On June 16 I went into the Toyota dealership to see what my options were for buying a car. I was referred to the dealership by a co-worker who had previously bought a car from there. When I got into the dealers office he asked me a series of questions like what I was looking for, what price range, when I needed a car and I told him. He asked about my job and basic procedures for my credit app. I told him that I wasn't exactly trying to get a car that day, but that I wanted to see what I could qualify for and what I would need to do.
So after running my numbers and sending in paperwork to get started the dealer told me that my credit score was really good but I didn't have any credit history and that I would probably need a co-signer. He went over the information that he also might not have a car that was in my price range (which was under ten thousand). So after a few hours of calling around and finding people to cosign for me, the dealer and the finance manager comes in and out of the office and finally tells me that they found someone to finance me.
Now he said the car was worth $9,999.99. And he proceeded to show me the car. It was a 2003 yellow pontiac sunfire. So we went back inside and he told me how he needed check stubs and etc. The dealer also continuously promised that no matter what I was going to leave with that car that day. The car had only been there for a few hours. The owner previously traded it the night before. I had stated to the dealer several times that I had not come in that day with intentions to buy a new car but I did need one eventually.
So finally all the paperwork was signed and the told me that I would pay x amount a month for x amount of years. So the dealer told me that all the car needed was to be detailed not serviced. The dealer also made promises to fix and add things to the car that I never saw. After about being at the dealership for about 6 hours I get my car and leave.
A few days later I called the dealer about the new tires that were promised for my car, and he told me that they were on the way and that he would call me when they were in. No call. So another week later the same thing happened. Another problem accured during this issue. My finance paper work I found out had not gone through like they had said. I called my dealer to find out when and where to send my payments because I still had not seen anything in the mail. My dealer told me that the bank declined my paperwork.
So I'm like okay so what about my car? And he's like on don't worry about that, you're going to keep your car. We'll figure out something. So I was like well what about my payments and he was like just keep them. So I'm like somethings not right. A few days later he calls back and tells me that I have been officially financed and that they went ahead and paid my first payment and that I should pay them what they paid. I did. So I continued after that to ask about fixing my door and getting my tires but recieved the same answer. My tires were so bad that it was death wish to drive on the freeway.
After a while I stopped calling. So finally after only a month and a half of having my car, it stopped working. Come to find out the gas pump was no good and I had to pay to get it fixed. So I called my dealer and asked him when I could bring the car in to be serviced and he says "Why would you bring it here? You should take it to Pontiac." So I said well I have a warranty.
So He tells me, "No you don't that wasn't in the paperwork." I'm guy I'm sitting here looking at the contract right now as we speak. So he's like, "Well I guess you should bring it up here then." So I'm like well how do I get it up there and he's like, "WEll you can have our tow service bring it but if whatever is wrong with your car isn't covered, then you would have to pay for the tow and the wrok yourself." So I'm like are you serious? So I declined that method and called my father. The dealer continued to call me with a nasty attitude saying that I needed to hurry up and get the car there and how he needed to know what was taking so long.
So finally we got the car there and the service people told me that it wouldn't be fixed until tomorrow.
The Service center called me the next day asking me about my tires. The guy told me that my tires were so dangerous and bad looking that the coil from the inner of the tires were not only showing but peeling. They said that to put new tires on the car would cost $230.00. I said no and told them how my dealer promised me tires before I bought the car. They said it was not in the paper work so they wouldn't do it. I called the dealer and asked him about the tired and he said he didn't know what I was talking about and that it was not in the paperwork. So I said forget it. I ended up paying for my new tired myself.
On september 29 I was in a car wreck which completely totaled my car. Contacted the insurance got all the paper work done and then received a call. She asked, "Where did you purchase this car from?" I said Toyota Dealership and she said, "WEll did you know that this car has a salvaged title?" I asked her what that meant because I had never heard of it. She said, " Well that means that this car was previously totaled and has no value. So unfortunately we have to deduct 20% of what were are going to pay off of your settlement and your GAP insurance has to pay the difference." I was shocked. I told her that I didn't know.
So after all this I told my parents and had them look over the paperwork. My parents went up to the dealership with me to talk to the owner and the Used car manager. When we got into his office he tried to make it seem as though I begged and pleaded for the car and how he never wanted to sell the car in the first place and how he told the dealer not to sell the car. I showed him the paperwork the insurance agent sent me as proof of the car being totaled. The manager said that the paper wasn't saying anything and that it wasn't proof and that insurance companies will do and say anything to get out of paying. He pulled up a carfax adn showed us that it was clear. So my parent brought up the factor about my tires, and he says that he told my dealer to give them to me but he never did. So this tim the manager promised to reimburse me for my tires. And promised to help me get a new car and to apply for a blank check to get another car from them.
So my parent and I left wondering why the insurance would lie to us. We called the insurance back and they still said the same thing they said before.
Shortly after that I called my GAP and they said they pulled up the sasme info and that they were only going to pay a certain percentage on my car as the auto insurance. So I was short about $2,000.00.
The insurance company told me that the reason that the car did not register as totaled on carfax is because the previous owner did not file the car under a salvaged title.instead they just fixed the car and sold it under the original title. However they say that the dealership was supposed to check different databases other than carfax as they had done to see that the car was totaled.
And being that I don't have legal aid they we taking advantage of me. The Dealership manager told me that they were not going to pay for my car because they had not sold me a previously totaled car and as of October 21 I am still trying to get help to fight my case and get the negative equity cleared off my credit. I'm trying to go to the media, investigators and anywhere else so that people will know what they are doing.
Ms. Edwards
Stone Mountain, Georgia
U.S.A.
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