I recientlly bought a "new" used car from Rampy Chevrolet. As part of
the deal the licence plates were supposed to expire on my wifes birthday
in 1996. October 1996 to be exact. Aboout a week after recieving the car
I went in and picked up the plate which the salesman put on the car and
then when I got home, I looked at the paperwork and discovered that the
plate expires in December 1995. I was charged $70 for the plate "good
through Oct 96", When I called the salesman said he would look into it.
I decided to do a little looking my self. A visit to the secratery of
state revieled that the only way to get this licience plate to expire in
October is to let it run out in December and then pay for ten months to
get it to expire in October, but this is going to cost. 
$41    for the plate from June to December.
$55    for the plate from December 95 to October 96
$96    instead of $70

Now I contend that since it was the dealers fault that the paperwork got
screwed up in the first place they should make it good. 
However, they just want to give me a check for $29 and forget it. 

What is your opinion.

Or what were your experiences.

20 responses total.

   Sounds like another happy Rampy customer to me.  I know some
people who bought a Nissan van there, and they had 4 1/2 years
of trouble with it.  I don't think they really care about their
customers once the sale is made.
   If they're willing to give you the money for it, I'd take it.
I'm actually a little surprised that they were willing to do that
much.

My Geo came from rampy. It is a Sprint, but on the bumper it is a Metro.
There are no '88 Metro's, only 89 on. Several of the name plates on the
inside of the car have been sanded with 120 grit. It took 3 weeks and
several trips to the police dep. to find out that my car is a cobble
car-made from pieces. Yes my paperwork is correct but none of it
agrees. The title and the sales receipt are totally different. This is
more an artifact of the industry of cars, the industry of insurance, the
industry of car repair, and the industry of police. They all have seperate
ways of describing a car, none of this is the same. Add your problem
with the secretary of state, nothing new to me. I was absolutely sure
I had a _hot_ car for weeks until it all started to become a language
problem. Spend the money and tell the story at the next Grexstock fireside
chat.

I remember seeing a 1993-94 Dodge Spirit with Plymouth Acclaim taillights and
two places for the rear license plate (Plymouth being level with the
taillights and Dodge in the center of the rear bumper).  

Another dealer I would avoid like the plague is Varsity Ford.  They only care
about moving vehicles, not in keeping happy customers.  I am not a happy
customer of Varsity Ford, and I take every opportunity to mention it.

Well at least now I don't feel so picked on. thanks.

I highly recommend Bill Crispin Chevrolet/Geo in Ann Arbor. I personally 
know Bill Crispin and his daughter Debbie Crispin and satisfying the customer
is their primary concern. Talk to either one of them or their sales manager,
Dick, and they will take care of you. Tell them I sent you.

This response has been erased.

shure
But it gets better. Yesterday I went back to complain and got up to the 
sales manager. He tried to blame it on the bank. you see, since the bank
made the mistake of listing my name first on the loan the car dealer had 
to list the title the same way. I quoth. *** the only thing wrong with 
that is that the bank didn't send any paperwork to the dealer only a 
cashiers check, with My wifes name and Rampy's. I was going to be out of 
town and so Edna picked up the car.

  So you want $55 back (dec-oct plates), and they want to give $29
back ($70 minus the $41 they paid)?  It sounds like lot of hassle
for a $16 dispute.  Legally, I think you're right - you have a
written contract for plates through October '96, you paid them,
and they can't deliver.  Since they breached the contract, I think
you're entitled to receive $55 back.  I loosely see their point of
view, that they were just trying to pass on the Sec'y of State's
cost, and they misquoted the price, but that's their problem.
 
  How to address this?  I'd write down just the relevent details:
the invoice of what you paid for, and what you got.  I'd probably
skip the stuff about your wife's birthday and bank letters and stuff;
it sounds like they're just clouding the issue, as long as your
invoice says "good through oct 96."  Emphasize that there's only
$16 separating their settlement from yours, not enough to piss off
a customer about.  Then give the letter to the Sales Manager on up,
or just mail it to the owner (presumably a Mr. or Ms. Rampy).  If
they don't see the logic of your argument, you could: take them to
small claims court, inform them that you'll be posting warnings on
BBSes around town (maybe show this printout as an offering that
you're not kidding), or try to return the car (since they breached
the contract, I think you'd have a good shot at it).

  (Btw, personally, I'd just take the $29, fume, and avoid Rampy).

(agora item 85 is now linked to consumer item 39)

I would say, "Fuck it. It's not worth it. My time is worth more than that."
and walk away. 

If the car is good and you like it keep it.

If not, talk to the bank and see what they have to say.  Probably return the 
car to rampy and void the contract  or get them to pay what they said they
would pay and gert your plates renewed.

I got my car from Rampy.  A 91 Geo Metro.  I've had a vaguely ripped off
feeling every time I've dealt with them since.  First I paid the same price
for a two year old car as a brandnew one of the same make and model would have
cost, then I had bits popping off the interior for weeks, until they were all
lost.  *sigh*

But I needed a car and they were near where I worked.  I'll go elsewhere next
time, though.

Wow!  Now that is bad!  Why didn't you buy a new car instead?  Rampy has
had a bad reputation for as long as I can remember.

Rampy wouldn't seel me a new car.  They claimed they couldn't get me financing
for a new one, but they could get financing for me for an old one at the same
price.

I *had* to have a car immediately.  I was starting a new job that required
that I have wheels.  

something sounds rotten in that deal.  You may have recourse if they
misrepresented their program to you.  (How could a used car be equal to a new
car?)  They must have known you were in a desparate need and decided to take
advantage.  

I would think that getting financing on a new car would be eaiser since it
would be worth more should the bank have to reposses it.

It would be *worth* more, yes, but it would have lost significantly more of
it's value, nne-th-less.   Anyway, yes, I'm sure they knew I was in a hard
spot. They also knew, of course, that I had never bought a car before.  (They
asked about previous financing and trade-ins.)

Dirty rotten scoundrels!

You payed the same for a used car as a new car, right?  If so, a used car
is worth more then a used, used car, right?  Either way, it stinks.

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