Posted 5/2/2006 5:56 AM (GMT -8)
Ok... so I HAD gotten a 2005 Scion tC recently... Before I even told them I wanted the car, they sat a paper in front of me showing me the price of the car was $16,887, and with my $1000 deposit brought it to $15,887... + tax, tag, and fees. I asked what fees. They said just basically the title and document fees... basically like $100 or $200. Ok... no biggie. My interest rate was astronomical, which is my fault for when I was younger and screwed up my credit... had to have my dad co-sign for me. Ok... no prob.
So Friday, I go to get the paperwork, sign my half and bring it down to my dad's in Virginia on Sunday to have him sign the other half. While we're going through the paperwork, I notice on TWO papers, they have the car listed as $19,500 approx. I stop in my tracks, and ask the salesman "What's up with this saying the car is almost $4,000 more than what you showed me it is?" After saying "ummmmm" and fumbling through some papers for a few minutes, he goes "OH! That's an extra $4,000 bank fee that the BANK charges for people with high risk credit". I go "ummm... why wasn't this disclosed to me beforehand?" He said they did tell me about it... which they did NOT. Whatever, I had to get to work. I take my papers, and I ended up not being able to make it down to my dad's on Sunday. But Saturday, I had a ride along with a York City police officer... whom during my ridealong, had asked me where I parked... up in the parking garage on the second level. She said that a lot of times drunks parked up there, and had hit cars parked up there in the past... so she brought me up there to move my car. She complimented me on my car, and I said thank you, that is if I get to keep it. She asked me to explain, and i did after I moved the car to somewhere where there was someone that could keep an eye on it. She mentioned to me that it was illegal for the salesman/car dealership to charge me a fee such as that... long story behind that.
ANYWAY... I called a few other dealerships... and the one dealership I talked to, the guy kept saying "no no no no no... they can't do that. I've NEVER heard of a fee anywhere NEAR $4000... AND it's illegal for a car dealership to pass any bank fees THEY incur through a bank in financing cars onto the consumer." So... this sparked my interest. I called a lawyer, who confirmed the same thing... and wanted me to contact the consumer protection department in the Attorney General's office, and the BBB.
Yesterday, I called THE bank that approved the financing, and they told me that there ARE NO FEES like that they charge to a customer, that the only way there'd be extra fees is if I bought an extended warranty or such, and that they were all optional. So this has me steemed a bit.
So... I go to the dealership before work to talk to them about it. I tell them, that they need to show me documentation from the bank as to where the bank charged me that fee... which mind you with my 17.95% interest rate for being young and stupid and messing up my credit, would have turned that extra $4,000 into like $7,000 or so over hte course of the loan term. I told them that if they wanted to charge me that much for the USED tC, that they could put me into a new one for less than that... I'd be willing to work with them. The finance manager kept pointing to where they have the "Cash price" of the car listed as $19,500. I kept telling him... no... where in the bank work does it say that the $4,000 fee is to be charged to me. We went in circles like this for a while, and I was getting more and more ticked off, to put it nicely. I slipped and said the "F" word (in the context of "You don't understand, I want you to show me where the *explative* fee is that the 'bank' is charging ME")... and he goes "that's it, give me the key and get your *explative* out of the car, I'm not selling this car to you". THEN they proceed to tell me that they're only giving me back $800 out of my $1000 deposit because I put miles on the car while they gave it to me on the dealer tag... to which I replied "oh no no no no no... the ONLY way you are permitted to take any money off of my deposit upon refunding me, is if you request that I bring the car back, and I keep it for a few days beyond the "return delivery date", in which you MAY charge me $75 a day that I don't return the car... that's on the back of your 'bank' paperwork... I read ALLLL the fine print at work on Friday". (I did at least get my $1,000 back)
At that point I was sooooooo ticked off (to put it VERY mildly) that I went into a FULL anxiety attack. They "graciously" offered to give me a ride to work, I called my boss to let him know what's going on.... mid anxiety attack, and he really really wanted to call an ambulance for me (I am a 911 dispatcher). He told me to take the day off, I wouldn't get any points, just to go home, relax and take care of myself. My guess, is that they got caught doing something illegal (btw, they said they 'do this to all their customers')
So... now I have no car. I'm waiting to hear back from 2 dealerships at this moment about an approval for a BRAND NEW tC... of which is only hindering on talking to my landlord.
Now granted, I do know that not ALL car salesmen are scum... but MAKE SURE you read ALL the fine print, and check EVERY paper over to make sure you're not getting screwed too... oh... and whatever you do, don't go to Deihl Motors in or near York PA.
My anxiety attack was so bad yesterday I almost did call an ambulance (left my anxiety meds at home... didn't think I'd need them). So... right now I have no car... and I'm sooo sick and tired of all this. It seems no matter how hard I try to put my life back together, nothing seems to work, because EVERY TIME I try to make things better, someone decides to throw up a mountain with a canyon on the other side. I am by no means requesting life be easy,... but I can't handle any more of this. I sold my other car thinking I wasn't getting screwed over... I don't know whether to scream or cry... or both. :(