HOUSTON -- Local 2 investigates the business calling itself the world's largest Chevy dealer.

But some consumer groups call it the biggest offender when it comes to car sales scams.

Bill Heard Chevrolet has paid millions in fines for its sales tactics in several states.

Now, investigative reporter Amy Davis uncovers unbelievable complaints against the car dealer here and why consumers feel like no one is keeping the dealership in line.

Not many people enjoy the stress of negotiating for a new car, but can you imagine being so upset you had to call 911?

It's happening at Bill Heard Chevrolet in Sugar Land on the average of three calls a month.

These are just a few of the audiotapes we obtained from the city of Sugar Land's 911 dispatch.

August 3, 2007:

Operator: "911 Sugar Land." Bill Heard Customer: "Yes, ma'am, I have a situation out here at Bill Heard Chevrolet."

June 22, 2007:

Bill Heard Customer: "They have both my vehicles and they will not return either one."

July 16, 2007:

Bill Heard Customer: "They don't want to give us our car back."

Dan Parsons with the Houston Better Business Bureau calls it like he sees it.

"People are getting screwed," said Parsons about the Sugar Land Chevy dealer he said has earned its self-proclaimed title, "Mr. Big Volume."

"It's the volume of complaints, the nature of complaints," said Parsons, rattling off a long list of reasons the Houston BBB would not allow Bill Heard to be a member.

Bill Heard Chevrolet and Landmark Chevrolet, both owned by Bill Heard, have racked up a total of 189 consumer complaints in three years. That's more than any other car group in the Houston area.

"If there's a selling practice to do wrong in the car industry, they have figured how to do it and embellish upon it," said Parsons.

Neal Brown and Monica Barnes put $6,000 down for a 2004 Toyota Tundra.

Twenty days after driving it off the lot, Brown said a Bill Heard salesman demanded they bring it back.

"Then I was like, 'Why? I thought we were approved when we signed all the paperwork. Why are you taking the truck now?'" Brown said he asked the salesman. "They didn't want to give the money back. That's the whole thing."

Denise LeJuhn traded in her Chevrolet Tahoe for an Equinox.

"I left with the new Equinox that evening," said LeJuhn.

But LeJuhn said 45 days later, a wrecker towed it away from her job even before her first payment was due.

"It's a nasty selling technique," said Parsons.

It's called a bailment agreement.

Even though we didn't find that word in the contract Bill Heard had LeJuhn sign, it basically means the customer gets to take the car home while the dealer looks for a lender to approve the financing. The customer may have negotiated an interest rate, monthly payments, even left a trade-in, but the minute you sign the bailment agreement and drive that new car off the lot, Parsons said, the dealer will come back with different payments and higher interest rates.

He said customers who refuse to pay under the new terms are often stuck with mileage charges for the miles driven while they had the vehicle.

Brown said a Bill Heard salesman told him, "We want 18 cents per mile. We want $25 a day."

"I was like, 'Where'd that come from?'" said Brown.

Bill Heard wanted Brown to pay $2,800 for the 20 days he drove his new truck.

And not only did LeJuhn's new SUV get repossessed, Bill Heard never paid off the Tahoe she traded in.

It took the dealer four days to get her trade-in back and when it did, LeJuhn said she was missing a laundry list of items from her truck.

"I was missing my antenna, my DVD remote, my original Chevrolet keys," said LeJuhn.

All totaled more than $200 of missing items, not to mention the extra 1,000 miles someone drove her Tahoe. LeJuhn said she's never received a dime for any of it.

Parsons said LeJuhn and Brown may be the lucky ones.

"More often than not, they're not taking it back," Parsons said about Bill Heard Chevrolet. "The consumer is driving off with it and paying outrageous interest for a long period of time."

Bill Heard's general manager in Sugar Land would not talk about any specific complaints, but he sent us this statement:

"Bill Heard Chevrolet sells and services thousands of vehicles a year. Many are delivered to the customer before their financing is finalized. On rare occasions when financing cannot be obtained for a customer, the customer is asked to return the vehicle to the dealership.

"The dealership works with the customer to be sure the entire transaction is cancelled."

No one from the national car dealership would talk to us on camera.

Perhaps they're a little busy. We've learned the dealership has been hit with fines in several of the states it sells cars. It owns dealerships in Texas, Alabama, Nevada, Tennessee, Georgia, Arizona and Florida.

Just last week, Florida's attorney general announced a $400,000 settlement with the dealer for unfair and deceptive business practices.

"Whether it's illegal or whether it's deceptive, we can draw the line and say that it's tomato versus tomato. If consumers don't get or don't understand what's being put upon them, it's deceptive," said Parsons.

State investigators we spoke with called those bailment agreements a "slippery slope."

While it may not always be illegal, several consumers have won civil cases in court against car dealers who used the same sales tactics.

We were surprised to find that while the BBB had 189 complaints, state agencies that regulate car dealers had very few on record.

They said it's because many consumers may not know who to call.

Here is a list of the agencies you should contact if you have a complaint about a car dealer.

The Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner regulates financing at Texas Auto Dealers: www.occc.state.tx.us/pages/agency/Index8.html
The Texas Department of Transportation licenses auto dealers: www.dot.state.tx.us/services/motor_vehicle/complaints_against_vehicle_dealers/consumer_complaints.htm
The Texas Attorney General takes consumer complaints on all Texas businesses. If the AG notices a pattern or a large number of complaints, it can investigate companies for unfair and deceptive business practices: www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml

More Information:

Better Business Bureau: Auto Dealership Complaint List