Ripped off

[captain_slinky]

Harris Ford (in Lynnwood) ripped us off when we did our trade-in. High pressure, wouldn't let us leave without buying, showed us bluebook value ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR than the one we were buying (a difference of $7000!), and a really rehearsed sounding "Our Hands Are Tied/we want to help you but we can't" run-around. Their only offer to make things right was to let us have our trade-in back and keep all our money (so we get to pay them $7k for the two days we've owned the car and have nothing to show for it).

So if you're ever in the market for a $9000 car but want to spend at least $16000 on it, then I can't reccomend Harris Ford in Lynnwood high enough.

Anybody know of any recourse i can take?

Comments

[aquatwo.livejournal.com]

i misread that as Harrison Ford and was greatly confused until er-reading it the FOURTH time.
i'm an idiot... but we all knew that already.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Seems I ALWAYS get burned when buying used vehicles from ANYONE who was involved with the Star Wars trillogy :(

[aquatwo.livejournal.com]

George Lucas is a talentless dillhole.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

While trying to come up with a witty reply, I seem to have ventured too far in to the possible origins of the phrase "Dillhole". Therefore, this reply has been postponed in favor of a long, hot shower.

[hallerlake.livejournal.com]

Call the Better Business Bureau?

[jameth.livejournal.com]

Get a lawyer. Call the state attorney general. Etc.

[collisions.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Washington has a 3-day buyer's remorse thingie when purchasing from auto dealers, but it turns out I would have had to read this while on vacation in order to tell you that in time.

I have all kinds of advice for next time, but it's easier to just read this site (http://www.carbuyingtips.com/) in its entirety. The goal is to know exactly how much the car cost the dealer (for a new one) or is worth (for a used one) and then negotiate from that price. In order to do that, you have to go once, figure out a car you want, figure out what stuff it has, LEAVE, research the dollars, then go back and negotiate. To do that, there are tricks for not being pressured into buying - like making sure you are totally unable to buy the car on your first trip by not bringing your checkbook/ATM card, not letting them take your license or something that prevents you from leaving easily, that sort of thing.

Sadly, probably what they did to you was legal, if not ethical. However, if you did try to return the car before the 3 days was up and they blew you off, you may have some legal recourse. Call a lawyer for a free consultation *quickly* if that's the case and see what they say.

If nothing else, then read up and kick some ass next time! Or, you know, burn the place down.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

No 3-daty Buyer's Remorse in Washington.

BUT! We found out that we didn't get ripped off as much as we had thought! All in all, we only paid about a grand more than Blue Book, and most of that was just the licensing and taxes and tabs and such. What had really pissed us off was that they showed us the Blue Book value for this same car, only loaded with all the extras. SO we *thought* we were getting about $6k MORE worth of car than we actually got.

But thanks for the info!