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UNBROKN

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Shitbag Dodge dealer pulled this shit on me 40 years ago in SLC. No cell phones to call police or record....

Apparently Some Car Dealers Think It's OK To Detain Customers Against Their Will

You would think that by 2021 car dealers would have wised up and fixed the broken mess that is car shopping. Many stores have adapted, but some are still relying on classic “stealership” tricks. One of the most egregious is preventing someone from leaving the showroom.




Imagine going to your local big-box store for some specific item, only to learn when you get there that the price isn’t as good as you thought. On your way out, the manager sends some goons to block the exit and demands you take that deal right now.

This sounds absolutely ridiculous, but similar situations have happened, and continue to happen, at car dealerships.

A Jalopnik reader who is a Maryland consumer protection attorney, Daniel Whitney Jr., told me about two recent cases his firm handled in which dealerships resorted to “false imprisonment” in an attempt to force a customer to take a deal that was clearly not in the buyer’s best interest.

According to Mr. Whitney’s blog post, one of the cases happened as follows -



The customer then contacted Mr. Whitney’s firm and they were able to settle the case with the dealership for $100,000. He also told me about another case in which a woman took her car in for service and showed interest in a new car deal, only to have the dealer hide the keys to her trade-in for hours until she too called the police.

In addition to speaking with Mr. Whitney, I also contacted former Jalopnik contributor and consumer protection attorney Steve Lehto. He said that he had never handled a false imprisonment case, but he had heard of dealers doing the “hide the keys” trick on a number of occasions.

I asked both attorneys what customers should do if they find themselves in a situation where a dealer is preventing them from leaving. Both said that dealers will often immediately change their approach once the police are called.

Another possible approach is to take out your cellphone and start recording the conversation. Mr. Whitney says that as long as the other person is aware you are recording, you avoid issues with local laws. He also says that once the dealer lets you leave you may still have a legal case. He advises that you email the dealership with instructions to “preserve all interior and exterior audio and video recordings on the date the incident happened in anticipation of litigation.”

While I’m sure some car shoppers would like to extract a nice settlement from a dealership, I think the best way to manage these situations is to avoid them altogether. The vast majority of dealers know better. Consumers should get a quote in writing ahead of time and do some research about the dealer via reviews and social media. Then buyers can focus on the stores that are professional and cooperative.

This is great info. Can I add some more info to it? I sell Insurance and we have had some issues with local dealers lately. It has to do with Gap Insurance. If you are unsure, this is coverage for you that will pay to the lienholder the difference between what is owed and the Actual Cash Value(ACV) of the vehicle. This is usually only necessary for the first 18 to 36 months of owning the new vehicle(unless you get screwed on the interest rate).
A couple of our clients got new cars and the dealer convinced them to buy the Gap Insurance. They tend to use the same tactics of strong-arming people into buying it. They make a HUGE profit on this sale. One example of mine recently was around $1,000.00. They bought the insurance and then called us to add the vehicle.
Most insurance companies offer Gap for a very small amount of money. In my example, it was going to cost my client $30 per year for Gap coverage. Deductible still applies. With some Gap policies from the dealer, the deductible is covered... up to a certain point. Here is my example:
over a 3 year period
Dealer Gap coverage: $500 max deductible required
covers the difference beteween ACV and payoff plus the deductible.
cost if you are in an accident: $1,000
cost if you are NOT in an accident: $1,000
Insurance Gap coverage:
covers the difference between ACV and payoff.
cost if you are in an accident: $590. deductible + premium each year.
cost if you are NOT in an accident: $90
NO BRAINER!! Get it from your insurance carrier if you even need it.

What is worse is that this client traded in a vehicle that was paid for and the loan was for $8000 less than the sticker price of the new car. She did not even NEED Gap insurance. Luckily she was able to cancel it (usually can be done in the first 30 days).

This is info I wish I could get out to everyone. I hope everyone on the forum sees all of this info from this thread. Thanks PSUTE for posting!
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Shotsy

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This totally happened to my wife and me. It was a Nissan dealership about 8 years ago and we were casually shopping - it was 12/31 so if the numbers worked out, we would buy a car.

The associate took our keys to give to the manager to inspect as a trade-in. After nearly an hour, it started to snow and we wanted to get back on the road before the roads got too snotty. I asked for our keys and the associate kept trying to stall saying the manager is running numbers as he already inspected my trade-in. Meanwhile, the manager didn't because we were parked right in front of their huge front window and I never saw anyone approach it, let alone get in the vehicle.

After another 10min or so, I told the associate I want my keys back in 60 seconds. He casually walked to the manager, both looked at me and the associate started approaching me without my keys.

At that point, I yelled across the showroom floor that I am dialing 9-1-1 for false imprisonment. I don't think they believed me until I handed the phone to the associate who probably shit himself when the 9-1-1 dispatcher asked him why he wasn't giving me my keys.

Once that happened, I got my keys tout suite. I told the dispatcher the names of the associate and the manager and that I was no longer being held against my will. I was pissed so the Name And Shame game was in full effect.

Suffice it to say, I have never owned, and will never own, a Nissan.
 
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SevenT

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Rvbronco

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I've written about this in the past on this very forum, but I've had less than satisfactory experience at dealerships

However despite all the hoopla with the Bronco launch, with the help of b6g members here sharing information, I've had a pretty good experience thus far with My dealer of choice for my Bronco.

Getting in writing, how much I'll pay BEFORE ordering the vehicle is a game changer for me. Also I plan to finance outside of my dealership using a credit union. That means I'm minimizing or eliminating completely any "money games". The only unknown is how much I'll get for my trade in... with it being worth one thing today but by the time my Bronco comes in, may be worth $800 less for all I know.

Either way I'm anticipating my experience later this year (or early next year, depending on if the Allocation Gods favor me) to consist of me trading in my car at the dealership, signing a bunch of papers with minimal surprises, grabbing my 2 keys, and driving off the lot... all within 1 hour !
Check with carmax or carvana before you go to the dealer. At less you can get in the ballpark.
 

Wanted33

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I must be the oddball, I still enjoy getting new vehicles. Trade at least once a year with the same salesman, walk in educated on what you want and it can be a good experience.
I've been buying my Fords at the same local dealership since 1986. In Dec I walked in, gave the salesguy my order sheet for a new Ranger. He made me a fair price for a cash deal, and ordered the Ranger. It arrived, I signed the paperwork, and handed him a check. He understands I know more about the vehicle I'm ordering than the average customer, so he just smiled and ask "Do I need to go over anything with you". I smiled, said thank you, and was off in less than 30 minutes. In all I had less than an hour tied up the the entire deal. That's the way it should be at every dealer, but sadly it isn't.

I'm not doing the same with the Bronco. I ask my saleguy what their pricing would be on the Bronco. He just smiled. That was the same as saying there will be an upcharge on them. They are notorious for doing that on new models like the Bronco. So, I smiled back and said "I thought so". I reserved my Bronco with Granger.
 
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TD723

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Curious-- Are you leasing these things on an annual basis? Not trying to get into your finances
No, I drive approx 60,000 miles a year and I get an allowance as a company car from my employer. I’m not making money from my allowance, but not losing either.
 

MyATV

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My last purchase was probably my easiest. Had to order my Jeep because what I wanted couldn't be located. They said it could take at least 6 weeks, and I was fine with that. Went in to sign the order sheet and give a $1000 deposit. We hadn't talked price up to that point, but he circled the invoice price at bottom and said that'd be what I'd be paying, and I was fine with that.
When I arrived to take delivery, I signed paperwork without them trying to upsell me on anything, and gave them a chance to meet or beat my credit union 1.98-percent financing - which they could not do - gave them the rest of my down-payment and released the credit union financing and drove away.
I think if you're educated about the vehicle and your financing, are not in a hurry, and the sales person can see that, and you have a few professional back-and-forths with them so everyone knows their boundaries (and telephone or face-to-face is better for this than email/texts), and you don't insist on haggling over $100, then you stand a 90-percent chance of having a better outcome than if you try to skip a few steps.
Personally, I'm not going to walk out over a $500 difference in price on a $50K vehicle, if everything else about the deal is on the plumb. Now if they lie or turn on the pressure, that's another story. My experience has been that the folks who try to nickel & dime the hell out of the sales person are customers who are trying to buy a vehicle they really can't afford in the first place.
 

StyleGuy

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I was a 25 year old purchasing a BMW 330 in 2001 and had just given them my keys (99 Trans Am) so they could get me a trade value. In walks another salesman small talking and says "You must be taking advantage of the rebate that just came out, good for you!" I said "yup!" When my salesman returned I told him I wanted that rebate applied and he was pissed and refused. The other salesman just slunk out the door. I asked for my keys back and he said they were misplaced. Things escalated quickly and the entire dealership was watching. Suddenly they appeared in his pocket. LOL

This was the only BMW dealership in town and my wife wanted one so I returned the next month and worked the deal with a different salesman. I've since purchased 5 new cars from this dealer and I always tried to eye contact with the old salesman. He wouldn't even look at me. He knows and I know he's pathetic and lost money on commissions.
 

MyATV

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...so I returned the next month and worked the deal with a different salesman.
The good thing about most of these dealerships is that if you return in a few months, they have a whole new salesforce. :rolleyes:
 
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PSUTE

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This is great info. Can I add some more info to it? I sell Insurance and we have had some issues with local dealers lately. It has to do with Gap Insurance. If you are unsure, this is coverage for you that will pay to the lienholder the difference between what is owed and the Actual Cash Value(ACV) of the vehicle. This is usually only necessary for the first 18 to 36 months of owning the new vehicle(unless you get screwed on the interest rate).
A couple of our clients got new cars and the dealer convinced them to buy the Gap Insurance. They tend to use the same tactics of strong-arming people into buying it. They make a HUGE profit on this sale. One example of mine recently was around $1,000.00. They bought the insurance and then called us to add the vehicle.
Most insurance companies offer Gap for a very small amount of money. In my example, it was going to cost my client $30 per year for Gap coverage. Deductible still applies. With some Gap policies from the dealer, the deductible is covered... up to a certain point. Here is my example:
over a 3 year period
Dealer Gap coverage: $500 max deductible required
covers the difference beteween ACV and payoff plus the deductible.
cost if you are in an accident: $1,000
cost if you are NOT in an accident: $1,000
Insurance Gap coverage:
covers the difference between ACV and payoff.
cost if you are in an accident: $590. deductible + premium each year.
cost if you are NOT in an accident: $90
NO BRAINER!! Get it from your insurance carrier if you even need it.

What is worse is that this client traded in a vehicle that was paid for and the loan was for $8000 less than the sticker price of the new car. She did not even NEED Gap insurance. Luckily she was able to cancel it (usually can be done in the first 30 days).

This is info I wish I could get out to everyone. I hope everyone on the forum sees all of this info from this thread. Thanks PSUTE for posting!
Thanks for sharing, a lot of folks don't know that. When they ask me about Gap insurance, I tell them I have it through my regular insurance, that shuts them down immediately, even though I've never been upside down on a vehicle.
 

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okbob

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Lynn Hickey Dodge in OKC back in the 80's and early 90's was the same. They even had once spike strips at the entrance and exit. They would take your keys for trade in inspection while they made an attempt to make the sale. Never went, but the stories and that dealership are legend in OK.
 

Ryuk

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Concealed carry. Good luck stopping me. :) Pew pew.
Headshots for everybody. Don't discriminate. :cool:
Yea, I'm not a good person for that tactic for the same reasons as you.
I also have no qualms with using a key in between my knuckles to throat punch someone.
 

Brick Vanderhuge

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This happened to a couple who were friends of my parents in the 90's. The sales dude locked them in a room and left. Luckily there was a phone in the room so they could dial out. They had to call the cops to get them out. It was in the local paper and everything. I've been buying new cars since the late 80's and the shit I've seen. It has gotten better but only because there is a lot of competition from the internet. But then again judging by this thread, maybe not.
 

BeerForMyHorses

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Reading the comments I see that @Granger Ford has "liked" virtually every one. I was already confident in going with them, but that gives me warm and fuzzies.
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