Cash for Clunkers Headache

I say print out that article and take it with you to talk to the dealer. Tell him this is a deal breaker - if he can't get his act together and get the paperwork submitted for you in time, you're walking.

The article you linked is only a week and a half old... it's quite possible he wasn't aware of the change in the rules - prior to that the vehicle did need to be in stock and delivered to the customer in order to submit the paperwork.

 

Sorry, I think you are out of luck.
I think your dealer may have sold the car under you even you have a VIN number because the car is not physically in stock at the dealership. I have the similiar situation on the first wave of C4C when I was waiting for my basic Prius II after I paid for it with the VIN number. When I found out that the program ran out of fund (before the extra 2 Billion was even mention) I went back to the dealer and take whatever the dealer have in stock before midnight to close the deal. I end up getting a more expensive III with solar/Nav.

 

The cash for clunkers program is over. I'm not sure what the problem is. The dealer has your car on the lot and doesn't want to sell it to you under for C4C rules?

 

ok, now I understand. And the dealer isn't going to do it because we can't process the paperwork. Too much of a risk for him at this point.

And just to clarify a something. You have to turn over your clunker at the time the deal was written, not when the car comes in. That is the rule. He had to have every piece of paperwork needed (title, insurance, registration) before yesterday otherwise he would have just gotten a rejection from the gov't.

Was he getting the car from another dealer or was it an ordered car that hasn't come in yet?

 

As I said earlier, you are out of luck. If you don't even have a sale contract written with the VIN number, you can not even try to take them to court.

 

An invoice means absolutely nothing. Whether it has a VIN on it or not. I'm trying to be sympathatic here, but these are the facts as I understand them:

1) You waited until 4 days before the end of the program and agreed to purchase a car that was not in inventory.

2) The dealership agreed to sell you that vehicle assuming it would be in before the end of the program.

3) Car doesn't show up.

4) You are upset that they will not process your paperwork under the guidelines of the program (not giving them your clunker is a HUGE no-no).

5) They gave you the opportunity to purchase a different car that was on the ground and available, but it was a higher price so you declined.

6) You now want to sue them.

 

As far as I can tell, you should just walk in and get all your money back. That should be the end of it. If they are holding your deposit and won't return it, then you might have grounds for a lawsuit.

 

Your only choice is to take whatever is available (the black one). If you do not want to pay the extra over MSRP, take back your clunker and walk, no deal here.
Jabber was asking, if your car was a new ordered to be come in (in transit and was not sold), your C4C should be still good.
Evidently, your original VIN car was sold by another dealer.

 

Exactly.. if the vehicle is coming from another dealer, there are certainly no guarantees that a vehicle will be produced. If it was in their pipeline, you and the dealer had to fllow a specific set of rules in order for it to be processed and still within the C4C guidelines. Since you are driving your clunker, that didn't happen. It sounds like they were trying to do a dealer trade and the other dealer said no.

Done deal, I'm sorry, but you are out of luck.

 

Don't feel bad. If you are not in a hurry to get a new car, you can actually wait to get a better deal in the future. You should be able to get a good deal below MSRP plus you should be able to get some trade in value for your Previa. Don't forget that there will be some shortage on good older model used car and a Previa is a good van. I had a 91 and was still running good. It was sad when I traded it in. You are not that much far off from getting the $4500 C4C deal.

 

You know, I was going to respond. But I think I will just leave this thread alone. I'm sorry the dealership didn't tell you everything that had to happen in order for you to get your vehicle. One last piece of advice though. Do not waste your money on a lawyer. Even the one that successfully sued McDonalds for selling hot coffee can't win this one. Chalk it up as a learning experience.