We purchased our first car from JD Byrider in January a 1999 Ford Escort LX, which was overpriced with way too many miles on it, but at the time we had no other choice as our credit was not good and my boyfriend has no driver's license, but we have to have his income on the loan, and conventional financing would not touch it.
The car went to the shop immediately because it was making a funny noise in the front end. The car went to the shop twice over the same noises, and I had to pay for the repairs the second time as we had gone out of the 30 day warranty, even though the noise had been there from day one.
Their statement was that I should have had the car in within the first thirty days... My response was that I thought they had fixed it the first time, since that was what they said, and that it took awhile for the noise to resume. Nonetheless, in order to get the car back, we paid for the repairs. Thankfully, it was the replacement of the right front strut that made the noise cease.
In March of when I was 38 1/2 weeks pregnant, I was hit by someone and the car was totalled. USAA (their insurance) paid $2000.00 LESS than what we owed on the car, and said that the car was valued at what it was due to the excessive mileage.
JD Byrider rolled the $2000.00 that we owed into a new car / new payment. They gave us three choices of vehicles. The first was a minivan. I am 5 feet tall and could not drive that huge vehicle. The second was a Saturn that made such bad noises when it was started that even the sales-person said no way. The third was another Ford Escort.
That Escort, however, was a 1998 SE, which is the lesser model. No automatic windows, no cruise control, and although it is equipped with the automatic door un-locks system, they did not have the unlocking device.
One year older, lesser model, $2000.00 more. Total sales price—$8,800.00.
When we finally got this new car (HA!) my child was less than a month old. I was exhausted, but in a corner as we could not continue to pay for a rental car. Their statement was that they would put us in a new car with no money down! Oh boy!
I did not notice at the time that we got the car—new mom, exhausted and all—that there was a little sticker on the driver's window that says... Second generation air bags.
This car went to the shop immediately. The service personnel claim to have no idea what is causing the clunking noise in the front end, which occurs when the brakes are applied, and is progressively getting worse.
At this point, still owing close to $7000.00 for this vehicle, I am sorely tempted to voluntarily repossess it, but wonder what sort of fight I will have on my hands with their legal department over the obvious excess amount that will be owed once they auction it or whatever they do with these vehicles. I am a stay-at-home mom and my only consolation is that I don't think they can do a wage garnishment on my boyfriend as he is the head-of-household.
I would strongly recommend to anyone that they wait a bit, save that down-payment and monthly car payment money and take the bus for a few months in order to NOT buy a car from JD Byrider.
And by the way, they say that they are under new ownership now, and the caller ID shows them as Brightstar when they call about their payment, which they do when the account is ONE DAY past due.
What a shame. Easily the WORST purchase we have ever made in our lives.
It is amazing to me how very few morals people have... And JD Byrider / CNAC / Brightstar is a perfect example.
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