My husband and I heard radio advertisements for West Valley Auto Plaza and after having no luck finding a dealership able to get us financed for a desperately needed vehicle, we decided to try them out. Upon arriving we were completely up front with the salesperson, we told him that we have a recent foreclosure on our credit, and that we have tried many other dealerships to no avail. We were promptly told that they could help us out. After talking to his manager, the salesperson pointed out a vehicle to us that he said they should be able to get us into. We were excited, and hopeful that we may have found a place finally, that could work with us.
After two hours of working out agreeable terms for financing, we finally came to acceptable contract terms. I would also like to point out that up to this point, we had not been told the price of the vehicle despite asking the salesperson a few times. We were then taken to their finance offices, where we paid our 100$ down, and gave them 4 checks totaling 1000$ for the remaining down payment to be cashed in a month. Following those transactions, we were taken to the finance managers office to sign the final paperwork.
As my husband was signing the contract, he was told to initial next to a box which stated our rights should the dealership be unable to gain loan approval. We immediately were confused, as we were told that we had been approved for the loan already. When we questioned the finance manager, known as "Cowboy", we were told that he had not received approval from the bank since they were closed, but that he was "positive" we would be approved based on the agreed upon terms. He assured us that he had dealt with that bank many, many times, and had many situations just like ours, and no trouble getting approval from them. We reluctantly accepted his explanation and finished signing the paperwork.
We were congratulated on our new car, and told to enjoy it. They allowed us to take the vehicle, despite them not having actual bank loan approval, we felt sure that if they had any doubts, they would not be letting us take possession of the vehicle. My husband even asked if we should just leave the vehicle there until they were sure we had been approved, but he was told not to worry and that there would be no problems with approval. So we took our new car home, and enjoyed it over the next week, feeling confident that had our application not been approved, we would have heard back already.
On Feb. 24th, exactly one week after we took possession of the car, we received a letter in the mail stating that the dealership was unable to secure financing, and letting us know of our right to rescind the contract of sale within 14 days. I was upset to say the least, and the following day, I received a call from "Cowboy" letting me know of the situation. He told me that if we could get a co signer, we would be "guaranteed" approval of the loan, and therefore be allowed to keep the car that we had now grown attached to.
Reluctantly, I agreed and contacted my uncle, asking him to co sign for us. I explained to him how I was told by one of the employees at West Valley Auto Plaza that all we needed was a co signer, and that the co signer could be removed completely from the loan in 6 months time. I then asked him if he could help us out and co sign, he reluctantly agreed to help with the understanding that he could be removed from the loan in 6 months time, as I had been told. I gave Kelsey, one of the finance workers, my uncle's phone number and she said she would contact him.
I heard nothing from them from the Friday when I gave her his number, until Monday, March 2nd, when I was contacted by "Cowboy" and informed that in order for the loan approval, my uncle would have to be the sole applicant on the loan, rather then a co signer as we were previously told. This was completely unacceptable. My uncle was told when he was giving his information that he could be removed from the loan in 6 months time, just as they had told me, and now we were being told that he had to be the only person on the loan, therefore, he could not be removed from it in that 6 months time as it would be his loan entirely.
I informed "Cowboy" that this was not acceptable, and that my uncle was also not going to be alright with those terms. He informed me that he was legally required to contact my uncle and tell him of the decision, and that he would see what my uncle said, and go from there. The next day, Tuesday March 3rd, exactly 14 days from the day we took possession of the vehicle, I received another call from "Cowboy" asking if my uncle was willing to have the loan in his name only, not as a co signer. I told him no, and that I was not going to be able to work with those terms. I also expressed my confusion over the fact that we had been told we would be approved as long as we had a co signer, which we had and now we were being told something entirely different.
Later that evening, one of the employee's came and reclaimed the vehicle, returned our trade in, but did not return the 100$ down payment, nor the 4 post dated checks. Though, I was assured that the checks were in the mail, however, I was also assured that we had loan approval, would have loan approval, would have guaranteed approval with a co signer, and all of which were false, so I am not counting on seeing my checks in the mail anytime soon. West Valley Auto Plaza claims that they won't "jerk you around", however, that is what happened from the moment we walked into their door, until now, 2 weeks later.
I recommend that anyone thinking about going to this dealership look the other way, unless you want to be jerked around. If you do decide to go to West Valley Auto Plaza, get a tape recording and written copies of all transactions and conversations, they will be helpful if they end up changing what they have told you later on as you deal with them. We were originally supposed to get 1500$ for our trade in, as I looked at the paperwork now, I see they only gave us 750$ for the trade in. They are sneaky, they tell you one thing, then give another. It is not worth the frustration or hassle to deal with this dealership.
0 comments