Why Can't You Just Return a Car to a Car Dealership if You Don't Like It? Other Products Are Returnable!

Hi Tony,

Found your website on Google, and looking for some thoughts about how to take a car back to a dealership, whether new or certified used.

I find it odd that you can take a $50 dress back because your boyfriend thinks it is too tight in the butt but you can't take a $25,000 car back because the 2-door model doesn't fit well in the garage.

I'm writing a story for Ward's Dealer Business - I'm a regular freelancer for the magazine. You can email me or call. Thanks . . .

Maureen M.

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Hi Maureen,

The only state that I know of where you can take a vehicle back is in CA. They recently passed a law that gives the customer 3 days to return a vehicle. In order for a customer to take advantage of this service they must pay a fee up front during the buying process. I'm not sure what it is, but it's around $200 I believe. A customer must also pay the dealer additional money upon return of the vehicle.

The reason you can't just return a vehicle after purchase is because there is a title transfer involved. Once the customer signs the buyer's contract and the title transfer papers it's pretty much all over. Most dealers will expedite the paperwork as quickly as possible for a variety of reasons.

Also when there is financing involved the dealer can't get the proceeds of the loan until the title is transferred and a lien is placed in the name of the bank. Only then will the bank release the funds to the dealer. Due to cash flow concerns the dealer must complete the transfer of the title quickly, or he has a car on the street and no money to show for it. Also the states mandate a quick title transfer so they can get their sales tax as quickly as possible.

I have been involved in cases where the customer wanted to return a vehicle and we hadn't yet processed the paperwork. In a few of these cases we reversed the deal and took the car back with the hope that the customer would trust us for a future purchase. This is strictly at the discretion of the dealer however, and is rarely done.

Car buyers must understand that they shouldn't sign anything or pay any money on a car deal unless they are sure of what they are doing. "Buyer's Remorse" is a common affliction among car buyers and most dealers don't want to hear it. A buyer should take their time and think the purchase through. Of course, most dealers are pushing the customer to make an on-the-spot, emotional decision. If the dealer prevails the customer will usually come out of the ether a day or two later and want to return the car. By then it's too late!

In the case of the $50 dress it can simply be put back on the rack, no title changes hands and no one is the wiser!

And Maureen . . . if your boyfriend ever complains about a dress being too tight on you smack him in the head - he obviously has a loose connection in there somewhere!

Tony Iorio
http://www.InsiderCarSecrets.com
http://www.Car-Loan-Quotes.com
http://www.Used-Car-Warranty.com
http://www.GreatCreditCardDeals.com

Unknowingly Purchased a Wrecked Truck . . . What To Do?

Hi Tony,

We live in Florida and just purchased a used 2006 truck 1 week ago. We noticed after driving it for a day it would make a noise from the back when taking off after a complete stop. We bought a service agreement upon buying it so we took it right back 2 days later and they said they fixed the problem and it was covered under warranty.

Well, upon washing it today my husband found that under the bed liner the bed had a little buckle in it so it appeared it has been wrecked from behind at one point. We did a Carfax and no accidents had been reported on it. Do we have any legal rights to question them on this?

Karen

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Hi Karen,

The first thing you should do is have the truck inspected by an independent, professional paint and body shop. Ask them to try to determine if the truck was in fact in a wreck and what repairs may have been done. You need to do this first so you know what you're talking about.

Carfax won't have a record if a wreck wasn't reported to the police or to an insurance company. If the truck was damaged it is possible the dealer wasn't aware of it, especially if the buckle in the bed was covered by a bed liner. Now if the dealer installed the bed liner then I'd get suspicious.

In any event, if in fact the truck had been damaged talk to the Sales Manager or the General Manager at the dealership about it, and tell them what you want them to do about it. I'm not familiar with the laws in Florida pertaining to this, but I would guess that the only time a car dealer has to disclose a previous wreck is if they in fact knew about it. It's a very gray area.

Tony Iorio
http://www.InsiderCarSecrets.com
http://www.Car-Loan-Quotes.com
http://www.Used-Car-Warranty.com
http://www.GreatCreditCardDeals.com