Seeking Advise About Car Trade in Gone Bad.

Two other posters mentioned the paperwork. Get it out and read it through. See if she signed that her car was a trade in, or if her car was supposed to be on consignment. That right there will tell you what you need to do. If the paperwork says trade in, take it in to the dealership and tell them they're wrong and if they don't fix it, you'll have no choice but to hire an attorney. They may fix the problem without her having to hire legal representation, but most probably, she'll have to hire someone. On the other hand, if she signed paperwork that stated the car was to be on consignment, there may not be anything you can do about it at all. And if you hire an attorney, that's probably what he'll say. Unfortunately, many people don't read through what they're signing before they walk away, and some people end up agreeing to something they may not have wanted to. But since they signed it, they're legally bound to it. It will have to start with the paperwork. Pull it out and see what it says. Good luck.

Get legal help. Period. My hubby says you have to. Lawyers know how to look over all the paperwork your mom signed. If she doesnt have it, get it from the dealership.
That sucks. good luck!

This exact same thing happened to my husband and I? Do you mind if I ask where this happened?

Maybe try your local state reps office or Tom Martino, the troubleshooter. There are laws to protect consumers on these deals A lawyer will be expensive, try to resolve it any other way!

I would pull out her paperwork and read the fine print, carefully. I would also file a complaint with the department of consumer protection--The BBB is just a resource for buyers to know if anyone has been 'taken'. It would be good to let them know so that others can be forewarned, if they do their homework first. The Dept of CP is a state dept and the business has to report to them or risk fines and other penalties. They have a complaint form right on their website. I had trouble with an oven and after two years of free repairs and ruined meals I contacted DCP, and magically got a new stove. Hmmm...Good Luck.

Hi N.,
Boy that makes your blood boil! She definitely needs to get some legal advice to review what she signed and to move ahead. I highly recommend Pre-Paid Legal Services. It is an affordable monthly plan that could have saved her this headache in the first place (contracts and documents reviewed first before she signed them), but now she can get advice on what to do next and what her rights are. If she doesn't know her rights she has none. They can write a letter or make a phone call on her behalf. If she needs to retain an attorney, then she would get a 25% discount off hourly rates. Tell her to go to www.greatlegalhelp.com for an overview and then to email me for more info. I've saved over $16,000 in the past 6 years, plus can't put a number on the amount of time and headaches it has prevented too.

I'd also suggest calling the Better Business Bureau and the local TV consumer advocate. Chances are she is not the only person this has happened too.

Good luck in getting it all straightened out.
Please let me know if I can help.
S.

Have her look into PrePaid legal. We've saved thousands of dollars!
realprosperitynow.com

you can also try the better business bureau, this car lot may have other complaints against them. also, can you review her purchase agreement with her? (you know, the big yellow fold out sheet?) it should be detailed there the "credit" she should have received on her trade-in.

I would also contact legal aid or an attorney... they clearly took advantage of her.. and at least can help her understand what her rights are.

N.,
Unfortunatly it seems as though your mother made a few choices with out the proper information. I don't have much advice about the car sales lot, but the bank has every right to ask her for the differance on what she owed as to what they get at auction. Why should they take a loss, because of her decision to purchase a new car? She may be able to speak with the bank and work out a settlement or payment options. Or she may have to get a loan from somewhere else to pay the differance, rather than go through a judgement and other legal ramifications that will eventually cost her more money in the long run. I am so sorry that the car lot was not more upfront with her, and she got into this situation. She is going to have to make some difficult decisions, but in the end she can still recover from this and do the right thing by the bank.

I am a member of Prepaid Legal Service ($27 a month). It is worth the money. My husband has an issue with a private school overcharges and does not keep the verbal promise. We asked a lawyer to write a letter. We did not get a response from the School. We talked to the lawyer. He suggested us to contact Consumer Protection. I forgot the exact website address, but I found this one https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
Good luck, Talk to your friends and community leaders, mayor, church leaders about your situation.