Brad and his wife drove a few hours to a car dealership, planning to pay cash for a new vehicle. Well, not cash exactly: they were putting part of the balance on a credit card (for airline miles or other rewards, we’re guessing) and had a cashier’s check for the rest. The dealer agreed to this deal over e-mail and over the phone. Then, when they reached the dealership, they were handed a credit application to fill out. Wait, why did they need their credit checked when payment in full was sitting right there in their hands? [More]
Who Put A Used Battery In My New Car?
By June 8, 2012
Amanda’s car is pretty new: it’s a 2008 Honda Civic. She’s its first and only owner, and a trusted family member performs all maintenance on it. When the battery died recently, a mechanic changed it out for her. What was supposed to be the car’s original battery….wasn’t. It was a reconditioned battery that had clearly served her well for 4 years, but didn’t belong in a factory-fresh car. So how the heck did she end up with a used, refurbished battery instead of the shiny new one that it clearly deserved? [More]
Want To Look At A Car? Dodge Dealership Needs All Of Your Info
By May 21, 2012
Allen wanted to look at a new Dodge Charger. Not test-drive it. Just look at it, and maybe check out the interior or sit inside. But the dealership he visited wouldn’t let him even look at the car without taking down his name, address, driver’s license information, and phone number. Annoyed, he left the dealership and did a Google Images search or something instead. [More]
No, Of Course This Car We're Selling Has Never Been In A Severe Accident
By February 23, 2012
Last year, Brandon’s car was destroyed in an accident, and he went shopping for a new-to-him vehicle. He found a nice 2008 Honda Civic at a good price with a clean Carfax report. Sweet deal! Now Brandon’s in the market for a new car. At another dealership, he learned that the Civic isn’t worth as much as he had thought as a trade-in, because the vehicle had sustained severe body damage in an accident, then was rebuilt. How did they know this? The now-updated Carfax report, of course. [More]
Is It Time To Get A Cheap Dealer-Financed Car Loan?
By January 20, 2011
With banks continuing to stick to high (well, higher) lending standards, and car dealers eager to move inventory, now could be the right time to buy a new car and finance it through the dealer, according to SmartMoney. Rates are as low as zero percent, and . “nothing beats 0%,” says Paul Taylor, of the National Automobile Dealers Association. [More]
Skeezy Car Dealer Is Holding My Deposit Until I Come Back To Talk To Him
By July 5, 2010
Don plopped down $500 at a Hyundai dealership with the understanding that he’d get his money back if the sale fell through. He wasn’t happy with the terms of the deal, so he went with another dealership and was assured that he’d get the money back. The dealer still has the deposit and told Dan he’d like him to come in and have a sit-down about why the sale didn’t happen. Dan just wants his $500. [More]
Disgruntled Former Dealership Employee Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely, Honks Horns
By March 18, 2010
Some car dealerships and lenders have equipped cars with devices that disable the ignition or make the horn honk nonstop when payments are late. We wrote about this last year, but didn’t realize that the interface has fantastic potential for pranks. And that’s how a laid-off car dealership employee was allegedly able to disable the ignitions of more than 100 cars purchased from the dealership. Or set off their horns in the middle of the night. [More]
Honda Dealer Tricks Toyota Owners With Fake Recall Notice
By February 11, 2010
Reader TheLoneGoldfish sent us this very sneaky mailing from an area Honda dealer. “Attention Toyota owners: Important Recall Information Enclosed,” the envelope declares. That important information: a letter noting that hey, this would be a really great time to trade in their Toyota for a Honda! [More]
Honda Dealer Mocks Toyota, Touts Cars' Non-Deathtrap Status
By January 29, 2010
Well, this is classy. The photo at left purports to be of a Honda dealer in Dallas taking advantage of Toyota’s own private carpocalypse. That is, the serious gas pedal issue that has led to the recall of 2.3 million vehicles and halted production and sales of Toyotas. Hondas, as we all know, are free of mechanical defects. [More]
A Guide To The Bull#$@% They Say In Car Commercials
By August 31, 2009
The folks at Bankrate and Yahoo! Finance have put together a guide that translates the silly things that are often said in car commercials.
Texas Car Dealership Will Give Away Cars If It Rains
By July 23, 2009
What’s a great way for a car dealer to get attention during a drought? Offer customers a free car if it rains. No, the dealership owner won’t be standing out front in a poncho, handing out keys to everyone who passes by on the appointed day. It’s cleverer than that.
Mass Schadenfreude
By June 7, 2006
• The thing about car dealers is that they can refi their soul at anytime. [Copyranter]
