In May of my niece went to Blue Ridge Mazda (BRM) with her husband to purchase a car. Victor, and employee of Blue Ridge Mazda, showed them several cars and took the couple for a test drive. When they found a car they liked Victor took them to the office of a young man named Steve to close the deal. When they ran her (the borrower's) credit report she discovered she needed a cosigner.
Steve then ran credit reports on three other individuals, I was the fourth person contacted. Steve called and asked for some very personal information over the phone and our conversation ended. Later in the day, I received a call saying everything checked out and was asked to come in and sign some paperwork for my niece.
The first thing I was asked to read over and signed was a Notice To Cosigner (NTC). This document was not a contract but it disappeared. A new NTC later appeared with my niece's signature. Why was the first document destroyed? Why would a dealership call a potential buyer and ask them to come in so someone with no credit could be their cosigner? It makes no sense. This is what Willie Rickel, the President would later claim.
I asked the dealership for copies of everything I signed on my initial visit. Steve told me I would get copies of everything later. That never happened and I did not press the issue since I was just the cosigner. I figured the buyer was the one who legally had the right to the documents.
Later Blue Ridge Mazda did have us come back in and sign more paperwork to lower the payments for the car. They still never said anything about me being the buyer of the car. Let me be clear other than signing some paperwork I did not have ANYTHING to do with the car. I was not at the dealership when it was being picked out or test-driven. When we left the dealership, they gave the keys to my niece and nephew, they drove off in one direction, and I drove off in another.
In March of I received a ticket in the mail with my name on it and realized I was in fact listed as the buyer of the car not the cosigner. The responsibility of the buyer is very different from that of a co-buyer or a cosigner. I was asked to cosign for a car and Steve used deceptive business practices to list me as the buyer.
I contacted the company to file a complaint and was ignored by Dara Nielsen, the General Manager. I then contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB tried to help but the General Managed lied to the president Willie Rickel and the president never investigated my complaint. To this day, he actually believes I came into his dealership looking for a car and asked my niece to cosign for me. The smallest amount of investigating on his part would have told him otherwise.
I never did get copies of all the documents I signed from the dealership. I did contact the Lien holder of the car and got copies of most of the paperwork from them. I then discover another questionable sales practice. Steve had my niece put my address on her application. We have never lived together. He told her she had to say she lived with me otherwise the deal would not go through.
I started checking my credit reports after I discovered I was in fact the buyer of the car. I cannot begin to tell you all the hits this dealership put on my credit report. The dealership never intended on financing the car. They sent my personal information to all these finance companies. It was still going on six days after our initial visit according to the reports.
I purchased a car in October and I did not need a cosigner. The car was financed through the dealership. I talked to my credit union before I purchased the car but the dealership was offering the same interest rate plus some other incentives so I was financed the car through the dealership. I would have never agreed to buy another car. Buyer beward willie rickel sells his cars by any means necessary even deception.
a buyer has rights. I believe one of the first rights it to be told you are going to be listed as the buyer. Bottom line is Blue Ridge Mazda never intended on financing the car. Blue Ridge Mazda never told me I had to be listed as the buyer or they could not sell my niece the car. Blue Ridge Mazda never negotiated the price of the car with me that would have been the RED FLAG to let me know I was being listed as the buyer. Blue Ridge Mazda never took my complaint seriously. I do not blame Victor, Steve, or Dara. Mr. Rickel heard about this practice but was not outraged because it must be commonplace. My advice if you buy a car from Blue Ridge Mazda DEMAND copies of everything. Immediately check your credit report but most import if you get a call from a young man named Steve asking you to be a cosigner HANG UP THE PHONE. Finally, the only way to stop the Willie Rickel's of the world is to share your story so other people want fall prey to the same scam.
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