where's my trade-in

[introvertedpeach]

Jurisdiction

Georgia

I traded a car for a newer car. It didn't come with the options listed. The dealership told me they had already sold my trade and the deal was done. I left the vehicle and keys at the lot and they refused to give me my trade-in. I called the lender and told them not to fund the deal due to my dissatisfaction with misrepresenting options and I'm now expecting, so it doesn't accommodate my growing family. Here we are three weeks later and I'm still paying for my trade-in that is not even in my possession. With no funding how long can they legally hold my trade?

 

[army judge]

You said your vehicle used in the deal has been sold.

No one is "holding" your vehicle, it's been legally sold.

You can't void a contract by simply returning the vehicle to the dealer.

What you term as "returning" the vehicle is what the contract and the law call a "voluntary repo".

Read your contract.

You've made a very costly mistake.

I suggest you contact the lender and see what you're legally responsible for paying.

You need to clear this up, because its not dinging your credit, it's destroying your credit.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I'm not sure exactly what happened with this car dealer. It is difficult to understand whether the car owner misunderstood the options regarding the car or had expected the car to to have options installed that were, in fact, not installed. If it is the latter, then the car dealer would be in breach of contract. What it seems is that the car buyer only realized later that the options available for the car we're not what he understood. If everything was written into the agreement with the dealership, there is no case. This is why you must read a contract completely without relying upon what someone else tells you the contract states.