| You hear them on the radio and TV everyday. Some | | | | a repossession sale, cream puffs, etc... They will lie |
| have outrageous ads and sales gimmicks. "Push, pull or | | | | about the origination of cars just like in a recent Carfax |
| drag your trade in for $4000 minimum trade", "Best | | | | ad. Oh that was just a little fender scratch (complete |
| price in the world!" "Best bumper to bumper warranty | | | | repaint from a 50mph accident) or new upholstery |
| ever - we cover everything." "Repo'd car sale today." | | | | (due to a flood and complete submersion). These |
| Bet you didn't know that these ads can be and usually | | | | repossession sales, like Repo Joe, do a media Blitz and |
| are very misleading and can be illegal. | | | | claim they have all repossessed vehicles for a great |
| According to Leslie Anderson, AAA, Misleading | | | | buy. When in fact they probably don't even have one |
| advertisements and deceptive marketing from car | | | | repossessed car that is for sale. Most car dealers get |
| dealers has been on the rise in recent years. Car | | | | their cars from either trades or local auctions. |
| dealers, due to a struggling economy are resorting to | | | | Regardless of what they claim they most likely do not |
| grey market sales tactics and ads. Many of these ads | | | | know the vehicles history. You can't even rely on |
| are either borderline or even illegal in nature. With all the | | | | Carfax 100% as many vehicles are repaired without |
| publicity in recent years of scams and illegal business | | | | full salvage disclosure or even any repair history. A |
| activities by businesses from every state you would | | | | carfax report is only as good as the information that is |
| think most states would have toughened up their laws | | | | actually entered into the system. Before you rely on |
| and started to crack down on bad car dealers. Only | | | | that Carfax or what the dealer says is the cars history |
| one state, New York, has really done anything. | | | | listen to this - Tennessee attorneys Frank Watson and |
| There are laws already on the books that make many | | | | David McLaughlin charge that Carfax's ads promise |
| of these advertisements and such illegal, but few | | | | more than it can deliver. "Carfax fails to disclose the |
| states will even look into these activities. In New York, | | | | limitations of their database," says Watson. "People |
| if you run a Push, Pull or Drag sale the odds are you | | | | think they have a little insurance policy on their Carfax |
| will get fined. The thinking behind New Yorks laws is | | | | report, and it's just not accurate," says McLaughlin. |
| that if you promise someone a set figure for their | | | | Carfax is an online company that searches databases |
| vehicle it should not be factored into the discount or | | | | for a vehicle's history, claiming to be "your best |
| markup of the newer, replacement vehicle. This is | | | | protection against buying a used car with costly, hidden |
| deceptive advertising. Yet I hear these same ads, with | | | | problems." But, critics say when it comes to many |
| even higher amounts promised on the radio and TV in | | | | accidents, online reporting companies fall short. A |
| North Carolina and South Carolina all the time. Then | | | | class-action lawsuit against Carfax claims the |
| there's the matter of expressed and implied | | | | company doesn't have access to police accident data |
| warranties. | | | | in 23 states. |
| Expressed and implied warranties are actually covered | | | | This article should be a wake up call to car buyers to |
| under federal laws. Every car dealer must have a | | | | be more on the alert to car dealer scams, lies and |
| federally approved warranty disclosure placed in the | | | | untruths. It should also be an alert to states from |
| window. This is to show if a warranty exists and what | | | | Oregon to Florida that more needs to be done to curb |
| is actually covered. This was done as there was too | | | | bad car sales tactics. Most car dealers aren't small |
| much discrepency in the past with car salesman | | | | mom and pop organizations. They are large million or |
| blurring the line of what is really covered and what isn't. | | | | billion dollar companies that will do anything to make a |
| On a recent drive from North Carolina to South | | | | dollar. Even crossing the line or blurring what is legal |
| Carolina I saw 11 used car dealerships that did not | | | | and what isn't. And according to one big dealer in |
| have these in the windows - at one we found they | | | | Charlotte, North Carolina whom didn't want his name or |
| were in the glove compartment. When we asked the | | | | dealership mentioned for obvious reasons - "its all |
| salesperson why it wasn't in the window he said it | | | | about that bottem line and if we get caught, thats |
| wasn't necessary. In New York, every car dealer you | | | | what our lawyers are for. Per another car dealer, "it's |
| drive by or visit will have these prominently displayed. | | | | a buyer beware market: Buyers must beware and be |
| Then you have the usual lies - car dealers advertising | | | | detectives too. |