There comes a point in every car owner’s life when it’s time to buy another vehicle. Whether you simply want a change or have taken your current vehicle to its limit, buying a used car is often a beneficial solution for one’s finances. However, used car buyers should be aware of a dealership’s policy on deposit refunds for a vehicle with mechanical problems, as one man’s story from North Carolina emphasizes.
According to a www.wral.com report, a North Carolina used car buyer paid a dealership a $500 cash deposit for a vehicle before taking it to his mechanic to examine the car for any problems. The man claims that the car salesman signed a receipt stating that the money would be refunded if any mechanical issues were detected in the vehicle. When the mechanic did discover problems with the vehicle’s horn, battery, and wheel bearings, and the man tried to get his deposit back, the salesman reportedly denied him the full deposit.
In North Carolina, the lemon law does not provide consumers with any protection against used vehicles with problems. While several North Carolinians may, for example, believe that, as a car buyer, they have three days to change their mind about a vehicle that they just purchased, this is not the case. A person cannot return a vehicle to the dealer once they have signed an agreement and taken the car away from the dealership.
With used car issues ranked number five on the list of consumer complaints to the Better Business Bureau in 2009, consumer awareness of used car fraud and lemon law may help to avoid these problems. Be sure to get a hold of a vehicle history report before signing anything. This information should help a potential car buyer learn exactly how many owners a vehicle previously had, and whether the car was involved in any serious wrecks that caused significant damage.
