False advertising question

[GrantDawg]

Who do you contact and what do they do when a business is quilty of false advertising? Here's the situation (which of course involves a car dealership...)

Gwinette Place Ford ran an ad in the paper yesterday that proclaimed "Triple Rebates on Every New Ford Sold." (The underline was actually in the ad). Now, being in the market for a new Ranger, I sat up and took notice. Rangers have a $3,000 rebate currently, and at $9,000 off I could get a pretty good truck at a rock-bottom price.

Well, I scoured the ad looking for a little tag (like I had seen in other ads of the like) that said "No car under $20,000" or "Excludes Focus, Ranger, etc." The only disclaimer was "with approved credit" which I didn't think would be a problem. So, I drove on out there (about an hour away) to see if I couldn't make a deal. I was informed once I got there that the deal did not pertain to Most Rangers, Focus, Escape, Mustangs, and on and on and on. Even though the ad clearly stated "Every New Ford Sold," not every new Ford sold received the triple rebate. When I brought this up to the Salesmanager, he told me the ad must have a rider not including those vehicles. When I showed him the ad, he quickly put it away and changed the subject.

So, what recourse do I have? Isn't this illegal?

[QuikSand]

Check your local listings for a "Better Business Bureau" - they are usually the types to get on this sort of thing.

[Shepp]

Here is the address for the Metro Atlanta Better Business Bureau :
http://www.atlanta.bbb.org/

They can probably give you some alternate recourses as well. I don't have them handy but you can also look in the "blue pages" of the phone book under state services and see if there is a state department that handles such claims.

[GrantDawg]

Here is the address for the Metro Atlanta Better Business Bureau :
http://www.atlanta.bbb.org/

They can probably give you some alternate recourses as well. I don't have them handy but you can also look in the "blue pages" of the phone book under state services and see if there is a state department that handles such claims.
Thanks, guys. Looking into it.

[Neuqua]

Let us know what happens.

[sabotai]

Car Dealerships...outside of politics, I don't think there's anything more crooked.

[GrantDawg]

Let us know what happens.
I will, but I don't expect too much. A quick search showed that it has happened before: hxxp://ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff97064.htm

[JonInMiddleGA]

Off-hand, I'd say it sounds like "business-as-usual" from the auto industry but another possible source for some info (with a bit of searching) might be clarkhoward.com

This seems like it would be right up his alley, although I can't recall ever hearing him talk about it specifically.

[Anthony]

all they'll get at best is a slap on the wrist? you weren't really duped - you never pruchased a car. the only way you were inconvenienced was the price of gas to get to the place. you didn't purchase a car or anything, if you didn't like the "deal" you were under no obligation to buy anything. i don't condone what dealerships do, but lets face it - you weren't screwed in any way other than having your time wasted. when it comes to advertisements stores cover their asses by issuing a disclaimer that says they aren't responsible for misprints. i'm sure they can explain away a lot of faulty shit by blaming it on the newspapers.

i thought it was assumed that car ads are generally considered mere "suggestions" or ideas, rather than actual offers. i don't take car ads as truth written in stone.

[Bubba Wheels]

Here's the dirty little secret, came out once a few years ago and never surfaced again quite as blatantly but...Car Dealers STILL come out WAY ahead by running FALSE advertising and paying the fines! So keep it in mind whenever you think that running an ad by any dealer means they are obligated to anything at all. Most people won't bother with the trouble of following up anyways.

[Marc Vaughan]

In the UK at least if you advertise it then you have to do it by law (although chain stores dodge this by having one store in an obscure rural location with their 'offers' running ...).

Best part of UK law is that if somethings mis-priced in a store they still have to sell it at that price, haven't been lucky on that myself but at least once a year you'll see an article in a paper about someone who's found a £3,000 TV priced at £50 or something similar* ... does this hold in America also?

*Bear in mind that swapping tags yourself isn't allowed - stores can get again get away with a fair bit by claiming that, but if its advertised or a store banner rather than a price sticker then they're stuck.

[Bee]

A few stores will honor mis-priced merchandise (I once got a $150 tennis racket for $15), but that's becoming much less common. Most stores/ads/etc have fine print someplace that says they are not responsible for typos/etc.

[albionmoonlight]

I had a friend who was in the used car biz but quit because he could not reconcile the industry with his Christian beliefs. From what he told me, it is as dirty and as crooked as we hear. In his experience, CarMax is the only player in the field from whom you might receive a fair shake (because they are trying to build up a national reputation as a fair car company and, to the extent possible, police their local franchises).

[bbor]

In Canada if you have a $150 item marked for $15 you have to sell it for that price,Although i dunno who would make you do that since the Better buisness bureau no longer exists here.....I'm pretty sure it went bankrupt.

[wbatl1]

In Canada if you have a $150 item marked for $15 you have to sell it for that price,Although i dunno who would make you do that since the Better buisness bureau no longer exists here.....I'm pretty sure it went bankrupt.

Yeah, you know those buisnesses aren't lining up to donate to keep the BBC alive. :D

[MacroGuru]

I had a friend who was in the used car biz but quit because he could not reconcile the industry with his Christian beliefs. From what he told me, it is as dirty and as crooked as we hear. In his experience, CarMax is the only player in the field from whom you might receive a fair shake (because they are trying to build up a national reputation as a fair car company and, to the extent possible, police their local franchises).
Basically, my wife worked for a flooring company, you know, the company that gives the used car dealers the money to buy the cars at an auction.

She just recently quit, and has nothing nice to say about the industry in general. She has 2 dealers we will go to, to get our cars or sell our cars, but other than that. I have yet to hear her say anything nice about the industry.

[MacroGuru]

dola

A cool thing about this though. Is my wife can rattle off the black book price of any car and it turned her back into the car buff she was when we met.

[rkmsuf]

dola

A cool thing about this though. Is my wife can rattle off the black book price of any car and it turned her back into the car buff she was when we met.

I've always wanted to be a buff

[GrantDawg]

I've always wanted to be a buff
Paging Dr. Fritz. Paging Dr. Fritz...

[Swaggs]

GD, I hope they get in trouble. These are the type of things that are leading me out of the business. They are not only disgusting to the customer, but also very awkward for the salesperson.

[GrantDawg]

GD, I hope they get in trouble. These are the type of things that are leading me out of the business. They are not only disgusting to the customer, but also very awkward for the salesperson.
Well, I turn then in to the BBB. We'll see if they do anything. I'm also going to email Clark Howard, but again I'm not hopefull much will be done.

[Driftwood]

Often, a well-timed threatening phonecall in the middle of the night will work wonders.

[Anthony]

Often, a well-timed threatening phonecall in the middle of the night will work wonders.

nah, fling the carcass of a mutilated baby dear on his doorsteps. that should rectify things rather quickly.

[judicial clerk]

BBB won't do shit I'm afraid. Often times the state's attorney general's office can help with these types of complaints. Don't waste too much time on this, it will only make you more bitter.

[Fritz]

Paging Dr. Fritz. Paging Dr. Fritz...

Looks like i got here just in time*


*~quiksand