My visit all began a month ago.
Although I signed the contract less than 24hrs later I decided I did not want to be in the deal. I thought this company would be understanding since they claim they want to "help " you. They would not let me return the car the very next day. The collections department told me there was no management in the office and said I need to speak with Hal the owner and make an appointment. I had to work during his office hrs Monday, and he would be in meetings on Tuesday. So my appointment was set for Wednesday. I kept thinking, Hopefully he has a kind heart. But I wanted some background, so I looked online and found some scary reviews.
Let me tell you how bad my deal was.
2004 Chevy Blazer. 74,500 miles. Price, $10,000 for the loan and another $3,000 for tax and tag fees / down payment. The payment plan for the fees= $500 the first week another $500 the second them they broke down the remaining $1,500 over 4 weeks. Then I start my first payment of $368 a month the very next week. With the last $500 due after my first payment. Ahhhhhh. If you have poor credit, how do you maintain a steep payment plan like this? And the car was a Junker!
I tried calling the salesman that was so very helpful in the initial stages. He had nothing to tell me. He kept saying make an appointment and talk with the owner. The worst part is, the salesman was telling me about God, and how he reminded me of his daughters and he prayed for me during the buying process. He even made me cry using my faith as a way to make me believe he was looking out for me! I vowed my children will never have poor credit! But instead of telling me to walk, he went right on ahead and put me in another bad situation. I was terrified that I would be stuck with a terrible vehicle that I wasn't even looking for.
Ok part two. I showed up for my appointment and waited as Hal Ross went over my file. I sat in the waiting area, which is very different than the very plain walled holding tank next door where you fill out paperwork and then are escorted to one of the many bland offices upstairs. The waiting room where Mr. Ross resides is plush with a stone waterfall, and artwork. A very calming atmosphere. After I entered his office I knew exactly how Auto Loan Finders is able to help you when in actuality they are helping themselves to your poor situation. I could tell from his choice in decor, he really likes golf. Anyhow, he asked me So what brings you in today? I explained that after looking at the contract I was unhappy with the terms and I wanted to return the car. He began to tell me that buying a car is not like a purchase at Wal-Mart, you cant just bring it back. I really wanted to let him have it. That is when my salesman peeped his little head into the office. So I figured, I'm going to tell the boss man about how his little workers tricked me into signing such a bogus contract. And if Megan wasn't going so fast (she is the exit interview girl, she said she had too many people to get to so she only spent 3 minutes with me) I would not have signed the deal. Mr. Ross was angry by this point and became silent. Thank God I read all of the reviews on this website about Mr. Ross. I knew he had used this line before and the reviews also gave me the upper hand. I told him I'm so sorry for wasting your time, and please forgive me, I know you help a lot of people daily, your program is great, and I don't want to mess it up for someone else. I even teared up a little bit, I told him I didn't want to run into any reasons in the future why I wouldn't be able to pay and then left without a vehicle. Mr. Ross thought about it for a minute took out his calculator and came up with some greedy number in his head that I would have to pay to get out of the contract. Even though I signed a Bailment which read: that if the information I provided was false, I would have to return the vehicle and pay 20 cent s a mile. Mr. Ross decided to boost it to 25 cents a mile and pay a $200 administrative fee (I had the vehicle less that 3 days so sorry to put the administrators under such duress). I paid it just get the hell out of his office. I also made his secretary put it in writing that I returned the vehicle. They were so unprofessional it made me sick. What a nightmare. Lets just say I learned my lesson. I thank Mr. Ross for his compassion. And I hope more people don't fall into such a bad idea because they are pressed to have a car.
If you are young and you are trying to improve you situation in life. Just be patient and fix your mistakes. Be rational, consult family and friends. Don't let your eyes distort the real picture. Don't be punished because of the past. And if you just gotta have a car, take your time, save your money and look elsewhere for a vehicle like an auction or Craigslist.
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