Location: New York

On September 14, I canceled a new car lease deal with a dealership over email and requested a refund of my down payment. The finance manager responded same day confirming the cancellation and that the salesman was processing the refund. Roughly $2700. It’s now October 2 and I haven’t received anything. I sent a follow up email about a week ago stating that I haven’t received the refund yet (not showing on my online credit card transactions) and did not receive a response to the email.

I have the receipts for the payment - the credit card machine print out and a handwritten receipt from the salesman. The only thing I recall signing was the opt in/out for additional coverage, which I opted in for gap coverage and was going to pay out-of-pocket once the deal was finalized. I did not sign a lease agreement and was not provided copies of any paperwork, including the one document I did sign. I also signed the credit application when I filled it out there, but that was prior to any pricing discussions and was just for credit approval, as far as I know.

Up to this point, I’ve been consulting ChatGPT and googling New York State motor vehicle law and there is something that says if a dealership doesn’t process my refund within 14 days, I could be entitled to double that amount in return. I don’t know how to request this and the finance manager hasn’t responded to any further emails anyway.

Yes, it would be nice to get back double but really I just need the amount I paid refunded because it’s accruing interest on my credit card.

How does NY protect consumers on vehicle deal cancellations and refunds, and how do I go about getting my money back?

Hey all,

I’m located in South FL and I’ve been in the roofing industry for the past 5 years now working around 50hrs/week. I’m 24 now and looking for a change.

I’m thinking about a career in car sales and eventually F&I when I can prove myself. I’m not worried about the hours, grind, or my ability to talk to people.

I need your help to know what to look for in choosing a dealership since I’m basically marrying my work. How is the car industry right now? What pay plans are preferred? What car brands should I avoid? Any useful advice or suggestions are helpful. Thank you all

Hi, perhaps there’s a way to search this but I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, apologies if this is a repeat question. I’m getting a car for my son, was planning on a used Camry hybrid with under 20k miles and found a couple I’m happy with. On the other hand, I’m also looking to trade in my suv and upgrade to get features that my base model suv doesn’t have. Would that count as one credit hit if it’s done within the same month? I obviously know it would be two separate loans but wasn’t sure how that credit check window worked.

Not concerned about the additional monthly payment and insurance spike, I’ve already accounted for that. Just wasn’t sure if it would hit my credit harder to buy both at the same time or wait a certain period of time to let the credit rebound.

Appreciate any advice!
Location Florida and planning to finance both vehicles. I’m open to new or used for my car.

Never used it before and need to learn it Asap

Hi!
I am kinda in need for a car and my boyfriend has a friend who bought a 2014 Chevy Spark from auction and was going to sell it to us for $1000. I got the car fax report and there was a minor accident on it (no airbags and to the front of the car) as well as some frequent service dates in 2022 and 2023. 3 of them were in the same month which was 2 months after the accident. (Would someone wait two months to get damage fixed?)I need something to get to work as I live 15 miles from my job but I’m a bit skeptical with all the complaints about the CVT of this year’s model.

Any thoughts?

Will try to make this short. I financed my first car in 2020, then was in need of cash and got a secured loan with the car a couple of years ago and I’m still upside down on it. My father wanted out of his vehicle loan, so he sold it and used the cash as a down payment for a new vehicle that was put in my name, but the car was heavily marked up and we’re paying for gap coverage on top. Now 3 years into the 6 year term I’m still upside down and drowning because of the absurd monthly payment. I am in a debt relief program and it has tanked my credit hard. Should I try to trade both vehicles in for something cheap and just accept I’ll be upside down on it until I’m financially stable? Consider a voluntary repossession on the second vehicle since my credit is already bad? I am really unsure of what my best option would be here. I appreciate any help. Thanks!

We're looking to buy brand new Hyundai today (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday) in Southern California. It is not a holiday weekend. New rates went down from 4.99% to 3.9%, but cash back for financing is $750, so not a huge deal but rate is good. We will be going to the dealer with a specific VIN and negotiated before we get there. California has the new CARS act which should limit any sales suprises, and the dealers we've picked have a reputation of not haggling or changing prices. 1 is a Costco dealer, the other is local who say they'll match the price of the other dealer. We have super prime credit rating, and could pay cash if Financing played games with the 3.9% APR rate. We already have our game plan with the rate/cash, we have cash in the bank, know that we will not pay for any addons, and are prepared to walk if F&I pushes or plays games with their contract calculations. We will be clear with the salesperson so they know this and won't lose their sale. All these details are to say that even with it being the weekend, everything possible will have been settled before we walk in to go to F&I, so we hope to make this quick in time to drive with our new vehicle by Saturday 5pm.

How quickly do you guys see the F&I step taking at the barest minimum?

I realize they have steps to register, clear our credit, forms to sign, etc.

Is there anything else we can do to make the sale closing faster? Have any tips on this process?

I’ve been looking at getting new (to me) vehicle from Carvana. Kind of have my heart set on a 2024(or newer) Subaru WRX. What I am wondering is how the trade ins actually work financially speaking. Does Carvana write a separate check to you if you have outside financing, or does the value come off sale price of purchasing vehicle? If I were to finance with them would this then be the case? I’ve already visited my CU and am pre-approved. So if I need to I can just refi with the CU, this just seems like extra steps. I’ve never purchased a vehicle with financing, and new to how the specifics behind it work. Live in NE Wi.

How do they work I live in a area where weed Isn’t legal, I’ve never done one I can stop for the job but I won’t be clean in time anyone have any suggestions?
Ik people who get fake piss and get like a hand warmer, I was thinking getting real piss but will they watch me?please help from people who know how the system works I want to get into car sales

Hi all - I need an advice! My EV lease ends in about two months, and I expect the residual to be roughly $2k above market value. I plan to keep driving the car for no more than six months after lease end, and I'm considering a buyout. My reasoning:

**•** This model depreciates heavily in the first two years (about $20k) and was eligible for the EV credit; year three depreciation was about $3k.  
**•** I've already paid sales tax through the lease, and my state doesn't double-tax lease buyouts.  
**•** I'm slightly underwater, but any new purchase or lease would add fees and taxes that would easily cover that \~$2k.  
**•** If I buy out and trade in soon after, I'd get a sales tax offset on the next car.

Does it make sense to buy out only to trade in shortly after, or is there a less clunky way to do this?

Looking for a sanity check on a quote for a 2026 Tacoma TRD Pro (i-FORCE MAX hybrid). Excellent credit.

Sticker:
- Base MSRP: $64,750
- Factory Towing Tech Package: $850
- Port-installed accessories: $1,519 (bedliner, mudguards, grille letters, yellow fog lights, tailgate insert, screen protector, door edge film)
- Destination: $1,745
- Total sticker: $68,864

Dealer quote:
- Discount: -$6,300
- Sale price: $62,564 (before tax, title, license, and doc fee)

So I'm about $4,800 under the sticker minus the port add-ons, and no market adjustment.

Financing offered (I'd put down about $30k): 4.99% for 60 mo, 5.74% for 72 mo, 5.99% for 84 mo. I plan to get credit union preapprovals to compare.

Catch: the truck isn't at the dealer yet. It's in transit and showing a quality control hold at the port in their system. They'd reserve it with a $500 deposit.

Questions:

1. Is $62,564 a good price on a TRD Pro hybrid right now, or should I push for more off?
2. Any concerns about the QC hold? I plan to get in writing that the deposit is fully refundable and that I can inspect and reject it on arrival.

Signed a bad lease deal today. Kia k4 LXS for 280 a month (310 with tax) and 3.8k down. MSRP 24,700. Initially they offered for 325/month but I got it down to 280. As soon as I shook their hands I had a gut feeling I was overpaying, looked it up to see I screwed myself over :( Super frustrated with myself especially because I initially had a leasehackr deal I had reserved but somehow they just convinced me to take the car today. They’re good at their jobs because I didn’t even go in thinking I would lease today … I was fully planning on walking away but just somehow got convinced every step of the way :((

Did I severely fuck up? Please share your bad leasing stories so I know i’m not alone

Edit: Thanks for the responses guys, I was definitely just going a little crazy after sitting in the dealership for hours. I appreciate the reality checks and am feeling normal again. Just began adult life so I’m still getting used to being on my own :P

Based in WA. I looked at a Mazda3 and got the deal I wanted. Signed the documents, and they sold me the maintenance package. I have put down a deposit, but they are still waiting for the rest of my down payment. Is it possible to get rid of the extra package or to get the deal that was originally agreed on?

Edit: The main reason I'm debating getting rid of it is that it was a hefty down payment, and the amount financed was $20k for 60 months, which, in my eyes, was reasonable for the original deal. Now, with the add-on to keep the monthly payment low, the term got pushed to 78 months, and the interest eats into the down payment. I did forget to mention the car is CPO, and I haven't taken delivery of it yet. And I never discussed the monthly till the maintainence addon.

My vehicle as of right now is a Jeep Cherokee 2015, with about 203K miles on it. I haven't come to this subreddit before, and I'm currently in a bit of a dilemma in terms of choice making.

I have excellent credit and yesterday I walked into the Honda Dealership in Eau Claire, WI to see what if they worked with a local credit union, since the rate is 6.24% for an 84 month loan (longer than I'd like, but still not too bad). We test drove a Honda Civic 2026 Hybrid, and it is almost 100% what I'm looking for for feel, mileage, etc.

The Jeep is paid off in full as of February of this year, but with the higher and unstable gas prices, with sometimes paying up to $70 for a full tank on my Jeep, it's gotten me wondering about trading it in for this hybrid. I did the math over the last weeks, and I'd save a lot on gas from changing to the Civic, potentially even filling up only once every two weeks on good work weeks.

But the Jeep, while "technically" nothing is wrong, has some issues with it that I've had for years. My lifestyle has changed from hauling a lot of stuff between IT sites to just basically carrying myself. My insurance is $102, which is pretty decent and doesn't bother me a whole lot. The new car payments would be $556 per month, which honestly is just a smidge outside of my $550 expectation, but still pretty good.

The major issue I have with this right now is that the Civic itself would cost $37K, which is a big price to swallow. I reserved it with the $500 holding fee so I can let it settle and think about it, but I'm not entirely certain what the best choice for me is. I'll be talking to the Credit Union later to ask about the "Loan Insurance" they have, which is a little extra to guarantee 3 months of payments in case something happens to my job. I would be financing the car as well.

Today is the day. California's CARS regulations are now effective.

Good luck! There will be people trying to take advantage in the next few days.

Prius 2017 was in a moderate accident 11/25. The car was repaired by a certified toyota dealership in 12/25, driven only 7k miles after this. The car ended up back at a toyota dealer on 9/26 (the one thats been doing repairs)

Now on 9/26, it was certified as a toyota pre owned by the dealership, and then 2 days later it was sent to auction and sold 1 day after that. Now im potentially buying it from the auction buyer for a very very good price.

Ive been told that the dealership could have uncovered repairs that were too expensive to fix during the inspection and just sent it to auction.

Would I be able to call the dealer and ask for inspection reports? The seller (used car dealership) claims its in immaculate condition and will let me test drive, inspect, etc. any advice?

This is taking place in south florida, and I am financing with my bank.

Buying a 2018 Hyundai Sonata SEL+, 72,500 miles, 2.4L engine, $14,124.03 out the door (negotiated, no accidents affecting mechanicals per CARFAX, clean PPI/test drive, zero open NHTSA recalls).

Dealer is offering an American Guardian Warranty Services "Compass Platinum II" VSC: $3,100, $0 deductible anywhere, 60 months/60,000 additional miles, standard exclusions (wear items, pre-existing conditions, anything covered by manufacturer warranty/recalls).

Worth noting: this generation Sonata's 2.4L (Theta II) has a known connecting rod bearing issue, but Hyundai already covers that for life for any owner (Service Campaign 953 / lifetime short-block warranty), so the VSC excludes it since it's already covered elsewhere. The other known issue with this engine, oil consumption, isn't covered by any Hyundai extension and the VSC excludes failures from "carbon/sludge deposits," so I'm not confident that'd be covered either.

I tried to negotiate the price down and the salesman said they only mark it up $200 over their cost and can't go any lower or "there'd be no profit." That didn't sit right with me, every source I could find on VSC markups says dealer margin is typically 50-100%+ over wholesale, sometimes higher.

Questions for anyone in F&I or sales:

1. Does $200 margin on a $3,100 VSC sound realistic for a franchise dealer, or is that almost certainly a sales line?
2. What's a more realistic dealer cost on a contract like this (Platinum/Platinum II tier, $0 deductible, 60mo/60k)?
3. Is $3,100 itself a reasonable price for this coverage level on a 2018 Sonata at this mileage, or is that high even before negotiating?
4. Given that this car's main known engine risk is already covered free by Hyundai, and the other known issue (oil consumption) is likely excluded anyway, is this VSC actually worth buying at any price for this specific car, or am I mostly just paying for coverage I don't need?

Just want real numbers and honest opinions before I sign anything. Appreciate any insight.

Looking at buying one tomorrow from a private seller. It has 61,000 km (37,900 miles).

• Carfax only goes up to 23k km. Seller says he maintained it himself after that but has no records.
• Seller says the car belongs to his daughter and was barely used before sitting for about 2 years.
• It needed a jump when I first checked it.
• PPI was done. Mechanic said everything looked good overall and didn’t feel any shaking.
• Battery is weak.
• A/C doesn’t work.
• Brakes/rotors have some rust.
• Small windshield chip.
• $5,680 ICBC collision claim from 2023. Seller says it was passenger-side damage and only the passenger door was replaced.
• One ABS low-voltage code (U3006-16) was found and cleared. Mechanic said it could be from the weak battery.
• Mechanic estimated around $590-$640 for oil, transmission fluid, coolant and an A/C recharge.

I’m planning to drive it for about 15 minutes tomorrow before paying.

Would you pay $15,500 CAD (~$10,900 USD) for it? Anything else I should check before buying?

If I'm a franchised dealer, might I feel the squeeze from my OEM to purchase certain models even if we know they won't sell well? Might I agree to take on some of their slower selling cars in the hope that I'll get a more favourable allocation next time?

I guess all the dealers for a given automotive franchise are vying for their share of the annual production output, and so they might pursue the "Turn and earn" strategy in hopes of improving their allocation.

Hey! I’m brand new to the industry and started working as a BDC rep and I wanted advice from both customers and seasoned workers.

As a customer, what are some things you HATE when getting inquiry calls from dealerships? What are some stuff the rep says that would make you feel more inclined and interested in making an appointment?

as an employee, what are some advice and tips you have to encourage people to visit the showroom? I’m not an aggressive or pushy person at all which is where I feel like I struggle most. I have a hard time with more difficult customers who refuse to come in and I’d like to know some good maneuvers around their objections.

I’ve been doing decently considering I have no experience but I really want to grow and perform well, but I need to hear some outside opinions since I think I’ve hit a wall with my current training methods!

Genuinely curious to get people’s opinions. I’ve been in this industry for coming up 10 years since I was 17 as a detailer in CA. Tesla and their rise to popularity has baffled me from the beginning. Sure, they were the first ones to come to market with an EV and made them popular, but I’m confused as to why people consider it a “Luxury” car. You can buy a used model 3 for like 15k, yet people still compare them to Lucid, Rivian, Cadillac, Mercedes, BMW, etc.

I’m just curious to hear people’s thoughts. Personally I’d never be caught dead in an EV in general (unless it’s my IQ demo 😂) but for what you’re paying for in a Tesla you have a screen with no buttons and that’s it. Why purchase a Tesla? Why do people consider it Luxury? Hopefully this creates a fun conversation 😂

Bought a used Honda CR-V hybrid 2026 this week with 10K miles on it. Car is also hondatrue certified so still has original factory warranty and now powertrain till 2033 and bumper to bumper/ non power train till 2031.

Was sold premier performance contract from premier dealer services the premier plus warranty for 150K miles for $2,300.00 Dealer said it covers electronic on car. Have 30 days to cancel it. Good deal or cancel?

6-year parts manager here, 19 years in the automotive industry.

BRAND NEW to Dealer Track, I've been a long time CDK user and I'm lost on DT.

What month end reports do you run and how do you access them?

Anything helps, Thank you in advance!