I had filed chapter 7 several months ago and recently received my discharge, after which I started getting all these car loan offers in the mail. One of them is from Brown Daub Kia, and this is what it states:
"We Want Your Business!
Credit experts agree that there is no better way to re-establish credit than to finance a high line credit item with a major company. A new or used vehicle financed with one of our major lenders can accomplish that for you with the help of Brown Daub Kia.
We are here to assist you with one of our many financing programs. Because of our many "Credit Re-Establishment" programs, we can custom tailor your purchase to meet your driving needs as well as your budget concerns. Our entire inventory of new and used vehicles is available with as little as no money down (cash and/or trade).
Trade-ins are not only accepted, they're welcome! Just bring in your title or payment book, a valid driver's license, a recent pay stub, a telephone or utility bill, and discharge papers if you have filed bankruptcy.
Don't pre-judge your credit!!! Let our experts decide!!!
Sincerely,
Brown Daub Kia
3600 William Penn Highway
Easton, PA 18045
888-217-0384
tomringcredit.com"
After that they have an offer listed for a 2013 Kia Optima EX for $169 x 36 months, with some micro writing showing details on that particular offer.
So, early in the week ending on Sunday, 11/11 I decided to give them a call since I just found a great new job and had no bills other than the basics like rent and telephone, and needed a car to get to work every day. Wound up speaking several times with a woman named Michelle, who did her best to talk me into coming in, and made an appointment with me to do so on Tuesday, 11/13.
Now here's the first thing. I spoke with that woman several times about my situation before I came in, I told her that since I didn't start my job until the 19th I had no pay stubs, but I did have a copy of my employment contract. She said it would be okay to bring it in. So my driver and I get there for my appointment, and guess what? She's not even there.instead I was told she had to leave for some "emergency." Whatever.
I then wind up being helped by this other guy... I don't know his name, but he was built like a fireplug. I give him the letter sent from their dealership, my discharge papers, a copy of the email confirming I was hired for the job, and a copy of my employment contract. Ten minutes later he comes back and tells me that the finance manager wouldn't approve me because "my employment contract was for only a 3-month assignment, so in order to get approved you need a down payment." I in turn responded that was because the first three months working for the recruiter is a trial and training period, after which the job goes to six months, and then from there it's right-to-hire by the employer for more money. I also told him, "And hey, I just filed Chapter 7. I don't HAVE a down payment... Duh!" But it didn't matter. Clearly they didn't want to honor their own 'credit re-establishment' letter, and they were looking for any excuse they could not to approve me.
In the end, it's not as if I walked into that place jobless with no career potential, and that's what totally ticks me off. I've been in the Information Technology industry for over 10 years, and it's not like this job I won was sweeping floors or working at McDonald's. I was hired as a Level III Desktop Support Technician for a major company after beating out five other candidates, and I needed a car to get to work! Plus I still have thousands coming in each year from my other business —just because I got a full time job certainly doesn't mean I'd turn away my good customers. Oh gee, but none of that mattered either, did it.
In closing, that's how pathetic they are; not approving me the way they did. And I should also point out that since my bankruptcy discharge I got 8 other offers just like theirs. I've already been in contact with TWO other dealerships who told me that I didn't even need to bring any pay stubs in... They BOTH said I could still be approved -AND - for no money down, and all I needed do is fax them my first pay stub later when I got my first paycheck.
So as far as I'm concerned, if you've filed bankruptcy and get a letter from Brown Daub, don't waste your time or money. They don't care to honor their own 'credit re-establishment' letter, and so in my opinion it's all a scam. The truth is that ANYONE can walk into a dealership with several thousand dollars down and buy a car, but the entire point of bankruptcy is that you have no money. If you filed bankruptcy and therefore have no debts and also no money for a down payment, but you have or found a good job, especially if that job is a career and not some dead-end job, then they SHOULD be doing their best to get you approved. Well they sure didn't do that for me, and thus this report.
Oh - And you know, no one in that entire place was even buying a car that day. They had NO CUSTOMERS AT ALL, so you'd THINK they'd scramble for any business they could get. Apparently not!
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