How Do I Know If I Got Scammed On My Auto Loan?

We see the advertisements almost daily. O% APR, no down payments, and other great and exciting offers that contain very small print. So how do you know whether or not to trust these offers? What happens if you do get scammed on your loan? There are several ways to know whether or not you are making the best choice.

If you by chance have bad credit or a low credit, car dealers find if a lot easier to scam you. They can claim that because of you credit, you will have to pay a lot larger interest rate than you really should. They may also tack on extra “fees” that apply to you just because your credit score is so low.

Always make sure that before you even start looking for a car, that you are aware of your own credit score. You shouldn’t trust a stranger to tell you personal information about your credit history. It is your duty to find out all the details before you allow others to do so.

One of the most frequent scams that are performed involves your not being approved for a low APR. When you purchase the car, they offer you a low APR, hand you the keys and you are off. About two weeks or so later, the finance manager calls you and informs you that suddenly you were not approved for the low APR and the rates just increased dramatically.

What should you do if this happens? Try to get financing in another place—like a bank, credit union or online financers like HSBC Bank or others. That way you can take a check to the bank and pay for your car without paying their sky high interest rates.

Another scam that happens is when you trade in your old car that you still are making payments for. Car dealerships promise to pay off your old debt and just add that into the price of your new car. But, a lot of times they do not complete with their promise and you have already given them your car.

That leaves you with two car payments and only one car. What can you do if this happens to you? First of all, before signing any paperwork, ask the dealer to put the terms in writing. If they are not willing to do that, than you should not be willing to do business with them.

One other popular scam is being forced to purchase a warranty. A lot of times, car finance managers will tell you that you must purchase the warranty or else the bank won’t approve it. This is false. They are just trying to tack on extra fees to raise the price up. Once again, you can request that they put this in writing.

If they are not willing to, then you know they are lying. If they are hesitant, tell them you would like it in writing to show to your lawyer and the Better Business Bureau. They will quickly change their minds about that “required” warranty.

First and foremost, just make sure that you can really trust the people you are working with. If you feel uneven or unsure, double check everything. Taking your time and doing research is always hopefully also.