A truly alarming story. Buying a used car from a distant dealer is like trying to maintain a long distance relationship; very hard to do successfully. Here are some things I noticed:
- You don't seem to have received a written proposal from the dealer. This would have listed all charges and taxes. Email and verbal negotiations are fine in the beginning, but I don't think I would even consider providing a deposit before receiving a signed proposal.
- I am very suprised you didn't request written cerification of the car's condition. That would have gone a long way toward resolving any disputes and would have saved you the trip.
- Considering the price of the car, it would have been a very good idea to pay a local lawyer to represent you. For a few hundred bucks you would have your own representative down there.
- Similarly, it would make sense to find a local mechanic to verify the condition of the car.
Buying a car, new or used, from a dealer does not change the nature of the transaction. Depending on the state where you buy the car, there may or may not be consumer protection laws to prevent unethical transactions.
Most important, I think, is that if I am spending $66,000 I want to make sure that I (not the dealer) have independent verification that I am getting what I am paying for.
Most of us think of car dealers as "stores" where we buy a car the same way we buy a bed or a couch. The dealers work hard to make us "forget" how much money is involved. Most dealers only talk about monthly payments, not the total you will be paying. It is up to us to recognize how big these transactions are and it is up to us, not the dealer, to make sure we are getting what we are paying for.
It's really great to find an honest dealer that actually helps customers get the right car at the right price. But in our economy some formerly great dealers are shaving the truth to stay in business.
I am not a lawyer, just an educated consumer. I do know that when I am spending a lot of money, I want to know exactly what I am getting and what my money buys in terms of warranties and other "extras".
Bear in mind you are the customer. You always can walk away if the dealer doesn't do exactly what you want. In some ways you may have made it easy for the dealer to avoid telling you the truth. I suggest you think about what you could have done to make your experience better. Take the time to write out a list of what you want from the dealer before you even consider a deposit. List the things that you need to do to assure you are getting the car you expect.
Remember, Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) is most true when a car dealer is involved.