Michelle
of San Jose writes:
I
put a down payment of $3,000 on a 1994 Ford Explorer on Thursday,
December 2, 1999. On
Friday, I was told to come down to fill out new paperwork on my loan
application because the deal fell through.
When I arrived on Friday, I was told that my application was
denied. They asked me for a
co-signer, and I told them that if my application didn't qualify with
only my information, then I wasn't interested in keeping the car.
The
sales manager told me that he would resubmit my application, and then he
would call me. On Friday, I
called back twice, and was given the run around.
On Saturday, since I still had not heard from them, I went down
to their office.
I
asked the manager, Edward, if I could have my deposit back because I had
not signed any papers agreeing to the higher rate on the new credit
application. I was verbally
abused, and physically threatened.
They would not call the police to solve the dispute.
All I wanted was my money back, and I offered them back the car.
I
was told to come back Monday, so they could open the safe to access my
original paperwork and my check for $3,000.
After the incident got heated, and the manager stuck his hands in
my face to threaten me, he yelled, "Don't ever come here again.
Take the car, I don't care.
You'll never see your money again. Get out."
And
then what happened?
There's
a moral to this story: don't take delivery of a car until the
financing has been approved. "Spot deliveries" often
violate consumer laws and it might be possible to take action against
the dealer. But it's a lot better to avoid hassles like this in
the first place. Who needs it?
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