Chrysler's latest scam

In the last few weeks, I've noticed Chrysler ads on TV, where the voiceover
states "If you're dissatisfied with your new Chrysler, SIMPLY return it to
the dealer within 30 days".

While the graphic is on the screen (a full 2 1/2 seconds by my reckoning)
there's a fine print paragraph which states that you are responsible for a
restocking charge of 5% of the MSRP....and about that time the graphic
stops.

Today, I got a flyer from the local Chrysler dealer which I read
carefully...the fine print is about the size of the type on the back of an
aspirin bottle, but here's what it says ...

"To participate in the 30 day return program, the following criteria must be
met: must use a dealer participating in the Employee Pricing Plus program,
musst be a retail purchase, leases do not qualify, must be financed through
Chrysler Financial, purchase cannot involve a trade-in of another vehicle,
vehicle must not have any non-Mopar parts/accessories installed.
Customer responsibilites if vehicle is returned: Payment of title, tax, and
doc fees, payment of a restocking fee of 5% of MSRP, plus $.50 per mile
driven, must return the vehicle to the selling dealer in good, undamaged and
like new condition within 30 days of delivery, only one return of a vehicle
is allowed per customer. Program expires July 31. 2006. "

So, you can simply return the car to the dealer (if it's a retail purchase,
not a lease, and you haven't put on any parts which aren't Mopar) by paying
5% of the MSRP (on a $30k car, that's only $1500) pay the tax (which in
California would be close to 8%, or $2400), pay the license (about $600-900
in California) and 50c per mile driven (if you've driven 900 miles in 3 1/2
weeks, that would be $450). Plus the $50 or so doc fee.

Thus, if you didn't like your car, it would cost you

$1500 restocking fee
$2400 tax
$ 600 (at least) registration
$ 450 mileage driven
$ 50 document fee
~~~~~~~~~
$ 5000. total

And remember, there can't have been a trade in, and you had to finance the
car through Chrysler Financial.

Is this a good deal or what? Maybe it IS worth it.....To the dealer.

 

Not to mention the state. They're racking up! Unlike the dealer, the state
doesn't have anything to lose in the deal. It's actually a pretty good deal
except for the tax implications.

 

They gotta make all that money back that the 2.7 V-6 cost them....POS..

 

Um - wouldn't you get a refund on the tax? Isin't that how it
normally works when you return something?

As for the registration, wouldn't you end up with a new set of plates
(good for what - a year?) that you could use on another car?

 

I'm wondering how this works...in New York, you don't get your title for
six weeks from date you pick up your car (plus/minus a few days...it's
pretty consistent). How do you transfer title back to dealer with no
title?!?

 

With regard to the tax, in New York, you only get that back if you win a
lemon law case. You don't get it back if the manufacturer agrees to back
through some arbitration process (such as BBB Auto Line). The state gets
to keep their piece...

 

Ask Dr. Z...if he's a fag.

 

I would not call it a scam since everything is in writing I would consider
it alternate sales revenue.

Coasty

 

$ 5000. total

The car would then have to be sold as a used car after that, or (?)

 

Or a lease car..

 

Doesn't surpise me. I can't see where they would be willing to take the
car back, and absorb all the costs from the failed sale. My friend sold
a car back based on the outcome of an arbitration settlement. He had to
pay .50 per mile, and got no refund for the license fees.

That is why the *fine print* is just that. If it is a radio ad, the
annoucer will quickly spew out all the exclusions and limitations
during the last few seconds of the advertisment.

-KM

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The fine print in the TV ad lasts for less than 3 seconds on screen, and if
you can read it, you're Evelyn Wood's star pupil in rapid reading.
As for the flyer from the Chrysler dealer, the print is so small that it's
half the size of phone book print, and even printed on a contrasting
background, so you REALLY have to want to read it. But the upshot is that
you can't "SIMPLY return the car to the dealer". I can imagine anyone
trying to return the car will turn the greatest shade of purple when they
find out that they're on the hook for all the charges....least of which is
the 5% of the MSRP of the car (not even of the actual selling price but of
the MSRP!)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sure, it's in writing, and so are the reams of boilerplate in most
contracts, which nobody reads either. When you deal with someone where
thousands of dollars are transferred in exchange for an article of
merchandise, there is (or at least should be) and element of trust between
the parties. In this case, it's almost fraudulent, I think, unless the
saleperson brings up the conditions under which the offer is made, and after
bringing each of the conditions to the table, asks the customer to initial
EACH of the conditions examined. Do you think any of this would ever be
done in a showroom's sales office?
Not unless there really is an easter bunny and a tooth fairy and ......

 

This campaign really needs to be tipped to a consumer-oriented state's
Attorney General who will decide if it is merely misleading advertising,
or worse.

 

Yeah, but by the time the guvmint's law enforcers "spring into action" the
ad campaign is ancient history. I'd love to see it happen though. I
think it goes way beyong "misleading" and it borders on outright fraud. If
you bought a $30K Chrysler with the understanding that you could pitch it
back at the dealer if you didn't like it within 30 days (as implied by the
ad) and found that you'd have to kick in FIVE THOUSAND BUCKS to assuage your
dissatisfaction, I could see some folks going postal over it.
You could drive a rental for a couple of days for likely less than $100, to
see whether the car was for you, which would be 2 percent of what your
misadventure would cost if you bought the damn thing!

 

And if you don't read all that fine print and boilerplate, you're a fool and you
have nothing to complain about.

 

I would call it a big embarrassing scam. Another way to turn off customers.

 

I still say it's a pretty decent deal if it wasn't for the taxes.

 

Paying $1500 for trying a vehicle that you are supposed to be able to
"simply return to the dealer" is not a "pretty decent deal".

 

When you buy a TV, refrigerator, chair, etc, and return it, you get
everything refunded - including the tax. Why would this deal be any
different?

Why do you say that the gov't keeps the tax if you buy a car and then
return it?

Even if you have to pay the cost to register and plate the car, the
plate is still yours after you return the car, and you'd be able to
put it on another car (the one you buy and end up keeping).