Princeton Auto Parke Ron Parke (Owner) Taken Advantage of Internet
Recently I have divorced. I was in dyer need of a vehicle to transport my children around in. I found an ad in the paper for a 97' Ford Explorer for $500. I had the explorer inspected and the only thing wrong with it was the 4-wheel drive transfer case was going out. It wouldn't hurt anything just make a really annoying noise. So I bought it! I drove it for about a month and then the transmission started slipping. I was scared the car was going to give out on me in the dead of summer with my kids in it. I went down to Ron Parke "Princeton Auto Parke". I told him my dilemma and that I was recently divorced and single mom of two boys. I was working two jobs and I just needed help. I offered to give him my explorer to waive the initial $1000 down for one of his buy here pay here cars (now waiving didn't mean to give me credit it meant he put it towards the vehicle I would purchase). He agreed. He told me all I could get was a 2001 Dodge Stratus he had. It had over 150,000 miles on it and some "issues". Beggers can't be choosers so I said if you can fix these issues, I will buy it. One issue was that the engine was leaking oil BAD. They replaced the seals. The other issue was there was a crack in the exhaust pipe, and they had it replaced. (To my knowledge) I signed a contract to be set up on weekly payments of $75. I had made my payments on time every week for a month. Even over paid, giving him $100 each time. In August and September my hours had gotten cut and I wasn't receiving child support so I asked the manager if I could make bi-weekly payments. They agreed to it. So every 2 weeks after that I was giving them $200 to help catch up and get me ahead. In November, I had just dropped off a $100 payment for one week and I also told them that the car was leaking oil again and the exhaust had started to make noise again. The next day, the manager came storming into my workplace demanding the keys for the car. he said, "I'm sorry about your car troubles but Ron is done messing with you and he wants his car back." In the meantime, they had sold the explorer I traded for $1000 and still not fixing any of those existing problems (I spoke with the new owner). I saw none of that profit credited to my account. So, to date I had the vehicle for roughly 16 weeks and had given Mr. Ron Parke over $2000 of my money. The manager said I was behind 7 weekly payments. I was dumbfounded. I knew I went to a bi-weekly status but I had made the $200 every two weeks to over pay and get caught up faster. I stayed in contact with them and told them what was going on and made sure I was ok in their book. When I went to the office, with my boss, to figure out what was going on, Ron Parke came outside and saw my boss and said "Oh, I didn't know that's who you worked for." From then on he kept preaching he would work with me and do what he could to help me. My boss said it was best to cut all ties and that's what I did. Come to find out, a car that was worth less than $2000 was sold to me for close to $7000. The interest rate was 27% and all of the $200 payments, Ron took and applied them as interest and late fees-hence the 7 weeks behind. Since this incident alot of buzz is going around this town about Ron Parke's dealings. He is under investigation for several things. I advise anyone thinking about going to him or are dealing with him now, to please not go into any agreement with him or watch your back carefully.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Haley
Princeton,Indiana,
United States of America
Clarification of money spent/used
#3Author of original report
Wed, January 11, 2012
I bought the car in July and made consistent payments every week until August. When I knew my hours were getting cut, I called the AutoParke and asked if I could be switched to Bi-weekly payments. This was before I was late. To my knowledge, I wasn't late. My payments were originally $75/week and every two weeks I paid $200. I paid more than I should have. But he considered the loan as a weekly payment schedule, when I was told going to bi-weekly was ok. They TOOK 3/4 of every $200 as late fees and interest. I'm sorry for not explaining it better. The point I was trying to make was that I was a good-intentioned customer. I wasn't expecting money from the sale of the explorer, but I did just give it to him and he PROFITED from it. Bottom line, I was misrepresented by the manager and even the owner when I was told the bi-weekly schedule was just fine to do. I was paying $200 every two weeks to get ahead on the loan and pay it down faster, but all they were doing was taking my money and spinning me backwards.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Okay
#3Consumer Comment
Wed, January 11, 2012
In trying to get through your novel it appears that this is no different than any other dealer would be doing. But you also have some very naive ideas of a few other things.
First of all you traded in your $500 POS Explorer, and over time found out it was sold to another customer. Yet you are upset that the dealer didn't share any of the profit with you? Where in the world did you get the idea that you were entitled to any of the "profit" from the sale of the car you traded in?
Now the car you bought a car with 150K miles, with leaking seals and a cracked exhaust pipe. You did get them to fix it, which to your credit is great that you made it contingent of buying the car because many dealers will continually "promise" to fix it but they never do.
Now onto your loan. You made 4 Weekly payments, which if you had a regular loan would have been 1 payment, before you ran into trouble. You then apparently miss some payments because you say in August you starting paying $200 every two weeks to "catch-up", and you don't need to "catch-up" if you are current. Yet later on you don't think they should be able to charge you late fees or additional interest for these missed payments.
As to your boss telling you to just "cut ties" with them, unless your boss is some sort of "Godfather" who is going to have his associates "take care" of this dealer if he goes after you, that was probably the biggest bonehead move of this entire situation.
Because I figure by "cutting-ties" you are saying you just gave the car back. That is considered a Voluntary Repo, and it is treated just like they came and got it. Unfortunately it does not mean that the debt just goes away. They will sell the car at auction, deduct that from the loan balance. But guess what..you still owe the remaining balance. If you don't pay it they may send you to collections or eventually sue you. And if you think getting a car before was tough just wait until you try and get one now.
He is under investigation for several things.
- What things and what is your source on this?