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not necessarily credit related, but hoping for clarification
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Posted by Alex (162.70.244.40) on July 28, 2003 at 10:43:10:
Hi Everyone,
I browse these boards frequently, and have gotten many good tips for my own situation. Was hoping I could post this (and vent, sorry)...and possibly to see what recourse I might have.
To try and make a long story short. I'm in my mid 30's, work, pay my own way. My father (who is cheap and wealthy, I don't get nor ask for anything from him) has had a 20 year relationship with Ford Motor Credit (he leases/buys several cars a year through them). Three years ago, he leased a car for my brother (he works in the family business with my dad). A year later, my brother branched out on his own and got his own car. Because the lease was so new, Ford told my father there would be a lot of penalties returning the car. So, in a rare act of 'giving' (trust me, my dad is a pill...getting something from him always has strings attached)...He called me up and said what the heck, you keep the car over at your apartment..drive it when you want, if I'm in town, I'll borrow it..I just can't turn it back in just yet. Ok..fine. Heck, I'm not going to turn down a free car (especially since my usual vehicle is a pickup I bought four years ago). So, fast forward to last week...I still have the car, don't use it very much (three years old at this point, and it only has 12,000 miles). My father calls and says the lease is up, can I do him a favor and turn the car back in. I say fine, I'll handle it. Well, the dealership is about a 45 minute drive from me. I call them up, and the guy rudely explains that I HAVE to bring it back to them during normal business hours (8-6). I work from 7-6, so that's out of the question. To make matters worse, I'm just getting back to work from being off for nearly 3 weeks undergoing gallbladder-removal surgery and recovering from that. I'm not going to up and ask my boss for yet another day off (in this industry (IT) and economy, I can't risk it!). I call up Ford Motor Credit and the guy I get very nicely explains to me that it's no big deal, dealerships do that often and try to MAKE you bring it to them...he says that in the fine print of the lease contract, the dealership is obligated to get the car. He suggests I fax them a letter to where the car is, a number to reach me to give them the keys and be done with the dealership. So, I do exactly that.
Now, here's the kicker! These jerks turn around and call my father...who all of a sudden says that he NEVER authorized the leasing of the car, and that there is fraud involved...Well, you know what, I don't care, because I didn't do anything wrong. Heck, my father not only made the payments, but he deducted them from his taxes (business checks to make the payments)...so he can scream 'til he's blue in the face. I'm nowhere on any contracts, not on the insurance, nothing, so I'm not worried.
This morning, I come into work to find a voicemail on my machine from some woman at this dealership. She doesn't leave her name or number. What she says to me (and I'm quoting) "you know, we spoke to your father and he is claiming fraud in relation to this car. He has completely removed himself from the paperwork on this vehicle...and every day that you keep this vehicle, we will charge you for. You are responsible for paying for the car". First off, I can't help but laugh..this woman obviously thinks that A) her talking to my 'daddy' is going to scare me and B) that I'm dumb enough to think that they could even begin to charge me anything. The car isn't mine, never has been, never will be. There is nothing legally binding linking me to that car. I'm just amazed at the tactics of people. They could have had their car last week, if they'd just quit being idiots. I'm really mad, though. I won't get into how I feel about my father (but this is typical behavior for him)...But the dealership..I'm mad. Any ideas on who I can complain to so that the word gets out what JERKS these guys are?
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