Complaint Review: Kings Plaza Chrysler Jeep - Brooklyn New York

My complaint is with Kings Plaza Chrysler Jeep Dealership and Chrysler Financial. In November 2004 I visited Kings Plaza Chrysler Jeep Dealership for brake service on my 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, while waiting I encountered a salesman (Michael Scheff) who proceeded to advise me about purchasing a new 2005 vehicle with only the trade-in of my 2000 jeep Grand Cherokee as down payment. I was just rebounding from serious financial problems from downsizing of my job for 26 years and a foreclosure and really needed to re-establish my credit worthiness. I decided to take advantage of his offer and purchase a new car that would help me in getting to my new job and re-establish my credit. I met with the salesperson and their financial representative, after expressing to them that I wanted to purchase the car as I do not believe in leasing a vehicle, I agreed to trade-in my vehicle for $6,500 + $3000 rebate and add $1,000 cash to help reduce the monthly payment to $687.98 monthly for 48 months. When I expressed my dissatisfaction with the monthly payment, the financial representative expressed, that I would get better monthly payments if I leased as opposed to buying. Again, I expressed my opposition to leasing and assumed that the high monthly payment was based on the finance rates due to my poor credit rating, something that I would have to accept until my credit worthiness is re-established. I signed the purchase contract and drove away in my new 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Since that time I have been doing everything possible to re-establish my credit...I have paid Chrysler Financial ahead of time every month since I started payments. Last week I received a call from a salesperson from Kings Plaza Chrysler Jeep Dealership (Danny) advising me that my lease would be up in a couple of months and he wanted to know if I would be interested in new car...I quickly proceeded to correct the gentleman, by advising him that my car is a purchase and not a lease. He replied that if I was sure, because his information indicated I had a leased 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was reaching maturity. I immediately called Chrysler Financial and spoke to their resolution department (Mr. Glen Palmer) after explaining the situation he said that the contract he received was a lease with a balloon payment at the end of 48 months. This was never explained to me at inception, never outlined on my contract and this was the first time in 44 months that Chrysler had mentioned lease to me in all their "Valued Customer" correspondence... I would have never agreed to give them my car + rebate and cash totaling $10,500 and pay $6870.97 per month for 48 months totaling over $33,000 and then a balloon payment to keep the car totaling another $20,000.00. That would make the total cost of the car over $63,000!!!! This is a Jeep not a Mercedes!

I personally feel violated, and I know that this was a fraudulent mis-representation on the part of Kings Plaza Chrysler Jeep Dealership and on Chrysler Financial not to question the paperwork on the sale they received from the dealership. On 11/29/08, I will have already paid $44, 570.56 for this vehicle only to find out now that I do not own the car, although I have a Title for the vehicle in my possession. When I questioned Chrysler Financial why did they mail me the Title, Mr Palmer stated that they assumed that I would buy the car.

I'm not sure if anything can be done at this stage, recently looking at the paperwork I left with in 2004, I'm mysteriously missing my copy of the finance contract, I only have the yellow new vehicle invoice listing downpayment and monthly terms. This would indicate that something different was submitted to Chrysler Financial with my signature on it... I must have signed 4 or 5 different sets of papers that I never received copies of. This is my fault, but I never thought I would need a lawyer present to purchase a car from a supposedly reputable dealership. If nothing else this may put a stop to them taking advantage of any other unsuspecting person.

Curtis

Howard Beach, New York

U.S.A.