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What to do about used car saleman? Rant!
drsck
Member Posts: 992 ✭
I've been looking around the net at various nearby used cars, both private owners and lots. Found one lot that seemed to have prices a little bit more reasonable (i.e. lower) than the others. Went to the lot and looked around. Found one that I could live with and then found a "salesman". Now the price was on the window--$8,500--and I was willing to give that much so there really was not much to discuss. I just had a few questions and wanted to take it for a test drive as well as have my mechanic check it out. So I asked the "salesman" if I could take it for a test drive, have it checked out and be back in 2-3 hours, to which he said, "no problem, just leave your credit card." Well.... I was a little reluctant but went ahead and did so. Mechanic says it's ok and it drives ok. So I go back to the lot to make the deal. Find the "salesman," tell him I'll take it and hand him the cash. The real problems begin here! He says the company, a local Ford dealer, can't take cash. Well, things have changed a little since I bought my last car, so I say "fine, I'll give you a check." He refuses that too. Then, in the course of our "discussion" I find out that the price on the window isn't really the price but the cost of leasing it for four years. Who in their right mind would lease a two year old used car?????????? So I get my credit card back and leave. Get home and begin to have a really bad suspicion so I call the credit card company. You guessed it, the jerks put a $150 charge on my credit card. Needless to say, the local Ford dealer won't be making a sale, and I won't ever bother looking at another Ford. My question is whether all this "stuff" I experienced today is now the norm when it comes to buying a car?
Comments
I've been looking around the net at various nearby used cars, both private owners and lots. Found one lot that seemed to have prices a little bit more reasonable (i.e. lower) than the others. Went to the lot and looked around. Found one that I could live with and then found a "salesman". Now the price was on the window--$8,500--and I was willing to give that much so there really was not much to discuss. I just had a few questions and wanted to take it for a test drive as well as have my mechanic check it out. So I asked the "salesman" if I could take it for a test drive, have it checked out and be back in 2-3 hours, to which he said, "no problem, just leave your credit card." Well.... I was a little reluctant but went ahead and did so. Mechanic says it's ok and it drives ok. So I go back to the lot to make the deal. Find the "salesman," tell him I'll take it and hand him the cash. The real problems begin here! He says the company, a local Ford dealer, can't take cash. Well, things have changed a little since I bought my last car, so I say "fine, I'll give you a check." He refuses that too. Then, in the course of our "discussion" I find out that the price on the window isn't really the price but the cost of leasing it for four years. Who in their right mind would lease a two year old used car?????????? So I get my credit card back and leave. Get home and begin to have a really bad suspicion so I call the credit card company. You guessed it, the jerks put a $150 charge on my credit card. Needless to say, the local Ford dealer won't be making a sale, and I won't ever bother looking at another Ford. My question is whether all this "stuff" I experienced today is now the norm when it comes to buying a car?
Don't let this linger. That dealership is not towing the line. Keep all your paperwork, and forward copies of this activity to your Attorney General. Advise your C.C. company of the situation immediately. Good luck!
back in the days of cash-and-signature, I put down 200$ on a 81 camaro to think about it for 3 days. "we wouldn't keep it, it's just a formality!" so I did it. I thought about it. I didn't buy it. and they kept it. &*^&*#*(#*()# one other dlr asked to sign over the title to my car for a test drive. by that time I knew better and walked out without any further conversation.
if you don't know their tricks, you get jacked. the younger and dumber you look, the more stuff they're going to try on you.
Definitely not. No doubt you are going to run into to people or companies like that, however, when I purchased my Saturn Vue a few months ago, I was very impressed with the way I was treated. I first started out checking all of the car lots in the area to get an idea on prices and exactly what I wanted in a vehicle. Later that day I went back to the Saturn dealership to testdrive an 05' Saturn Vue. The salesman hands me the keys, goes over all of the instrumentations, etc. and tells me to be back by 6pm because thats when they close. I looked at the clock, it said 3:30. I said, "Your going to let me testdrive it for 2:30 hours?". Yep, just don't drive wrecklessly he said. So, I test drove in and really liked it, but wasn't 100% sure I was ready for it financially. I told him and the manager that and within seconds the manager throws me the keys and tells me I have the weekend to decide.[:0] I thought that was pretty cool considering I am only a 22 year old kid who doesn't make a ton of money.[8D] Drove it for the weekend and ending up buying. Point is, I was treated very well by them. In the end, it was all so they could get a sale, but that is fine be me.
BTW, the salesman who sold me the car has given me a couple of call since I bought the Vue just to ask how it is running, etc. Pretty neat.
Jon
http://www.autotrader.com/
Three years old, still under factory warranty, one owner, all maintenance records in the glove box.
That is one big drawback of buying a used car from a dealer, they routinely take all maintenance records from the glove box and throw them away.
Also I bought my great 8 year old 4WD pickup through Autotrader, 3 years ago. Flawless vehicle.
No sleazy car salesmen, no sales tax.
By the way, right after the dealer I worked for shut down, all those slimy salesmen were working at other dealerships in the same town. It's a sad business.
Happens all the time and is there for just such occasions.
I use credit card to buy milsurp guns online and have had occassion that item received was in far less desireable condition than advertised.
Contacted seller who said "Gee, so sorry, but can't do anything."
Contested charges changed thier minds to a more equitable for BOTH parties outcome.
Turn them in for cc fraud! Today!
+1
I've heard of this kind of "pricing" but haven't seen it in our area ... but then I haven't been looking for it either.
As to the credit card charge, that was just wrong. If you didn't sign the receipt they have no chance of making it stick.
We get a copy of your drivers license and insurance card ... there is no reason to need anything more than that ... if the salesman suspects joy-riding, or the customer isn't familiar with our area or something like that, the salesman goes on the test drive.
? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
what was the 150 charge for ????
So this place charges to test drive or what?[:0]
the dealers hate me coming because I have my finance allready lined out and they cant make any more money off me [}:)][}:)]
Just make sure to do it *in writing. *BRIEFLY* tell the CC company what happened, and ask for them to void it. They'll most likely do so with no questions asked.
Don't forget to report this dealer to the State attourney general's office and the Better Business Bureau.
I can see not wanting to take a personal check (because it could bounce), but a certified check ought to be just fine.
If a dealer refused to take a certified check, I'd walk.
I could also see why an honest dealer might be reluctant to accept a large sum of cash, because most people don't walk around with thousands of dollars of cash on their persons, and that kind of cash reeks of drug or laundered money.
But there isn't any legal reason why they couldn't do it. If you said, "Take this cash or I walk" they'd probably take it.
To put it another way: In some jurisdictions legal tender can be refused as payment if no debt exists prior to the time of payment (for example, where the obligation to pay arises substantially contemporaneously with the offer of payment).[:D]
However, a bona fide operation would have a way to verify checks.
Last time I bought a car, they would've negociated the price down to take cash.
In this small town, I can't think of a dealer that I couldn't trust with my credit card. Or one I'd have to leave my credit card with to take a test drive.
jesus what a scam...
Turn them in for cc fraud! Today!
+1, he made an unauthorized charge to your account
Mr Griggs how you getting around not paying sales tax ? Is that a state thing ? In NY once you go to register the used car you bought out of state they ask for receipt of sale and you pay sales tax on that amount before you can register the car. If you bought a 03 Vette and the guy you bought it from "doctors" your sales receipt and says $1000 you bought it for , then they look up price in NADA and charge you sales tax on the 'going rate' for that particular vehicle.
It must go state by state.
In North Carolina you don't have to pay sales tax on a vehicle bought from a private individual, but you do have to pay sales tax on a vehicle bought from a used car lot.
In Georgia, about 12 years ago the governor got a law passed that required sales tax to be paid on cars bought from private individuals and he caught quite a bit of flack about it. The law was revoked several years later.