I bought a 1993 S-10 pickup from this auto dealer in April. My credit wasn't good, and I was prepared to accept the higher interest rate. The truck seemed to be in good condition, but I did not have the truck examined by a mechanic prior to purchase (I should have). To be fair, the truck drove well during the test drive (it was, & still is, a very clean vehicle, but not mechanically at the time of purchase).
The salesman told me that a warranty was available for all cars & trucks they sold. I thought this was a nice option to have (since the truck had 135,000 miles on it), so I bought the vehicle.
When I arrived to sign the finance contract & take the truck, things began to get strange, and I can only say they stayed that way. When I went into the office to sign the papers, the finance (or "Lieance") mananger told me that these proceedings were being recorded (by a camera & audio). I thought to myself, "This is strange, but it protects us both". Not having bought a vehicle in the last 7 years, I went along.
Two things I wish I had not done - I bought the warranty (for $1800.00) and signed an agreement to submit all disputes to binding arbitration (this included the warranty). The arbitration agreement is quite restrictive in terms of cost. I would have to lay out around $1000.00 just to have a hearing! More on this later.
O.K., I have a truck. About 2 weeks later, I had a major transmission leak. Since I was near my loyal and trusted auto repair shop (they, unlike J.D., are a VERY honest repair shop - I have used them for 10 years & have NEVER been ripped off by them) I took it in in for a look. They don't do transmission repairs, but told me the seals (front & rear) needed to be replaced. O.K., I'll buy that (since the truck had high mileage on it), so I had the work done, at a cost of $600.00. I checked my warranty before I had this work done, & the coverage seemed to NOT include seals (in fact, it did, according to to J.D.'s service manager - more on this later).
A week later, the leak reappeared again. I called the number for warranty service & lo & behold, the service manager from J.D. At the dealership called back! Talk about a coincidence (I thought the warranty was serviced by a third party)! I told him what happened, what I had done, etc. I gave him a loophole, and he took advantage of it! He charged that my repair shop did not do the work properly, since they were not a transmission shop, and I should deal with them! O.K., this was possible, so I went back to my shop. Now here is a HONEST & REPUTABLE shop - since the front seal was leaking, they replaced it at no charge! A transmission seal replacement involves "dropping" the transmission (which has a high labor cost), so they ate the estimated $400.00 - $600.00 cost!
Guess what - I had another leak! Now I called the "warranty service" (AKA J.D. Byrider dealer) & the "service manager" told me the same thing. I said no, there was a different problem, inside the transmission (this turned out to be true). He said, "Look, we have you on video signing the agreement, so you have violated it"! I looked at taking this to arbitration after that & then found out about the cost. The cost would be the same as having the transmission repaired properly, which I had done (found another REPUTABLE shop, BTW - they did the work right). The transmission problem was a bad torque converter, speed sensor, pump cover, sprag gear, & seal kit. Total cost - $1100.00 (total outlay by me - $1700.00).
So, I spent $1800.00 for a warranty which is useless! I can guess WHY the dealership fought this & looked for a loophole - a transmission repair can be expensive (it would reduce their warranty profit), even if they used junkyard parts (which is what they do on warranty claims)! I did a websearch on J.D. Byrider and found a lot of auto racing sponsorships (guess where they get the money!) and a little about the unfair & deceptive sales practices used by them (the arb agreement is a loophole they exploit).
After this experience, I decided to get even the best way I can - paying off the loan early (their finance company is CNAC), denying them interest payments by doing so! Since I am single, making $60,000 - $80,000 a year (I got a good job right before I bought the truck), I was able to afford this experience. I am cleaning up my credit by getting this loan (never missed or been late on a payment), which was my intention. I feel sorry about others who have bought a vehicle from J.D. Byrider (they are nationwide) with a lower income & have had to face repossesion due to crappy cars they sell with a deceptive warranty! Funny, I haven't seen many references to J.D. Byrider in the consumer complaints (do they have an agressive legal dept. To combat negative references?). Maybe I will get a response from them now! I was aware I was buying a vehicle with potential problems, fully prepared to accept the cost of repairs which were NOT covered under warranty, but I think I was RIPPED OFF in their warranty! If you have less than perfect credit, beware of J.D. Byrider! Beware of arbitration agreements in general! You are signing away your constitutional right under the 7th amendment if you sign one!
Dave
Phoenix, Arizona
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