DriveTime Auto Sales Formerly Ugly Duckling ripoff doesn't want your money after they make their profit, they just want to re-po the car Torrance California
I bought a car from DriveTime in Torrance, CA in December, 2003. I was pregnant with my 2nd child, and in the office by myself (BIG MISTAKE, BTW), and I had to have a car to get around. After getting my whole life story, and proof of it, they finally agreed to let me have a car. Complete with ridiculously high payments, massive car problems (The car has been in the shop no less than five times since I've had it.) and the whole lot.
For the first time in over a year, I have to be a little over ten days late. They are seriously trying to reposses the car. I have put over $9,000 into a vehicle that is only worth about $2,500 (1998 Chevy Malibu LS.
I finally had to lean on one of my clients for an advance payment on work I haven't even done yet. I called the loan manager back this morning, to let her know I got someone to give me the money for them, and she has been avoiding me all day.
Un=be-freaking-lievable.
Erica
Hawthorne, California
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Timothy
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Taken by Ugly duckling/drivetime
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, May 12, 2005
I too have been had by them. I had a 1996 Dodge Neon, die out on me. I traded it into them for a 1992 honda civic. 2 days after purchase, the distributor went out, and began having overheating problems. They of course didn't offer any help at all, and basiclly threw me away, only calling to demand payment. This was back in about October of 2001 (maybe a few months prior). In Dec of 2001, I wrecked it, rearended a car at appx. 75 MPH, and the airbag didn't deploy. I contacted them ,they said it's not their fault. I too checked w/ Honda Corp. they said there no manufacter defect w/ the airbag system. The refused to cover the failure to deploy airbag(ugly duckling) so I refused to keep paying them. They eventually said the will repo the car, so I drove it down to their dealership and gave it back to them keys and title and all. The manager called a tow truck, and had it removed, and I was charge w/ an abandonded vehicle fee??? The are still after me today for ~9k dollars. I still refuse to pay, and will gladly jump in and help out.
Erica
Hawthorne,California,
U.S.A.
UPDATE: Where there is a will.....
#3Author of original report
Thu, May 12, 2005
After speaking with several reputable dealers, I've finally realized there may be no way to get out of this ridiculous contract. However, bad publicity can hurt even the most stallwart of crooks. There is a local Fox affilliate here in Los Angeles, KTTV - Fox 11. I know I can't post the web address here, so you'll have to look it up on your own. But if enough of us e-mail their news desk with requests for a piece on their investigative segment "Fox 11 Wants to Know", and tell them all about our experiences with Drivetime / Ugly Duckling, we might just get enough publicity to either A) invite SERIOUS Scrutiny into their practices, or B) at least embarrass them enough (preying on the poor is the absolute lowest thing you can do), to change some of their policies.
It's worth a try. Our contract say that we can't sue, but nobody ever said we couldn't tell our side of the story to the press. It is PERFECTLY legal, and they absolutely cannot say anything about it! :-)