I almost got taken in by this scam. Thank God I did some research before agreeing to surrender my credit card number. Hear is my story, I hope it helps others facing the same situation.
I recieved a phone call from a nice man named Eugene. He was curious if my 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee was still for sale. I said it was. I asked how he came across it since the ad I placed in the Truck Trader had expired last month.
He gave me his sales pitch about Great Cars and Trucks and what they could do for me, specifically sell my vehicle to a person who had been pre-approved for financing by them. All for a mere $159.00 commission on the sale. So I asked "After I sell the vehicle, you take the commission right? "
Wrong! He told me the commission had to be paid upfront, otherwise how were they sure to get there money. That is NOT a commission. I work for a large Chevrolet dealer so I know how new and used car sales work.
Well, that's when the alarms went off. I engaged in small talk with him for a few more minutes, said I needed to discuss it with my wife and I would call him back. After doing some online research and reading the 'numerous' horror stories as well as bad BBB reviews I decided to never call him back!
There are a few things I would like to address.
Firstly, the business of having to have a notary signed affidavid to get your refund. That is absolute crap and here's why. If a person who had been "pre-approved" for financing from Great Cars and Trucks shows up and purchases your vehicle, the finance company will place a lien against the vehicle for the selling price including taxes and excluding downpayment. Great Cars and Trucks are not going to hand $10, 000 to someone to purchase a vehicle. They or their finance company will pay directly the seller of the vehicle.
So I ask you, if they are legit, how can they not know if a person they have pre-approved for financing has purchased your vehicle. The only way would be if you sold your vehicle to someone besides a person who was referred to you be them, in which case their 'service' did you no good.
If by chance someone who see's your ad pays cash from his or her pocket for your vehicle and you demand an unlawful refund it is very easy for the company to run your VIN (which if they are providing a financing service they should be asking for it anyway) and find out if the vehicle has been sold. Car dealers do it all the time to make sure trade-ins have no liens against them and are really owned by the customer.
The point being is that there are ways to do business that is convienent to the business and ways to do business that ensure customer satisfaction. Trust me as someone who has worked a long time in the automotive service industry, the two hardly ever meet. If Great Cars and Trucks were really concerned about making you happy as a customer their refund policy wouldn't be so difficult.
Once they have your money, their concern for your satisfaction dwindles away to nothing. I don't need to prove this, just read other reports and their track record speaks volumes.
Secondly: I frown on any sales tactic that resorts to scavaging. What I mean is scanning the competition (Auto Trader) for unsold vehicles and then using telemarketing techniques to pressure you into giving them a credit card number. It's bad enough I can't get through supper each and every night without the phone ringing 5-6 times with some form of tele-SPAM. Be wary of the business that resorts to this method. They are usually as legit as the same companies that fill your e-mail box with hundred's of SPAM's.
Thirdly and lastly: If Great Cars and Trucks is such an upstanding legit business, why is PAYPAL not on their website as an method of payment. We have come to the point in time now that almost every legitimate online business supports PAYPAL. PAYPAL is an excellent buffer against business' who want to rip you off. Could it be that PAYPAL might not accept Great Cars and Trucks as a partner due to their horrific BBB ratings. Hmmm, something to think about.
Preying on consumers in the fashion that Great Cars and Trucks does is becoming an epidemic in Canada. If their service was truely what the consumer is being told by the salesperson then their reputation would be enough to for you to want to place an ad with them and they would not have to resort to the lowest form of marketing to get your business.
AutoTrader is a great example, you are told what you get for your money, and are not made any empty promises. AutoTrader makes no guarentee's to sell your vehicle, how can they, you set the price and the description for your vehicle same as you would with Great Cars and Trucks. They simply run the ad for the specified time, end of story.
I hope my experience helps any out there who find themselve's on the recieving end of a Great Cars and Trucks sales pitch. I can't tell you not to use them, just do what I did and get the facts by doing a little online research first.
Paul
St. Cathrines, Ontario
Canada
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