I went into the dealership after doing some quick browsing on the internet and saw they had a low mileage used truck that I was looking for. I went there and bought it for 32000. After getting home I looked online at it AGAIN to get some pictures to send in emails to my family and discovered that the internet advertised price for that truck (same VIN) was 2000 LESS than what I paid.
Am I up a creek here or should I be able to go in tomorrow, point it out, and get 2000 back (I paid a downpayment of 2000 dollars on my debit card)?
If they try to refuse or somehow DO refuse, do I have any other options besides the BBB? It is a reputable dealer that has many branches and nice vehicles, I just feel that I was taken advantage of because i mentioned I saw it online, but they never mentioned anything about the online advertised price.
Alexi
You will want to check the laws in your state. Some states do have things like “buyer’s remorse” types of laws (not well advertised) where within a certain period of time a seller is obligated to “undo” a done deal. The existence of the laws and length of time will vary by the kind of product. Either way, the length of time is very short. I think that this is much less likely to apply to a used vehicle regardless of state, but you’d want to start by finding out.
If you have that kind of “resource” then I’d start by printing out the ad and taking it to the dealer. Just ask if there is anything they can do. If they won’t do anything and you have a law to fall back on tell them that you are so upset by this that you just don’t want the truck at all anymore. But you do have to be willing to follow through on that and end up without the truck.
If there is no such law in your state that would cover a used vehicle and/or the time period has passed then all you can do it print the ad and go chat with them about it. But you won’t be holding any cards. Bring doughnuts.
Ask your state’s automobile dealers association – every state has one.
Twotone
I would go on line and check your state laws. As “cig” said, some are quite lenient. Just an awareness of your options as you talk to the dealer, may be enough to get you a rebate. I’d give them a chance for a “do over” before I took official action if you can; esp. if your going to have service done there regularly.
Best of luck to you.
If it’s going to take a little time to research, I’d notify the dealer asap of your intent so at least that date is fixed.
The laws Cigroller mentioned are called “right to rescision” laws (right to rescind the deal) and typically allow no more than 72 hours. They’re to allow people out of coerced decisions by overly aggressive sales people.
Honestly, try going back after the $2000 but I’ll be amazed if you get it. The dealership did not misrepresent the price to you, he simply had it offered at a discounted price through a different venue. It’s “let the buyer beware” with used vehicle purchases in most states. That includes price issues.
It is possible that you have the Right of Recission regarding this purchase, but as mountainbike correctly stated, you have to act very rapidly in order to try to take advantage of this legal loophole. If the dealership wants to act in an honorable manner, then you may prevail. However, you have to realize that “honorable” and “dealership” are not usually used in the same sentence unless the word “honorable” is preceded by the word “not”.
If you are not successful, then you might want to contact the Office of Consumer Affairs, which is a governmental agency run on the county or state level, depending upon where you live. Since it is a governmental entity, they do have regulatory authority and they have punitive power through the Office of the Attorney General, with which they are affiliated.
By contrast, the BBB (frequently referred to as the Better FOR Business Bureau) is a private, dues-charging club that businesses may choose to join. As a private club, they have no regulatory or punitive authority except for refusing to accept dues from a business that is a constant offender. In other words, save your time, effort, and perhaps money (some local BBB franchises charge a fee to file a complaint), and don’t waste your time with the BBB.
For reasons that I will never understand, most people seem to think that the BBB is a regulatory agency, when nothing could be further from the truth. About 2 years ago, Smart Money magazine did an “expose” on the BBB and concluded that “few consumers are actually helped” by the BBB.
If all that fails, maybe you could try for 2k credit for service.
If the car is still at the dealer and you haven’t picked it up you should be able to work out something. Don’t pick up the truck until then.
It sounds like they still have the truck. Call or visit them and bring a printout of their internet ad for the truck if it’s still on line. You don’t own the truck until you’ve paid for it or finalized a loan.
$32,000 for a used Dodge 3/4 ton?? Is that correct??