Gettel Toyota of Lakewood
Reviews and Complaints

I went to Gettel Toyota of Lakewood to buy a car, but they tried to charge me an extra $3995. They called it Additional DLR Profits, which sounds like something Al Capone would do. I told them it wasn't my problem if they couldn't get cars on time or didn't have any available. They should be investigated for blackmailing customers.

I had an appointment with Gettel Toyota on Rt. 64 (I think) to get my oil changed and tires rotated. I made the appointment on 01/17/22. After being disconnected three times, I finally got an appointment for 01/24/22 at (where I think) Toyota of Lakewood, on Rt. 64. When I got to the service department, they told me I didn't have an appointment. After the man checked, he found out my appointment was at a different location at Toyota of Bradenton. Now, instead of waiting an hour or so for my service, I have to wait at least three hours. I think this is totally not okay, and I would like to get a response to this matter. Thank you.

I took my 2009 Toyota Highlander to Gettel Toyota of Lakewood for an oil/filter change and to check the A/C. The odometer had 150,000 miles on it.

First issue: The oil/filter change turned into a bigger job when they said I had a leaky oil pan, which wasn't the case before I arrived. They estimated it would cost $700+ to replace/install the oil pan. I decided to buy a new oil pan from AutoZone and have Gettel install it. The final cost for Gettel's labor was $338, plus $58 for parts. I also paid $96 to AutoZone for the new oil pan. So, the total cost of this oil change (expanded) was now $492. Now, my car has an oil leak, which it never had before. I've been getting my oil changed by Gettel every 5,000 miles for the last 5 years.

Second issue: I asked them to check the A/C. After explaining the symptoms to the service rep, he thought it was a lack of Freon. But, after the tech looked at it, they said many parts needed to be repaired/replaced, which would cost over $1,800 in labor alone. I told the service rep to just recharge the Freon, which cost $170. But, when I left the dealership, I discovered the A/C was no longer blowing cool or cold air. I left a complaint via phone message while driving home and complained to the service manager the following day. He said the car is old and they can't be held responsible for the lack of results, even though I paid Gettel $625.

I called a bunch of times to Gettel Toyota of Lakewood and finally agreed with the salesperson on the final APR for the truck I wanted to buy. I told them a few times that I was flying in from Savannah and didn't want any surprises or changes in numbers when I got there. They said everything was final and my loan was approved. When I arrived, the truck was good but when I went to sign the papers, my loan wasn't approved like they said it was. They told me the only way to get the APR we agreed on was to buy a $1120 warranty. I didn't want to but I had no way back home if the deal fell through. The people were nice and even picked me up from the airport, but the sales price was deceptive. I told my dad to buy his car from Gettel but after what happened, I won't recommend them to anyone.

I bought seat covers from Gettel Toyota of Lakewood's part department. Unfortunately, they sent me the wrong ones for my car's year. They gave me a return label and I sent them back in November . It's been three months now and I'm still fighting to get my refund of $184.71. I've emailed the manager multiple times, but she hasn't taken the time to help me out. I even have emails proving that they received the package and signed for it. It's frustrating that they won't give me my money back.

Me and my wife got a 2021 Nissan Rogue from Gettel Toyota of Lakewood 3 weeks ago. Today, the finance department called me and said that the credit union needs more papers, like a permanent resident ID from me. I'm a US Citizen, born in Connecticut and a disabled veteran. Ken S., the finance guy said they need it in 2 days or the deal will fall through. We put $15,000 down on this car, registered it and took delivery. This dealership is causing me and my wife too much stress and trouble. They waited almost 3 weeks for this? That's ridiculous. They should pay me for the bad treatment and stress they caused. This dealership is a shame and they don't respect veterans. Ken S. is a loser. They better fix this.

I buyed a car from them on June 19th and they said they would pay off my old car loan but they haven't done it yet. I told them my payment was due on the 25th and they said they would pay it by then but they didn't. I called and left messages but they don't call me back. I talked to a guy named Jeff or Jack and he said he would check on it but he didn't call me back. I just need a tracking number so I can update my file but they won't answer the phone and just send me to voicemail. I left messages for Ryan F., Dan twice, and Shannon but her voicemail was full.

I bought a new Toyota Tundra from Gettel Toyota of Lakewood on 8/22. The General Manager Ryan F. and our sales person Jeff P. agreed to a price of $40k out the door. When we got to the finance department with Mike Cline, he told us the interest rate was 6.9%. We said we could secure our own financing on another date, but he said he could do 4.6% for 72 months or 2.9% for 60 months. We opted for the 72 months. We signed all the papers on a docupad and were given a flash drive. When we got home and looked at the flash drive, we saw that the purchase price was $40,592.10 instead of $40,000.00. We called Ryan F. multiple times and he said it was the cost of the better interest rate. They didn't tell us about this extra cost, otherwise we would have left and secured our own financing.

Gettel Toyota made a mistake and added $6300 in extras that I didn't need. GTE Financial won't acknowledge it even though they have the proof. I bought a used car for $17K including tax, title, etc. I was there for 5 hours and finished at 9:00 pm. I signed everything on the table screen. The next day, I looked at the documents on a USB drive (no paper copies) and saw that the finance guy added over $6300 in extras, including GAP insurance that I didn't need. I could have bought a new car for that price. Why would I pay in advance for several years of car maintenance, including tax? The next day, I went back and cancelled the extras. I received a cancellation paper showing this. GTR Financial Loan Payment starts on 11/01. I signed up at GTE Financial's website for access to the loan. The loan is still at $23K. I contacted Toyota and GTE by phone and email. I visited Gettel twice. We exchanged several emails. Eventually, we noticed that the cancellation was for ALLIED and not GTE (wrong loan company on paperwork). We exchanged more emails. GTE is now threatening to repossess the car. GTE has all the documentation showing that Gettel Toyota fraudulently overcharged the loan and didn't correct the loan amount. I filed complaints with 3 government websites. On 11/20, a Gettel salesperson emailed me saying the information was being turned over to the Finance Director - Dan Pipp. It's now 12/2, and I still haven't heard anything. I have all the documentation, but it has sensitive information on it. I'm not sure what information I can submit if it should be made public. I'm going to Gettel today.

I got a new car from Gettel Toyota of Lakewood on July 19. I told Jack that I didn't want any extra warranties because I don't keep my cars long enough to need them. But he kept on pushing me to get one. He said I was dumb not to get one. He pressured me so much that I got upset and felt like I had to sign. On July 23, I went back to the dealership to cancel the warranties. I talked to Daniel P. about what happened with Jack. At first, he was nice and listened to me. But then he started pressuring me too. He said it didn't make sense that I didn't want a warranty with a $50,000 car. He threatened to raise my payments and interest rate if I cancelled. I said no again and he finally gave me the cancellation form. He said Toyota would give me my money back by October, but I haven't gotten it yet. I tried to talk to them, but they never get back to me. They owe me $2058.46 for cancelling the warranties.

I got a car from Gettel Toyota of Lakewood on Nov 28, 2021. Signed all the papers for financing and everything else. Jack, the finance person, tried to pressure me into buying everything he thought I needed, but my son told him what I needed and that was it. We told him what bank we wanted to submit our application to, but he only submitted to ones he thought were good. We said okay to that one because of the interest rate. I signed the paperwork and agreed to the payment and terms. A week goes by, and I start looking for the loan paperwork. I call the bank Jack set up, and they don't know about a loan. Then they look further and find that they had sent a counteroffer for the loan. I tried to call Jack to find out, and no response for a week and a half. Then I called the finance manager and left a message with him too. Three days later, the manager calls back and tells me that the loan is fine. I tell him what the bank said, and he says he'll let Jack know, and he would get back to me. Well, one week goes by with messages being left from me to Jack and the manager, and nothing. So I get a call from another bank who needs to verify info on a loan that was just submitted for two weeks after I buy this car. I contacted Jack, and he texted me back asking that I verify it for him because he needs to get it funded right away, and he will get back to me in a second. Well, two days later, still no answer. That is not my fault, and now he keeps hitting my credit applying for loans instead of contacting me. The general manager and the finance director will not return calls. I have a new car with no financing set up, and it's now an emergency on their part. And because I am a woman, they think they can play that game and bait and switch loan terms and banks. They need to honor the agreement on this purchase and terms on the paperwork. Not my fault that they don't know what they are doing with financing. Stop hitting my credit!

I got my car and warranties from Gettel Toyota of Lakewood in August . Mike K. helped me with the financing and warranties. He said I could cancel the warranties anytime I wanted. But I didn't get any paper documents to review right away. I don't have a computer at home, so I couldn't check the documents. I called and emailed Mike K. and other people from the website, but no one responded. So I went back to the dealership, but Mike K. was busy with other customers. I asked Chris if I could see Mike, but he said I needed an appointment. I went back the next day and J.R. gave me a brief description of the warranties. I found out I only had 3 days to change my mind about the car. I wanted to cancel some warranties, but I couldn't reach Mike K. So I went back to the dealership again. Dan P. helped me cancel some warranties, but I haven't received the credit for two of them. I emailed Dan to cancel all the warranties except for the extension of the original car warranty, but he didn't respond. I sent a certified letter to the general manager Ryan F. on 11/17 to request a refund of the warranties.