I am writing you today in hopes that you may be able to assist me in getting an error fixed that occurred with Nissan Finance. Let me start by saying that my husband and I have had nothing but good experiences with Nissan from the minute that we bought our Altima. The dealership ensured that we got exactly the car we were looking for and made it hassle free for us to drive our car off of the lot. When something had gone wrong with my Altima, the Nissan dealership was there and ready to take care of everything that needed to be fixed and had a loaner car ready and waiting for me. Everyone has been truly helpful and wonderful. Nissan is a great company which is why it surprised me a few months ago when I experienced what I had experienced.

I have always been on top of paying my bills, two bills in particular, my mortgage payment and my car payment. I have never missed a payment with either one of these two things, so when I got notified by my credit monitoring company that Nissan was reporting me 30 days past due on my credit report, I was shocked! I immediately jumped onto www.nissanfinance.com to find out what had happened. Searching through all of my statements, I could not find where I had missed a payment. Each payment had a posted status that said "Paid". At that point, I picked up the telephone and called Nissan's finance center. I spoke to a lady on the phone who had informed me that Nissan had reversed a payment that I had made to them ( on time ) 6 months prior to that day. I asked them why they would reverse a perfectly good payment, and there was no legitimate reason given. I asked then to speak to a Supervisor at which point I was transferred. The Supervisor told me that she did see that I had attempted to make my payment to Nissan but for whatever reason, Nissan reversed the payment and again I was told this with no good reason why. I then asked why I had not been notified of this happening, either through mail, email, telephone....with so many different ways to get a hold of somebody these days, I had not received any correspondence from Nissan informing me of a reversal and letting me know that I was still on the hook for a months car payment. She stated to me that it was not Nissan's responsibility to do such things. At that point I was speechless, I felt like I had been dooped. I arranged payment with her over the phone to catch up on the "reversed" payment but explained to her that I could not have this effect my credit report. She stated that she understood and would contact the credit reporting agencies and that she would also send me a letter in the mail stating that. I have not received anything.

Today, I pulled my credit report only to find that Nissan reported me not only 30 days past due, but 30 days past due for 4 consecutive months in a row. This has effected my credit in a very bad way. My credit score has dropped significantly due to this internal error on Nissan's end. I don't feel that it is right that I, the consumer, should have to pay the price and now live with this on my credit report for 7-10 years. I am a hard worker just trying to do the best that I can do for my family and in this economy, you need to have good credit and what's sad is that I had good credit up until this happened.

I have at this point nobody else to turn to that can help and have this removed from my credit report. I am not asking for money, for a car, for anything other than you please help figure out how to get back what Nissan Finance took away from me...my credit worthiness.

It seems Kristin and her husband should do all they can to set their credit history straight. What would you do if you found yourself in such a situation?

(Photo: RussSwift)

KOMO 1000 has a story about two Nissan dealerships and a Subaru dealer where hundreds of new cars and trucks have been seized by the manufacturer — placed on semi trucks and spirited away to parts unknown.

At Auburn Nissan, a sales agent says the shop is still in business. But you'll have a tough time finding anything to buy. The inventory at Eastside Subaru in Kirkland has also vanished.

The problem is apparently crumbling financing in this free-fall economy, and the dealerships squabbling with the auto companies about how things should be done.

Since Nissan, Subaru and most other auto manufacturer own all the cars that are for sale at dealerships, they can yank them off a dealer's lot when they want to. If new financing gets worked out, the cars come back.

And then there's this story from Marshall, Texas about a GM dealership... with an accompanying ad for the dealership...

Representatives from General Motors Corp. and General Motors Acceptance Corp. loaded the vehicles onto 18-wheelers and drove them off the lot at 1400 East End Blvd. S. Monday after back-and-forth decisions by local district judges.
Cindy Morton, a former All American employee who happened to be at the dealership Monday on unrelated business, described the scene that day as "a madhouse."

She said GMC and GMAC representatives were "running around the lot taking pictures of and filming vehicles" as they were being loaded aboard the transport vehicles. Ms. Morton said about 40 people lost their jobs as a result of the action.

Local dealership emptied [Marshall News-Messenger]
Where have all the cars gone? [KOMO 1000]

If you're in the market for a car, a used car may be a good choice. With a used car, you allow the original owner to take the initial depreciation hit, as new cars lose much more value in the first and second years than those that follow. By focusing on a recent model, you can find reliable used cars that are safe, fuel efficient, and yet still affordable.

Top 10 Recent Model Used Car Deals:

• 2006 Lincoln Town Car Executive Sdn Auto RWD 8 Cyl 4doors, 40k miles
  Used Price: $14,275 Depreciation: 66%

• 2007 Lincoln Town Car Executive Sdn Auto RWD 8 Cyl 4doors, 33k miles
  Used Price: $16,250 Depreciation: 62%

• 2006 Volvo S60 Base Sdn Auto FWD 5 Cyl Turbo light pressure 4doors, 40k miles
  Used Price: $13,975 Depreciation: 54%

• 2006 Toyota Sequoia Ltd Utility Auto RWD 8 Cyl 4doors , 40k miles
  Used Price: $19,975 Depreciation: 52%

• 2006 Acura RL Sdn w/Nav Auto AWD 6 Cyl 4doors, 40k miles
  Used Price: $23,550 Depreciation: 52%

• 2006 Nissan Murano S Utility Auto FWD 6 Cyl 4doors, 40k miles
  Used Price:$13,325 Depreciation: 52%

• 2006 Honda Pilot LX Utility Auto FWD 6 Cyl 4doors , 40k miles
  Used Price: $13,050 Depreciation: 52%

• 2006 Infiniti M45 Base Sdn Auto RWD 8 Cyl 4doors, 40k miles
  Used Price: $23,075 Depreciation: 51%

• 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander LS Utility Auto FWD 4 Cyl 4doors, 56k miles
  Used Price: $9,900 Depreciation:51%

• 2006 Lexus LS 430 Sdn Auto RWD 8 Cyl 4doors, 40k miles
  Used Price: $27,875 Depreciation: 51%

See even more cars at Consumer Reports .

Best used car deals-2006-2007 models [CR]

This template is a good basic sorta "fill-in-the-blanks" approach to the basics you need to include in your letter. Once you got that covered and want to add a little style, Bruce Campbell, who has written a book on complaint letter writing, recommends going for a "Praise with faint damn" approach.

Also, make sure you're asking for something specific and material in your letter. Make it actionable. Do all of the above and you're well on your way to a great complaint letter!

(Photo: Getty)

And its not just cars that are piling up. The port usually exports recycled paper. They send it to China where it is turned back into the boxes that you rip open during the holidays to reveal all sorts of consumer products. TVs, toys, video games. Whatever. But the demand is slowing. The paper is piling up...

Long Beach is an important port, particularly for the West. It is where imported products arrive and filter through the tributary of trucks, trains and retailers into the hands of consumers. But now, products are just sitting.

“We’re supposed to move things, not store them,” Mr. Wong said.

The NYT says this phenomenon is nothing new for Detroit — American cars are housed at the Michigan's state fairgrounds and at its airports.

A Sea Of Unwanted Imports [NYT]

Hi Consumerist,

I've been reading your website for quite a while and need some help for my brother. He went to Bay Ridge Nissan in Brooklyn, NY to lease a Nissan Pathfinder. He negotiated the deal to 311 a month and 1200 out of pocket costs. When I went with him to the dealership on Wednesday to pick up the car and sign the paperwork, the numbers were all changed. They added a bunch of fees, including a mysterious prep fee. After much negotiating, we decided not to buy the vehicle. My brother had left a $500 deposit earlier, and they said he would get it back.

Today, the salesman called and begged him to come take the car. After he said no, the salesman said he's not getting his deposit back. The salesman also intercepts any phone calls to the manager and says we must only speak to his manager and his manager will be in tomorrow. He said we'd be surprised at what he can make up to keep the deposit. I'm wondering what to do to get the deposit back.

Your other recourse is to take the dealership to small claims court, where you stand a good chance of getting back your money.

Whatever you decide to do, you should also report the dealership to the New York Attorney General's office via their complaint form, and while you're there read up on their advice and warnings for car buyers in New York.

"How To Kick A Scammy Car Dealer In The Nuts"
"Suing Big Companies In Small Claims Court Is Fun And Easy"
"How To Take Your Case To Small Claims Court"
"Consumer Issues" [NYSOAG ]

RELATED
Tips
"Dealerships Rip You Off With The "Four-Square," Here's How To Beat It"
"13 Step Method For Buying A Car While Controlling The Sale And The Price"
"Buying A Car: Always Up The Ante"
"The Art of The Buy: Hide Your Time Wisely"

Scams
"Reader Falls Victim To Spot Delivery Dealership Scam"
"Car Dealership Bilks Old Man and Steals $2000 With His ATM Card"

•Toyota offers a $400 rebate to recent graduates, and requires proof of graduation;
•Nissan offers a $500 rebate to recent graduates;
•Ford offers a $500 rebate to recent graduates, or students in the last half-year of school.

Incentives from other automakers take several forms, including lower rates and deferred payments. Each offer varies, so be sure not only to ask the dealer, but to get details directly from the automaker. Though incentives help, greater savings can be earned by doing your homework before setting foot in a dealership. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

Some Automakers Offer Incentives to New College Grads [KABC]
(Photo: Justin Russell)

Update: Our resident car expert clarifies: "They do actually advertise these incentive deals — but they don't advertise them in the mainstream. What they do is either buy lists from alumni organizations and do mailings to them, or they advertise in school newspapers, etc. Dealers in big college towns, for instance in East Lansing and Ann Arbor, MI, are well aware of the incentive programs and actively push them to young-looking folks who come in to buy."

The solution: keep the two at least an inch apart.

Nissan isn't rushing a permanent fix since there have been few reported problems. A newer, smarter, phone-proof intelligent key will debut by the fall. Owners with dead I-Keys can get new ones from the dealer. On the bright side, if this happens to you, at least you can call for help. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

Nissan warns U.S. cellphones can disable car keys [Reuters]

"Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th vehicle. For the second and third calendar quarters after the quarter in which the 60,000th vehicle is sold, taxpayers may claim 50 percent of the credit. For the fourth and fifth calendar quarters, taxpayers may claim 25 percent of the credit. No credit is allowed after the fifth quarter." Got all that?

The credit amount for the hybrid vehicle certification of the 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid is $2,350. Not to mention all the money you'll save on gas. Hybrids are neat-o. —MEGHANN MARCO

2007 Nissan Altima Certified as Qualified Hybrid Vehicle [IRS]

We have no clue.

So we shot it over to our brother car blog, Jalopnik, and Ray replied:

"My vote would be the Nissan, mainly cause the re-sale value of the Nissan Sentra is significantly higher — like 80% higher. The MSRP for the Sentra $13,200 and the re-sale is around $10,000. The MSRP for the Cobalt is around $19,900 and the re-sale is around $10,951. Both being 2005 models.

That's not a good jump."

UPDATE: Ray read the original email and saw the price our reader is getting quoted. He says, "If the dude can get a cobalt for the price he's getting a cobalt for — its a better deal."

There you have it. Get a Sentra. UPDATE: Or a Cobalt. Also, some spellcheck...

SUMER REP OFFI i am having difficulty choseing between a n "isson -sentra and a "chevrolet-cobalt." "can you help? i can purchase a sentra rfor $ 14500. with ac., power windows and loclks radio /dic player and power windows : the cobalt has comprible equiptm ent at va price oe around $ 13,600 which in your opinion is a better buy?i have had b ad experiences buying american cars both chrysler and GM,m silloutteAMERICAN MOTORS HAS DEALT ITSELF AREPUTATION "MY OPINION AS MAKING INFERIOR PRODUCTS, THEN THEY DON,T REPAIR THIER MISTAKES . I THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISWTAN CE AND/OR ANY INFORM ATION YOU CAN PROVIDES THANKS AGAINONE THAT THINKS YOU ARE A GOOD REPUTABLE OFFICE , ONE THAT IS INTERESTEDS IN HELPING THE CONSUMER TO MAKE INFORMED CHOICES , BUT NOT TRING TO PREFOEM A CAPITALISTICOPERATION ON THE CONSUMER/THQAT BEING , RIP HIM OFF FOR AS MUCH SAS THE PERSON WILL TOLERATE EX. PRES. HOVER SAID IR ALL WHEN HE STATED " THE TROUBLE WITH CAPITALISM ARE THE CAPITALIST, THEY ARE OR B ECOME GREEDYAM ERICAN INDUSTRIES DONT SEEM TO CARE ABOT QUALITYYT THAN KS AGAIN FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE DISILLUTIONED C AR BUYER

The email came from an AOL address, so yeah, there you go.