Doug Albee owns D&H Motors, a used car dealer, in Riverside CA which has been at the same location for 42 years. Mr. Albee prides himself on helping uninformed used car buyers get the value they want from their used car purchase and never being ripped off. On top of Mr. Albee’s list of consumer rip offs is what the state of California calls Curbstone. A Curbstone Dealer is someone that claims to be a private party selling their own personal vehicle when in reality they are in business selling used cars. Consumers usually find them advertising on a web site like Craigslist, or on dirt lots and on city streets.
For a consumer wanting a good deal on the purchase of a used car, Craigslist is an excellent tool. Many honest people advertise their used cars there and many good deals can be found there. But, like any other consumer oriented tool, a few people have found a way to use it to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. The number one rip off these unscrupulous curbstone dealers use is to buy wrecked vehicles, clean them up and sell them as a car they have owned all along. They rarely disclose the car has been wrecked and “salvaged.” Salvaged is the term used when a car has been totaled and sold by the Insurance Company. The cost to repair this car properly exceeds the value of the vehicle. Any salvaged car must have a “Salvage Title.” Salvage is not the only issue to look for. The car may be a bad car in general and patched together, or may even be stolen. Since these curbstone dealers are selling as private parties, they do not have to abide by the California consumer protection laws covering buy here pay here dealers which include:
– A full inspection report – Right to rescind contract (there is a fee charged for this service) – Must provide smog certificate – Must provide a warranty – Transferring registration and title and providing all necessary forms and paper work – Providing a safe car – Providing a dependable car – Providing a NMVTIS report (shows branded title) – A licensed dealer must disclose any title branding
Remember, a salvaged car does not have a regular title, it has a “Salvage Title.” The easiest way for a consumer to protect themselves from this rip off is to be sure that the drivers license of the person selling the car has the same name on it as the title of the car being sold. If the names do not match, no matter how good the deal, walk away. Mr. Albee says “I will do anything I can do to help a consumer get a quality used car, even if he is buying it from a private party. I will even go so far as pulling a CarFax Report for them.”
You can contact Doug Albee at D&H Motors, 10158 Arlington Ave., Riverside, CA 92503 or by calling 951-688-6867 Or by visiting http://www.dhmotors.com