Let me tell you a True Story and let it serve as a WARNING! This isn't an Internet hoax. This isn't some mad girlfriend trying to get back at her boyfriend or an ex-employee trying to ruin his former place of business. And I'm not another company trying to spread bad rumors.
It's me, Roxanne Wells, a 28 year old housewife living paycheck to paycheck. An average person who used to own a not so very dependable Mazda. A car I have had since 1998.
One day I got a letter in the mail from Advantage Suzuki that contained a card, you may have gotten one yourself. It said, and not in these exact words: come in from January 13th to January 17th and scan this card. You may win up to $15,000 that you can use to buy a new car.
Now, our luck has been running short and I thought maybe just maybe it could happen.
So the last day of the sale, scam? We went in. We get there and they don't even worry with the card. They want to sell us a car. I ask about the car and the salesman, (won't use his real name so let's call him DELBERT, I don't think a Delbert works there.), he tells me himself that it's a bunch of crap that we could, however, apply for a credit card and we MIGHT get credit in the amount of $15,000 to use on the car. Did I mention we have horrible credit? Well, we did mention that to him. Oh, have I mentioned that my DL's are suspended (a fine from hell to get them back) and that I was once told that my husband couldn't get insurance on the other car because of it. Someone lied to me there also, but anyway, I told the salesman they were and that if by some miracle someone would finance us that I didn't want to be on the title.
So, now we are up to Bad Credit and No DL and I didn't want to be on the title. This is still me, I wasn't real thrilled about another bill each month (add insurance to that), was wary of salesmen anyway, but saw the hope in my hubby's eyes and knew it would settle his mind to know that we had dependable transportation. So, they ran our credit. Did I say our? Yes, I did. *sighs* So, Delbert The Salesman comes back, wants us to go outside and shows us an unused 2004 Suzuki Verona (a very beautiful car by the way), we wanted the used 2004 Suzuki XL-7. He says they won't finance the XL-7, but they'll finance this. (BULLSHIT!!!) Pardon my French, but when you finish this email, you'll understand my bitterness.
I look at my husband, now there is a gleam instead of hope in those beautiful green eyes. Somewhere in the 5 hours of waiting and those green eyes I lost most of my fight, some would call it stubbornness. He tells me my credit, (God only knows how because up until a couple of years ago I was worthless with bills), is the reason they will finance. (MORE BULL!) I start arguing with Delbert about how much we will pay a month. We meet somewhere in the middle. So, papers are signed, we pay for overnight insurance and promise to come back the next day to get insurance. Oh, and they were willing to wait until Thursday for our $1000 down payment. We leave, I'm tired and nervous, and my husband is tickled pink.
Next Day: We go back and get insurance. I have to be on the insurance because I'm co-buyer, but I'm excluded from driving. We plan to sell the other car and pay off my fines. So I can't drive the new car until that happens. It's ok, it'll work out. We come home and my brother in law is interested in the other car, but he can't pay up front. So, we take $50 from him as down payment, type up a little contract, and he promises to pay us off ($1400) over his next few checks. That's good.
Thursday we take the $1000 promised as down payment, the car gets a bath and an inspection sticker and we get a little car tutorial. Before we leave, I say "So, it's ours now, we have a new car". Delbert says, "Yep, It's yours". Wrong.
Over a week later.
Delbert calls and tells me there is a problem. The finance company doesn't want me on the insurance. I tell him I have to be and he calls the insurance company and gets told the same thing. He calls me again the next day. You need to write up something saying you can't drive. He want's me to lie? Yes. So I do. I remember those green eyes, sigh, type up a letter saying "I, Roxanne Wells, am currently (see how smart I am) unable to drive due to complications caused by my diabetes." (well, yes I'm diabetic and if you count my deteriorating eyesight without glasses caused by it, it's only half a lie). I fax that to him and assume he faxes it to the finance company.
Well, the last few days are a blur so I'm not sure when he called, but he called to say that that didn't make them happy and we need to get my fines paid off. There is a problem. Well, Delbert, are you gonna give me $1800 to do that? Well, of course he wouldn't. So he says he tried to see if they would refinance for that amout. Nope. He comes to my house to get the car. Suprise, Delbert, hubby has the keys offshore. So then he calls me later and says he has someone who will finance the Mazda. Hmmm. It's been sold. Well, you might have to take it back from him, he says. Lets review some words in my vocabulary: Indian Giver, Breech of Contract, Family, WRONG, Dishonesty? Need I say more? Well, he can pay the notes, Delbert says. So once my brother in law pays off his part, I'll have yet another bill each month to pay, I'm expected to pay interest? Would probably end up paying $2500 instead of $1800. No mam, No sir, No indeed. I shouldn't have to do it, anyway.
So yesterday, while I'm gone with my friend Penny, who transports me around, they come and get the car. I still have stuff in it. Where's my $1000? He calls and tells me I can have it as soon as my fines are paid. What would you do? Me, I told him I wanted my stuff and my money and I was going somewhere else to get a car after I paid my fines. I also told him that everyone I knew would hear about this. They were told my DL was suspended. They let us leave thinking we had a new car because they wanted money.
Once while I was put on hold with them their commercial said something about they wanted to make relationships, not just sell cars. Well, Delbert, we have a relationship and it's about as sweet and full of love and trust as my dogs butt. Is that the kind of relationship you want? Oh, and I failed to mention that my hubby and I ran into a very sweet black lady in a Suzuki XL-7. I told her that was what I wanted and told her that they wouldn't finance for that. She said they told her the same thing and that she walked out. They called her the next day and said come and get it. Well, nice lady, I hope you got to keep yours.
I'm not gonna tell you not to go to Advantage Suzuki, they do have great warranties, but I'm not gonna tell you to go either. I'll just let you decide and hey if something stupid like this happens to you, don't say you weren't warned. If you go anywhere and you aren't happy with ONE little detail. Walk Out! Someone will finance you. I had no problems with the first car I bought. Don't just read the fine print, read between the lines.
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