Consumer complaint received 2024-01-11 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease — Problem with fees charged
Company: Southern Auto Finance Co
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a visit to XXXX of XXXX XXXX dealership with the purpose of purchasing a vehicle. The salesman, XXXX, was the one who assisted me during my visit. At that time, I was in need of reliable transportation for my daily commute to work. XXXX asked me how he could be of assistance and what brought me to the dealership. I explained to him my requirement for transportation to and from work. He then inquired if I had any specific preferences in mind. I informed him that I was looking for something within my budget that would meet my needs. However, due to XXXX 's high-pressure sales tactics and manipulative strategies, I ended up purchasing a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX He imposed a time constraint on my decision-making process and used emotionally charged language to sway me into buying a vehicle that was beyond my budget and unnecessary for my requirements. It became evident that his main motive was to financially benefit from the sale. As a result, I am now burdened with excessive balloon payments and my credit has been negatively impacted by this dubious financing transaction. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I had a gut feeling that prompted me to thoroughly read the contract agreement, and to my surprise, I discovered a breach of contract. The breach I identified was related to a non-disclosure provision concerning the Finance Charge. The financing terms were unclear to me at the time of purchase, as XXXX failed to disclose all the details of the financing package, including the total true cost of the loan and the determination of the finance charge. According to the law, the finance charge in any consumer credit transaction should be calculated as the sum of all charges, representing the cost of consumer credit in dollar amount. This includes any charges that the consumer is directly or indirectly responsible for, imposed by the creditor as a condition of extending credit. However, it does not encompass charges that would be applicable in a cash transaction. It is important to note that credit and cash should not be mixed. 

It is illegal to accept a cash down payment when financing a vehicle through a consumer credit transaction. XXXX and the finance department were aware of this, yet they still accepted my cash down payment for their own selfish gain and used my consumer credit, despite the law clearly stating that the finance charge should be a specific dollar amount. I have attempted to contact the dealership regarding this breach of contract, but have been unsuccessful in reaching anyone. I even left a message requesting a refund of my cash down payment and the cancellation of this dishonest contract. Fraud has no time limit, and I was deceived throughout the entire application process with tricks, fast talking, pressure, misrepresentation, misleading information, and a lack of full disclosure. This is where the breach of contract occurred. I was blindsided and taken advantage of solely for the sake of a commission. There was no consideration, making this an unfair contract. I was not in a position to make an informed decision during the process, as my rights were stripped away from me. 

XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX New Car Sales Manager

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation