Consumer complaint received 2024-09-19
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing
Company: Spec Hoffman Auto Sales Inc. (CT)

On XX/XX/year>, I purchased a vehicle at the XXXX XXXX dealership. XXXX XXXX, a sales rep, and XXXX XXXX, a XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX, assisted me. I told the associates I wanted to do a XXXX XXXX XXXX and put XXXX down. After I test-drove the vehicle, a new XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX which was not sold when I was there, I asked XXXX XXXX if the dealership participates in the Truth in Lending Act. 

He could not answer the question because he did not know what it was. When we returned to the XXXX XXXX dealership, he said he would ask XXXX of his managers about it. So when the vehicle was being put back in the dealership showing room floor, I asked XXXX of the sales managers if they participate in truth and lending, and he confirmed that they do. After returning to XXXX XXXX, we started going over the numbers, and I was like, great, let 's move forward with the paperwork processing. XXXX responded, XXXX, but you must put down a {$3000.00} security hold on the vehicle. I replied, I dont need to put a {$3000.00} security hold, and I wont because XXXX taking the car today and doing a consumer credit. Transaction. 

I was then taken into the sales XXXX 's office of XXXX XXXX to be bullied and forced into putting this money down, and it was told to me that it was refundable. The secure payment went from {$3000.00} to {$2000.00} and finally to {$1000.00} after a back-and-forth. I told him I was there to do a consumer credit transaction, which should already be covered in the finance charge under 15 USC 1605. After saying all of this, XXXX states, You're the second person to come in here in 15 years to ask about truth and lending, and I got them nowhere, and this how we do things here. I asked if this is how you do business show me where in the policy, terms, and agreement it states this. Still, he couldnt provide me with this information. 

Sadly, I was told I couldnt purchase a vehicle at XXXX XXXX unless I did this transaction because, as XXXX stated, the law and dealership dont coincide. I was still pushed into putting this money down, but I refused. I told associates I would be back tomorrow morning so we could have time to handle this because they said it was getting late. They had to close soon. Remember, it was XXXX pm, and they closed at XXXX pm, but they said if I came back tomorrow, I would still be charged to secure a vehicle even if I left with it the same day. 

I checked the policy of XXXX XXXX, and putting down a secure payment was not mentioned. So I returned the next day, XX/XX/year>, at XXXX am, and called and told XXXX XXXX that I was coming to get the vehicle I drove yesterday because that policy didnt exist. He said, ok. Then he called me back before I arrived at the dealership, that there was someone else test driving the vehicle and asked me if I wanted to put a secure payment again to hold the vehicle. my response was, No, it is fine. 

Shortly after I arrived at XXXX XXXX, the vehicle was on hold. I was okay with it, and there were more vehicles. So, I went with a new XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. I went to the sales XXXX 's office of XXXX XXXX, put the XXXX and XXXX policy on his desk, and told him, There is no policy stating that I have to put a payment down. He tried to intimidate me, so he got up and said, Im not doing anything with you unless you put down a secure payment because youre going to waste my associate 's time. Mind you, there were others in the office when this was said, and those people were XXXX XXXX, the sales rep, and XXXX XXXX, the general sales XXXX. 

XXXX told XXXX it was okay to process everything without the payment. So, we processed the paperwork and finally signed the documentation. XXXX XXXX escorted me to XXXX 's office. I sat down, and he told me I was declined for an auto loan because of my credit history and because I didnt put a down payment. I requested information on the auto loan agency names and directories, and he only gave me the agency name, XXXX XXXX, but couldnt provide the contacts. 

So, I called XXXX XXXX and spoke to many different agents, and they could not find my application or information in their database after leaving the dealership. The agent I spoke with told me to ensure the dealership sent in my application. I told the agent that XXXX said I was denied because of a down payment and my credit history, which violated my rights under 12 CFR 202.6 - rules concerning the application evaluation. Also, XXXX gave me false and misleading information regarding this matter and violated my right again under 15 USC 1611- Criminal liability for willful and knowing violation. 

I returned to the dealership on XX/XX/year>, and returned to XXXX  office to figure out what was happening with the discrepancy in this transaction. When I said the legally binding contract, I signed states that XXXX XXXX got paid for this transaction in the amount of {$120000.00}. I pushed and requested that he call the underwriter of XXXX XXXX so we could settle this matter because I didnt not benefit from this transaction, which they both did. XXXX told me he would not do anything because he did not have to and told me to leave his office. I told him I was holding him to his XXXX and XXXX financial services policy, but that didnt matter because he called the cops and trespassed me from the dealership on XX/XX/year>. So now I can no longer go back there and figure out whats going on, and I cant call XXXX XXXX  because they wont speak to me even though I am the applicant of this transaction and XXXX XXXX can only speak with the dealership and not me.