HELP! Dealership wants their car back or I fork out more money. WTF Honda.

[lucho707]

I would call Honda corporate. They are more than likely to do anything for you at this stage. When I purchased my car in May, I also got the grad discount. I just graduated in May, and it takes several weeks or months to get your diploma. I showed the dealer my transcripts showing degree units fulfilled. We did all the paperwork, and last minute were about to deny my grad discount. I called Honda corporate and explained how it is not possible to get a diploma that fast. They cleared everything up for me and took care of the grad discount. The dealer still tried to pull a fast one on me by not telling me that I qualified for the 1.9% Honda financing (I had already done the financing at my local credit union), and tried to sell me a maintenance plan by supposedly "lowering" the price of the car. It was BS, it was the difference of interest rates. I called them out on it, and the loan guy quickly processed my paperwork furious that he didn't get me to sign up. Crazy stuff, good luck!

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[coopermidnight]

Make sure to put this on Yelp/Google reviews/any public space that has the dealership listed. Reneging on a contract is a serious blemish on a dealer's rep, and someone is very likely to notice the review. I've had a manager get in touch with me to setup a refund after posting far less of an offense on Yelp.

 

[Driveitlikeuboughtit]

Don't let them stick you in a corner. You need to be constantly asking what's going on and saying you're just going to leave if they don't help you. If you're a doctor, play that card. Everyone knows you're busy.

 

[Goseki]

I'm in Canada, but here's the wording on my sales agreement from HFS

Sales Final
Please review the entire contract including all attached statements before signing. This contract is final and binding once you have signed it unless the Seller has failed to comply with certain legal obligations.

I don't see how them fucking up the graduate incentive as not fulfilling legal obligations. Stick to your guns. Ask them what specific legal obligation they did not meet (point to the law) by messing up the rebate.

So there's a separate section on the receipt/contract that I signed that talks about "Seller's right to cancel". Specifically they are allowed to cancel if "seller is unable to assign a retail installment sale contract." After going over the contract with my lawyer, it looks like in the states, dealerships are allowed to ask for the car back and undo the sale if their financing rebates falls through or ask the buy to pay up the extra cost which is what's happened in the situation. It's just unusual since they didn't bother to file the rebates over the weekend and it wasn't done until yesterday or today it looks like.

And I agree, this was something that the salesperson or manager or finance person should have gone over the day we did the deal 5 days prior.

Further reading shows that this is a new and I guess common thin in the US. Contracts now have built in clause allowing dealerships to promise great rebates upfront and then the buyer is left paying extra or having to undo the deal. This is even more complicated when the dealerships sell the trade-in and now there's only a cash-value remaining.

 

[bunbao]

lol im pretty sure honda will just eat the $500. theyre wasting your time for sure though

 

[Goseki]

lol im pretty sure honda will just eat the $500. theyre wasting your time for sure though

I feel the same. Which is weird because initially I was still relatively happy with the dealership and was planning on leaving them a good review. They are really tanking everything fast the longer this drags out.

 

[hobby-man]

So there's a separate section on the receipt/contract that I signed that talks about "Seller's right to cancel". Specifically they are allowed to cancel if "seller is unable to assign a retail installment sale contract." After going over the contract with my lawyer, it looks like in the states, dealerships are allowed to ask for the car back and undo the sale if their financing rebates falls through or ask the buy to pay up the extra cost which is what's happened in the situation. It's just unusual since they didn't bother to file the rebates over the weekend and it wasn't done until yesterday or today it looks like.

And I agree, this was something that the salesperson or manager or finance person should have gone over the day we did the deal 5 days prior.

Further reading shows that this is a new and I guess common thin in the US. Contracts now have built in clause allowing dealerships to promise great rebates upfront and then the buyer is left paying extra or having to undo the deal. This is even more complicated when the dealerships sell the trade-in and now there's only a cash-value remaining.

I feel the same. Which is weird because initially I was still relatively happy with the dealership and was planning on leaving them a good reveal. They are really tanking everything fast the longer this drags out.

So as long as your trade in has not been sold, I think you can strong arm them into eating the $500. If your trade in is gone, I'm not sure how that works...Are you saying the dealer only gives you what the car is currently worth, not what is value at sale was? That's crazy. If that's the case, I think I would have to accept that $500 loss... and proceed to trash them on literally every website you can find. Obviously if you do end up keeping the car, I would not be taking it to this dealer for service either. They've already lost your business. This deal will cost them $500 or >>$500 depending how stubborn they are.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Dealers seem to be so motivated to get the Purchaser to Commit to the Purchase, and sign, that they very often do not do the necessary checking, even before they sign as well.
It amazes me how quickly and seemingly easily, one can walk into a Dealership, and if one commits to buy, they RUSH everything through as quickly (and often inaccuracy), to get you into the car, and out of the door, BEFORE you change your mind.

Then when later YOU, or THEY find that something is an issue in the Deal, they refer back to all the fine print, on all those multiple pieces of paper they rushed you to sign, and you find out that all the fine print is a "get out" for the dealer's Mistakes, and you are seemingly screwed.

Even if things finally get resolved later, and in a way that does not hurt you Credit or Bank account, the whole F.U.B.A.R, deal can potentially waste DAYS of your time, and there is no consideration or compensation for your wasted time (time off work etc), to sort out THEIR MISTAKES.

And then to add Insult to Injury, the Dealer make out that they are doing you a favour
while effectively having you bend over while they S($%& #$# %$ %$# @SS.

 

[joecin]

Say you bought the car 5 days ago and realized there was a $500 college rebate you missed.
Do you think they would give it to you?

 

[Goseki]

Say you bought the car 5 ago and realized there was a $500 college rebate you missed.
Do you think they would give it to you?

HAHAHAHA, truth.

So another minor update:

1) Dealership says they still haven't heard anything back from corporate/honda financing. They said they would let me know. I told them if I have to drive back, it would be to return the car.

 

[Ataricade]

That dealership is out of its mind and is just trying to extort money from you.

They would lose much more money by having you return the car.

Dealership was just hoping you were a stupid chump and would fork out the $500

Honda corporate is going to think this situation is ridiculous. Would be nice if they punish the dealership for harassing you. Prob won’t hsppen tho.

I don’t feel like re-reading the thread but if you haven’t talked to corporate yourself I would do so and report their behavior

 

[CIVICSPORT]

We signed the contract and everything. I've had the car for about 5 days now. Part of the discount on the contract was the $500 recent graduate rebate. Now he calls and says that I didn't qualify per Honda Financing and that I would have to pay the rebate back.

Looking online, I guess this is a scummy tactic. Tell people they qualify for some rebate through financing, then tell them no so they end up paying more.

Tell them to take you to court. That dealership must have some incredibly stupid people working there.

The deal is done. Their mistake. Are they trying to shake you down for $500? They tell you that you must return the car? Kinda sounds like scare tactics... see if you can get them to give you an ultimatum and record the conversation, they will be looking at felony extortion charges.

Bottom line, you need to wise up, you have a medical degree but lack life experience (i dont mean this as an insult, this is a skill that is learned over time). Go tell that dealer to F*ck themselves, and never answer another call from them. You might want to email them a link to where they can register their employee's to get a grade 12 education also, which might be a good start before they learn how to write up contractual agreements.

 

[Charley-TX]

Unwinding a deal costs more than $500. The mileage is irrelevant - if it's been registered, it's not a new car anymore. Ask to get your car back - they'll back off.

It's not your fault they gave you a rebate and it turns out you don't qualify. That's something they should have checked on before they gave you the rebate.

This is the ticket, if you return it they end up with a used car.

 

[civicls]

So the dealership just calls me and tells me that I don't qualify for the $500 recent grad discount. He said that since I graduated medical school instead of bachelor's that it wouldn't count so I would have to pay another $500. This basically makes my "great deal" nearly the same as other dealerships. Kind of pissing me off since they ran through a similar routine when I bought the car and tried making me finance $10000 instead of the $7500 which would've made the interest a lot higher. My other option is to just undo the deal and get my old car back and my money back which I'm kind of leaning towards at this point. What do you guys think, is this something that Honda dealerships typically do?

Dude, are you serious? I mean who (no offense) would fall for this bs? You signed a contract, they agreed, ignore them. Period. I am no lawyer but with my knowledge of car buying, thats ridiculous. $500 is nothing in car negotiation. Heck, if push comes to shove, just tell your lawyer to create an official "letter" from your lawyer to the dealeraship. That will definitely scare them. AND you think they are gonna take back a USED car for the $500?? Do you know how much depreciated???

Sorry about my rant but thats my 0.02 cents plus tax...

 

[jred721]

HAHAHAHA, truth.

So another minor update:

1) Dealership says they still haven't heard anything back from corporate/honda financing. They said they would let me know. I told them if I have to drive back, it would be to return the car.

In the event that I was informed I would need to give the car back, I would rack up as many miles as possible on that thing just as a subtle middle finger to the dealership thats screwing me over

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