he tried to summarize our conversations and even at the end of the letter he states, “This is an unfortunate issue for both of us, I wish you had never come to buy the vehicle. I wish I had never lowered the price by $900 to satisfy your request”. This statement alone to me is an admission of realizing he had done something wrong and never thought someone would come back to him on an “AS-IS-NO DEALER WARRANTY”
I have included a video and picture taken by the body repair person and a picture to show the rust and cover up Mr Cooper performed.
Cooper's Wholesale Cars Reviews
To Whom It May Concern;
On June 30, 2018 I purchased a 2000 Toyota 4-Runner from Cooper’s Wholesale Cars, 8041 HWY 45 Alt. North, West Point, MS. 39773, Hugh Cooper, Owner for $5000 + sales tax with a total price of $5,250.00. His email address is [email protected] and office address of 26823 East Main St., West Point, MS, 39773.
According to Kelly’s Blue Book the value of this vehicle ranges from $3813 - $6432, with fair purchase price of $5143 and a typical listing price of $5671, so with all prices listed his beginning sales price of $5900 is above the typical listing price. This did not bother me since I had been looing for this particular vehicle for almost a year. At first appearance of exterior and interior this vehicle was excellent and worth the top dollar price of this vehicle.
All consumers that are not professional body repair personnel or mechanics can only go on the trust and integrity of the used automobile salesman and the city, chamber of commerce and licensing agents that have signed their names to the permits and licenses to which any retailer under their jurisdiction where they sale and advertise.
My complaint of Mr. Cooper, even though yes, he had a Buyers’ Guide of “AS IS – NO DEALER WARRANTY” document within the papers he gave me without telling me or giving any indication that he as the dealer had performed an unrecommended weld and altercation to the main frame underneath the vehicle (see Collision Repair Information document included).
After my purchase which the vehicle had very worn tires and what I noticed what seemed to be top heavy sway. I first purchased $900 of new all-terrain tires and then carried it to my mechanic to have new shocks and struts installed(invoice included). When picking up the vehicle my mechanic told me the vehicle had an unusual amount of rust on the main frame and someone had done some welding on it which didn’t look good.
I immediately carried it to a body shop to find out that Mr Cooper had someone to have a fabricated piece of steel welded over the frame to which the amount of the rust or the severity of it could not be seen because of the cover-up. The body person immediately told me that there had been a 55 million law suit won because of that very thing of someone welding on the frame. I was given the document of Collision Repair Information titled “Body & Frame Component Sectioning” which applied to all Toyota, Lexus and Scion Models. I have included a copy of this document for you viewing.
While standing in the auto body repair shop I called Mr Cooper, which is stated in the Buyers Guide of any complaints contact him. I told home we had a problem of my purchase from him. First, I told him I liked the vehicle because I had looked for one of this kind for almost a year and was hoping he and I could work out something that saved us both a lot of trouble and money.
As I began to tell him what we had found and it was not a recommended procedure, he told me he had done nothing illegal that he had done it many times before. He also told me that he had a metal fabricator make this piece of steel and had someone to weld on the vehicle. When I told him, it was not an accepted repair he immediately told me that was Toyota’s and my opinion. I then told him again I liked the vehicle but was hoping we could work something out and asked him would he pay to have it fixed properly and he immediately responded no. After many more exchanged words of my trying to explain my concern with none of his concern or remorse of selling me a vehicle that hid probably severe rust damage to the main frame of this vehicle.
I then explained to him it looked like I had two choices; one being get a lawyer to which he said, “Go ahead and sue me, I’ve been sued before”, which tells me that this probably isn’t the first time he has done a customer wrong. My second, option to which I was hoping for some compassion of his part after admitting he had done it was to either repair the frame properly or at least help with the cost. Also, during this conversation Mr Cooper said he wished he had never sold me that vehicle, I guess he didn’t figure he would deal with someone that would research, call back or even look under the frame of the vehicle. You see most people don’t realize they have a recourse of a “AS IS – AUTO DEALER WARRANTY” and that is the reason I’m writing to you, because he represents you and you have either licensed him or to operate under these types dealings with trusting customers.
After several more back and forth words, he finally said, “Bring My vehicle back and I will give your money back and I’ll sell it to someone else”, now that seemed like a reasonable offer on his part but when I asked him about the money I had spent of tires and shocks and struts; he immediately said that ain’t my problem. I told him what I was supposed to do just put the tires and struts and shocks in my shop in hopes I could find the same vehicle somewhere else. I then told him I wasn’t about to let him have that vehicle back for him to sale to someone else, especially a single mom with children.
After that we ended the phone conversation and I went to other people and even got an estimate of how much it would cost to repair. Everyone I talked to advised it needed a new frame installed. Even if I put a used frame plus labor it will cost me in excess of another $5000, to which I cannot afford or need to put that additional money in a vehicle with that type of rust
Later that afternoon after I had research more and yes calmed down some I called Mr Cooper back in hopes of getting some compassion and help. Again, other than offering to give me my money back, to which I can’t his original tires or parts back, he had no indication that first he was worried about mine or anyone’s safety with the unrecommended main frame repair and cover up he had been a part of. Several body personnel on a chat room said the vehicle was unsafe and should not be driven. After a few more verbal exchanges I again reinforced my stance on not giving him the vehicle back to sale to someone else and if I did I cold not get his old parts and tires back. I told him I guess I could bring it over there and set it on blocks.
At this point I realized that even if I spent thousands of dollars with an attorney and won I would not instilled good moral and ethical dealings upon Mr Cooper if he admits he has done this many times and has been sued before.
Now, that was the end of our correspondence, until July 25, 2018 when I received a letter (included) from Mr Cooper to which he tried to summarize our conversations and even at the end of the letter he states, “This is an unfortunate issue for both of us, I wish you had never come to buy the vehicle. I wish I had never lowered the price by $900 to satisfy your request”. This statement alone to me is an admission of realizing he had done something wrong and never thought someone would come back to him on an “AS-IS-NO DEALER WARRANTY”
I have included a video and picture taken by the body repair person and a picture to show the rust and cover up Mr Cooper performed.