Tipton
Mesa,#2Consumer Suggestion
Mon, May 30, 2005
I put in the other ripoff reports about AAM and wonder how in the world those of us who have been victims are supposed to unite to do something about this company when we can't get any contact info? I, too, want to do a class action suit, alert the Attorney General & district attorney, etc., to go after these guys. Just at a loss of how to do that alone. Can ripoffreport.com help put victims in contact with each other?
Stick
Tempe,#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, May 25, 2005
Vicki how did you hear of this so called company and what do they say they will do for car buyers and owners that want to get out of making payments on the car they have. Did you hear a radio advertisement, or was it a TV advertisement? To help stop people like this you need to post the TV station, radio station or newspaper's name and contact info on your Rip Off Report. It is a shame but the media will take advertisement money from people who have plans to Rip Off consumers. You would think that the local media would research the business before they take the advertisement $$$$. Go turn on your TV and pick a local TV station and watch for car dealer advertisements, then check to see how many Rip Off Reports those car dealers have. You will not get that TV station to do any insider storys on the car dealers that Rip Off car buyers because thats where the TV station gets most of their BIG $$$$. How much money did you have to pay to get into this racket? Did you have to pay big money to sign up? Are you willing to let a Rip Off Report Advocate review the documents they had you sign? Also read the below. This was sent to me by a victim of this kind of crap. California has balls to spank! SACRAMENTO - A joint investigation by DMV and CHP Investigators has uncovered an illegal motor vehicle subleasing operation by Independent Dream Auto (IDA), a Sacramento-based dealership. Independent Dream Auto advertised a subleasing service extensively in print and radio in Northern California. Investigators arrested the principal operator of IDA--26-year old Stephan James Evanovich yesterday, and booked him in the Placer County Jail. Bail was set at $125,000. He was charged with eight counts of 571 PC -unlawful subleasing of a vehicle-- and four counts of embezzlement. (504 PC) Investigators say the subleasing service was offered to vehicle owners who had negative equity in their cars. IDA would find new purchasers for the vehicles, collect a down payment between $1,000 to $7,000, and then charge monthly payments that exceeded the original registered owner's payments. Under the agreements, IDA collected the amount of the monthly payments from the new purchasers and was supposed to either hand the money over to the lien holder (financial institution) or forward the money to the registered owners so they could make the payment themselves. Although IDA generated official looking contracts and paperwork, no title was ever officially transferred through DMV. As is the case with many of these types of schemes, the operator of IDA stopped making payments to the lien holders or registered owners of the vehicles but continued to collect the payments from the new lessees (or "permissive users" as they are known,) which then makes the vehicles embezzled property under California law. Further information has been developed that the operator of IDA employed "collectors" who would enforce late payment issues and/or repossess the vehicles so they could be subleased to new "permissive users" under similar terms (down payments and high monthly payments). Investigators have so far identified eight victims, but it is anticipated that the total number of persons who might have been scammed could range into the hundreds. It is also highly probable that other illegal sub-leasing businesses will be identified statewide in the near future as victims come forward during the investigation. The DMV and CHP urge any person who thinks they might have been victimized by IDA or a similar vehicle subleasing business to call 1 800 TELL CHP or to contact their nearest DMV Investigations Office; for a complete list of DMV Investigations Offices, and a copy of a DMV complaint form (INV172A), visit the DMV web page at: www.dmv.ca.gov. This kind of crap would not happen to AZ car buyers if the local media would expose the Rip Off's in the auto industry. BUT NO! They can't do that. Advertising money from Rip Off Car dealers is more important then protecting consumers. We also need to ask why is it that the Attorney general's office does not have a team of attorneys that ONLY GO AFTER CAR DEALERS!