A DRIVER had shown up at an auto shop ready with a handful of cash — only to be refused the car she actually wanted.
The driver ended up paying thousands of dollars for a car that she couldn’t return.
Tanisha Burress was scammed by a bait-and-switch trick that dealerships often use to get consumers to pay more money, as reported by Automotive News.
The bait-and-switch tactic is when a company attracts customers with a low-priced product or service, but then swaps it with a higher-priced or inferior item once the customer is in the store.
Many consumers consider this deceptive sales tactic false advertising.
Burress initially saw an online advertisement from a Chicago Nissan dealership.
The driver was excited to find out that the vehicle‘s price was within her budget and was ready to offer cash for the car.
However, when Burress arrived at the Nissan dealership, she wasn’t allowed to take the car out for a test drive, which helps drivers confirm whether everything is working as it should be.
“I found a car I could afford on the Nissan dealer’s website,” Burress recalled.
“I was unemployed, but I had the cash to buy the car.”
“However, when I went to the dealer, they told me the car I wanted ‘was not operational’ and that I could not test drive it,” she added.
Instead, she was directed to a more costly and entirely different vehicle.
Although the driver was upfront about her budget, the Nissan salesperson insisted on selling her the more expensive 2019 Nissan Sentra.
Beaten down by the employee, Burress ultimately agreed to purchase the Sentra despite her unemployment status.
“I was overwhelmed by high-pressure sales tactics, and I finally agreed to buy the Sentra only after being told I would qualify for financing despite having no job,” Burress said.
The driver was assured that she could afford the vehicle with a simple loan, which could be paid off by driving for Uber or Lyft.
Dealership Tips
Here are some expert tips when purchasing a car from a dealership lot:
1. Set your price: Ensure you’ve calculated your monthly budget before going to the lot. You should include the car’s loan payment, insurance costs, fuel, and regular maintenance. 2. Research: Make sure you know which cars you’re interested in test driving before you reach the dealership. 3. Pre-approval: Secure financing before you go to the dealership. Dealerships may give you a better interest rate if they are competing with an outside bank. 4. Test away: Get behind the wheel before making any payments. A car purchase will be worth thousands of dollars – drivers should ensure they like the drivetrain, steering feel, and comfort of the car before taking it off the lot 5. Haggle: Drivers should always try to negotiate the price. There are so many good cars on the American market – buyers have a strong hand when negotiating price.Source: Kelley Blue Book
“I didn’t want to buy the more expensive Nissan Sentra, but I finally relented,” Burress said.
She then signed a three-year retail installment sales contract for nearly $15,000 at a 24.9% interest with Santander Consumer USA.
In a complaint, the driver alleged that the Nissan salesperson didn’t specify that driving for a ride-share company like Uber or Lyft would increase her insurance premium.
She was also told that she could return the Sentra if “things were not working for her,” as reported by Torque News.
“When she tried to return the vehicle after learning it would be financially unfeasible to pay the loan, the store refused, saying she signed a contract,” the complaint said.
“Tanisha predictably fell behind in her payments,” the complaint said.
Since she wasn’t able to make the high-interest car loan payments, the vehicle was repossessed.
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