I'm expecting a call early Monday, Gentle Viewers. For they knew about this, and trust me, it was mentioned frequently as they were determining the trade-in price. You'll know how the call goes based on how many Googleable tags I add to this post.
I paid 50 dollars for 2 Carfax reports. The 2007 was clear and the 2002 had the accident listed. Carfax allows you to add information to the report and I noted on the 2002 what repairs were made, what was still wrong with it due to the accdient and that it had been fully disclosed to the dealer.
10:15 AM Monday Update: I just called Mr Jim Prescott at (Darling's Honda, Volvo, Nissan of Sylvain Road, Bangor, Maine 04401) who indicated that it was a mistake and someone dropped the ball and that information should have been listed and will be listed.
My salesman indicated that they get in LOTS of cars and nothing is ever disclosed so it must have just slipped through.
Now granted it may happen rarely, maybe once every 10 years, because that is what happened to me when I bought my 1997 Honda Civic after trading in my 1995 Honda Civic (I'm very brand and dealership loyal (Over 20 years for Honda, 13 years for Darling's) though I'm starting to question that.).
The 1997 Civic had been hit and I was never notifed until I tried to get a radiator repair a couple of years later and we specifically talked about THAT transaction last week when I made this latest purchase and was told that unless it is disclosed they have no way of knowing about it. That deal was made by Scott MacLeod, Sue Guerin, and aforementioned Mr Jim Prescott.
Thank Goodness EVERYONE who trades in cars calls back to make sure that major accidents are reported otherwise one might accidentally buy a car that had been hit, overpaying by thousands for a Honda Certified Used car.
When Jim asked if there was anything else he could do, I asked if I could get the name and address of the person who traded in the car that I had just bought as is my right indicated on the Used Vehicle Buyers Guide.
EPILOGUE: I got the name and address of the previous owner and the car was fine and MY car was removed from the sales line. Where it ends up is anyone's guess. I'm sure it would have just sold unreported had I not checked on it but what can you do?
Would I buy another car from Darling's? Sure.
BUT!! If I get another used car, I'll get a Carfax BEFORE the purchase, or better yet, have THEM get it. I'd contact the previous owner if possible and I'd NEVER EVER trust the information written on the Used Vehicle Buyers Guide. Ever.
Or in the words of Ronald Reagan, "Trust, but verify."
Search Engine Count (The number of people who land after a search engine search): 17
Can I get a "DUH"?
ReplyDelete"IMPORTANT: THESE ARE THE ONLY PROBLEMS KNOWN TO THE DEALER. ASK IF YOU MAY GET AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTION BEFORE PURCHASE." Ha! Just flip 'em the finger and tell 'em to "INSPECT THIS!"
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell? It's such a shame they CONTINUE to prove to us that car dealers are scum.
ReplyDeleteYou should call the dealer and blackmale them. Ohhh, that's a great idea!
Do they know how many people visit this blog? Like at least 5.
Holy cow! It’ll be interesting to see how the “used car expose” (damn! Can’t find the accent for “expose”. And can’t think of a better word) plays out. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons that I’m hanging on to my truck for so long is just how much the retail automotive world terrifies me. I think that they’ve got a whole network of “how to screw with the customer” guidelines. Not that I’m paranoid. (Then again…who was it that said “just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not after you?”)
ReplyDeleteSix. There's six of us...
ReplyDeleteI HATE buying a car. Love owning one. HATE the buying.
"Six. There's six of us..."
ReplyDeleteUhhh, anonymous does not count. We all know that's jk anyway!
It is not, love jk.
ReplyDeleteI mean six readers in total. Each day. It's the new math.
ReplyDeleteOne would think, that if disclosure is a relatively rare occurrence, that they'd be more attentive to entering that information when they actually receive it. If they've got a decent database/tracking program to track their inventory, it should be a simple matter to add the few disclosures that they, apparently, get.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's something to the chaos they suggest and their staff may or may not be computer savvy, but it sounds as much like plausible deniability as it does a real explanation.
I, too, have been a content customer of Darlings, having bought 2 new cars and 1 used from them since 1983. Of the cars I bought new, I ran the '83 for 9+ years and am still running the 1997 Sentra that I bought.
I did, however, buy an '08 car from a different dealer last fall. Your story sure beats mine. I was going to take a shot of my uncut inspection sticker that was finally attached to my windshield a couple of weeks ago (purchase was in October). I only noticed it wasn't there because the Sentra needed to get inspected in Feb. Who looks for an inspection sticker on a brand new car? I sure didn't. Got one now, though, after driving around without one for 5 months.