Filed under: Car Buying, Etc.
Seattle dealership rips off disabled man
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So you think that car salesman and dealerships have overcome their oft-deserved reputation for being sleazy? After reading this story, our semi-restored faith in the process of buying a car has been decimated.
Eleven dealership employees at the Huling Brothers dealership in West Seattle took part in an elaborate scam to take advantage of a 60-year old man with obvious mental deficiencies. When the man, soaked in his own urine, entered the dealership and told the car salesman that he had over $100K in cash in his home, the wheels of the scam machine went into full-gear and he left the dealership with an expensive truck . Needless to say, the man winds up with no money and no truck at the end of the story. Check out the details of this sad tale after the jump.
Thanks for the tip, Yvo.
[Source: KOMO TV]
The dealership in question sold the man a truck for the maximum price along with a ridiculously priced warranty as well as anything else they could add-on to the transaction, later bragging to other associates at the dealerhship about the deal. The man's truck was towed the following day, and when he called the dealership thinking it had been stolen, the salesman picked him up to take him to get his truck. While they were gone, the dealerships sales manager and five different dealership employees went to the man's apartment to steal the remaining $70K+. The sales manager and one other employee were the first two there and stole the cash, which they split and paid off personal credit cards, etc.
Oh, but they weren't finished yet. When the man's truck was towed again, he called Seattle Police and reported the missing truck as well as the disappearance of the $70K in cash. Realizing the man had mental problems, the police took him to a mental health facility in Seattle. He then called the dealership to be sure that the towing company wouldn't auction off his truck before he could pick it up. Another dealership employee then convinced the man to sell the truck to him for $1,200, and then involved several other dealership employees to help him legitimize the paperwork. That employee drove the truck as his own until the police unwound the scam.
All eleven of the dealership employees involved are currently under investigation and the dealership has been cooperating with the investigation. The dealership has also repaid the man $30,000, and the new owners, who were unaware of the pending litigation, have hired a completely new staff and will remove the previous dealership name from every aspect of the store.
Have any of you ever been a victim of a dealership scam? Or how about the opposite; a dealership that went over the top to be sure you were properly taken care of? Please don't mention any names of people or dealerships in the comments, but interesting anecdotes are always welcome.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Icon 2:32PM (1/23/2007)
That is some really messed up thing to take advantage of someone for a profit. If they throw th whole law library at these guys it will be well deserved.
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Victor 2:39PM (1/23/2007)
Stuff like this makes me question the state of humanity......or in this case; the lack of..
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epp_b 2:41PM (1/23/2007)
Wow, this isn't just sleazy salesmen exploiting loopholes, this is an actual crime!
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Ty 2:43PM (1/23/2007)
He got his money back:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003537508_webhuling23.html
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Spalind 2:46PM (1/23/2007)
Personally I think its kinda funny....but hey...thats just me...
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mkbruin 2:48PM (1/23/2007)
The biggest dealership scam?
FACTORY CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I picked up a 2004 Dodge Stratus ES Certified Used in Jan. 2005 w/30k miles for ~$10,000.
They claim it is an 8 year, 80,000 mile powertrain warranty. Somewhere around 45k my knock sensor failed. I paid a stealership $100 to tell me it is the sensor, not an actual knock. For those not familiar, with the sensor out the computer retards the ignition timing thinking there is a knock. I am not getting optimal power or fuel economy and the engine will not function as intended.
$1700 to repair. You have to remove the intake manifold to get at the knock sensor on the 2.7
So, I have a failed part essential to keep the engine running as intended that needs almost $2k to fix, that I *could* fix myself for ~100 but would void the warranty, that DCX WILL NOT COVER because it is considered an 'EXTERNAL ACCESSORY'
The regional rep won't help, nor will DCX customer care.
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fizzandpop 2:49PM (1/23/2007)
That's trully discusting and stupid. Did they think they wouldn't get caught? Anyhow, this isn't a scam, but a used car dealer once tried to convince me that the stock Focus I was looking at had the "4.2 liter V8" fitted. When I called him on it, he said he would have to go and check the paperwork to make sure. He came back and reiterated that it indeed had the "4.2 liter V8". I asked him to pop the hood so I could look at this engineering marvel. Strangely enough, he didn't have the keys, but if I came back later we could definately go for a spin. I really should have come back, but he would have probably feigned amnesia.
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Yatrik 2:59PM (1/23/2007)
I still don't understand why we even have the dealership system. Car companies work so hard to try and create a positive brand image, and these dealerships mess it all up with their ridiculous tactics. Let's face it, Japanese and German cars sell themselves, while American cars sell just because they are American cars, irregardless of features. So what need is there for the dealers?
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Kowell 3:01PM (1/23/2007)
An uncle of mine bought a Golf GTI 1999 3 years ago and was as please as one can be until he went to an independant garage for a regular oil change and the mecanic told him "what the hell you talking mate? This here is a 1996 Golf!"
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radudeATL 3:08PM (1/23/2007)
What's new. This mentally challenged man was sold a Neon he could afford...
http://tinyurl.com/2htjrz
And the follow-up:
http://tinyurl.com/yrs4pr
That guy has some wonderful friends.
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Spud 3:08PM (1/23/2007)
Anyone who finds that funny (e.g. Spalind) must be as intellectually challenged as the poor guy who got scammed. Nothing funny about taking advantage of the disadvantaged. Period.
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olddavid 3:12PM (1/23/2007)
Do not judge the whole system by the actions of a small percentage. I am the son of a small town dealer who went out to people's houses at 5am because they had left the interior light on, or helped when certain customer's had trouble remembering that gas is a must or jumped little Jimmy's car when he played the radio while making out with his girl for 4 hours, etc. etc. To judge the dealer body by these cretins is akin to thinking all surgeons are dumb enough to lop off the wrong leg. Please, people, try to find someone who deserves your business. Chances are it will be the little guy in the little outlying town trying his damnedest to make an honest buck.
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David 3:20PM (1/23/2007)
I was in a Ford Dealer when an obviously disturbed man of about 60 years of age showed up with 60K on him...in cash. He stared at a Harley F-150 while clutching his money and sweating profusely...saying nothing at all.
One of the salesmen said "He's back" and he took the man by the elbow and walked him to the house immediately behind the dealer and returned him to his family.
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SOhp101 3:22PM (1/23/2007)
irregardless isn't a word.
Dealerships exist mainly because it gives an excuse for automotive corporations to say it isn't their fault. Plus trying to manage all those dealerships would be extremely difficult. Then the obligation of handing out benefits, etc... it's cheaper for them to just 'sell' cars to dealerships.
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Pinkerton 3:39PM (1/23/2007)
That's absolutely horrible, it hits a nerve with me.
mkbruin,
I can echo your feelings on certified used cars. Honda is no better. I actually ended up buying a certified car that had a cracked tail light, and a number of easily fixed cosmetic issues. You don't expect one of Honda's much hyped pre-owned cars to have wipers with no blade left to them. Hello, quality control? Inspections? It took a lot of dickering to get the price down. What can I say, I was desperate for a car at the time.
A friend of mine also bought an Olds certified used car. Months later the dummy lights were lighting up her dash. She inspects things, and finds out her certified car came without an air filter.
The only "certified" thing about the car is how you end up felling like you should be certified insane for buying one.
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Zo 3:41PM (1/23/2007)
#8
That is an easy question:
1) The dealership in each state have paid off enough crooks in their state legislature to prevent any other type of system
2) 50 states with 50 different consumer and Lemon Laws
3) Liability -- if the dealership's employees do something stupid like in this story, the Mfg is not liable. Look at how many stupid stealerships take customer cars for joy rides and wreck the cars.
4) Dealing with stupid trade-ins.
In a perfect world, we could go to a web site configure it like a Dell XPS computer, click order and then go to a local location to pick it up in a "just-in-time" ready made order sort of way. The only thing required would be a show room so that customers could test drive and view colors and features. Used car dealers would deal with used cars and all finance issues would be dealt with either online or with local banking desks from local banks that compete on charges. All repairs would be handled by local repair shops that are Mfg certified and compete on price.
The stealerships have basically made it impossible to change and the auto industry for whatever reason attracts the scammers and the cheats of this world.
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Fordguy99 3:42PM (1/23/2007)
@ #9 - your uncle must be retarded. The 99 Golfs are a completely different body style than the 96's.
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Brian McPhail 3:48PM (1/23/2007)
This is sick- I hope they all rot in hell for it.
Shame on you AB for asking such a stupid & loaded question. Allowing anyone who ever lied after damaging their car after the fact to spew Barbara Streisand after being denied. "That bashed in tailgate was LIKE THAT when I picked it up!" (Based on true story)
Sadly- we have had a couple of instances where customers-not of totally sound mind- came in with money or with access to money. In all cases- their families were contacted and made aware of what was going on. One them was mine- and he was not severely out of it or unaware- but after a bit I just knew that something wasn't right- so I called his son & stopped working until he got here. Turns out the purchase would have wiped a large chunk of his savings out.
This story is not unique. So way to go AB for perpetuating a ridiculous stereotype.
I can name a lot more times when some sleazy reporter knowingly used someone not 100% "aware" to push his agenda than people getting /genuinely/ ripped off in a dealership like this guy did.
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G_Money 3:52PM (1/23/2007)
#16 Zo, your car buying experience where you referenced a dell XPS is exactly Scions selling Model.
Go try it out. Works great
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craig bourne 3:53PM (1/23/2007)
As a car salesman I am ashamed of the dealership in question as well as everyone involved. We as professional sales people have made great leaps to shed our previous image only to be set back yet again. Yes we are in the business to make a profit but a fair one not to take advantage of our hopefully life long customers!!!
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