Keely
Longview,#2Consumer Comment
Sun, June 17, 2007
I used to see this type of thing so many times from Vandergrif Honda and other dealers as well. They are basically assuming they can get some finance company to "buy your deal". They probably faxed your credit app to 10 or more finance companies. When the dealership could not get the response they wanted from a finance company, they say OOOPs "we aren't going to get paid, we gotta get that car back" which is why they have you sign that little half sheet of paper. For instance at Honda Finance, they send over the credit application, then the "credit buyer" (the person you will never see or speak to) gives the dealership a decision approved, conditionally appoved, or denied. Then, the credit buyer tells the dealer the terms that are approved. They may say something like this. invoice on the vehicle is 18,000, we approve 120% over invoice , at 12% APR for 60 months. Well, the problem is that many times the dealer will write up a contract for more than 120% over invoice, lower the interest rate to please the customer, or bump it up too many points to say 16%. Then, when the contract is rushed over by courier to be funded, meaning the dealer is supposed to get paid. The finance company says waittt a minute. THis is not the deal we approved, and then the contract gets sent back to the dealer, then the dealer is pissed because they have no car and no money. So, they scramble around trying to get some other finance company to buy your contract. When they can't, they take your car back. Oh yeah, if you ever ask the dealer to see the "approval sheet" from Honda Finance or any other finance company, they will not let you see it. Number one, the finance companies tell them not too. Number two, the finance company probably approved you at say 7% and the dealer bumps it up to 9%. So, the dealer makes a nice chunk of change. I don't even remember exactly how it's calculated anymore, but that's about $2500 on an 18,000 sales price. The sales price if I remember correctly is on line number one of the blue and white contract. Hope this was hopeful. Wish I could remember more details. Moral of my story is this, if possible, get your financing done before you go to the dealership and bypass the finance office at the dealership all together.
Helena
ARLINGTON,#3Author of original report
Sun, September 10, 2006
WELL TODAY THE MANAGER OF VANDERGRIFF HONDA CALLED ME TELLING ME HE WAS SORRY FOR THE PROBLEMS I WAS GIVEN AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY I TOLD HIM LOWER PAYMENTS SO HE SAID WE WOULD GO FROM $423.00 TO $390.00 AND HE WOULD FILL UP MY NEW CAR WITH GAS. WELL MYSELF, MY MOM AND MY BOYFRIEND GO IN THERE TO MEET THE MANAGER WHO SAID HE WOULD HAVE THE NEW CONTRACT READY.WE GET THERE HE SAID I WILL BE RIGHT BACK I HAVE TO GET THE MAIN MANAGER TO SIGN OFF ON THE DEAL AND HE WANTED MY KEYS TO GAS IT UP I TOLD HIM IT WAS FULL OF GAS AND I DIDNT NEED ANY GAS IN IT. 10 MINUTES LATER HE COMES BACK SAYING HE WOULDNT DO IT AND I HAD TO GIVE THE CAR BACK.I TOLD HIM I WASNT GIVING THE CAR BACK BECAUSE I HAD A SIGNED CONTRACT AND MY ATTORNEY SAID IT WAS A DONE DEAL.I GET OUTSIDE AND NOTICE THAT WHEN HE HAD LEFT FOR THE 10 MINUTES HE HAD BLOCKED MY CAR IN.AND WOULDNT LET ME LEAVE. SO I CALLED 911 AND THE POLICE COME OUT. MIND YOU THE ENTIRE PLACE WAS FULL OF PEOPLE AND EVERYONE WATCHING HIM(WALLY"MAKE A COMPLETE IDIOT OUT OF HIMSELF )THE POLICE GET THERE AND HE PRODUCES A PIECE OF PAPER I HAD SIGNED THAT WAS SOME KIND OF A CONDITION SHEET AND THAT GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND HE TOLD THE POLICE IT WAS GIVEN TO ME IN FINANCE.AND HE LIED. THE DAY I GOT MY CAR I WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO DO AN INSPECTION ON IT AND AS I WAS LEAVING OUT THE DOOR SEVERAL SALES PEOPLE SHOOK MY HAND SAID CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW CAR..THEN THE SALESMAN TOLD ME I HAD TO SIGN THIS PAPER IN ORDER TO TAKE THE RENTAL CAR.SO THEY PULLED A LITTLE SCAM.IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO ME CATCHING DUSTIN IN A LIE ABOUT MY TRADE AND THEM TRYING TO SCREW ME OUT OF A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THEY KNEW THEY WERE CAUGHT. SO THEY CHOSE NOT TO DO BUSINESS WITH ME .BUT ITS OK BECAUSE I WENT TO DAVID MCDAVID HONDA IN IRVING AND TOLD THEM THE SITUATION. THEY HAD ME IN THE SAME MODEL CAR BUT IN THE COLOR I WANTED. NO SCRATCHES. IT HAD ALL THE FLOORMATS. IT WAS IN GREAT SHAPE AND I WAS TREATED WITH RESPECT AND MY SALESMAN VICTOR AT DAVID MCDAVID WAS SO POLITE AND THE WHOLE EXPERIANCE WAS WONDERFUL. PLUS I SAVED ABOUT $2000.00. SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS IF YOU WANT TO BE LIED TO ,RIPPED OFF,SCAMMED,TREATED LIKE TRASH,CUSSED OUT,HUNG UP ON. AND DEAL WITH VERY UNPROFFESSIONAL PEOPLE LIKE WALLY AND DUSTIN AT VANDERGRIFF HONDA IN ARLINGTON ON I20 THEN GO SEE WALLY AND DUSTIN. BUT IF YOU WANT A GREAT DEAL WITH HONEST PEOPLE GO TO DAVID MCDAVID HONDA IN IRVING. ASK FOR VICTOR IT WILL BE THE BEST EXPERIANCE YOU EVER HAD. P.S IF YOU WANT TO READ OTHER HORROR STORIES ABOUT WALLY AND VANDERGRIFF HONDA. GO TO YOUR SEARCH ENGINE AND TYPE IN "VANDERGRIFF HONDA COMPLAINTS" YOU WILL HEAR SEVERAL STORIES LIKE MINE