'As-is' guarantees you're on your own
When purchasing a used vehicle, you’re agreeing to an “as-is” deal.
A car sold as-is comes without a warranty. Any defects or flaws with the vehicle will be the buyer’s responsibility. Once the paperwork is completed and signed, the dealership isn’t under any legal obligation to take back the car or pay for repairs.
Imagine buying a used vehicle and driving off the lot and the transmission goes bad. Well, it happened to a Rathdrum reader. He went to a used auto dealer and purchased a used Dodge Grand Caravan. He test drove it, checked out Carfax reports and other documentation provided by the dealer to “prove” the car had been serviced and checked out.
The customer didn’t even get the vehicle home before the check engine light started glowing. He took it to a mechanic and paid $350 for a thorough inspection.
There was a malfunction in the electrical system and a transmission problem. Several other red flags were noted, including low transmission fluid level, low oil and a battery that the mechanic deemed was too small for this particular vehicle. The transmission fix was estimated at $4,000-$5,000.
How could so many things have been wrong? Believing that the dealership had a duty to at least service the vehicle in a manner as marketed, the customer took it back and wanted to return it. The dealer refused to take it back but said he would have his own mechanic check it out. Turns out they could have the transmission rebuilt for $2,300. The other option was to buy a different vehicle that had “known” issues with the transmission stalling or shutting off.
Bottom Line: Get a used vehicle inspected by a mechanic BEFORE agreeing on price and signing a purchase agreement.
•••
AMAZON PHONY EMAILS: A Coeur d’Alene reader received an email from what appeared to be Amazon’s customer support group. The email warned her that there were problems with her account and to please update her account details. If she didn’t within 24 hours of opening the email, the account would be permanently disabled.
The email also contained an “update now” button. This astute reader detected a misspelling in the header and a minor grammatical error in the body of the email so she called Amazon directly to get the scoop. Turns out Amazon did not send her the email and informed her that she had been spoofed.
The moral here is don’t click on any links to unsolicited emails to update your personal information. This is how the bad characters gain access to your computer and embed malware on your computer. The phony email did have the official Amazon logo to give it an air of authenticity.
A better way to handle these types of emails is to delete them. Go directly to the website and login to your account so you aren’t clicking any links. You can also call customer service directly to check the status.
•••
VERIZON FAKE PHONE CALLS: A Coeur d’Alene reader received a call on his cellphone from somebody claiming to be from Verizon. The call came from an 800 number but as we’ve learned, scammers can make any number appear on our caller ID, including our own number.
The alleged Verizon representative claimed that the reader’s account had been suspended due to nonpayment. To take care of it right now, the customer needed to press 1. Suspecting foul play, the caller hung up and contacted Verizon directly. The Verizon representative informed the reader that his account was in good standing and that Verizon does not contact customers in that manner.
•••
RECEIPT REMINDER: For purchases less than $30, cashiers don’t always give us a receipt unless we ask for one. However, it’s a good practice to always ask for and then check your receipt to make sure only your purchases show up.
A Post Falls reader has observed that some restaurants don’t offer a receipt. The transaction is completed on the server’s iPad and just a total is provided without a breakout of the bill. This could leave the consumer vulnerable to unnecessary charges.
Also, a Coeur d’Alene reader sent in a warning that her friend went to a store and paid with a debit card. She noticed a $20 cash back on her receipt. She hadn’t asked for or received any cash back, so she had to call a supervisor over to have the transaction corrected.
This could happen at any retailer, including grocery stores, where items don’t always ring up correctly. The best advice is to ask for a receipt and look it over before you leave. Once you walk away from the counter, it’s harder to argue you didn’t get the goods or the cash.
•••
Remember: I’m on your side.
•••
If you’ve encountered a consumer issue that you have questions about or think our readers should know about, please email terridickersonadvocate@gmail.com or call me at 208-274-4458. As The CDA Press Consumer Gal, I’m here to help. I’m a fulltime copywriter working with businesses on marketing strategy, a columnist and a consumer advocate living in Coeur d’Alene.