On the night of 11/10/03 my husband and I decided, upon looking at Towbin Dodge's website, to look at a 1996 Pontiac Firebird. As we pulled in the dealership we were approached by a salesman named Jack Tomassian. We made it clear to Jack that we did not want to waste his time or ours. We had a trade-in and wanted to look at the 1996 Firebird.
Upon looking at it he informed us that a financing company would not finance us on a loan that small. (He had not even checked our credit report at that time). We said okay do you have anything else that we may get into.
He proceeded to take us to the back lot and showed us a 2000 Pontiac Firebird that had not been prepped for sale. My husband and I both liked it but didn't want to test drive it unless it was possible for us to finance. He then told us that we should go in and have a seat while he checked to see what we could qualify for and how much our trade in was worth. He said we could qualify and we proceeded to test drive the vehicle.
Upon returning to Towbin Dodge the negotiating process began. Jack told us (after being there for over an hour) that the dealership needed whatever money we had on us in order to know that we were serious about purchasing the vehicle. We had $45.00 on us and being the gullible people we were we gave it to them. We came to an agreement of 17.9% interest, (After investigating my credit score through www.myfico.com it stated that with my credit I stood at about 10-12% not 17.9%), and a payment of $425.00 a month for 71 months. (How could it get any worse!!!)
Before signing the aggrement we specifically asked the salesman, you're not going to call us in a week and tell us we need more money down right? We told him that we did not want to waste anytime and if there was a possiblity that the scenerio above could take place we did not want to sign. He assured us that was not a possibility.
After we closed the deal, (so I thought), I asked him if I need to make my monthly payment for the car I traded in, as the payment was do the next week. He told me that I DID NOT need to make my payment as they would be paying of the loan. He also proceeded to tell me that my credit score was now higher because my loan would be instantly paid off. Part of the deal was a $1,500.00 down payment that would be deposited in 2 weeks. All I had on me that night was a VISA card (as I don't carry my check book on me).
Jack told me they needed that check right away, so my husband had to drive clear across town to get the check book. (He had to take the trade-in because our new car was being prepped, so he had to put gas in it.) After he returned with the check book I wrote the check and we swapped vehicles.
As we started the Firebird we soon realized it was completely out of gas. We were a little peeved, as they told us it would be filled half-way since used cars were not filled completely up as part of their policy, but happy that we had a new car.
About a week went by and sure enough I get a call (at work) from Karlos at Towbin. He told me that I needed to come in and sign some paperwork to complete the deal. I told him that I thought the deal was already completed. He told me that I was already approved but it was with a different finance company so I needed to hurry down there as the deal would expire shortely. I then asked him if there was a possibility that the deal wasn't going to go through. He told me no and that with this new finance company my payments would be about $80.00 lower than originally.
I thought it sounded a little fishy so I called my husband and had him talk to Karlos. He basically told my husband the same thing. On my lunch hour I picked up my husband and we drove down there. I pretty much new driving down there that something wasn't right.
As we walked into Towbin we approached the receptionist and told her that we were there to see Karlos. She paged him and after waiting a good 10 minutes no sign of him. I was on my lunch hour as well as my husband. My husband was getting pretty ticked by this time because Karlos made it sound to be really urgent on the phone so we get there wasting our lunch hour without being helped. He had the receptionist page him again.
About 15 minutes after arriving finally we meet Karlos. He introduces himself and says that he needs to go and grab my paperwork. Well going to grab my paperwork turns into another 15 minutes. Now my lunch hour is halfway over, he comes from the back with my folder in hand. He then tells me that he needs to log it in.
After waiting another 15 minutes for him to log it in, my husband approaches him in the financing office. He than proceeds to show my husband a computer screen and says This is what I'm looking at. My husband tells him he doesn't care what he's looking at that he's wasting our time and lunch. He then comes back to the table I'm sitting at and tells me in order for the deal to work he needs another $1,500.00. I told him to have my trade-in ready for me. He was not getting another cent from me.
Finally my car I traded in was pulled to the front and I was swapping my stuff again. We've been at the dealership for over an hour, so I was pissed and late getting back to work. My car had no gas in it, so we had to stop and get gas. At the gas station we realized they hadn't even put the registration back in my vehicle. We had to drive back there and get the registration. Later that day my husband also noticed a gash on the drivers side bumper which was not there when I traded it in. Talking to other people about Tow bin, including someone who worked there, lot damage was not unusual due to the volume of vehicles on the lot.
Here's what I was out:
-Time at the dealership making the deal (3-4 hours)
-Switching insurance (1 hour)
-$45.00 (that we gave them to ensure that we were serious about purchasing the vehicle)
-Going back down to the dealership to only get my trade-in back (2 hours)
-Damage to my vehicle
-$15.00 late payment (turns out I did need to make my car payment)
I would advise anyone to think twice about there purchase from Towbin, as I have obviously not been the only one that has been ripped off by them. It all worked out in the end as now I will be a lot smarter in purchasing vehicles from dealerships other than Towbin!
Amanda
N. Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
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