If you have purchased a vehicle and feel that you got a bad deal, you may have recourse against the dealer by using one or more of the following tactics:
Somewhere buried in the fine print of your policy, there may be a provision about returning the vehicle within a specific timeframe.
There may also be a specific mileage limit in the provision. Even if you have gone over the time limit or the mileage limit, you can ask the dealer to accept the return of the vehicle. You may offer to provide some compensation for the additional time or mileage, such as paying for a rental rate of the vehicle or by forfeiting your down payment.
Even though you may lose some money in the bargain, you may be better off than you would have with a vehicle that cost you too much or had too high of an interest rate, factors that could cost you thousands for years to come.
Check with the Manufacturer
In order to increase customer satisfaction and comfort, some auto manufacturers have instituted programs that allow customers to return a vehicle. Note that the dealer may not have such a provision in the actual purchase agreement. However, print off an ad from the manufacturer and bring this information with you when you plead your case.
Check into Consumer Laws in Your State
While there is a federal “cooling-off period” for purchases, this law only applies to the purchases of new homes and door-to-door sales, not to the purchase of automobiles. However, your state may have a similar law that may allow you to return the vehicle within a certain period of time or that may give you a certain amount of time to reconsider the purchase without legal consequences.
Additionally, each state is responsible for establishing its own laws related to consumer rights. Check if there are any unfair trade practices that were committed or any other consumer protection law that may be applicable to your case. An online search of these terms can help you determine the actual laws in your state.
Ask the Attorney General
The attorney general’s office of your state may be another resource that you can access. This office often provides valuable information to individuals about consumer protections and rights in the state. Check the attorney general’s website or write a request for an opinion regarding your situation to determine what avenues may be available to you.
File a Complaint with an Agency
If the dealership is an otherwise reputable business, a manager may consider allowing you to return the vehicle if you seriously threaten lodging a complaint with a state agency regarding the purchase and your perceived mistreatment. For example, you may file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Also, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for your area to find out where you can file a complaint about the dealership.
Talk to a Manager
The actual salesperson with whom you interacted may not have any incentive to help you or authority to do anything about a perceived bad deal. However, you may have more success by asking a manager or the business owner to help you. These individuals are likely to be more invested in maintaining a positive relationship with customers and potential customers. Having a bad online review or negative ratings on a manufacturer’s post-purchase survey may negatively impact the business, causing a manager to want to avoid the possibility.
Be polite. It is ultimately this individual’s decision whether or not to accept the return of the vehicle or a renegotiation of the terms. Bring objective support to show your point of view, such as a printout of the approximate value of the vehicle and the disparity between this number and the contract price to show that your concerns are not unfounded.
Check into Lemon Laws
Your state may have an applicable “lemon” law that addresses your issue. Check if such a law applies to the type of vehicle that you purchases, such as used cars. Bring this information to the attention of the dealer.
Contact an Attorney
In some scenarios, the dealership may not have acted in good faith when conducting the business transaction. A salesperson may have gone beyond puffing and made promises that he or she knew would not come to fruition. Warranties may have been promised that did not make their way onto the contract. The dealership may have misrepresented the deal or the vehicle. Even if these factors do not apply, the dealership may have failed to provide certain information as required by law that may give you the option of rescinding the contract.
