Hi All,

About 3 months ago I purchased a brand new 08 Lancer GTS CVT.

The I paid sticker price, with $500 loyalty, and $500 for my old galant trade in.

I refused to take the deal unless they took off the $690 to make my total a very round number.

They did...

Not until now i get a call from my Dealership requesting my college transcript... saying that it is required for the Education Edge Rebate...

They said they applied and if they do not receive my college transcript they will charge the outstanding $690 back on the my account..??

First of all they never mentioned such rebate cause it was not available at the time... and second can the dealership actually charge me back the discount?

I think this is foul play...

 

time to play hard ball back, chk what u signed and if there is no mention of this use the lawyer scare tactic lol. if that doesn't work then really consult a lawyer.

 

No, that's pretty much bullcrap. They should only be allowed to do that if you agreed to it. However, if you fight them, they'll probably charge you and then you'll have to sue them in Small Claims Court. Not much fun.

And even if you don't give them your transcript (just do it, but anyhow), the Education Edge Rebate is $500, not $690. I just cashed the check last week, so I know...

In any case, from what I recall, you just need some proof that you're a college student. I don't have the form anymore, though. But it's not too hard to get the paperwork you need.

 

Tell them they need to work with you, and check your signatures. My dealer tried to jack me around, and I got the Nebraska Dealer Board involved. Let's just say thaey aren't bothering me anymore...

 

another thing the dealership told me this rebate only applied to the dealership... and if i didnt agree to it they wouldnt have given me the $690 discount at time of purchase.

I have the college transcripts, but I think they're trying to get as much money as possible back from the manufacturer.

im gonna call the bank up where i financed the car to see if the dealership is allowed to make such adjustments.

if not screw them, the dealership i went to was crap, they lied to me and even offered 3.9% before i purchased but when it came down to signing i saw 9.9%. and they already took my old car so i was stuck.

 

Eeewww!

First, everyone that said check your paperwork is right. You signed a contract for financing, and after 3 months I am sure that you have been making payments. The contract is binding, and cannot be changed by one party, both parties have to agree to the changes. Also, once financed through an institution (bank) the dealer has no way of changing the amount financed without your aproval and that of the institution. Remember the institution is the one taking the risk, not the dealership.

If they push it, push back with a lawyer (or representation). Most states have a dealership board that a dealership must belong to in order to sell cars in the state. They have a great deal of leverage in these types of matters, and are very willing to field complaints. You may not be the only one they are doing this to, and you might tip the scales for everyone being hassled by this dealership.

make sure you do everything in writing and keep a written log of every phone call and to whom you talked to. Certify (post ofice) all letters, and keep copies of everything.

Don't sign anything that is a contract or agreement without consulting legal counsel!

Hope this helps.

 

one thing.. Lawyer but make sure you review all paper work and just check what you signed.

 

Which dealership was this?

 

The 3.9% financing offer from Mitsubishi Bank Of America is not available to everyone, basically you need a good credit score to qualify for it. Other than that, check your contract and read the small print, but I don't think the dealership can adjust the amount of loan after the initial deal was completed. My sister, when she bought her Lancer in 2004, took advantage of the $500 college grad rebate but pretty much all the proofs/paper work had to be shown at the time when the final deal was being signed. AND they didn't took the $500 (college grad rebate) off the final price of the negotiated price, she had to finance for the whole cost of the deal and later on Mitsu sent her the check for the $500.

 

Unless that stipulation was in the original contract that you signed, they cant do that. At the same time, its a huge corporation, so taking it to court can be a huge mess and I'm willing to bet that Mitsu has more resources than you, they will find some technicality to win. If I were you I would just cooperate and show them the transcript.

Just my two cents

 

Paperwork!

Is it in your paper work? Any clause stating such a thing?

If not then they cant change jack after the deal is finalized. If they persist I would go in and talk to their sales manager and find out what the deal is with it. If they keep pushing tell them you are going to get a lawyer and roll on.

 

Hey man, as part of my deal they did the college transcript thing, but the dealership I went to brought it up right then and there. They said I needed to prove it within a period of time after I took the car off the lot...Id like to say it was a month but I cant remember. Anyways, they let me use a computer there at the dealership and I printed them out a copy of my transcripts.

If it wasnt discussed at the dealership when you bought the car you shouldnt have to do that....but....you should look at your contract and see if the discount is listed on there, because technically you read over that contract and signed it

 

I just checked my invoice. it has the following:

500 trade in
500 rebate...

this rebate was for the Loyalty program.

My sales rep told me that the Manager would call and sort this out, but he hasnt called yet and its been a week.

I told them pretty much what you guys suggested, if its not on the invoice, then its not suppose to be there.

I think they're trying to get as much money from the MFR as they possibly can. If I were to send them my college transcript I would expect 500 back in addition.

the dealership i dealt with was KOEPPEL MITSUBISHI in Queens on Northern Blvd.
They are very shady. the manager there was a jerk.

I understand that i may not have qualified, but he made the offer of 3.9% when he did a credit check... when it came down to the actual financing and me signing the papers... it said 9.9.....

BS? eh?

 

You should have walked out. Unfortunately, you let them lie to you and you still signed the papers.

This College Rebate fiasco is just another instance of them f**king you over. I'd seriously report them to the Better Business Bureau. Also, call the Regional HQ or Mitsu of America and file a complaint. They take that stuff seriously, I promise you (I know from experience).

 

They are just trying to get free money. They did the same thing to me. They didn't mention the college rebate program, but all of the sudden they were thinking of creative reasons why I should send them my college transcripts after I bought the car. It was so they could get money from without passing the savings to me. Really crooked...