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