| You hear them on the radio and TV everyday. Some | | | | scratch (complete repaint from a 50mph accident) or |
| have outrageous ads and sales gimmicks. "Push, pull or | | | | new upholstery (due to a flood and complete |
| drag your trade in for $4000 minimum trade", "Best | | | | submersion). These repossession sales, like Repo Joe, |
| price in the world!" "Best bumper to bumper warranty | | | | do a media Blitz and claim they have all repossessed |
| ever - we cover everything." "Repo'd car sale today." | | | | vehicles for a great buy. When in fact they probably |
| Bet you didn't know that these ads can be and usually | | | | don't even have one repossessed car that is for sale. |
| are very misleading and can be illegal.According to | | | | Most car dealers get their cars from either trades or |
| Leslie Anderson, AAA, Misleading advertisements and | | | | local auctions.Regardless of what they claim they |
| deceptive marketing from car dealers has been on the | | | | most likely do not know the vehicles history. You can't |
| rise in recent years. Car dealers, due to a struggling | | | | even rely on Carfax 100% as many vehicles are |
| economy are resorting to grey market sales tactics | | | | repaired without full salvage disclosure or even any |
| and ads. Many of these ads are either borderline or | | | | repair history. A carfax report is only as good as the |
| even illegal in nature. With all the publicity in recent | | | | information that is actually entered into the system. |
| years of scams and illegal business activities by | | | | Before you rely on that Carfax or what the dealer |
| businesses from every state you would think most | | | | says is the cars history listen to this - Tennessee |
| states would have toughened up their laws and | | | | attorneys Frank Watson and David McLaughlin charge |
| started to crack down on bad car dealers. Only one | | | | that Carfax's ads promise more than it can deliver. |
| state, New York, has really done anything.There are | | | | "Carfax fails to disclose the limitations of their |
| laws already on the books that make many of these | | | | database," says Watson. "People think they have a |
| advertisements and such illegal, but few states will | | | | little insurance policy on their Carfax report, and it's just |
| even look into these activities. In New York, if you run | | | | not accurate," says McLaughlin. Carfax is an online |
| a Push, Pull or Drag sale the odds are you will get | | | | company that searches databases for a vehicle's |
| fined. The thinking behind New Yorks laws is that if | | | | history, claiming to be "your best protection against |
| you promise someone a set figure for their vehicle it | | | | buying a used car with costly, hidden problems." But, |
| should not be factored into the discount or markup of | | | | critics say when it comes to many accidents, online |
| the newer, replacement vehicle. This is deceptive | | | | reporting companies fall short. A class-action lawsuit |
| advertising. Yet I hear these same ads, with even | | | | against Carfax claims the company doesn't have |
| higher amounts promised on the radio and TV in North | | | | access to police accident data in 23 states.This article |
| Carolina and South Carolina all the time. Then there's | | | | should be a wake up call to car buyers to be more on |
| the matter of expressed and implied | | | | the alert to car dealer scams, lies and untruths. It should |
| warranties.Expressed and implied warranties are | | | | also be an alert to states from Oregon to Florida that |
| actually covered under federal laws. Every car dealer | | | | more needs to be done to curb bad car sales tactics. |
| must have a federally approved warranty disclosure | | | | Most car dealers aren't small mom and pop |
| placed in the window. This is to show if a warranty | | | | organizations. They are large million or billion dollar |
| exists and what is actually covered. This was done as | | | | companies that will do anything to make a dollar. Even |
| there was too much discrepency in the past with car | | | | crossing the line or blurring what is legal and what isn't. |
| salesman blurring the line of what is really covered and | | | | And according to one big dealer in Charlotte, North |
| what isn't. On a recent drive from North Carolina to | | | | Carolina whom didn't want his name or dealership |
| South Carolina I saw 11 used car dealerships that did | | | | mentioned for obvious reasons - "its all about that |
| not have these in the windows - at one we found | | | | bottem line and if we get caught, thats what our |
| they were in the glove compartment. When we asked | | | | lawyers are for. Per another car dealer, "it's a buyer |
| the salesperson why it wasn't in the window he said it | | | | beware market: Buyers must beware and be |
| wasn't necessary. In New York, every car dealer you | | | | detectives too."David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell |
| drive by or visit will have these prominently | | | | University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for |
| displayed.Then you have the usual lies - car dealers | | | | public, private, and governmental interests. He holds |
| advertising a repossession sale, cream puffs, etc... | | | | numerous patents including his recently awarded |
| They will lie about the origination of cars just like in a | | | | patent for headlight cleaner, repair and restorer. He can |
| recent Carfax ad. Oh that was just a little fender | | | | be reached at M.D. |