VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Gloria Nardone, a Virginia Beach resident, said she takes a lot of pride in her vehicle.
“We clean it, we take good care of it,” she said.
So, when the check engine light came on in her 2012 Kia Soul, she says she took it to a local Kia dealership.
“It was determined that it was a component in the computer that had to be replaced,” she said.
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Nardone told me she waited eight months for the car to get repaired because the part she needed had to be ordered and shipped from overseas.
During that time, she says Kia put her in a rental car.
But when she finally got her car back, she says she noticed a new problem.
“In the meantime, the car was at the local Kia dealership the whole time and was out in the elements and it really ruined the clear coat on the hood and on the roof,” she said.
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That’s when Nardone emailed Kia to ask if they could reimburse her for a paint job. A representative told Nardone that "based upon the age and mileage," they could reimburse her for the MAACO estimate she submitted.
Kia says once they had the receipt, they would process payment to reimburse the cost - a little over $700.
But after the paint job was complete and the invoice and receipt were submitted to Kia, Nardone said all communication stopped.
“Follow-up emails, nothing,” she said. “Then, I emailed general customer service. I opened a case, nothing. I call them, tell them what happened, ‘I’ll escalate it,’ nothing.”
It wasn’t until Problem Solvers got involved that Nardone said things changed.
"When you have to grovel for something that you should receive without a problem, it doesn't make you feel very good,” she said.
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Problem Solvers contacted Kia and a representative replied, saying they would look into the matter more.
A little over a week later, Nardone finally received the email she had waited nearly four months for.
“This email is providing an update regarding the status,” Nardone said. “It's been approved and a check will be processed in the next few business days and mailed to you via U.S. Postal Mail.”
A few days later, Nardone says she received a check for $719.80.
“I mean, you can’t give up,” she said. “You can’t give up cause, you know, I think companies hope you do that. If they don’t respond, then you’ll go away.”
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She said the drawn-out road to reimbursement was worth the battle.
Nardone said she encourages others not to give up and to maintain documentation of all conversations, payments, and estimates.
“Keep everything in order,” she said. “Keep track of things cause that’s the only way you’re gonna get things done.”
Problem Solvers asked Kia to participate in an interview, but they declined.
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A representative with Kia said the company is happy the issue was resolved.
“It shouldn’t have to be this way,” Nardone said. “Instead of taking months, it should of just, ‘I sent information, the check sent, and it’s done.’”
If you feel like you are owed a reimbursement from a company and have documentation to prove it, contact Problem Solvers at problemsolvers@wtkr.com.
