BURLINGTON, N.C. — Bonnie Harrell had just purchased a used 2015 Kia Optima. The car didn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it was in good condition and had low mileage.
“I was looking for something dependable,” Harrell said.
The car has proven to be all that and then some. However, there was an issue almost immediately after Harrell purchased the car. While reviewing the paperwork, she noticed a charge of $2,800 for a warranty.
“I got home and saw something called Master Tech. I didn’t know what that was,” Harrell said.
She reached back out to the salesperson at the dealership to understand what was going on. Harrell explained to the salesperson she didn’t want the warranty and never asked for it. He told her he would take care of it and not to worry.
“I didn’t sign anything (original warranty),” Harrell said. “He told me he would handle it.”
A few weeks passed when Harrell noticed the charges for the warranty were still on her lease payment. Harrell again contacted the dealership about the issue.
“He acted like he did not remember (our conversation), “I said I want to cancel the warranty,” Harrell said.
Another month would pass when Harrell noticed the warranty charge was still on her lease and the money was still being taken out.
“He said he did not know what happened and he would cancel it,” Harrell said.
It’s unclear what he did do but what he didn’t do was cancel the warranty. The new bill showed Harrell was still paying for a warranty she didn’t want.
“That’s when I contacted you. I didn’t know where else to turn,” Harrell said.
We were able to speak with the general manager at the dealership and explain the situation. He said he would investigate the matter and get back to us and Harrell.
It didn’t take long before he told us the policy would be canceled and Harrell would be getting a reimbursement check for $2,800.
“You guys (News 2) are godsent. Thank God for people like you helping me,” Harrell said. “I’m forever in your debt.”
With the policy canceled, Harrell was able to use that money for other household expenses. Maybe the best news is, she hasn’t had any major issues with the car since she bought it.