A Connecticut reader sent me an e-mail saying she had received a phone call from the dealership where she had bought her certified pre-owned Lexus. Turns out the vehicle isn't certified after all and the dealer wants her to return it for a replacement that is certified.
Just to complicate things, the woman bought the car in Florida so it's not going to be easy to return it. She would have to take a week off to drive the original vehicle down and to pick up the replacement. She asked me what she should do.
Here's my advice to the woman.
- Take the swap but make sure the replacement is of equal value. Under no conditions do you want to keep the original vehicle. (There's no way to get warranty work done on a non-certified pre-owned car out-of-state.)
- What the dealership needs to do is ship the replacement car up to you on a car carrier at the dealer's expense.
- Have them handle all of the paperwork with prepaid FedEx envelopes.
- You sign off on the final paperwork only when the replacement is sitting in your driveway.
- The dealership also needs to cover any costs associated with swapping the registration and any other fees and taxes.
- The dealer has to make sure you pay not one extra penny for the replacement.
I know there are a lot of used car dealers who read this blog. Do you agree with me? Is there something else the buyer should do? Share your thoughts below.
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