When I purchased my 1999 Nissan Altima, which was my third Nissan, because I was a good customer and a repeat customer, the dealership (which has now been bought out by Walser) offered me a supposed better interest rate and finance plan because I had good credit with Chase Auto Financing after three cars of financing with them.
Nissan Motor Acceptance Company then became my financer. This in fact turned out to be a very bad deal for me because they do not tell you that even if you stay within the same brand of car, if you switch financers they will charge you to switch fiancers ($300), they will also charge you for normal wear and tear on the vehicle.
After I took possession of the car I received a bill totally $1,500 from Chase. After having contacted Chase about all of this they said that because I was a good customer they would have met or beat out NMAC's offers to keep me and I could have avoided all of this. As it stands the dealership gained points with Nissan by getting another customer financed through them. As the customer I should have been notified as to the potential charges if I switched financers.
Here is the real catch, I was in California where the Nissan headquarters is, on a business trip. I took a moment to stop by and let them know what had happened to me and how poorly I was treated. They showed now sympathy, they wouldn't let me meet with anyone, they made me use a customer service phone in the lobby and told me that I needed to deal with the dealership as this was not their problem and they had no interest.
As it stands, Chase was nice enough to negotiate with me, however, should not have had to pay anything at all and my credit was effected by this.
While stuck in this car for 2.5 years, in a lease, I have been forced to release a new Altima. Once in a lease always stuck in a lease. While my experience at Haldeman Nissan was good, the car that returned to them was in worse shape then the car that we turned into Burnsville Buick Nissan Kia. Haldeman charged me nothing and of course I am being financed through NMAC.
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