Tips on Buying Cars: New Vehicle Financing, dodge ram 1500, bells and whistles

Question
Hi Jeff,
I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 ST p/u with only 9,300 miles.
It still smells like brand new inside. I want to trade my truck for another Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.7 litre Hemi with all the bells and whistles. My problem lies with financing. The Dodge dealership where I have purchased 2 vehicles through gives me very good deals via-customer loyalty, and I know the owner. The owner offered to pay off my truck, payoff is 17,000, and take 10,000 off the price of the new 2006 Dodge truck so I would be financing 15,000 and some change. However my credit union refused the loan because of 2 slow pays on my current vehicle loan. By the way the slow pays were not even 30 days late. My friend who ownes the dealership called my credit union and asked them if they were smoking crack-lol, I thought that was funny. My friend said what a bunch of idiots! Don't they realize i'm giving you far more than you truck is worth and paying off your loan! In the end I would have been financing less than my current payoff! Anyway Jeff, I want to know if you know of any loan or banking institutions that would be able to finance me with the 2 slow pays and medial credit. Thanks.

Answer
You must be dealing with a small, local credit union where everyone knows every members' business.  I say that because the larger institutions wouldn't even be aware of your "delinquency."  They're turning you down because they have direct access to your account (a late payment of less than 30 days wouldn't even show on a credit-bureau report), and/or someone there has some sort of personal issue with you, and is using this issue to make your life miserable.  I'm not a fan of on-line financing, as you'll be dealing with a bank thousands of miles away, and I can tell you from personal experience that, if a problem creeps up, it's EXTREMELY difficult to get it fixed over the phone.  When you have an issue with a bank, you want to be able to resolve it face-to-face.  Check with your local banks and other credit unions in your area; if there are no other blemishes on your credit report, you should have no problem financing this new truck at a competitive interest rate.