Complaint Review: first choice cars

To whom it may concern

On Sept 3rd, 1999 my friend Kristen Robinson & I went to
the weekend clearance car sale at the Layton Hills Mall. I saw a
98 Jeep Wrangler on the First Choice car section. After looking
the jeep over I decided to try and purchase it. I told the
salesman if they could get me into the jeep and out of my truck for
payments around $300.00 a month I'd buy it, wellthey said the best
they could do was for $353.00 a month on a lease so I decided I'd
do that and we filled out all the paperwork and I took the jeep.
Two days later I cancelled the extended warranty on my truck ( I
recieved $683.00 on the 21st of Sept.).

On Monday Sept 20th at 7:30p.m. I got a phone call at work
from Debi Follet at First Choice Cars, she informed me that there
was a problem with the lease and asked if I could meet her the next
day at the dearlership & I told her if she would be there at
7:30a.m. I'd be there. That morning Kristen and I went down there,
when I got there Mrs. Follet explained that the lease loan was
declined by the bank and that I needed to sign new loan papers to
buy the jeep. One loan was for $400.00 a month, for 72 months that
was approved already and the other they could try for a lower
payment of $386.00 a month, for 84 months. I asked if they had even
paid off my truck loan yet and she said no they had not. I told
her I just wanted my truck back then, and she said thats not a
option because I had already signed a lease aggreement stating I'd
buy the jeep and that obligates me to buy the jeep so I needed to
sign the new papers. I told her there was no way I could afford the
higher payments, that doing this would most likely cause me to do
bankruptcy seems how the lease fell through and they hadn't paid
off the truck why couldn't I just get my truck back she told me
because the purchase price of the jeep is the same that I had to
buy it. She then told me that if I signed the new papers she would
talk to the sales manager and see what they could do to get the
truck back. So I signed the papers and went home.

After talking to
a couple of different people they told me that I didn't have to
sign those papers that she had lied to me and they advised me to go
back to the car lot and talk to them again and explain why I
couldn't afford the higher payments and ask again for my truck
back. So Kristen & I went back there again and I expained to Mrs.
Follet that as of right now there was no way I could afford this
and told them I had found out a week after signing the lease that
the company I work for was put up for sale and there was no
guarantee that I'd be employed in the near future. She then said
but you might not be out of a job and I told her I might though, I
just don't know. So she said she'd go talk to the sales manager
and be right back. When she came back she told me he said no that
I'd signed the papers and thats that. So I left.

That night I got a message to call her that she had talked
to the sales manager and he said there might be something we can do
to get my truck back. I figured that the loan papers were declined
and did not trust them to tell me the truth so I called Wells Fargo
to find out what I could from them so I would at least be somewhat
informed when I went back. Wells Fargo had no records at all of
anything in my name they said the car lot must not have submitted
them yet.

I called Mrs. follet back then and she told me the sales
manager said I could have my truck but that they had done some work
to it so I'd have to pay for that and the mileage I'd put on the
jeep. The total would be $885.00 I said fine I'd be down later. I
then called my Aunt Debbie Legge, since my parents were out of the
country at the time, to ask her what to do so she started to tell
me but I asked her if she would just go with Kristen & I down there
she said she was on her way.

When we showed up at First Choice my Aunt asked to speak to
a manager, both were out so they got the owner Garth Robinson. My
Aunt explained to him how I felt coerced into signing the contracts
and explained to him everything from the beggining and that all I
wanted was my truck back. So he called Mrs. Follet down and told
her what I'd said and asked her if she had any comments, she said
she only told me she wasn't authorized to give my truck back that
the sales manager had to make that decision, I then asked Mrs.
Follet about the loans and she stated that the loan for 84 months
was turned down but that Wells Fargo is approved. I said thats
funny because when I talked to Wells this morning they had no
record of anything being processed in my name, she said well that
because Its off of an automated rate system program they have and
that I score high enough to qualify for the loan but it hasn't been
sent yet. my Aunt then told Mr Robinson that I had 3 days to recind
any contract. He said no, thats not true that if she would have
come to me than thats right but since I came to him and signed a
contract thats it and thats how he sees it and how the law sees it,
besides this is a 20 day old deal anyway and my Aunt said no she
signed yesterday he then said thats not how it is cause she signed
the lease on the 3rd. My Aunt said no thats the lease and I notice
those papers are back dated to the 3rd which I question the
legalality of anyway. He then stated it is not his responsibility
to tell me I didn't have to sign that that falls to her or my
parents not him he went on to say that its irrelivent because it's
still a 20 day old deal. He than asked Mrs. Follet about my truck
and she said that it had $685.00 worth of work done on it.

Mr. Robinson said that since he is concerned with customer
satisfaction that he would give me my truck back but that I would
have to pay the expenses and any damages on the jeep but that he
wouldn't charge for any mileage on the jeep. After looking at the
jeep he said it would be $100.00 to get the jeep redetailed and to
get the cigerette smell out so the total was $785.00.

After talking in private with my aunt we figured this was
the only way we would get it back so I asked Mr.Robinson if he
would take a check he said no since I was dissatisfied that I would
just stop payment on it and he would have to take me to small
claims court and he wasn't going to hassle with that so he only
would take cash, my Aunt asked him so will you take a check from me
he said no for same reason, only cash. We said fine we'd go to the
bank and be back. We got a cashiers check for $785.00 in the name
of First Choice Cars and gave it to Mrs. Follet. While we were
waiting for them to get me the truck I asked Mrs. Follet for all my
copies back she asked why and I said for my records. She handed me
the original lease aggrement copy and I said I wanted the loan
copies too she said but you don't need those and I said I still
wanted them, she asked why again, and I said well as Mr. Robinson
pointed out down stairs that he wouldn't take my check because he
doesn't trust me what makes you think I trust you people so I just
want to be on the safe side and I'd like to see you void your
copies also. She handed me my copies and went through and voided
all hers. We then got the keys and left.


MELANIE CAREEN WIMPEE

Thursday, September 23, 1999


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WORK THEY SAID DONE TO THE TRUCK IS AS FOLLOWS:

1. Inspection & Emmissions
2. Balance and rotate tires
3. Oil change
4. Tune-up
5. New boot & seal on transmission
6. ATS security system installed
7. 120pt inspection
8. New wiper arms & blades
9. Broken fog lights removed
10. Excess speaker wires taken out
11. Truck detailed
This was all they told me that was done.