Complaint Review: Dick Hannah Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram - Vancouver Washington

I went to d**k Hannah Auto Mall to look for a slightly used pickup. I was looking for a 1-1/2 cab (1/2 back seat). The salesman showed me a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup with a mega-cab (larger back seat than front). It didn't have the chrome I wanted, nor the running board, 4X4, several items on my list were not there, but the salesman told me that's all they had. He also told me about their 3-day return policy -- if, for any reason, you didn't like a car you bought, bring it back within 3 days for a full refund of your purchase price.
 
I settled for the mega-cab and signed paperwork for it on 6/13/12, even though I was paying cash for the vehicle. Because I didn't have a blank check for them to hold, and I would not give them my SS number, they would not give me the vehicle until I gave them cash or a cashier's check for the vehicle. 

I noticed a noise coming from under the vehicle that I thought sounded like brakes grinding. Their service department said it was a loose bracket holding the tail-pipe and tightened it. I was informed later that they had replaced the front brake pads as well. 

When I ran a "CarMD" diagnostic, there were problem codes for the Anti-lock Brake System and the Air Bag System. They gave me a Car-Fax report, which reported the last mileage reading at 30,111. It was actually 96,751. The salesman told me the Kelly Bluebook value was $20,000. It was actually $11,000. The next day I got a cashier's check for $18,995.00 and called the dealership. The salesman told me he would  pick me up to retrieve the vehicle. He kept stalling all day and finally picked me up after 5:00 PM. 

When we got to the dealership, the vehicle was still not ready. They said they were washing the vehicle. They had promised me a full detail, including the engine, the day before, but the detailers had went home for the day, so they just rinsed off the vehicle. I asked if I could make an appointment for the detail job, he said he would "check with his manager." 

When they brought the pickup to the front where I was waiting, the service gentleman backed the vehicle up to where I was sitting, out of view of the front bumper, but I didn't think anything of it, and took the vehicle, after giving them the cashier's check. This was the 14th of June.
 
When I returned home, I had my mechanic look at the vehicle. He noted a "ding" in the front bumper, it was a crack in the plastic bumper that was obviously old damage, barely noticeable, but enough to be estimated at $1,219.00 damage by their collision center. I immediately called the dealership and informed them of the crack. The salesman said he did not see any damage to the bumper, and neither did I. I told him it was obviously older than one or two days old, but he said he never saw it. 

When I asked the service gentleman if he had seen it while washing the vehicle, he said, "I don't know, I just washed it." Everyone else I showed it to, including the collision mechanic, said it looked more than a few days old, but wouldn't confirm it.

At home, I was surfing the Internet, looking to see how much I had been taken for. I saw the exact pickup I was looking for: 2 years newer, 4X4, chrome, running boards, etc. for a bit more than I had paid for the 2006, so I went to look at it and took a test drive. This was on the 16th of June, 2012, 2 days after receiving the 2006.

The 2nd dealership, being what they are, talked me into buying the 2008 vehicle before taking the 2006 back, taking a $3,000 deposit and signing a "backup" contract, convincing me that there wouldn't be any problems. 

However, when I did take the 2006 back to Hannah, asking for my refund, noting the 3-day return policy, they noted the ding in the bumper and said they could not take it back. I told them it could be tested by a lab and found to be older than my possession of the vehicle, they said that it was "more than 3 days", stating that because I signed paperwork on the 13th, that I owned it on the 13th, even though I did not pay for it or take possession of it until after 5:00 on the 14th. They also counted the 13th as the first day, stating that the 16th was 4 days later. We have been at an impasse since. 

I tried to call their corporate offices, but was told that everyone in corporate was on vacation. I tried leaving messages with various numbers I was transferred to, but have not received any response as of the 26th of June.