Deal Breaker. But is it a ripoff

[88thunderbird]

Originally Posted by EZM

This is uncomfortable even to repeat - so many warning sirens on this one ....

A friend/former co-worker saw (on kijiji or something) and subsequently purchased, a Mercedes (small car hatchback) for a very good, unbelievable deal ! Only a few years old, low mileage, thousands lower than ones he saw on the internet.

He was excited.

His daughter will love her graduation gift. Worst thing is .... he paid cash ...... !!!! You already know how this one turns out but let me give a few details that make me laugh just thinking about listening to your gut sometimes.

It was from one of those small dumpy sketchy car lots with a name like "ABC Sales" or something nefarious sounding.

The way he described it was funny and still makes me laugh .... those silly streamer and banners strung up all over the lot, prices on the windows of the cars, those cardboard explosion sale! signs, and, literally one lonely guy in what looked to him to be a formerly recently abandoned office hut with dirty windows. To call it a run down shack would be an understatement. It had a porta potty around the side!!!

so ........ I love this part .......The guy was sitting there smoking a cigarette sitting in a mis-matched old office chair when he rolled in and the shark jumped up and butted his cig (waving off the smoke) and hurriedly putting on his tweed blazer as he walked in.

I told him I would have been out of there 5 minutes ago ..... but not this guy ....he really wanted that car for his kid ....

Guess what ....the car couldn't be registered because the VIN had been written off.

These guys are all crooks - liens, write offs, etc.. are easy to research and every one of these slime balls knows exactly what they are doing.

We had a used car lot like this when i lived back east . Sales office was a beat up atco trailer . Sales guy was wearing a Herb Talek suit ,had the horse head gold ring and gold tooth . Buddy bragged that he did time Lol.
But my friend had to have this Camaro . Gave him an even better deal AS IS ! Turns out is was rebuilt status .

[KegRiver]

Well one thing in this guys favor, they haven't been in business long so maybe they have a bit to learn.

But I am thinking I should find another truck. Lots of decent deals out there.
Only down side to that is none of them come as close to what I'm looking for as this one.

Still, I know a bad deal is not worth what you pay for it, no matter how good it sounds.

[Wolftrapper]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Well one thing in this guys favor, they haven't been in business long so maybe they have a bit to learn.

But I am thinking I should find another truck. Lots of decent deals out there.
Only down side to that is none of them come as close to what I'm looking for as this one.

Still, I know a bad deal is not worth what you pay for it, no matter how good it sounds.

I sure hope it works out for you.
Shopping for a good vehicle and hoping you don't end up with a lemon is stressful enough. For me it is anyway.
You sure don't need this worry to.
I'm optimistic it will work out though.

[Dean2]

One more vote for get your deposit back and run far away, FAST. If they said we know it has a lien and we will take care of clearing it, that is one thing. If they will lie about something so easy to prove them wrong about, I wouldn't buy a rock from those people. If you are having this much trouble with them just buying the truck, one can only imagine what problems later on will be like to deal with. There are enough good dealers around it isn't worth the hassle. Best of luck.

[calgarychef]

You’ll have a big fight on your hands to get that deposit back...once a dealer has their filthy hands on your money they don’t want to let it go.

[R3illy]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

You’ll have a big fight on your hands to get that deposit back...once a dealer has their filthy hands on your money they don’t want to let it go.

a dealership cant keep a deposit. It won't be a fight at all just needs to be firm that things are done. I've got friends in the finance departments with car dealers. Up until a bill of sale is signed and a void check is provided you can get any deposit back at anytime.

It's that simple.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by R3illy

a dealership cant keep a deposit. It won't be a fight at all just needs to be firm that things are done. I've got friends in the finance departments with car dealers. Up until a bill of sale is signed and a void check is provided you can get any deposit back at anytime.

It's that simple.

It’s not quite that simple... I remember an exposee that was done by a local news station and how difficult it can actually be to get a deposit back.

If I was in Kegs shoes I’d be very aggressive at this point.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...sits-1.3112713

[calgarychef]

Pay particular attention to this part:


There is no consumer protection legislation in Alberta that deals directly with deposits, according to Laura Lowe of the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC).

[Dean2]

CC is spot on. I NEVER provide a deposit on a deal of any kind, just because there is no protection. For sure never put a deposit on something by phone. If I were ever to be incented to provide a deposit it would only be with VERY clear terms and conditions specified in writing as to what the deposit covers, when it can be retained by them and in every other circumstance was fully refundable. A verbal agreement is enforceable in law but it is really hard to prove. In Kegs case it appears he has incontrovertible proof that they lied to him about the lien, he should easily be able to put pressure on them if they start getting hinky about refunding the deposit. AMVIC may not deal with the deposit directly but they definitely need to deal with the Lien and the lies.

[elk eater]

Ask them to accompany you to the registries to sort it out. If they are willing to do that then it will show they are not hiding anything and that their is a truly a mix up. If they want to sell it and they are honest it shouldn’t be a problem.

[troutbug]

There is a call recording app you can download free on your phone. When ever I deal with anything to do with finances like this, dealerships etc I turn it on. Records any incoming and outgoing call and stores it on your phone.

Having that app for this situation would have proven handy

[trophybook]

Originally Posted by troutbug

There is a call recording app you can download free on your phone. When ever I deal with anything to do with finances like this, dealerships etc I turn it on. Records any incoming and outgoing call and stores it on your phone.

Having that app for this situation would have proven handy

I use boldbeast recorder. Use it all the time. Very handy as people get greasier by the day.

[kinwahkly]

If they are a reputable dealer they should provide info on the lien being cleared. Sometimes there is a gap in paper work and liens bieng released. They should be able to provide paperwork.

[KegRiver]

What do you guys know about Lakewood over on the west side?

[Cement Bench]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

What do you guys know about Lakewood over on the west side?

Lakewood is on the south side not the west end perhaps someone else

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Cement Bench

Lakewood is on the south side not the west end perhaps someone else

That's odd, He said he was near Winterburn road.

So what else do you know about this dealer?

[kinwahkly]

Just a reminder that a manufacturered dealer can not sell a vehicle with a lien on it. If you take you're chances with KIJIJI or smaller private dealers you're on you're own.

[KegRiver]

Has anyone here dealt with North Point Motors.

I am looking at several trucks and knowing a bit about the dealer would help me decide which to visit when I'm in the city.

[Cement Bench]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

That's odd, He said he was near Winterburn road.

So what else do you know about this dealer?

Lakewood chev on about 23 ave and 93 st deal with Danny bass he is honest and returned a 5000 deposit within 30 minutes as we waited for the administration girl to come downstairs

Don’t deal with anyone else some of them there are crooks

[jstubbs]

What kind of truck are you trying to buy? I would just stay the hell away from dealers unless you’re looking 2-3 year old truck. Actual new vehicle dealers are fine but any private dealer is just a red flag—almost all their vehicles are from one auction or another. Mfg dealers are typically mostly trade-ins but some auction but they’re much more reputable to deal with than a curber with a leased gravel lot with an ATCO shack slapped on top.

Any older than 2-3 years and I personally believe you’ll be better off buying from a private seller.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Cement Bench

Lakewood chev on about 23 ave and 93 st deal with Danny bass he is honest and returned a 5000 deposit within 30 minutes as we waited for the administration girl to come downstairs

Don’t deal with anyone else some of them there are crooks

That's good to know. The vehicle they have isn't my first choice but it's an option.

Having owned a Titan for the past eight years and because I had no issues with it I am looking for a Titan.

I don't expect I'll be driving long enough to warrant buying new, so I'm looking to buy pretty much the same thing as what I had but a bit newer.
And I don't want to borrow so that leaves me looking for something in the 2009 to 2014 age range.
Preferably a king cab.

I had a crew cab and it was fine but I like the longer box on the King Cab and don't really need a four door truck.

I have seven I'm looking at, all of them are in Edmonton.
I found others further away but nothing closer.

I have a way to get to Edmonton but not the other places I found similar trucks.
I should be able to make a deal on one of the seven that works for me, but I'd like to know a bit about the dealers before talking to them.

The dealers with these vehicles are:

Lakewood Chev
Westgate Chev
North Point Motors - has two and one is top on my list
Southside Mitsubishi
South Town Hyundai

And one private deal that's at the bottom of my list

[JohninAB]

Lakewood is on the south side, Westgate is on the west end. Good established vehicle dealerships.

As for North Point, it is one of those Johnny Come Lately and Often corner lot “dealerships” as described by a few posters already. For me, the location tells me all I need to know about it.

I would deal with an established vehicle dealership long before a place like North Point.

[trophybook]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

That's good to know. The vehicle they have isn't my first choice but it's an option.

Having owned a Titan for the past eight years and because I had no issues with it I am looking for a Titan.

I don't expect I'll be driving long enough to warrant buying new, so I'm looking to buy pretty much the same thing as what I had but a bit newer.
And I don't want to borrow so that leaves me looking for something in the 2009 to 2014 age range.
Preferably a king cab.

I had a crew cab and it was fine but I like the longer box on the King Cab and don't really need a four door truck.

I have seven I'm looking at, all of them are in Edmonton.
I found others further away but nothing closer.

I have a way to get to Edmonton but not the other places I found similar trucks.
I should be able to make a deal on one of the seven that works for me, but I'd like to know a bit about the dealers before talking to them.

The dealers with these vehicles are:

Lakewood Chev
Westgate Chev
North Point Motors - has two and one is top on my list
Southside Mitsubishi
South Town Hyundai

And one private deal that's at the bottom of my list

Yup Dan Bass is a stand up guy. Was good friends with his son all throughout school. Bought my first new truck from him. Back in 06

[Drewski Canuck]

Keg River

What you DO NOT SAY is if you were sent a Bill of Sale, Sales Contract, Purchase Agreement, etc, and that you SIGNED IT and returned it, say by Fax or Scanned Document.

CHECK IF YOU can of course put a Lien on the Vehicle you thought you Bought with your Deposit, through the Personal Property Security Registry, as you now have an Interest in the vehicle by virtue of your Purchase and Deposit.

That would give you some security for your Deposit while you sort this out. Lord knows the Dealer could go broke in the mean time.

NOTHING a Dealer hates more than someone beating them at their own game.

IF you have no Signed Bill of Sale, then of course you have not purchased the vehicle.

Please answer that basic question, and a lot of answers can flow from that.

Drewski

[Cement Bench]

westgate chev are crooks and play games, act friendly but try to screw you in the end this from half a dozen corvette guys
they also jack their corvettes and camaro up on blocks for the winter and take the tires off cause they don’t want to store them inside then lie about it next summer until I proved it by pics,

cost them 3 corvette sales they hate me

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

Keg River

What you DO NOT SAY is if you were sent a Bill of Sale, Sales Contract, Purchase Agreement, etc, and that you SIGNED IT and returned it, say by Fax or Scanned Document.

CHECK IF YOU can of course put a Lien on the Vehicle you thought you Bought with your Deposit, through the Personal Property Security Registry, as you now have an Interest in the vehicle by virtue of your Purchase and Deposit.

That would give you some security for your Deposit while you sort this out. Lord knows the Dealer could go broke in the mean time.

NOTHING a Dealer hates more than someone beating them at their own game.

IF you have no Signed Bill of Sale, then of course you have not purchased the vehicle.

Please answer that basic question, and a lot of answers can flow from that.

Drewski

I have no papers from them for anything. I only have the deposit invested.
And have not signed anything yet.

I was clear that I would not commit to anything until I saw the truck myself and test drove it. The deposit was only to hold it for a few days. Making the deposit part of the purchase price was not discussed.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by JohninAB

Lakewood is on the south side, Westgate is on the west end. Good established vehicle dealerships.

As for North Point, it is one of those Johnny Come Lately and Often corner lot “dealerships” as described by a few posters already. For me, the location tells me all I need to know about it.

I would deal with an established vehicle dealership long before a place like North Point.

I had guessed that North Point Motors is a used car lot only, unfortunatly they have the best looking deal at the moment.

Lakewood has one of interest but it's a bit older and higher milage then North Point's offer and a bit more money.

Westgate has the newset truck in the catagory I am looking for with the lowest milage of the lot, but is't above my target price range.

I can afford it if they don't add a bunch of BS fees but it'll leave me short for other expenses.

I have to yet talk to most of these dealer for the first time.
I've talked to Norh Point and they did come down in price.

If Westgate will come down and not add a bunch of fees they would be number one for me to look at.

I will not commit to any deal without seeing and driving the vehicle first.

And never give another deposit. Ever.

[KegRiver]

Once again an AO member has proven this to be the best site on the net.

One of our own has offered to drive me around from dealer to dealer as I search for the best deal.

If he wishes to identify himself I'm fine with that but out of respect for him and his offer I will leave that decission to him.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Cement Bench

westgate chev are crooks and play games, act friendly but try to screw you in the end this from half a dozen corvette guys
they also jack their corvettes and camaro up on blocks for the winter and take the tires off cause they don’t want to store them inside then lie about it next summer until I proved it by pics,

cost them 3 corvette sales they hate me

Well I hope they have at least one honest salesman. They have the newest and lowest mileage truck on my list.

I know some dealerships are rotten to the core. I also know that sometimes it's one or two dishonest salesman making the whole dealership look bad.

I hope it's the latter in this case. But I do have other options

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Cement Bench

westgate chev are crooks and play games, act friendly but try to screw you in the end this from half a dozen corvette guys
they also jack their corvettes and camaro up on blocks for the winter and take the tires off cause they don’t want to store them inside then lie about it next summer until I proved it by pics,

cost them 3 corvette sales they hate me

I don't doubt your experience with them but I also know lots of people who have been very happy dealing with them. In addition to the Google reviews there is also a very useful site called dealerrater. Well worth checking out dealerships on there. The really bad dealers I know of show up as really bad on there too.