In this setup, a dealership lets you drive away before signing a contract, saying the “banks are closed.” Then when you come back, surprise surprise, the financing terms have changed, costing you thousands more. Scam dealerships know that customers will find it hard to part with a car after forming an emotional attachment with it, but if someone tries to pull this on you, that’s exactly what you need to do. Drive the car back to the lot, hand them the keys, thank them for the free rental, and get the heck out of there.
That video was posted June 22nd. On September 1st, 3 days before it was set to appear on national TV as part of ABC’s i-Caught, Brad Benson posted this rebuttal video.
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JEFFJOHNVOL wrote: The dealership’s response seemed reasonable. Why would someone who has had 3 reprosessions and another that has had a bankruptcy get great credit. Jeez.
Why would the dealership disclose this information publicly?
If you believe this is a reasonable response, then we live in very different worlds. I don’t believe that public disclosure of a person’s credit record is an appropriate response to a pointless, shaky video.
Didn’t anyone hear the rebuttal?
Looks to me like the scam is on the part of the “customer”, and the vendor didn’t do anything wrong at all. The “customer” lied and bs’d the salesman to get a favorable deal, and when they caught on and cancelled it, she whined.
Total BS, Consumerist has sunk to a new low.
Consumers put their trust in dealerships for credit checks. That is confidential information. For a HONEST BUSINESSMAN to put that kind of video up is disgraceful conduct on his part. Mr. Benson, you cross the line and it will hurt you. Consumers “BEWARE OF BRAD BENSON HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP” Check his BBB record & watch his video Brad Benson Rebuttal Video Don’t buy a car there..he might put your credit information up on You Tube. Lady you did good. What planet are some of you people living on? Contact a lawyer.
Sue Brad Benson! In all honesty as a consumer would you buy a car from this man?
Am I wrong or did Mr. Brad Benson just violate consumer PRIVACY by EXPOSING THE MOTHER’S CONFIDENTIAL CREDIT HISTORY of bankruptcy and repossession all over the web. Aren’t there laws protecting what sort of information a company may release once it has consumer consent to check a credit rating and TO WHOM ??
Perhaps Brad may want to rethink the car deal before his customer reads this comment and goes to court.
I;m just sayin’….
@speedwell: Then make a transcript, you whiny lazy bastards. The web is interactive, you know. Contribute something!
Power to the CONSUMERS!!! We have the upper hand now. It’s about time! Thanks to video cameras and internet. There are two important expensive purchases consumers make…A house & a car. I watched the rebuttal of Brad Benson. All he did was try to save his dignity. He threw this video out there and it will bite him in the butt. For him to reveal a consumers credit information is unprofessional & down right dirty. I hope his business suffers! He will deserve it. YAY to the lady. Clap, Clap!
@technogirl: Not only did he reveal the mom’s confidential credit history…the Aunts too. I hope the lady sues this man. Doesn’t matter whether her credit is bad. That is confidential information. The nerve of this man!
Colin writes:
“I sold cars for a very brief period. I walked off the lot when the dealership I worked for (Gary Barbera’s Chrysler in Philadelphia) did this to a young woman buying her first car. It’s imperative that your readers with less-than wonderful credit understand not to accept a car from a dealer until they have a signed finance agreement with a specific bank/financial institution.
Scams like this are more common than people think. The goal isn’t just to get you emotionally attached, the dealership usually gives you enough time (2 days or so) to drive the car to work, show it off to your friends, etc. so that you’ll be too embarassed to return it. Instead, you will borrow from wherever you can in order to come up with the extra down payment needed to secure the loan.
Some folks in the comments were blaming the woman with the crap credit, but the finance and sales managers at the dealerships are the most convincing people in the world when they pull this routine.”
@Ben Popken: You are absolutely correct. I’ve seen this scam in action myself. The sales and finance managers are very convincing people. My point to this whole situation is the consumers private credit information being thrown out there. Don’t dealerships have to abide by the consumers privacy act law? Aren’t car dealers somewhat in the category as financial institution? This is very interesting!
This dealership opened this up to the public as judge and jury. When he got negative responses he closed the comments. He took it upon himself to open this up to the public and made himself look like a unqualified member of a professional dealership. His behavior is shocking. I have notice in his BBB record his favorite word is untrue. On the video of ABC television show I Caught his statement is “absolutely as long as their facts are correct”. Benson, says the lady’s facts are untrue. According to Benson most consumers statements are untrue. Benson put himself on the SPOT! He didn’t think the public would notice he edit her video. Terrible editing job by the way!!! When I first saw the lady’s video the comments were not open to the public. She open the comments after he put up his rebuttal. He publicly disclose private credit information and took it upon himself to post it on the web. Benson has shown his unprofessionalism as a business man.
@Jesus On A Pogo Stick: EXTRA, EXTRA read all about i!!! LMAO!!! no wonder why the lady in the video didn’t let this guy talk. Oct 11, 07 employee of Brad Benson got arrested at the dealership. Charged with identity theft and credit card fraud. Geez, nice reputable dealership. He reveals consumers private credit info on his video and now an employee steals from another consumer. Excellent dealership creditability . See it on NJ.com.
Iam 64 year American and always believed in trust and doing deals with a handshake, Benson has changed me completly as I bought two cars in two years from him and was promised Giant tickets and after many e mails and went to dealership was told no such thing in writing.
Oh well I learned another lesson after 63 years TRUST NOBOBY