[OT] Don't buy Mitsubishi!!

[Darrin Drader]

And to think, I was just thinking about buying an Eclipse... hmmm.. May have to rethink that

Funny thing, the eclipse was the second Mits I owned. The financing problems I had happened with the first one I bought.

As much fun as Eclipses are to drive, you will still run into the same problem with all hatch-back sports cars - one huge blind spot. After several near misses on the freeway, I finally decided it was time for a different car. The post 2000's may be better, but I doubt it.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

UPDATE

My wife just called and said that she talked to the head dude at the dealership.

He says that Mitsubish Finance will not approve it. My wife said that we signed a legally binding contract, to which he responded "You never signed a legally binding contract." on top of that, he called my wife "honey" and talked to her like a child.

First of all, I feel a very real urge to go down there and open up a can on the dude. I want of course, but I want to.

Second, I never signed a legally binding contract?! What?! Since when do you close a financing deal without a legally binding contract?!

Basicly the dude said that we never signed anything that would prohibit them from doing whatever they want.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

And to think, I was just thinking about buying an Eclipse... hmmm.. May have to rethink that

I seriously wouldn't. If you do, I suggest you go out of your way to cover your butt.

 

[Darrin Drader]

He says that Mitsubish Finance will not approve it. My wife said that we signed a legally binding contract, to which he responded "You never signed a legally binding contract." on top of that, he called my wife "honey" and talked to her like a child.

If the contract you signed wasn't legally binding then you should be free and clear to walk away from the whole deal and get your old car back.

And at this point I suggest opening up a can of whoopass on him.

 

[CRGreathouse]

UPDATE

My wife just called and said that she talked to the head dude at the dealership.

He says that Mitsubish Finance will not approve it. My wife said that we signed a legally binding contract, to which he responded "You never signed a legally binding contract." on top of that, he called my wife "honey" and talked to her like a child.

First of all, I feel a very real urge to go down there and open up a can on the dude. I want of course, but I want to.

Second, I never signed a legally binding contract?! What?! Since when do you close a financing deal without a legally binding contract?!

Basicly the dude said that we never signed anything that would prohibit them from doing whatever they want.

My advice, though I'm not a lawyer:

Don't talk to them over the phone at all. Tell them you'll only respond to written statements -- you need a paper trail. Don't sign anything they give you! You might even consider giving them a business card and telling them to go through your lawyer.

 

[Clear Dragon]

I agree with CRGreathouse, get things in writing. But if they call you then by all means record the conversation. If I remember correctly as long as one side of the conversation knows it is being taped then it is perfectly legal to record. One could add a harrassment lawsuit on top of things if they keep up the "honey" routine towards your wife.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Who has the title to the car right now? Who insures it currently?

That may have bearing on how much room there is to negotiate on both fronts.

In addition to what others have said, if your legl situation turns out not to be all that rosy, you should still have a go at forcing them to make good on their promises through the local news' consumer affairs reporter. I expect that forcing you to start making payments a few month earlier is not going to be worth even a couple minutes of bad publicity on local TV.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

IANAL...

Good news: Everything is renegotiable! New contract, new negotiation. This is a two-way street.

Don't let them manipulate you into signing a new contract without concessions on the price.

If your wife has been driving that car for two months, you may have them over a barrel. If she returns the car, it is no longer new. That can take a lot off the value of the car (10-20%?). Because these are sleazy guys, I will assume they would try to sell the vehicle as a dealership demo model (they can't erase the mileage), that is still worth ~$500-$1500 less than a spanking new car.

I would guess they are looking at a $1000 hit in the pocketbook if you end up returning the car after driving it around for two months. (Maybe more, if you include the hassle factor.) The extra 4 months of payments are, say, $2000?

As you can see, they have clear incentive to try and bully you into eating the costs of their mistake. If you really want the car, there may be room for concessions on both sides...

Of course, if I were you, I would be sufficiently teed off that I would just walk away from the deal. There are other dealerships out there waiting for their chance to screw me over.

 

[bertman4]

Although this looks like an underhanded dealership, there are other reasons not to buy Mitsubishi products. The conglomerate has a horrible environmental record, including logging and deforestation in Indonesia and Canada, wanting to build a desalinatino plant in Mexico in the middle of a Blue Whale nursery site, and coal and gas mining in Canada and Alaska. My previous school, the University of Minnesota decided to not purchase any capital expense (I think items over $500?) from Mitsubishi on the recommendation of the ethics committee and other schools boycotting Mitsubishi.

Bertman

 

[Paladin]

IANAL either, but I am currently in litigation with a car finance criminal, I mean company. Look up the "Deceptive Trade Practices" law on the internet. It may apply here. It does in my situation and my lawyer didn't even think about the law, I did some research and found it. It's designed to protect consumers against such tactics. Also, you can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and the Consumer Protection Agency if you feel like it. - *Hint-hint* If you go to court over this - filing a complaint shows that you take their offense against you seriously, not as a frivilous suit (IMO and my lawyer said so). You never know, it MIGHT make a difference in court. Anyway, there's my 2 coppers.

Good luck fighting back against those scumbags.