This ones kinda long, so I apologize now, if you dont have time, thanks anyways:) but for those who do, I could really use some advice!
End of April I called Route 66 Powersports in Ionia, MI about an ad in the Cycle Trader regarding a "buddy pack" on two motorcycles, helmets, gloves, jackets, and a trailer. Ad also stated that "bad credit, no credit, no problem", free shipping also. I wanted to purchase two Suzukis. The sales man on the phone ran my credit and told me that I was not approved (BAD CREDIT NO PROBLEM HEY?), and that I would need a Co-Signer. I called my father and he agreed to co sign for me (my birthday being 2 weeks away, of course he would hehe) I called the dealership, gave them the information, and they said we were approved.
Unfortunately they didnt have two suzuki gsxr600's in stock, but the sales man said not to worry, that I could mix and match and get a Kawasaki ZZR600 and a Suzuki GSXR750, and still have it in a "buddy pack" plan. He told me my payments would be $129 per month for each motorcycle, for 60 months, with a 7.9% interest rate, and they would drive to where my father was in Kentucky at the time (truck driver) to have him sign some paperwork, and they would leave there and come right to Maryland (where I live) to deliver the motorcycles. What I thought was excellent customer service turned out to be a total nightmare.
When they arrived at the truck stop where my father was waiting, the sales slip for the suzuki was 15.9% with a payment of $208 per month, and the kawasaki was 7.% with a payment of $149 per month. My father called me and told me he refused to sign unless they corrected the prices. The delivery driver apparently called his manager, who agreed to change the interest and payment on the suzuki to 12.9% with a $169 payment and told the driver to correct it on the sales slip and have my father and him initial the changes, and I would sign it when they reached me in Maryland. The sales manager told his delivery driver to tell us he would get it straightened out in the morning, considering it was 7pm at night, and the financing dept was closed already. So my father signed.
The delivery driver pulled up to my house at 3am the next morning, with a pickup truck, and a flat trailer on the back, hauling 4 motorcycles, and two 4 wheelers. He complained how the company loaded his route backwards and how he didnt have help but his cousin who didnt know what he was doing, so I ended up helping him unload his entire route (getting hurt numerous times in the process) just to get my motorcycles off the back of his truck. When I hurt my leg, his cousin ended up helping him removed the last motorcycle and they scratched my swingarm in the process. And advised me they would call the dealership in the morning and let them know.
To make this story shorter then it is already long, I can say its been 5 months now, myself being no where on the loan and my father being the one and only buyer (guess they couldnt approve me WITH a cosigner), and to make matters better, it wasnt financed by them at all, but placed on 2 HSBC credit cards, with the rates that were stated on the sales slip BEFORE he scratched out and initialed. I even had to send HSBC a copy of the sales receipt and place the amount in dispute, and they closed my dispute because it was "handwritten, and hardly legible".
I filed complaints through BBB of michigan, and it has been administratively closed, 5 months later. Without me being contacted by the BBB a SINGLE time. Since these motorcycles are placed on a credit card, the payments of $208 and $149 are only FINANCE charges, and thats not putting a CENT into my principal, I could be paying on these motorcycles for 30 years! And after the 60 month term which I thought was the term of the loan, the interest goes to 17.9%!
The dealership has not contacted me but one time, and that was 2 days after the sale to do a "customer satisfaction survey" and never called back after that. I had even received late fees on one motorcycle because the statement was not coming to my home, but to my fathers in TN, which hes never home because of his truck driving job, and the company offered to refund my lates fee's if I sent in a satisfactory rating to BBB.
Even though the company stated "free shipping" they charged me $2,500. For shipping the motorcycles from Japan to dealerships in either California or New York, and then shipping them to Route 66 Powersports. The free shipping was actually only free to my house from their dealership. After other charges and fees were tacked on, I owe HSBC bank well over $30,000!
$30,000 for two motorcycles and some jackets, helmets, and a little snowboard trailer which didnt even come with wheel chocks??? Yeah do the math, one motorcycle is valued at $7,000 and the other valued at $10,000 ($17,000). Thats $13,000 for the trailer, two sets of gloves, two helmets, and two jackets (all cheap might I add) and thats NOT including financing!
I have hired a lawyer who is writing up a draft now, but that cost me $4,000.00 retainer fee, not including trial or actual court hearings. My lawyer says we can sue for punitive damages, legal fees, and compensenatory damages, but cant really give me much more then that. (not sure if I picked a good one or not, never used him before)
Does anyone know if I have a good case against this company? And if so, are punitive damages likely? I dont know what to expect, but I do know that I have gotten ripped off.
Jessica
boonsboro, Maryland
U.S.A.
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