INSIDE: DENNIS O’SULLIVAN’S AUTO Q&A
QUESTION
I hope that you can help my son get out of a very difficult situation. Two weeks ago, he was in Toronto and he signed for a car that he really could not afford to buy. If that was the only problem, then we would possibly be able to help him out. That very same day, however, he signed another bill of sale for a different car.
He told us that he never signed the first bill of sale but he did sign something that the salesman told him that he needed to sign before he could present the offer to the owner.
The salesman then told him that he would need another two hundred dollars to clinch the deal and my son said no.
He is now being told that the dealer did accept his offer and that he needs to pick up the car or they are going to sue him. That was the first dealer that he apparently signed something that the dealer claims was a bill of sale.
The second dealer sold him a car that he could not afford to buy because he is not making enough money to make the monthly payments.
I tried to reason with both dealers but they both tell me that he signed the bill of sale and all sales are final. I thought that people had a cooling off period when they purchased a new or used car. Can you help us? Maraline from Burlington
ANSWER
Most car sales contracts will say “sale final” and there isn’t any cooling off period if you signed on the dotted line. If, for some personal reason the sale does not go through, the dealer can keep the deposit and this does happen on occasion.
I received nasty replies from both used car dealers and neither dealer cared about what I said or who I was when I told them that you could not afford either car and wanted out of the deal.
I knew, however, before I talked to the used car dealers, that your son would not be able to get the money to finance the cars and both signed bill of sales that had a condition that the deal is hinged on your son getting finance. Your son certainly is not going to get the finance and would you believe that neither used car dealer could get financing for your son, so he is off the hook on both deals.
I find it odd however, that neither of the used car dealers received any type of down payment from your son. The first dealer was selling a car on consignment for someone so that is why they accepted your first offer after you refused to go two hundred dollars more.
I hope that your son has learned a lesson from this experience and maybe next time he will think twice before he spends other people’s time signing for something that he knew he could not afford.
Were you aware that he had his girl friend with him who I suspect he was trying to impress?
QUESTION
My nineteen-year-old daughter just came home crying from a garage that had a staff of morons and I would like you to expose these people before they insult other young women that might happen to fall prey to these people. I called the owner and he told me that she was in the garage and should not have been so that is why the boys were making insulting comments about her.
Will you do me a favour and all other women and expose this outfit or should I see a lawyer about sexual harassment charges? Donna from Hamilton
ANSWER
My column has not and never will be used for mud slinging but I did call the garage and they told me part of what happened.
The owner, whom you spoke to, told me that he apologized to you for the behavior of his staff on several occasions but that did not satisfy you.
He then put me through to the young man who changes the tires for the company and this is what he told me. Your daughter and he were flirting with one another and your daughter then asked to come into the shop, which is against company policy, to see how he was changing the tires on her car. She was in fact actually trying to help him change her tires in clothing that is not suitable to be worn when working on a tire changer.
This is when there were some inexcusable comments made to her about the way that she was dressed and she, not in a lady-like manner, told them where to go.
If your daughter really believes that sexual harassment has taken place then by all means seek advice from a lawyer but I am taking this no further.