Adventure Chevrolet aka Edd Kirby Chevrolet ripoff Van scam liars Dalton Georgia
Me and my wife had 2 kids in car seats and were about to add another by the end of the year. We went to Adventure Chevrolet to purchase a van. The salesman was great and the price was reasonable. This lot was known for great prices but always stuck you with a trade-in. Well, they got a van in and was not even put on the lot when I looked at it. It wasn't detailed and didn't even have a sticker on it. I asked for the price of the vehicle and they told me the amount. He then asked me what I was trading as he was writing up the deal I told him there was none. He gave to his financial department where things got hairy.
He first attempted to give me a 20% interest rate. By the way, these financial guru's make money on the back-end if they sell you a higher rate! I didn't accept it and told them good bye. After 2 days they said that they had a lower rate for me (I don't have perfect credit, but it is not because I am stupid!). I accepted a 10% rate.
I signed the papers for $1,700 down toward the loan amount and it put my payments at $350/mo. Well, 6 weeks later I have already payed a payment on my Van and the car lot called me to collect on $700 more dollars that was not collected at time of purchase! I called my finance company and they said my dealings are with the loan now, not with the car lot. The lot even threatened to come and get the Van (which would be theft since the finance company has already paid for the vehicle).
Well, 1 year later it is with a collection agency threatening to go on my credit report! The one stupid thing I did do is pay with money order and cannot find the receipt! But here is the twist....
A couple years ago I worked for a collection agency in Dalton. I was the legal assistant who filed the law suits. Guess who we use to collect for on a daily basis? Adventure Chevrolet! We had people who always claimed they did not owe them anything and we could not prove it as a collector, so we did not follow through with them! It all came together! What this company was doing was making money on the back end by saying these customers were not paying their down payment and were preying on the passive to pay more!
This company should not be in business! All they have to do is say "they didn't pay" and make us prove it. And if we can't, we are screwed!
Jeremy
Fitzsimmons, Georgia
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Ted
Dalton,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Some customers are not honest
#3UPDATE Employee
Mon, April 28, 2003
In response to Jeremy Fitzsimmons alleged "scam". People are already sceptical about car dealers in general - so we have made it very easy to buy cars here. First we are a one price store, we give customers a 3 day money back gaurantee (used cars) and we also give our customers a 7 day exchange. Our salespeople do not earn any commissions based on selling price so it does them no good to charge more for a car.
As for Mr Fitzsimmons, when we made the deal for him the lending institution requested a cash investment from Mr fitzsimmons for $1700. He only had $1000. He promised to pay the additonal money. (our mistake for taking his word). Mr Fitzsimmons agreed on numerous occassions to pay the amount.
I believe he thought that we would eventually tire of asking, but we didn't. If you notice in his "scam" he never says that he actually paid the amount required. I think its a shame that he is trying to get out of his debts by acusing us of trying to collect what is rightfully ours.
Further more there will possibly be legal action as a result of Mr Fitzsimmons disclosing that he previously worked for a company subcontracted by Edd Kirby to collect money due us. Is it wrong to try to collect money due our company? Apparently Mr Fitzsimmons believes so. Its also a shame to think that Mr Fitzsimmons thinks that legtimate companies actually sit around and try to prey on customers at there weak moments. Mr Fitzsimmons needs to pay his bills or provide proof that he has paid his bills. Perhaps we will not be able to collect the money due us because Mr Fitzsimmons might have found a loop in the laws but he has to live with himself I believe he knows in his heart who is right and who is wrong. Why would he have agreed to pay the bill to our manager? As for us we will not never stop doing what we think is right and we will help those in need of a car. Thank you for taking time out to read this response.
Asher
Cartersville,Georgia,
U.S.A.
Check Your Paperwork
#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, January 01, 2003
When you purchased your vehicle you should have been given a copy of your loan contract when you finished signing. On that contract will be the dollar amount of any down payment you made on the deal. If the dealership failed to collect all of the money from you at the time of delivery, and you did not sign a separate promisory note or hold funds agreement, then it is their loss not yours! Make copies of your contract and submit it to the collection agency as proof of this being paid. If you have lost your copy you can request one from the lending institution that financed your vehicle. You can also submit that document to the appropriate credit reporting agencies and request that the item be removed from your credit file. The dealership would then have to furnish proof that you didn't pay, and since you did, the agency must remove it within 30 days.
A word of advice when purchasing a vehicle. Do not sign any document unless you have read it and understand what it says. If you don't understand it, don't sign it!!! No dealer can force you to buy anything, if you don't like the terms, leave!!! Their are plenty of honest dealerships out there who want your business. Don't allow the idea of owning your dream vehicle cloud your judgement. If you can't afford it, don't buy it.
Most dealerships cannot obtain instant approval unless you have almost perfect credit. If you sign a spot delivery, conditional delivery, or bailment agreement, remember that works both ways.
If the dealer can obtain financing with a different lender at the sames terms agreed upon in the original contract, your are legally obligated to accept the new contract. If they obtain an approval but the terms, interest rate, or principal amount financed are higher that the original contract, you are under no obligation to sign the new documents unless you agree with the new terms. Call someone to come pick you up, leave your vehicle there, and walk away!!! You can then go to a different dealership and start all over, but tell them up front that you walked away at another dealer. If you made a cash down payment or had a trade in, demand it back at that moment, if they refuse, get to a phone and call the state attorney general's office and tell them what is going on. Sometimes just the threat of that phone call will prompt them to take the correct action.
No legitimate car dealer wants to do business in the manner most people complain about on this web site. Sometimes they make mistakes and try to pass those on to the customer through some trickery or deciet to keep it from coming out of their paycheck! They are in business to service your needs, not the other way around. Keep you cool, use you head, and stick to your guns.