Last year, I listed my truck for sale on www.autotrader.com. About three weeks later, Russ, from Great Cars and Trucks called and told me his company had a list of nine people in Florida wanting to buy a truck just like mine and I'd be sure to "sell it this weekend! ".
I asked Russ why these people didn't contact me directly from my Auto Trader ad the way he did. He told me that it was a financing issue. These people had agreed to finance through his company for vehicles listed within his company. He insisted I could make $1500 more because of my vehicle type but needed me to first subscribe to Great Cars and Trucks. If my truck didn't sell within 90 days, my money ($150 some odd dollars) would be refunded to me with no hassle.
On the one hand, this deal sounded too good to be true. On the other hand, I love this truck, why wouldn't nine other people? I checked out the website, everything seemed okay, so I called Russ back and gave him my card number.
This was October 2006!
I called about 90 days later and told the woman that answered the telephone that none from their 'list' called to see my truck that perticular weekend or the 12 following weekends. She said she'd have Russ call me back. He didn't.
I called a few days later and pretended to be a new customer returning an initial call from Russ. When he called back, minutes later, I told him I was on to his little scam. I demanded my money back and he referred me to the website. There was no way to file it via internet. I mailed in the required paperwork. No response/ no refund.
I got fooled and made sure everyone knew about it. I'm in the United States Navy. I told my shop about my not-so-great Great Cars and Trucks experience, the word passed through squadrons to not patron that company.
I received a telephone call about three months ago from a fellow familiar with my story. Great Cars and Trucks called him with the same scam.
I was happy that my negative experience helped others from getting duped.
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