European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Owner runs into obstacle course with problem car for a so Doug Lloyd car buyer Jeffrey Bergmann and the Chevrolet Beretta he purchased. By Timothy Cahill new York Bureau Hen Jeffrey Bergmann finally separates himself from his Chevrolet Beretta he says it will be a very cold Day in a very hot place before he owns another general motors product. And when Bergmann compiles his Beretta blacklist sharing top Billing will be the army and air Force Exchange service where he bought his car and overseas military sales corp. Oms the on base distributor of pm and Chrysler vehicles. For More than a year the 31-year-old Bergmann a former . Military contract electrician who now lives in Connecticut has been trapped in a corporate obstacle course of loopholes ambiguities and misunderstandings Over the repair and warranty protections of his car. In addition Bergmann says he remains unhappy that assurances in the oms customer Bill of rights did not seem to apply to him once he relocated to the United states. Bergmann bought his 1992 Chevy Beretta ghz in december 1992 through the cafes new car sales outlet at Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart Germany. At the time he was working As a civilian avionics electrician for the air Force at nearby Echter Dingen army Airfield. Bergmann like Many cafes buyers bought his almost $20,000 Beretta without seeing or driving the car. He did so in part after being assured of his Protection under the oms customer Bill of  the customer Bill of rights states when you Purchase a general motors or Chrysler product through the cafes. New car sales program you have the right to a motor vehicle free of  at the time Bergmann bought his car the nonbinding Bill also promised that if a problem cannot be repaired after three tries you have the right to a replacement vehicle or refund of the Purchase  according to oms of the 20,000 cars sold since the program s inception 25 have been repurchased. The problems Bergmann has had with his Chevy began in february 199x less than two months after he bought the vehicle. That s when the warning Light for the anti lock Brake system or Abs first lit up while he was driving on the taxiway Between the hangars at Echter Dingen Abs brakes rapidly pulse of and off during hard stops preventing wheel lock up that can cause cars to swerve Fishtail or skid. Two weeks after the first incident the Abs warning Light lit up again once More on the Airfield compound. Bergmann said he accelerated to Check the problem and then slammed on the brakes. The wheels immediately locked up he recalled sending the Beretta into a skid off the taxiway.  / a --.-. Robinson Barracks Salesman John Newell who sold Bergmann the Beretta advised him to take the car for warranty work to the cafes garage at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart Vaihinger. Mechanics there connected the car to the diagnostic computer but the test found no problems with the brakes. In Spring 1993, Bergmann was transferred to Ansbach outside Niernberg a daily 240-mile commute. He said the Beretta began to have one nagging problem after the other. The speedometer malfunctioned various holdings and trim pieces came Loose or fell off and the trunk leaked All according to the Patch garage the result of manufacturing oversights or errors. Bergmann said the dashboard electrical system malfunctioned and he noted a shimmy in the dashboard itself. These problems continue today he said. Through it All despite repeated computer tests the Abs Light continued to come on intermittently at Highway speeds. To Tell you the truth says Bergmann i think this car is  general motors own records indicate Bergmann went for warranty work nine times in five months. The problem with the warning Light was observed by Franco Faggiano service manager of the Patch garage. After repeated repair tries Faggiano asked a general motors representative to intervene. When the diagnostic computer again failed to find any problem pm told Bergmann nothing was wrong with Hiscar.  a that s when Bergmann asked the Exchange service to buy Back the Beretta under the customer Bill of rights Bergmann reasoned that he had attempted to have the Brake problem fixed three times and the situation still had not been resolved. He said he Felt his claim also met another condition of the repurchase guarantee that the defect potentially affects the Safe operation of the vehicle. Vav ,7. \ a by a when he told this to Newell the Salesman told him that All buy Back authority rested with overseas military sales corp. That s when Bergmann said he Learned that although he bought his car on an cafes lot with a. Warranty serviced by cafes run garages cafes is of Little help in resolving disputes. Instead Bergmann was referred to oms which he contacted he said oms informed him that the Patchy garage did not have the proper computer to diagnose his car s problem. However