I have an unusual dilemma that I need advice on. I ordered an MC on Nov. 29, ‘05. For me to place my order, the salesman (MA) told me of their standard practice of putting the required $1,500 down towards the purchase price. I did by placing it on my credit card by telling him verbally my account number over the phone. A few days later, I get two receipts: one that says $1,500 was paid from my credit card; and another attached with the dealership letterhead that listed $2,000 was credited toward the final purchase price. So I immediately called up my MA to try to figure out where the discrepancy was. After explaining the situation, he assured me everything was correct. I looked up my credit card account and it said $1,500 was paid to the dealership.

I then watch the progress of my MINI on the owner’s lounge, calling MINIUSA numerous times, as I count the days to when my new MC arrives.

About two months later, my MA calls me to say it has arrived. I buy a bus ticket to take the 200 mile ride from where I live to the MINI dealer, the closest one to me. We go over the car as I go down my check list to make sure everything is satisfactory. I go in to sign the paperwork and hand over the money, part of which is a blank check from my loan company.

Now comes the interesting part. Upon reading the amount that the paperwork says I owe, the dealership did in fact credit me $2,000. I didn’t mention it because the MA said when I first called him about the discrepant amount, he told me everything was fine. I drive away extremely pleased because not only did I receive what I thought was a $500 discount, but a set of floor mats was also thrown in the deal.

Yesterday I get a call from my MA saying they screwed up in their paperwork and that I now owe them $500 immediately because they charged my $500 less than they should’ve!! I must do this for them to release the title (I’m assuming to my loan company) and to send me my MSO (not sure what that is) so I can register the car. It is clearly written on their official receipt that I was credited with a $2,000 cash down payment. And that is my dilemma. What should I do? What am I legally obligated to do? Who should I call? A lawyer? My loan company? My credit card company? All of the above? Should I talk to the General Manager of the dealership? Or should I just pay the $500 and be done with it, a one-time extremely pleased and happy customer who would then be a very disgruntled and thoroughly unhappy customer, who would have to travel an additional 150 miles to have any other service dealings with the next closets MINI dealership?

 

If they charged you a documentation fee like my dealership ($395), I'd try to get them to rescind that and then I'd pay the $500.

Before I could register my MINI in Virginia, I needed the MSO. You probably do to. I'm afraid they have you there. I don't think it's worth your trouble to fight over $500. You would probably have to pay a lawyer $1,000 to get your $500 anyway.

 

Not to be the Moral Police but ...

What do you think the honest thing to do is?

 

I'm with you. There's waaay too much talk of what is "legal" these days and not enough talk about what is "moral". That sure isn't how I'm raising my kid!

If the dealership says they are giving you a $500 discount, then great! If they make a mistake and undercharge you by $500, then you owe them $500! What if you accidentally overpaid them by $500 and they later said that it was your mistake, not theirs?

 

well look at is this way- they screwed up, but if you return it you won't end up paying more than you were originally planning on.

SO, this is what I'd do-

I'd agree to return the $500 but tell them I was displeased with the experience and ask for something of relatlively minor value to make it right.

Say perhaps an ipod adapter, a few piece of MINI apparel, etc. Something that totals around the $150-200 mark and tell them you're more than meeting them halfway.

I think they're much more inclined to look the other way on a few parts "dissapearing" from their inventory than they are w/ the finance/accounting departments who are going to be completely hung up on receiving EXACTLY the $500 back to balance the books.

Just my thoughts, I wouldnt' play hardball over $500 especially as if you do you should never return to that dealership. People make mistakes, don't let it completely slide but worst case scenario they simply screwed up and you still got your MINI.

however depending on overall service I'd simply write them a $500 check assuming everything else was fine- you'd want them to do the same to you

 

I'd pay the $500. But I would also make it a point to stress to them that you questioned the whole situation at the very beginning when you thought they had credited you too much and that your MA told you that everything was correct. Make sure they know clearly that this is all their error and that you're not thrilled about having to help them clean up their mess.

 

well i might be wrong here but if you knew before hand that they gave you to much money back in the deal and you just decide to say nothing then its the same as stealing, if you bring it up and they do nothing then all is good, but think of the people involved you may get someone fired for that mistake if it dosent get cleared up. i know you told them of what happined but they were being stupid as i find is a norm at my dealer, just return it and be done with it, the problems youll face trying to keep the 500 will not be worth it

youll ruin your relation ship with the dealer and who knows what other problems will crop up, its just not worth it!

ive been screwed by many people who just turn the other cheeke when something goes wrong and they choose never to come clean so i just have a soft spot for it i geuss. in the long run if you owe them 500 pay the 500, the origanal agreed price

you really have no right to the money if it was a mistake and what you verbally agreed on.

just my opinion

 

Yeah, not to sound like I'm telling you how to live your life, but if you were happy with the original deal, then why are you displeased now? It's the same deal, they just loaned you $500 for a few days...

 

Like what 4GAZM is saying, if you're at the store and they give you change for a $20 and you paid with a $10, then it might seem like a good deal... but put yourself in the person's shoes who made the mistake...

 

Or, just for fun, you could tell them that this little misunderstanding just caused you to reconsider giving them all 5s on your survey. See how they react.

 

I agree, plus you will feel better about yourself.

 

Give them the $500, but there are a couple of points they should clear up.

1) Do they owe you interest on the deposite? I think they do, but that may be by state. FWIW, on cars I've put the deposite on, they didn't cash the check until the car was there.

2) Point out that you called about this very same point, and were told all was in order. Now you're dissapointed to learn that it's not.

But you're getting the car you ordered at the price you agreed to, so it's all the way it should be.

Matt

 

just a final note, the 500 bucks is probably going to come out of the saleman's commission check , not the dealership's pocket. pay up, it's the right thing to do. JMO

 

Yes sir, call me, for a $2500 retainer, it'll be taken care of.

 

Well I would not give them another penny but have them re-do the paperwork reflecting the original $1500, its not your fault they screwed up and its an honest mistake on their behalf if there could actually be an honest mistake by a car dealer! I have seen some shady crap pulled by dealers to get more $$$ out of buyers and I am not saying this is the case but the least they can do to fix the problem is to fix the paperwork, mail it to you so you can sign it and then overnight it back to them! They can do this I know because my wife was not available to sign when I picked up my MCS from Flow and they gave me all the papers and an overnight envelope to have her sign them and send them back the next day.

 

Dealer ship in Denver did the same thing, They were to refund back part of the deposit but did the whole deposit. I did not catch it but they did.
What did I do? I PAID THEM. IT is the RIGHT THING to do.
If you have to ask yourself what is right then you have some moral issues that need to be delt with.

 

I believe in Karma. If you don't want to pay them, you'll pay someone sometime... I certainly wouldn't want to go for service there if I didn't make it right. You need to do the right thing. Or it will come back to bite you, eventually.

 

I do sales for a living, large ticket items, usually between $25,000 and $50,000.. I always check my math and try to get it right the first time. From time to time I do make a mistake and have to go back to the customer to correct it and of course apologize profusley. I pride myself in being a very professional salesman and trying to take the best care of my customers. All too many times people ask for compensation, as if we are no longer allowed to be human and make a honest error. So after all that attention to my customer and have making sure they have a pleasant experience, I'm now a putz in their eyes. It's kinda discouraging over the years. I often kid my wife the more I deal with people, the more I like my dog!

Fortunatley there are some people that are honest and fair out there!!!

Just thought I'd give you a point of view from the other side.

 

Ditto.

....Les

 

Boy is this the truth.

Chuck

 

Same thing happened to me. I went in with the finance guy and read over the paperwork that showed I paid an extra $500. I notified the dealer of their mistake, and they corrected the paper work. Part of me wanted to let the mistake slide because they're already make a ton of money on the sale, but I figured I'd be honest. I don't regret what I did; I'm glad I was honest.

My girlfriend bought a Mazda a few days ago; they did the same thing to her. They wrote the paperwork and said she put $500 down, which she didn't. She didn't realize it until the next day, so she called the finance person who hasn't returned her call yet.

Maybe it is a conspiracy.

 

They say every person has his price.

Is yours $500?

 

LOL, Faustus ...

I think by now he got the point.

 

Yes, after talking it over with my wife and my conscience, I have decided to fork over the $500 that is due to them, but not before we have a sit-down discussion with the General Manager to try to find out exactly where and how this mistake came up. I think they owe us something due to the awkward position they put us in, not to mention the threatening phone messages the MA left on our machine. And I will do what glennaa11 said, to “... also make it a point to stress to them that you questioned the whole situation at the very beginning when you thought they had credited you too much and that your MA told you that everything was correct. Make sure they know clearly that this is all their error and that you're not thrilled about having to help them clean up their mess.” Thanks for keeping me honest.

 

I was mostly with everyone on this thread until you said this.

As soon as I got a threatening phone message vs. a highly appologetic sales person calling me to tell me that THEY had screwed up, and that they were tossing in free floor mats/etc I'd tell them to stuff it, a contract is a contract (the court would see it that way as well I suspect).

After all, they are the big business that can't manage to handle simple addition? Car sales men tend to try and fool you with math anyways, because they assume that the average purchaser can't calculate monthly payments and interest rates etc. Never tell a salesmen what your target monthy payment is, always work on the sales price and figure out your payments from there.

Over $500, it isn't worth the hassle of court, but you're owed something for the trouble, and THEIR mistake.