Appalling scam of an 80-year-old car buyer, what should she do?
Folks, my friend came to me for help. Her 80 year old mom went to a local dealer (metro Phoenix) by herself and bought a new car in July. In September she went in for her first oil change, at which time a sales rep told her there was a braking system recall on the car and it couldn't be resolved. Her told her she could have another new car for the same price - a "swap" he called.it. She didn't think she had much choice - had to have a car - and signed the contract after 3 tiring hours at the dealership. When she came home and her daughter looked at the contract she had agreed to another $350 in down payment and another $4000 total. And she found out online and via the manufacturer that there had NEVER BEEN A RECALL.
She went back to the dealership with her mom, at which time the sales manager told her there was nothing he could do for her - she signed the contract.
Assuming this is all accurate, isn't this outright fraud? First off, what's the policy on signing contracts with 80-year-old moms who come in alone to buy? I mean, yeah there are some sharp folks at that age, but still, doesn't it warrant caution and perhaps a suggestion to come back with a younger family member?
What is the best oversight resource she should now turn to? She does have a local TV station working on it.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Hill on
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correction - I got it slightly wrong. She went with her granddaughter who had never bought a car before , but this just change the fact slightly in the dealer's favor as the sales rep might have assumed she had reliable help.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Schewe on -
Get an Attorney.
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Permalink Reply by Bobby Compton on
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If all things are accurately stated,- I find the business practice appalling.
As in any business there are scandals, criminals and do gooders.
I'm not sure of any special legal stance, but social media wouldn't be a bad place to start, along with a few negative reviews of this to show up in the dealers Google search.
I would recommend an attempt to reach the General Manager, GSM, or Dealer to resolve this. When it reaches the top, a decision to do the next right thing happens more often than not,- just have to make some noise!~
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Permalink Reply by Doug Davis on
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Sharon, I see that you named the dealership on your personal blog. I am amazed that they have no DealerRater reviews. Apparently, someone is pro-active with their reviews because they seem to react to any that are not favorable. I would suggest that they go on Google and write a review because they address those. They also respond to Cars.com reviews. If they put it on DealerRater, it will pop to the top and they won't be able to respond (they are not subscribed). They also have an A+ rating in BBB with no negative reviews. If all of that fails, she can complain, online, to the Attorney General and contact an attorney.
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Yep, Doug, I told her to give them exact dates by which to resolve and then if not, to review on DealerRater. You're right, they're not certified there, so the negative review will show immediately. She said the sales manager told her "don't worry. We will make this right." I asked her what "right" meant and by what date and she didn't know either answer. If it were me, I'd be demanding dates and documenting and/ or recording calls and showing up in person and just sitting there til I had a resolution.
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Sharon, Have her call the dealership and ask for the GM. I doubt that he works on Sunday but have the operator connect to his voice mail. She can not resolve this thing soon enough. If that Sales Manager was sincere, he would have had her come up there and un-wind the deal. Time only clouds the issue.
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