I Cannot Trust Hampton Automotive.
The Jaguar Dealer in Columbia South Carolina.
Hampton Automotive was Once known as Hampton Pontiac.
I cannot trust the SC Dept. of
Consumer Affairs.
The State agency whose responsibility it is to protect consumers of South Carolina.

Here are two brief reasons I do not trust these folk:
One, I trusted Hampton Automotive and that was misplaced trust (see story below).
I trusted the SC Dept. of Consumer Affairs and they closed my complaint without telling me.
 Further, I have tried for over a week to speak with the only person who can review or reopen my case, and
no one in the SC Dept. Consumer Affairs has returned my call.  Beware: I cannot recommend these folk to you.
Last entry: Don't expect the Manufacturer's help!
07/21/2008 I had to get rid of my Jaguar because Hampton Automotive service is so bad!!!

August 26 through September 11, 2006: Jaguar. COM was contacted and asked to give the name of the General Manager of Hampton Automotive, the Jaguar Dealer.  Jaguar. COM Rep. got back to me and said: "After a Dealer completes the warrantee work on a vehicle it is up to the Dealership if they want to refuse services to anyone."  I asked: "Is this true even if the Dealership has taken almost three-thousand dollars for work that did not satisfy the problem?  The United States Jaguar Rep. said, "There must be more to the story than this and I cannot help you."

12/28/2006  Pontiac = Hampton Automotive = Bad business to me because until this date, Hampton Automotive or the SC Consumer Affairs have attempted to see if my claims are true or if they could with the simple turn of a wrench solve the problem.  My conclusion, Hampton Automotive will take your money and then damn how it works for you.

April 27, 2006: I called Hampton Pontiac for Jaguar service to tell them directly that the a/c was not working and the "service engine" light is still on.  I told them that after paying them over $2,600.00 I am still not any better off.  The service manager said. "If you bring the car in and leave it with us, I will check to see if the compressor is at fault, but I will not do any other work for you!"  Given that he is that hostile, only a fool would leave their car at Hampton Pontiac.  I accept that Hampton Pontiac has ripped me off.  I warn the public that this could happen to you!  The whole story is below.
 
Consumer be aware!
An opinionated review of service and customer service.

*Hampton Automotive which was once known as Hampton Pontiac is the Jaguar dealership in Columbia South Carolina.  My personal contention here is your car could get more defective in the shop than it was before it was admitted.  You have heard for a long time that if a hospital is over crowed, the administration will look for clients whom they can release.  If the hospital is under used or not filled, they will run more and more test to look for ways to keep clients longer.  This contention is not as well documented or proven as the data showing how many folk who do actually get sick and die from things that happened to them after being admitted to hospitals. I think that auto repair shops, like Hampton Automotive, are now doing the same thing.

I believe that all of my Jaguar car problems happened after it was admitted to Hampton Automotive.  Hampton Automotive, based on my view of their service area is not as busy as they usually are.  I was surprised and delighted to have been able to walk in without calling or having an appointment and get immediate service.  I was even able, for the first time in ten years, to take a ride in their "courtesy car."  I went to a nearby restaurant while they "take a look" at my car.  That "take a look" at my car cost me $407.84 and even after paying that much, I was not able to make it home without breaking down on the road.

Please keep this in mind.  I took my well maintained Jaguar to Hampton Automotive on September 13, 2005.  The only thing that was wrong with my car, as was told to me by several "certified mechanics" at auto repair centers, was the "service engine" light would not stay off.  These "certified mechanics" said that Jaguar was the only place technically equipped with the "codes" required to get the service engine light to stay off.  I went to all of these "certified mechanics" first because I wanted to avoid the usual cost and waiting in getting service at Hampton Automotive Jaguar Service.  They are usually busy and require an appointment.

It is now October 10, 2005, nearly a month after leaving my car.  Hampton Automotive has not yet claimed that there is anything wrong with the engine.  Yet, the last over the phone estimates for repair of my car is over two thousand five hundred dollars and probably going higher.  This story is not yet complete.  But, it is clear to me that this is going to be a major rip off when and if I do get my Jaguar.  I will wait until I get my car back and have the complete story before I complete this page, but I can tell you now, Hampton Automotive is the inspiration for creating this Consumer Be Aware page.  This page is for me and everyone else who has had a bad consumer experience.  There are no city, county, state, or federal agencies readily available to protect you or me with problems like this.  Even if you report such problems like this to a governmental agency, all that you will get is an "investigation" that would likely die on the vine.  Let us face it.  Most governmental agencies must avoid being protective of the public because everyone in authority wants to be known as "pro business."  We all know that it is mostly businesses who pays the bills to get folk elected.  This leaves you and me with only each other to complain to and we must spread the word to protect each other.  True, this is a personal experience and a personal opinion but I think it is worth telling because it might save someone else the same grief.  I cannot believe that I am the only one who has had a car that got sick in shop. TELL WWW.SPOONBOOK.COM YOUR STORY OF A BAD DEAL.  CLICK HERE

Please watch for the rest of the story when Hampton Automotive calls to say my car is ready . . . . hopefully soon.
On September 17, 2005 I finally got a call, "Dr. Way, your car is ready." They kept my car for six weeks without an explanation.

I had already paid them $407.84 on the day I took my car into service.  Today, it cost me another $2,140.71 for a car that only had a "service engine" light that would not go out.  The work they claimed was needed to be done is numerous, but none of the work involved engine repairs.  I have filed a complaint with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.  I will tell you what happens to that whenever I hear from them or after thirty days.

October 27. 2005 The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs asked for and was sent copies of all "warranties, contracts, receipts, and statements" including this page.  No where in my complaint have I claimed that any contracts were violated.  So we have to wait to see if the State is going to only look for what they know they will not find.  More as it becomes available.

November 5, 2005:   The South Carolina Department of Consumer affairs asked for and was sent a response to the Hampton Automotive response to my complaint. Hampton Automotive response was based on quotes of what I allegedly said when I brought the car into them.  None of what they said was true.  I asked SC Consumer Affairs to engage some experts or I should in order to find the truth and justice in this case.  Please note: The form letter that SC Consumer Affairs sent offers to "close the case if they did not hear from me."  Stealing, writing bad checks, and vandalism to merchants property are "crimes against the State."  The State will prosecute you as if the merchant had nothing do with it.  This offer to me to "close the case if they did not hear from me" means that taking money from customers or abuse of customers is not a crime or a even a concern of the State unless I want it to press for it.

November 27, 2005: Since the excuses latent response from Hampton Pontiac of twenty-five days ago, there has not been any other developments. Some folk have sent reports of similar experiences with express lube and tune-up shops but did not want to have their reports posted.

December 9, 2005 Please note: When I got my Jaguar back from Hampton Automotive it had 80,420 miles on the odometer.  Today, I have 80,992 miles on the odometer and the “service engine” light still will not go off.  That is only 572 miles of use since I paid $2,548.55 to Hampton Automotive to solve this problem. I have notified SC State Dept. of Consumer Affairs with urgency of this problem by letter.  I await their response.
 

December 29, 2005 NO RESPONSE FROM HAMPTON PONTIAC OR THE STATE OF SC EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAVE MY ORIGINAL PROBLEM OF A SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON.

January 18, 2006, I went on line to an interactive page of the SC Dept. of  Consumer Affairs and told them I have an emergency with my "service engine" light still on and I have not heard from anyone since my letter of December 9, 2005.  The respondent on the interactive page informed me that my case had been closed since November 2, 2005.  I told her that no one had ever told me.  She gave me the phone number for the person who is authorized to review or reopen a closed case.  I have repeatedly called this number and left messages on a machine, but no one has ever returned my calls.  I also asked what authority does the SC Dept. of Consumer Affairs have to protect consumers?  She said, "If a company does not respond to them, they could be put a "Consumer Beware List."  With the advertising dollars that Hampton Automotive has, I know that being on some unpublished Beware List  does not make them want to satisfy my claim. I feel I have be screwed by Hampton Automotive and the SC Dept. of Consumer Affairs.  Please put them on your "Beware List before you shop."

This week a mechanic whom I relied to support my claim that my Jaguar was and is well maintained, admitted he was offended by my claims against Hampton Automotive, the Pontiac Dealer.  I assert that mechanic are making false claims about the problems of your car in order to reach their goals of so much per hour income for the shop or themselves.  Well, I had mechanic tell me that this is true.  But here I am, my witness against Hampton Pontiac is upset that I lumped him into my warning to be aware of mechanic who over charge.  Now I have to say, beware of Jaguar cars because you can't get the damn thing fixed without paying with your first born and giving up your right to speak your mind.

August 14, 2006, I sent an email to Hampton Automotive requesting the name of the owner.  No reply to date.
 

*Hampton Automotive, Inc. is a dealership in Columbia South Carolina for Pontiac, Buick, GMC, and Jaguar.   I give you their phone number which is 803-750-3525 in case you want to tell them that you saw this opinionated review of their service.

You may add your good or bad experience with this dealership or any other merchant if you want to the world know. To send you comments, Click here to hit me back by email.     
Click here to see what other people have said about their bad experiences with Hampton Automotives who was once known as Hampton Pontiac.

 

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