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Sam Dell Chrysler Jeep / Chrysler Financial ripoff scam liars messed up me and my fiance's credit without any forms signed! North Syracuse New York
On March 25, 2002 my beloved Toyota Tercel bit the dust (it caught fire) so I went down to Sam Dell to see about purchasing a newer vehicle. My credit isn't the greatest, so I wasn't expecting to get a new vehicle. I sat down with a salesman named James Pridgen, and he told me that with $500-$1000 down I could get myself into a 1998 Neon or a Malibu. I said fine, and I borrowed the money from my mom. I filled out the credit application, and he told me that he would get back to me. He got back to me and told me that I was approved for the Malibu, and we made an appointment to meet the next day. (keep this in mind right now...my fiance had no idea that I was purchasing a vehicle just yet, he thought that I was still looking around--I wanted to surprise him).
Anyway, I went down to the dealership the next day with a guy friend of mine. We waited 2.5 hours to meet with James, and when we finally got to talk to him, he told me that my loan was denied, but he would try for the Neon and get back to me.
Later that evening, I get a call from him saying that I was approved for the Neon and to come down to the dealership the next morning. During the call he also asked me for the names and addresses of people that might be interested in purchasing a vehicle from Sam Dell, so I gave him the info for my fiance, Jon who was also looking around at the time, but I made sure to let James know that Jon lived about 200 miles away so he probably wouldn't get a car from them.
I arrived the next morning ready to put the money down and drive away with my Neon. But James told me that somehow I had gotten approved for a brand new 2002 Chrysler Sebring. I didn't understand and asked him to explain. He told me that the car I was getting was a demo car that they were selling at the same price as the Neon ($5400). Me being kind of naive thought it was a great deal. He then asked me to sign over the title to my beloved, burned up Tercel so they could junk it. At that time, I also signed a credit application for the sebring with the $5400 price tag on the vehicle...NO Co-signer no nothing. After he takes the paperwork from me, he comes back saying that I need to put $2000 down. I didn't have it at the time and would have to call my mom to have her western union the money to me. I told him that I could get the money for him the next day. So we finish up the paperwork, and I drive the sebring off the lot that day with dealer plates.
When I was taking the car home, I noticed that there were only 18 miles on the odometer, which I thought was funny because he had previously told me that the car was a demo and had been driven a bit. But I didn't think much of it at the time.
The next day I go to the dealership and give him the rest of the $2000 downpayment and I thought it was a done deal. He gave me my plates and told me that I would get my permanent registration in the mail. Seemed all good to me.
About one month later, I get a bill from Chrysler Financial in the mail. But it had Jon's name on it. The bill actually came addressed to Jonathan West c/o Natasha Scott, and the bill was for my first month's payment. This baffled my mind and on top of that, it showed that my payoff amount was $15,000!!! I immediately called Chrysler and told them that there had to be some kind of mistake because I was the only one to sign the credit app (Jon was never involved in the process of the purchase!) and that the quoted price of the vehicle was $5400, and less the downpayment, the payoff should be something like $4700 (including interest and other fees).
The woman at Chrysler told me that they had a contract signed by not only me, but Jonathan, and that Jonathan was listed as the buyer, and me as the co-buyer. She also told me that they had a copy of his driver license. I told them that he was never involved in the purchase and I had my copy of the contract to prove it. I asked them to send me a copy of what they had so I could get to the bottom of all of this. I was told that wasn't necessary as I obviously had this contract if I had the car.
I tried contacting the dealership and James trying to figure out what was going on, but everytime I called I was told that someone would get back to me, but no one ever did. And after much haggling with Chrysler Financial, I finally got copies of the contract. It turned out that the signatures on the contract looked nothing like our signatures and the driver license wasn't even Jon's. The face was not his, the name was spelled wrong, but the address was correct.
Because of the error with the contract, I refused to make the payments and ended up getting the car reposessed.
I finally contacted the Attorney General's office, and an investigation was launched. It turned out that James used the information that I gave him about Jon to get a copy of his credit report (I'm not sure about all of the specifics regarding that) and because his credit is better than mine, used his information to get me in a more expensive car...which equals more comission for him. The driver license copy is actually his brother's with some modification. I also found out that I'm not the only one that this has happened to, but I'm one of the few to do something about it.
So now, a year later, criminal charges are being filed, and we are working on a civil suit against James Pridgen, as well as a class action suit against the dealership. Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a vehicle from these people.
Natasha
Albany, New York
U.S.A.
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Cindy
Liverpool,New York,
U.S.A.
Get representation -DO NOT DEAL WITH THEM PERSONALLY
#8Consumer Suggestion
Mon, November 10, 2003
These people will rip you off blind. Do not deal with them personally as they will brush it under the rug. I have had to sue them for my cancelled warranty that I paid for in cash. They're slicker than a snake dipped in oil. GET A LAWYER, or have the Attorney General deal with them personally. Stop all contact with them. Any thing you say will be used against you, they tried the same s**t with me.
Natasha
Albany,New York,
U.S.A.
Got copies of the "contract" and harassed
#8Author of original report
Sun, May 25, 2003
Yesterday, the Attorney General's consumer fraud department finally sent me the response from Sam Dell. All the dealership provided were copies of the contract, but of course the errors were apparent. The only things with my real signature on them were the credit app for the 2000 Neon and Malibu, and the CREDIT APP ONLY for the 2002 Sebring. The financing contract for the sebring had a signature that said my name, but it wasn't my signature (a blatant difference from the signatures on the credit apps). Jon's name was signed also, but of course it wasn't his signature. The copy of my driver license was legit, but Jon's license wasn't. The face on the license isn't his, and his name is spelled wrong. Jonathan is how his name is really spelled, but on the "license" that they have, it is spelled Jonothan. Also, the date of birth is wrong by 3 years. And not only that, but on the finance contract, Jon is listed as my BROTHER!!, not my fiance. What the **** is up with that!?
And to top this all off, James, the salesguy called and left a message on my cell asking me if I wanted to go out to dinner and a movie to talk this all out...apparently he's had some kind of non-professional interest in me since I first came in the dealership. I really was offended by this, and did not find it professional whatsoever. Can I possibly file a police report against him regarding this phone call?
Also, I've been doing some more digging on this matter, and I've run across this paper which is the "Notice of Requirement to Provide Insurance". This paper has my name listed as the buyer, nowhere is Jon's name listed. This is the paper that allowed me to put the insurance on the car in my name.
My name is also to be listed on the title of the car as the purchaser, not Jon. And in order for my name to be listed on the title, a form would have had to be filed with the DMV. I called the DMV, and of course there was no form filled out, so I find out that the car really shouldn't be registered, titled, or insured in my name. What am I to do about all of this?
I've contacted an attorney, but so far he's not having any luck trying to deal with the dealership and Chrysler Financial...they want to deal only with me or Jon.
All I want is my car back (registered, titled, and insured in my name legally) or my money back. Why is this taking so long??!!
Karen
Plymouth,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Contact an attorney
#8Consumer Suggestion
Mon, May 19, 2003
Refuse to deal with these people any longer. Contact an attorney and refer them to him/her. If Chrysler is aware and acknowleges that this was a case of fraud but refuses to both remove the negative reporting from your record and return your money while also voiding this "debt", they are accessories to the fraud and should be made accountable. I would immediately file a civil suit (not small claims court). Make sure you get a real animal for an attorney. You're going to need it.
If you haven't filed with the AG's office in your state, do so immediately against both the dealership and the Corporation. Find out who else you can make their lives miserable with, too. Contact News organizations (consumer reports) if you want before heading to an attorney. Personally, if it were me, I'd be talking to the lawyer NOW.
Karen
Plymouth,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Contact an attorney
#8Consumer Suggestion
Mon, May 19, 2003
Refuse to deal with these people any longer. Contact an attorney and refer them to him/her. If Chrysler is aware and acknowleges that this was a case of fraud but refuses to both remove the negative reporting from your record and return your money while also voiding this "debt", they are accessories to the fraud and should be made accountable. I would immediately file a civil suit (not small claims court). Make sure you get a real animal for an attorney. You're going to need it.
If you haven't filed with the AG's office in your state, do so immediately against both the dealership and the Corporation. Find out who else you can make their lives miserable with, too. Contact News organizations (consumer reports) if you want before heading to an attorney. Personally, if it were me, I'd be talking to the lawyer NOW.
Karen
Plymouth,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Contact an attorney
#8Consumer Suggestion
Mon, May 19, 2003
Refuse to deal with these people any longer. Contact an attorney and refer them to him/her. If Chrysler is aware and acknowleges that this was a case of fraud but refuses to both remove the negative reporting from your record and return your money while also voiding this "debt", they are accessories to the fraud and should be made accountable. I would immediately file a civil suit (not small claims court). Make sure you get a real animal for an attorney. You're going to need it.
If you haven't filed with the AG's office in your state, do so immediately against both the dealership and the Corporation. Find out who else you can make their lives miserable with, too. Contact News organizations (consumer reports) if you want before heading to an attorney. Personally, if it were me, I'd be talking to the lawyer NOW.
Karen
Plymouth,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Contact an attorney
#8Consumer Suggestion
Mon, May 19, 2003
Refuse to deal with these people any longer. Contact an attorney and refer them to him/her. If Chrysler is aware and acknowleges that this was a case of fraud but refuses to both remove the negative reporting from your record and return your money while also voiding this "debt", they are accessories to the fraud and should be made accountable. I would immediately file a civil suit (not small claims court). Make sure you get a real animal for an attorney. You're going to need it.
If you haven't filed with the AG's office in your state, do so immediately against both the dealership and the Corporation. Find out who else you can make their lives miserable with, too. Contact News organizations (consumer reports) if you want before heading to an attorney. Personally, if it were me, I'd be talking to the lawyer NOW.
Natasha
Albany,New York,
U.S.A.
Repo still not off the credit report
#8Author of original report
Sun, May 18, 2003
Today I get this letter in the mail from Chrysler Financial stating that if I pay them $6,834 they will allow me to get my car back. I refuse to pay them this amount of money seeing as the price agreed on at the dealership was less than the above amount.
I also got a copy of my credit report in the mail, and the reposession is still listed, after the "wonderful" folks at Chrysler Financial told me that the repo would be removed because of the apparent fraud.
I called Chrysler Financial and told them that only if they remove the repo from me and Jon's credit reports will I even consider working out a deal with them. At this point, all I want is either my money or my car back as well as a restored credit rating. I want the repo off the credit reports!! What other steps if any can I take to make sure this happens?