I went to this car lot to buy a Dodge Ram 1500. I already owned a 2000 Mazda Protege LX and hoped that I wouldn't have to trade it in. The sign out front said "0 down or $99.00 per month payments." I was showed four Dodge Ram 1500's and the only one on the lot that was around $10,000.00 was a Blue Standard truck with no power locks, power windows, power side view mirrors nor any carpet. I test drove this one first and told the car salesman that it would be okay for me if I were by myself on the other hand I would not want to buy it because it did not have any power windows, locks or side view mirrors. I explained that I did not want to downgrade from what I already had. I test drove the Red Dodge Ram 1500 which was priced a little higher. I like the red one because it had everthing that the other one didn't and a good stereo system and rims.
They had me fill out some paperwork on the red truck and let me take it home. When I got home I was informed that I had court on Monday morning and needed to make a trip to Texas. I called up to the office and asked for Mike the manager and was told that he had left already. I explained the situation to the girl who answered the phone and she transferred me to the financial manager. I explained the situation to him and asked if I had enough time to go to Texas for court and come back (I was waiting for the application to go through) and he said yes.
I immediately left for Texas and the following day the car lot called and wanted me to come in to sign some more papers, before the conversation was finished I got cut off and could not return the phone call. I did not talk to the car lot again until the following Monday after I returned from court. Mike asked me where I was and I told him that I was in Texas. He stated that he had a warrant for my arrest because I took the truck out-of-state without permission. I asked how could this be when I called and asked to leave. He said that no one told him about it and that I would need to return as soon as possible. I asked if he still needed me to get him a copy of my check stub and he agreed to still do a deal on the truck if I could get him the check stub. I faxed a copy and then left the next day to return to Georgia.
When I arrived the car salesman recorded the milage and gave it to Mike and I was asked to come into his office. I was told that I owed approximately $800 for the mileage that I put on the red truck. He also stated that he could not get me financed for the red truck, but he could sell me the blue truck with no powers windows, locks and standard transmission. I stated that I did not want the blue truck and asked what I needed to get the red one. He stated that I would need an additional $2,000 in addition to trading my Mazda Protege LX in order to get the red truck. I told him no problem. He wanted now and would not let me leave to get the money. After compromising with all Mike's excuses as to why I could not buy the red truck, he bluntly held up the paperwork and said that he wasn't going to sell me the red truck and if I didn't pay the $800 right now that he was going to prosecute me for the amount owed unless I wanted to close the deal on the blue truck.
At this point I new that this was coercion, since I did not have the $800 on me, which Mike new, and I was not allowed to leave without facing prosecution for something I did not do, which he was stating was theft by deceiving - auto.
I went ahead and signed all documents given to me because all I wanted to do at this point was leave. When all was done I left and went straight to my attorney's office.
Under law - no contract is valid unless there is a mutual agreement. Any coersion or forceful act voids a contract.in this case i did not agree to buy the blue truck. They used prosecution as coersion into buying the truck i did not want. End result the contract i signed is a void contract and is not enforceable.
I'll see you in court payless car sales!
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