Help Me Hank: Car Deal Gone Wrong

Steve
"I saw it and I fell in love with it and just bought it."

Of course Steve realized a car with 107,000 miles on it wasn't going to be perfect, but he had an ace in the hole.

Hank
"What was the deal you made with the person who sold you the car?"

Steve
"That if the car needed more than $1,500 in repairs he would buy the car back."

Here it is in writing on the purchase and sale: more than $1500 in repairs, the dealer buys the car back. All signed, and Steve thought, sealed.

Steve
"No question about it."

So Steve took the car to a mechanic, and the estimate shows it was one sick puppy. Bad suspension, bad clutch, bad drive shaft, on and on.

Hank
"So, is this the car you expected?"

Steve
"No, not at all."

Total repair estimate: $6000!

But Steve still had his contract, right?

Steve
"I just want my money back for the car."

But when Steve made what he thought should be a no-problem phone call to the dealer, he was told forget about it.

Steve
"He swore his head off at me, and hung up the phone."

That's when Steve called Help Me Hank!

And here's what Steve didn't know: the dealer had gotten Steve to agree to buy the car as is, defects and all. In other words, to remove the warranty.

But state law says that's illegal. And even though Steve signed it, the contract is still illegal. The dealer must provide a basic warranty.

So we paid a visit to the car dealer and explained to him that his deal was a no can do, and better be undone. What's more, we found that he had 15 complaints against him at the states consumer affairs office. The dealer wasn't happy, but finally did agree to give Steve his money back.

Steve
"I'm pretty happy."

And look what Steve bought with that refund: a speedy sporty hot little vintage Mustang. This car has all its parts in working order, and a proper warranty in case something goes wrong.

If you're buying a used car, know your rights before you sign anything.

For more information, check out these Web sites:

Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs

Attorney General's Office