• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

What do I really owe the dealership?

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

nissi427

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina.

I purchased a car yesterday. The bank that financed my loan had a $620 loan fee. The car dealer said they cover 75% of that fee, but I will need to cover 25%. I agreed, and the paperwork was drawn up so that the vehicle sale price was $250 more than listed to cover my portion of the fee.

The paperwork was all signed, the keys were given to me, along with the congratulatory hand-shake. As I was getting into the vehicle to drive off the lot, the finance manager ran out of the building, waving me down. He said he was going over the numbers with the owner/manager of the dealership and because this car was priced so low to begin with, I should have paid the full $620 loan fee, and I couldn't leave without paying them an additional $370.

I was confused and didn't know what to do, so I wrote them a check. Later last night, I cancelled the check, but I need to discuss this with them today. What is my responsibility here? There was no receipt or new paperwork about this $370. Please help.
 


JETX

Senior Member
What is my responsibility here? There was no receipt or new paperwork about this $370.
Two separate, but related, issues here. There is no clear cut, definitive process to resolve these issues. You will need to put on your 'negotiation hat'.

Car purchase: You have a contract signed by both parties. It details the specifics of the transaction. They can't just change it at their whim. I would think you have no further obligation.

Check: However, you then agreed to give them a check to cover additional fees. That is an 'amendment' to the terms of the original contract. With your stop pay, they could pursue this SEPARATE claim against you.

Of course, they are going to try to link the two together by claiming that they cannot process the title/loan without you making good on the check. If they do try to block the transaction, you might need a local attorney to contact them on your behalf. Or you could just negotiate some settlement of the check claim.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top