Purchasing a car can be a rush. From the moment you enter the dealership to when you drive off with a new car, you are face to face with quick-talking salespeople, numbers, payment plans, and questions that can make anyone’s head spin. It can be easy to sign a contract before realizing what you have signed. If you’ve driven away from the dealership and are suddenly hit with the thought of, “Oh no,” here’s what you need to know.
Red Flags to Look Out for Before Signing
Before pen hits paper, there are some red flags you can be aware of while pursuing the dealership to ensure you are getting a safe and legal car in a price range that is not outlandish.
- The title is not clean, or there is no title.
- The deal is too good to be true.
- The price does not line up with outside market prices.
- They negotiate the monthly payment, not the sale price.
- They tell you to ignore obvious faults.
- You are pushed toward extended warranties.
- They rush you into signing without giving you proper details on the car.
If your gut says no, you should say no.
What Might Happen After You Sign
There are numerous stories of people feeling buyer’s remorse after purchasing a vehicle, so many there’s a name for it. It can be common to feel as if you made a mistake with such a significant purchase. But, more times than not, it could just be jitters. However, if you have a bad feeling about the contract, it could be wise to go back and review the contract you signed if you feel you were taken advantage of. Reread it and ensure the seller did not change any terms from under your nose, and see if it is everything you two spoke about before signing.
There is also another scenario where the seller could reach out and claim that there was a mistake on your contract and that you need to come back to revise it or give the car back altogether. This is commonly called the yo-yo scheme. In this event, you will likely be handed a new contract with higher interest rates or a larger down payment to buy the car again.
Whether it is you or the seller that falls back on the contract, there are regulations to remember.
What You Can Do and Can’t Do
Unfortunately, there is no cooling-off period in Missouri. A sale is considered final the moment the contract is signed. However, if you signed a contract on a car you believed to be in good condition, learned it was not, and reported (numerous times) it to the dealership within a year, and they did not fix it, you could be covered under Missouri’s Lemon Law. This would allow you to file against the dealership and get a replacement vehicle or reasonably equivalent one.
Additionally, if something is truly off about the contract and you know it to be true, there is nothing stopping you from going back to the dealership to have a conversation with the seller. While they are not obligated to do anything for you, there is a chance that they could be of service and understand. Dealerships will have their own regulations on returns and exchanges. If something is wrong with the contract and you want to ensure you are properly heard, having an auto attorney join you can help the dealership understand the severity.
If it is the dealership coming back at you with contract changes, don’t be so quick to agree and go back. If they claim they messed up the contract, you can ask them to highlight the areas that are incorrect and explain what is wrong with them and what would change. In this case, you can also go back with an auto attorney by your side to ensure the dealership is not doing anything under the table.
If you feel as if your contract is not true to what was agreed upon, you have options to stand up for your purchase. Get your contract read by an attorney, and don’t take this journey alone; protect your rights and protect your new purchase. Contact the team at Stecklein Robertson Law.