Drivetime AKA Ugly Duckling Review: should be closed for good, customer then employee knows the BIG ripoff Torrance California

You misspelled the word "misspelled", DUMB***!!!!!

As a former GM of DriveTime I warn as many people as possible about this
company and it's practices.  I would like to have a dime for every time
I called the service center
and spoke to the manager there about brakes that were so rusted, or
rotors that were badly pitted.  One of my customers actually had her
brakes catch on fire!  Interestingly enough, each one of these vehicles
listed a very expensive and complete brake work done with all components
checked and brand new rotors. I  saw cars
that were charged with 3 new batteries at the service center that I had
to put a new battery in at my dealership.  Many vehicles had parts and repairs charged to them that never actually took place.   I was told by my district manager to keep my mouth shut!!  Drivetime stopped letting
lot porters, who might have at least has a small sense of auto
mechanics, check in the vehicles at the lots and started making the
salespeople do it!!! Sales people are not mechanics.  This is how they got the individual dealerships to take the blame for repairs.  Then they would not allow us to take care of the customer.  As GMs we were all very upset because now tranny
and brake issues, etc. would not be found until their "check in" period
was over and the dealership
would be stuck with the bill.  Most dealerships didn't want to pay for
this because it would potentially take away from our manager's bonuses. 
Just google the history of Ray Fidell and Ernie Garcia.  See what
interesting projects they were involved in in the past.  It will make
you go wow!!  They traded one scam for another!!

 I bought a truck at Drivetime but told salesman I was going to get a carfax on it." Oh I have an Equifax Report I could show you" he said. The report had some dates said originally sold in arizona- another with a registration date- some service dates- went from arizona- It wound up in Colorado sold at auction I dont remember but there were no bad comments. I know it gave mileage and when in Arizona to Colorado milage was just a few miles different had bad comments I figured must have been on a Transport from one place to another. Seemed okay so I bought it was given the if I put down x amount my payment is this. Put more payment is lower etc. I gave I think $1000. Any way I paid all the payments and sometimes gave double. I wanted to pay it off asap I had it almost a year. On the way to work one morning I get totalled by some idiot in one of those 17 passenger vans. A driver for a temp agency was pulling out of a Mc D's I was coming up and noticed he was driving onto the street without checking if it was clear. So I changed lanes right as Im about to pass him SOB does it again! I look to pull to the median just so happens to have a curb to keep turning lane clear on other side. This MF plows right on thru nothing I can do but watch it in SLO-MO! Its this guys fault 100% even the passengers agreed. My insurance payment was due that same day and was going to take it at lunchtime. But I know how they are and even though its not my fault I didnt want my rates to go up. I didnt claim through my insurance. They were insured an agent contacted me I wasnt hurt they offered to work with me all nice and stuff. I asked the guy doing the damage report If I could have copies of all his paperwork and sent me everything including a CARFAX reading it I noticed it had same dates as the Equifax same dates that I remembered. BUT in the comments part on dates it went to one state to another and back again!! It was not on a transport. It said there was a suspected ROLLBACK and omitted...?? somewhere? When I bought the guy showed me the report but didnt want to give it to me and said some BS about its bought by the dealer so they had to keep it as agreed with Equifax because if they passed it on Equifax would lose money if they gave it to me??? stupid was all over my forehead that day!! I called FN drivetime said I wouldnt have paid the same price if I knew about the rollback. I was offered a credit if I wanted to get another car from them. Yea FN right! The other insurance? Rymes with MARTFORD well they had to pay off the loan less a few hundred that Drivetime wanted from me!! I told them to F- off. The other insurance would not answer any more calls from me when it came to getting checked at hospital etc. No lawyer wants your case if you were not fked up in the accident so I was S.O.L and left with no transportation. BIG FAT LESSON LEARNED. IF UR IN A ACCIDENT F TALKING TO THE OTHER INSURANCE and everything hurts The world doesnt care if you try to be honest. Lawyers will not take your case if you had a signed confession unless your hurt! Dont even bother them if you have your rights violated with proof in hand No I dont mean in car accidents either!! JUSTICE HAS TWO EYES WIDE OPEN!! Do not even try to call me on that I will leave you speechless!! You are what ever someone in authority writes down and they never have to prove it.

I was a Former Sales Manager and not hiding anything I was Fired...  But I was Fired B/c I was Vocal and well we all know where that gets you.

While I applaud the intentions implied in the response on how to have this removed from your wife's credit report, I would like to give you this warning as to the method suggested.

3 Reasons You Should Never Dispute Online

Historically, the function of Credit Bureaus first began as collection agencies and they only gathered negative information. Then, Fair Isaac & Company developed the FICO scoring system to improve the credit reporting system. Today, the credit rating-system uses both positive and negative information of consumers payment histories to provide a risk-grade rating that estimates your credit worthiness.

I was recently consulting a couple that had previously disputed some items online directly on the credit bureaus websites, and I thought it might make an interesting topic to share. I highly recommend you NEVER use their online dispute systems, and I'll explain why.

Reason #1: As most of you know, one factor you have on your side when disputing credit is time. The legal thirty-day to forty-five day limit is not a lot time for a credit bureau, creditor, or collection agency to properly investigate a dispute. The Credit Bureaus online dispute system is set up in such a way that when you use it, it makes their job not only that much easier but cost efficient. The information you put into their limited dispute fields falls right into their electronic verification system.

Reason #2: This one is probably the most obvious. You have no proof or paper trail.  Any attorney would advise you that much of credit repair is about good records and paper trails.

Reason #3: When the Fair Credit Reporting Act was amended, they put in a section for "Expedited Dispute Resolution" Section 611a(8) the on-line dispute system. It reads as follows

"the agency shall not be required to comply with paragraphs 2, 6 and 7 with respect to that dispute if they delete the tradeline within 3 days.

Paragraph 2 requires the CRA to forward your dispute and all related documentation you provide to the furnisher. They rarely forward the documentation.

Paragraph 6 requires the CRA to provide you with written results of the investigation.

Paragraph 7 requires the CRA to provide you with the method of verification on request from the consumer.

What they are doing is

The Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) can delete a disputed trade line for 30 days, then, the trade line can reappear when the furnisher (creditor or collector) reports it again in the next cycle. That is because the CRA is not required to tell the furnisher you disputed it thanks to section 2 being omitted.  This is sometimes called a soft delete and it is not permanent.

Furthermore, you lose your rights to request "Method of Verification" (MOV) so you lose this powerful tool in the dispute process thanks to Paragraph 7 being omitted.

Finally, another powerful tool we use often is the five-day written notice of re-insertion.  Essentially, what that means is that if a credit bureau is going to re-insert a previously deleted item, they must inform you in writing five days prior to re-inserting it. I have rarely ever seen them give that notice.

That five-day notice is only required if the credit bureau takes longer then 45 days to complete. IF it is deleted via the expedited system, often completed in three days, the five-day written notice is no longer required.

Remember, the credit bureaus are not your friends, nor are their systems set up to assist you.

Summary:

Never dispute errors online if you want them permanently removed.

If you are going to dispute items on your credit report, do it in writing, and do it by certified mail with a signed receipt.

I was a victim/roach of ugly duckling. Purchased a Ford from them and within 60 days it was falling apart. I went in there a single mother trying to find reliable transportation.  I walked out over 6 grand in debt with a lemon constantly needing repairs.  By the time I was one year into  payments the repairs had cost more than my payments and i was DONE!  I drove the car back to them and left it on the lot.  They resold the car, to some other unsuspecting person,for that i am sorry.  The killer is, the balance is still on my credit.  The WHOLE balance.  Not reflecting the resale, or any of my payments. They can change the name to whatever they choose. Ugly being the first company and a very descriptive word for how they do business. I have yet in the 10 years since i bought that car run into a single person who has had a good experience with the company.

I made the unfortunate mistake of purchasing a car from drivetime as well.  All three of the cars I looked at had well over 100,000 miles on them.  My purchase was a 2003 Honda Pilot.. and it had 178,000 miles on it.

That is the worst car ford ever made. Get rid of it!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree with most people here that have had issues with DriveTime. I wish I had never gone to them, but, I was in a position that I really had no choice. I moved to Florida in 2007, and needed a car. I just went through a divorce in 2005, and have been trying to resolve numerous debts that I was stuck with, including the IRS.

Well, I got a car from them in October 2007, and it has been nothing but a nightmare. The car has had numerous issues, and there business ethics are the worst I have EVER dealt with.

Many people have had to deal with bad credit in their lives. I despise those people that chastise us, like we are always the ones at fault. I wish I was not in this position, but, I am, and have to deal with it.

I plan on pursuing this with an attorney, and getting rid of this nightmare. The feedback here will be a huge help in my case. If anyone has already done something, I would love to hear from you. We must put an end to places like this, once and for all.

To Kyosco Phoenix, Arizona U.S.A., I am responding to you because I am hurt by your comments. I am not a rip off artist as you call me. I sold the cars that were available to the people who wanted to b uy them. I tried to always tell the customers the truth because I did not way anyone coming to me complaining I lied to them. I was not and am not a mechanic, but I did on more than one occasion take customers to Pepboys or mechanic shops to get the cars checked out before they bought. like I stated before, I purchased a car from them before I worked there, so Im not just on one side of the situation like you. now as far as stealing from you.. im sorry that you made bad choices in life when it came to the men you were with, but that is not me. I have my own money that I worked hard for. as far as education, I am currently in school working on my Bachelors degree. I wrote my article on this site years ago, but the same things still ring true, no matter where you go to buy a car, you should always check the car before you buy..if you dont, thats your fault if you get screwed.

I Hope that you find a way to reconcile that anger you have with other people, because you are directing it at the wrong person in this case.

How dare you throw insults at people who have fallen on hard times, First of all I have been to college and beleive it or not am a certified paralegal, the only reaseon why I went to those rip off artists in the first place was because I wanted something more economical than my ford explorer which by the way I paid cash for and didn't have payments on it, secondly my credit was ruined by a 2nd husband who drained all of my bank accounts and ran up my credit cards( which by the way sounds like something you would do if given the chance) by the way how much education have you had ???? and what type of work do you do ??? Sounds to me that you are a USED CAR DEALING RIP OFF ARTIST YOURSELF, you know what they say he that protests to much must be the same character

How dare you throw insults at people who have fallen on hard times, First of all I have been to college and beleive it or not am a certified paralegal, the only reaseon why I went to those rip off artists in the first place was because I wanted something more economical than my ford explorer which by the way I paid cash for and didn't have payments on it, secondly my credit was ruined by a 2nd husband who drained all of my bank accounts and ran up my credit cards( which by the way sounds like something you would do if given the chance) by the way how much education have you had ???? and what type of work do you do ??? Sounds to me that you are a USED CAR DEALING RIP OFF ARTIST YOURSELF, you know what they say he that protests to much must be the same character

How dare you throw insults at people who have fallen on hard times, First of all I have been to college and beleive it or not am a certified paralegal, the only reaseon why I went to those rip off artists in the first place was because I wanted something more economical than my ford explorer which by the way I paid cash for and didn't have payments on it, secondly my credit was ruined by a 2nd husband who drained all of my bank accounts and ran up my credit cards( which by the way sounds like something you would do if given the chance) by the way how much education have you had ???? and what type of work do you do ??? Sounds to me that you are a USED CAR DEALING RIP OFF ARTIST YOURSELF, you know what they say he that protests to much must be the same character

How dare you throw insults at people who have fallen on hard times, First of all I have been to college and beleive it or not am a certified paralegal, the only reaseon why I went to those rip off artists in the first place was because I wanted something more economical than my ford explorer which by the way I paid cash for and didn't have payments on it, secondly my credit was ruined by a 2nd husband who drained all of my bank accounts and ran up my credit cards( which by the way sounds like something you would do if given the chance) by the way how much education have you had ???? and what type of work do you do ??? Sounds to me that you are a USED CAR DEALING RIP OFF ARTIST YOURSELF, you know what they say he that protests to much must be the same character

As a former employee, I can attest to the previous rebuttals. Oh, why am I a previous employee? Well it is a long story, but in a nut shell I was advocating for a service to better compensate the customer with their frustration. You know what I got, That's to much $$$$, besides making the deciding parties jealous!!!! Back to my rebuttal. After reviewing the customers accounts while I was there, these people are putting down all the money they have usually $600-$800 down, on an average purchase of $15,000. They are persuaded with promises from the sales lot that they can trade in the vehicle after a year, get into the car they really wanted, get a better interest rate, etc. All the while the sales lot, fully knowing they will never get out of the car because they are not just upside down but hanging off a bridge, upside down!! Many customers have told me they were rushed through the signing process and never getting the chance to read the contracts, another ploy encourged by DT to close the sale. You see these people are desparate, they do not have $4000 cash to purchase a private sold vehicle. While I too have an auto interest rate of 5%, what if I had no choice but to agree to be taken advantage of? What DT does anticipate is that the majority of the loans will go to collections. That is something every DT customer should be looking into. I believe DT is practising Preditory Lending, and it is up to everyone that believes they have been victimized to file and complaint with the appropriate agency in their home state.

We live in a society where we see seemingly everyone living in beautiful homes with beautiful new cars, clothing, phones, etc. It's no wonder that we sometimes wonder what we're doing wrong if we don't have all the trappings in life these days. Companies like Drivetime, appear to prey on our desires to have the best, and to have it now.

Reading the articles about the bad experiences people have had with Drivetime makes me glad that I've never dealt with the company; and hopefully never will. But I'm really taken aback by some of the terms that y'all are paying to have these cars. 29% interest...double blue book price...if you're agreeing to these terms, then maybe you should stop and ask yourself if you can really afford this car. I've never paid more than 12% interest for a car, new or used. Usually I pay under 4%. And why would you ever pay more for vehicle than it's worth? The minute you drive off the lot (if that's even possible listening to some of the mechanical troubles you've had) you're so completely upside down, that I can't imagine that most of you will ever become "square" with your loan.

If you do a little research, there are usually some decent, local vehicles available for under $4,000. Most are incredibly high mileage, are older, and frequently they are not the best looking vehicles on the road. But they are affordable (meaning, you can pay cash for them), and with proper maintenance can be kept safely on the road.

We all have different opinions and desires, but I personally would take bikes and buses, or mooch rides from friends before I'd get into some of the deals y'all have written about here.

Well I understand and feel everyone's misfortune. I myself had bad credit, due to a divorce, and decided that I needed a better car than the POS Boneville that I had that kept dying on me and my 2 year old. My cousin suggested Drive Time since he went through Ugly Duckling and was one of the lucky ones who didn't have an issue and got his credit restored.

So I went there and traded in my boneville and got an 01 chevy malibu. It ran just fine. Well of course I was told that I needed full coverage insurance, which I didn't realize I had in the first place, so I paid them $160 for insurance to drive off the lot (with less than a quarter of a tank of gas... cheap assholes)

Anyways I drove home, and a couple of days later I found out that I had full coverage insurance on my previous vehicle, not just liability, so I called down to Drive Time and told the girl who I was and told her that I had full coverage insurance to go ahead and tear up my check. She said that she'd take care of it. Well the check never went through, so I had assumed that they had it taken care of.

Well about 3 weeks later (I had only had the car about a month or so) I recieved a phone call from them asking me to call them back. Not thinking anything of it, I went to try and make my payment online, and for some reason it wasn't going though.

So I called them to ask them what was going on, and they said that they closed my account and was going to send for the car to be reposessed due to not having the proper insurance on it. I explained to the woman who worked at the main office in AZ that I've always had full coverage insurance on my car and that I could prove it. She absolutly refused to help me.

So needless to say about 2 days later the repo men came knocking at the door... because I had parked my dad's 2007 Dogde Ram cummin diesel pickup in front of my car preventing them from getting it >:) Well they harrassed me for about 3 days, and finally I said f**k it, they can have it back. And I called DriveTime back and said "be prepared to hear from my lawyer on this, as well as the local news channels, etc."

The repo men damaged the front lawn and driveway of my house (which I still have pictures of and was never re-imbursed for) and were VERY rude on top of all of that. Lucky for them after I reported them to the BBB they reimbursed me one of the two car payments I made, and sent me a letter saying that the repo wouldn't be on my credit report and they weren't going to charge me for what I owed on the car. I've kept that letter, and checked my credit report every month ever since, and they have stuck by their word.

So while I'm thankful it didn't end up on my credit report, and I don't owe them a whole bunch of money, it was the biggest waste of my life, time, and money. Not to mention a big hassel of trying to find another car.

I am a current customer of Drive Time in Orlando Fl. I am there beacuse of my past credit problems, and went there with eyes open.

First of all, I got a GREAT car... a PT Cruiser that is 4 years old, but cannot be distinguished from NEW. I Drove several cars, went back a couple of times, was treated like a real person, not a scumbag with bad credit. Yes I paid top dollar, yes, the interest is high, but I would have never gotten such a clean car, with the experian car history report anywhere else for just $1000.00 down.

My Salesman, Eric, treated me like a friend, not a Mark or sucker. When I returned to make my first payment, he PERSONALLY washed and detailed my car and bought my lunch. I have bought at new car dealers who never treated me so well.

I thought I may have had a potential problem with a noise in the brakes, so I called the warranty service number... they were very nice, sent me to an AAmco shop near my house, thoroughly checked the brakes, and showed me the noise ws from a little rust buildup on the brake shoes and drum from sitting on the lot. There was no fee, and the car continues to drive like a new car.

I am very happy with Drive Time, and hope that others will give them a chance when THEY need a SECOND CHANCE.

Carl, Cocoa Beach

I have read through a good portion of this Drive time ordeal, or so i'll call it an ordeal. it could be better descibed as a Drive By Dummy Deal.

First place, it would seem to me, a consumer that has a credit score in the 750+ range, that most of these people need to take a bus and learn to pay their bills on time before ever thinking about purchasing a car that they more and likely can't even afford the fuel for.

Secondly, it sounds to me like most of these individulas should be financing some educational opportunities at 29.9% and get their GED, then maybe they would have enough intelligence to understand that when you create bad credit, that you will have to use companies such a SCUM TIME car dealers.

Is it impossible to use the English language in a proper way?

I have never seen so many mispelled words and grammatically incorrect sentences.

Mr. Big Shot from an earlier post capitalizing the b on the word brand and not anywhere else really made me realize how dumb and unintelligent some people can be.

Am I the only one that seems to care about what we represent and how we present it?

Maybe, just maybe, everyone is being ripped off because they don't have the brains to do some research before buying. If you're dumb enough to buy anything at a 29.9% APR, you probably deserve to get ripped off. I guess impulse is the only word these people know.

I know this post might have offended some people. I really don't care.

I have decided that it was best to go and buy a car somewhere else. Although I am now driving a better car I purchased from a place that didn't rip me off, I still need to do something with Drive Time. After reading all these complaints on this company and what everyone went through by being ripped off by them, we all need to get together and stand up for our rights. We should not let them get away for what they have done to us.

I worked for DT for over a year, at several locations, several positions, and with the big-wigs at their corporate office in Phoenix, AZ.

First, let me say that all of the claims I have read so far are not surprising. Why do you think they have such a high employee turnaround? It takes about 6 months before a new employee actually starts to realize what is really going on. The salespeople are treated like garbage, and are kept in the dark as much as possible, so many of them ACTUALLY think that DT provides a good service to people. Not to mention the fact that EVERY employee signs an Iron-Clad arbitration agreement before they can begin employment- Just so they can't sue the company.

You know who really profits? Ray Fidel- He is the President/CEO of the company, and Ernest Garcia, who is the owner. Not to mention how rediculously overpaid their big-wigs are. The head of the collections department (who doesn't do much, and is a sexist pig- You know who you are, John Gersitz) and all similar high up positions drive around $20k+ vehicles, like a barely used Chevy Avalanche or Dodge Magnum-And the company doesn't think twice before buying these vehicles for them, even though they do not hold positions that require traveling. That's where all the money goes from the $5k-$6k markups they add to their vehicles. Not to mention their 6 figure salaries (no joke) and HUGE bonuses. This company has serious money, and we all know why.

And their vehicles don't even cost them $5k. I would be surprised to learn they have ever paid that much for a vehicle on their lots, except maybe one that has a sticker price of 20k. It's not a bad place to work if you work out of a corporate office, but if you work at a dealership? Forget it- All those people are treated like garbage. They clean house on a regular basis, firing hard working managers and salespeople for no apparent reason. Their exact words? "Not a good fit for the position". I was not fired, but many of my peers have been since I left.

90% of you CAN go get traditional financing through a normal dealership, and should. DriveTime slaps everyone with 29.9%, unless you have a lot to put down (then you really don't need to be there). I had (and have) not great credit, and I purchased at a traditional dealership at 18% interest- and then I purchased a second vehicle- BRAND NEW. You know what the catch is? You just need to save a lump of money. I put down 2k and then 5k to get my vehicles. If that really isn't an option for you, try a smaller buy-here-pay-here dealership, like Cactus Jack's Auto in Phoenix. Where interest rates max out at 25% and the loan is only 2 years (not kidding).

I could go on forever describing all the situations I have seen within the company, but there is no point. The only thing any of us can do is warn everyone we know not to go there. Spread the word, it is very effective.

Well I had bought a car from them back in April and it was a 2002 Ford Focus. They overcharged me double what the car was worth, then slapped another $5,000 for the interest rate. So it was like paying for three cars. But I no longer have the car because three months later I got into an accident and totaled it. My insurance company only paid what it was worth minus the $500 deductible and now Drive Time is coming after me for the difference owed on the car which is over $7,000! I have learned that these people use these fake advertisements to get us vulnerable people with bad credit to get us. I just wish I knew these people used to be called the Ugly Duckling because I never, ever would of went there to buy anything. They are nothing but rip-off artists and all they want from you is your money. They need to be put out of business for good.

Being an ex employee at Drivetime and inspecting the cars they sell.Probably 99% of the cars they buy are auction cars,mostly lease returns and rental cars and dealer rejects. It's pretty much safe to say that most leases and rentals are driven into the ground. Thats just the way people are today.They don't give a s**t.So your not starting out with the best cars to recon for resale.Remember there's a reason why those cars are at the auction

Average cost Drivetime pays for there cars are between $4000 and $6000 each.
Maximum cost for repairs are $750.00 anything over that requires a manager approval.The company inspection procedure for the vehicles is decent.But the problem lies with the tech that inspects it and most of all the management.
Once again it's a don't give a s**t attitude.I'm not saying all the techs are like that.
At the center I was at,out of the 30+ techs,there was 2 that I would let work on my car.In my 30+ years as a certified tech I have never seen as much half-assed unprofessional auto repairs than at Drivetime in my whole career.I still haven't figured out why,It's not like it is at an independent shop,where you have to get the car back to the customer fast,you have the time to fix it without pressure,That I liked about Drivetime,your given the time to fix it right.Just very few techs do.

That's were the management problem lies,they see it ,they know about it and do nothing about it.Why,the bottom line...the ol bonus, see at Drive time if your costs to fix the cars are too high,it affects the managers bonus,don't meet your productivity,it affects the manager's bonus,need to replace shop equipment,it affects the manager's bonus,too many comebacks,it affects the manager's bonus.
So in essence the manager's top priority is his bonus.And trying to keep the corporate beancounters happy.
It's incredible the incompetence and negative don't give a s**t attitude's I have witnessed at Drivetime.At least at the center I was at.

Overall Here's what you will get a $6000.00 car with minimal repairs(depending on the tech) for only $14,500 + 29.9% financing.

first of all, DT has one of the highest turnover rates in the industry. at a rate of 40%, most people who worked there left due to lack of pay/guilty conscience.

i am a former "office coordinator" which was a nice way of calling me a cashier. although i enjoyed my coworkers immensely and continue to have friendships with them, i found it hard to believe people kept coming back.

one of the worst things i witnessed was the lack of a signature on the "buyback form". yes, thats right. there is a form in your contract that promises the car will be bought back from you if that background check is incorrect and the car must be repaired. part of my job was to sort and file the contracts. most had no signature on that form, and if it did, was never mailed off. i myself mailed off probably 45-50 of these forms, seeing as how the associates didnt care whether they made it or not. and why would they? if the car was bought back, it counted against them and their sales (which wasnt fair to them, they are salespeople, not mechanics...)

more than a handful of the cars for sale there are trade ins from other customers. some would trade in cars, get about 2k for their trade, we would clean and fix minor issues, check the blue book value, smack another 5k on it, and it was on the lot a week or two later. always made me wonder why some of these people traded in decent cars...

if you have a car there, for goodness sakes pay your bill on time. they have a right (and you sign to the effect in the contract) to call you the very next day after it is due. oh, and they can call your references too. all ten of them.

KEEP IN MIND...when you go in person to make your payment, IF YOU ARE LATE and it is taking an extra second or two to get the "payment screen" up, the cashier is sending a pop up message to everyone available in the finance dept. ever wonder how they knew you were there and harass you as you are leaving? thats why. we had to put who you were, what you were paying, and how many days late you were. word of advice, use the drop box!

finally, it is a hot lie that everyone who comes there has credit problems. dont let managers on here tell you that. they score the credit on an A to F scale. even with no credit you will get a C or so. there were plenty of people with A grade credit who didnt know it and bought a car there anyway.

do your research. get the car checked. your best bet is to try a credit union first...and most importantly BUG THE HELL OUT OF THEM. that is the only way things get done there...

I just have to say if you are buying a car at a company like Drivetime/Ugly Duckling you are buying one there for a reason. you didnt purchase a Brand new Lexus or a Brand new H3 hummer so why do you expect the same kind of service. the most you probably put for a down payment is $2000 and you most likely went to drivetime because noone else would finance you. get over your petty whining and pay your bills so your credit isnt so bad. no one holds a gun to your head and tells you to mess up your credit just like noone held a gun to your head and said you had to buy a car from drivetime. you did it out of your own choice cause you had nowhere else to go.

Furthermore, its a used car. there are really no guarantees with used cars. I do have a buddy that works with drivetime and have spoken many times to him about the less than intelligent customers who dont understand that the dealerships do not have mechanics there.

all the customer needs to do though is take it to the Drivetime service center which is usually centrally located somewhere. not only do they fix the stuff thats under the 3 month 3000 mile POWERTRAIN warranty, and for people who dont know the POWERTRAIN warranty covers the moving parts of the engine, the transmission, and even the AC. but if it is something else thats not covered or if its after the warranty expires they will set up a payment plan for you so that you can get the vehicle back without having to pay the full amount.

show me another service center or dealership out there that will do that and I will be amazed. Again back to the point if you dont want to purchase a vehicle from a place like drivetime then dont. it was your choice. you were desperate because YOU messed up YOUR credit. stop trying to blame everyone else because YOU are a failure!

I say if it walks like a duck, acts like a duck, then it is a Ugly Duckling!!

I used to work at a auto auction and Drive Time was a dealer there and they purchased alot of cars from our auction - so i am sure that makes up alot of their inventory!!!

Who cares what some "manager" for such a horrible company thinks or says? You are on their side. I am 24 years old and bought my very first BRAND NEW vehicle from a large dealership In january, 2006. My credit score.... 475. Money down...1000$..
A very far cry from the 5,000$ you claim someone with my score would have to put down. There are options for people like me. I got a 15% Intrest rate on my vehicle because after all, 475 Is a crappy score. But as a law enforcement officer I make decent money. I'm paying 260$ a month for 60 months.
My car, a 2006 chevrolet. So don't sit here at your little desk with your little mind and little keyboard and assume that you know SQUAT about selling cars my friend. You're In the business to fatten your wallet and make people like me feel Inadequate because of our credit score.
There are options people, go to your big dealership, pick the car you want, get a warranty and an Interest rate you can live with. I don't know how these DriveTime people stay In business. I wish all victims luck. Don't buy used!! Even bad scores are new car worthy!

P.S. Once you do go to a dealer and buy NEW, the credit offers will roll in like water down a mountain. Be aware of some of these "credit card" offers. I now have a better score and 2 credit cards In good standing. Don't be afraid of the "BIG" dealerships. They can and will help you!

I just found this site the other day, and I wish I had found it a couple years ago. My (now ex) BFand I had went to Drive-time to purchase not ONE but TWO cars at the same time, one of course for me and one for him. We had gone looked around let them run our credit and was told that we could put down $600.00 dollars down for each of us. They told us to go look at the vehicles that we wanted to purchase.

I found a Jimmy and he found a Intrepid. (forget the years). When we told the woman what we had found all of a sudden our down payment went up because they were what Drive time called "HIGH PROFILE" cars. Okay we agreed because we were going to use part of our tax refunds for the cars.

Within the first week of me having the Jimmy it broke down not once BUT TWICE. The first time I had told them about it they told me to bring them the car. I did, they said that there was nothing wrong and that it was just a "fluck". Again within the same thing it wouldn't start, we were approximently 75 miles from there store.

I called them and asked if I had the car towed there would they reimburse me for the amount to have it towed since I just had it there a few days earlier, i was told NO. I was furious so I called the district manager and explained the situation to them and he agreed to reimburse me when I got the Jimmy to the store. okay so I found someone to tow me to the store for $125.00.

I get to the dealership and the driver is waiting to get paid and I was told by that store manager that he was not going to pay for the tow. I reminded the manager that I had spoken to the district store and they agreed to pay the for tow, After an HOUR of arguing and holding the tow truck driver up. I had to finally agree to go to the bank and get the money myself to pay this man. Who had to go back to his location 75 miles away. The tow truch driver agreed to allow me to drive the money to him later that day. I did drive in the other car to pay for the tow, in the meantime calling the district store reminding them of how they agreed to pay and how the manager where I had purchased the car REFUSED to pay.

When I did manage to get back to the dealership they had told me they would mail me a check for $75 dollars. Okay that was another argument. I lost. I ended up in the hospital that weekend and was told to come and get the car that it was the alternator. I told them that I was not able to get the car that day and they told me I had to get it off of their lot that they had no room to keep the car there. I was on medication that made it so I was not able to drive any vehicle. They didn't seem to care.

I replaced the alternator and the fuel pump again later in the year.

Well long story short I ended up replacing the alternator again later that year and the fuel pump went bad. I had called and complained to them MULTIPLE times and told them since I was putting thousands of dollars into the car that I was not able to make the payments. They called me all the time they threatned me, they were rude and very inconsiderate of my concerns. i stopped making the payments on the Now none working Jimmy that sat in my drive way, and went and purchased another vehicle that ran.

I called Drivetime to come and get the car. I failed to tell them that it did not run anymore knowing that they would show up and try and drive it away. They did, they then had to get a tow truch to pick up the car. I will never ever do buisness with this company again they are the most uncaring rudest people I have dealt with.

Phil from Arizona:

The way to deal with these people when they call (or any other sales people) is to give them some crazy-a*s line about why you can't buy the car.

Here's a good one: "I WAS interested in your cars, but I just lost both my legs in a bear attack."

That usually gets them off the line pretty quick.

Phil from Arizona:

The way to deal with these people when they call (or any other sales people) is to give them some crazy-a*s line about why you can't buy the car.

Here's a good one: "I WAS interested in your cars, but I just lost both my legs in a bear attack."

That usually gets them off the line pretty quick.

Phil from Arizona:

The way to deal with these people when they call (or any other sales people) is to give them some crazy-a*s line about why you can't buy the car.

Here's a good one: "I WAS interested in your cars, but I just lost both my legs in a bear attack."

That usually gets them off the line pretty quick.

I married my husband a year or two after he bought his Honda Civic '96 from DriveTime in Tampa Bay, Florida. After dating for a year we wanted to get a loan and use his car and my new car as collateral. The loan would pay off what is owned to Drive Time and give us the rest. Drive Time DOES NOT take principle payments. Meaning we could pay everything that is owned now,,, or pay it over time. Interest is included is everything even if paid up front. If you know anything about cars if you make principle payments your interest owed goes down. Ready for this, after my husband owning the card for about 3 years and paying $400 a month = $14,400. DriveTime demanded another $4,300 from us before we could be released from the contract. So for a Honda Civic '96 it cost my husband over $18,000. I just got my Honda Accord '94 for $4,000 NOT from Drivetime. DriveTime prays on those without credit and should be stopped!

Cheryl,

You did it again! Another 6 full lines of text with absolutely no punctuation, capital letters, etc.

It is easy to get ripped off when you are illiterate, as you cannot read and understand the contract.

Go back to school [not in L.A.] and learn how to write a paragraph that someone can actually understand without getting eye strain and a headache.

And, my Mom can spell and form a legible sentence.

I've seen some of the vehicles listed here and know what part of the problem is. Some of the cars chosen by these DriveTime customers were junk when they were new. The Oldsmobile Acheiva, Chevrolet Venture, and Ford Taurus to be specific. DriveTimes in my area have a pretty decent selection of vehicles but they are all CHEAP cars. Which is to say, they are some of the vehicles which just aren't reliable.

You can pretty much avoid any GM vehicle with a V6 that is 3.1 or 3.4 liter, and that is almost every late model GM car and minivan! They will have intake gasket and head gasket failures. It might not happen at 60K miles, or 90K miles, or 120K miles, but it will happen. If you don't want a transmission to fail on you, don't buy a Taurus, Sable, or Windstar. Same goes for any Chrysler automatic but I will say that they can be reliable if you change the transmission fluid AND use the right fluid (ATF+4). Drivetime mechanics are probably topping them off with Dexron, almost guaranteeing problems in no time!

If you DO buy a vehicle from DriveTime, make sure you can afford $200-$300 to have ALL the fluids changed at a reputable shop before taking it home or on a long trip! Coolant, oil, transmission fluid, and any assorted filters should be changed, belts and hoses should be checked, and tires MUST be checked unless you like riding on a donut. Don't ASSUME anything or you'll be broke down on the shoulder ASSUMING that a tow truck will come along and see you any minute now!

I look at the list of minivan vehicles available in Dallas-Fort Worth and all I see are Ventures, Montanas (Pontiac badged Venture), Grand Caravans, and Windstars. I know every single one is a candidate for a catastrophic failure and I PRAY that I can get financed at a nearby small town Ford dealership for the $8000 '03 Dodge van they have. The DriveTime lots want $14000-$16000 for the same year and model of van, and some of those with more miles!

If all else fails I'm saving a bit more cash and putting it towards a used TAXICAB minivan for $1800 or so. It might only be a 2001 model, and it might be turquoise or yellow or orange or some unsightly color, and it might have well over 200,000 miles, but at least I know it's been serviced and it was driven daily up until they scraped off the lettering and ripped out the meter!!!

you must be an a*s for real first of all you stupid idiot i am a mother and i work hard for any money that i recieve and for you to question if i went to high school is really stupid look jerk this is about drivetime and their cars not me you stupid fool so take your comment's and shove them up your family members back side you must be really a jerk how in the hell did a comment regarding me having a good car from drivetime come to you questioning me about any thing else i pray for you it seem's like you are a person who reads these comments and take them out of context in your own small pea size brain what a fool you are. cheryl from los angeles by the way steve your mom's a troll she had you yuk

I'll have to quote this authorative figure's response:

I know all of you are preatty po'd at them maby its just the location you are at but i can tell you now that my store is one of the best stores and i personally test drive each one of the cars that come in and if i feel that there is something wrong i send i back to be repaird and my bosses only care if the car is cheep but i swear that i would rather sell a good reliable car than a cheep car that will break down i under stand about the intrest too i myself am a customer and have a car way over priced but it helped me establish credit and i have never had so many requests for credit cards and car offers in my life so in a way i can see how they can help but also i can see how they can ripp you off too

Chris - Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.

I've noticed most of the employee rebuttal responses have looked like this. I was on the edge of deciding to check it out just to see for myself but I can't go with a company that doesn't screen test their employees, and especially their management, for grammatical skills. Wouldn't want to see you filling out any contracts for me.

I filled out the application online with the mistake of reading the fine print of all the advertising that said "Fill out the application online and find out in minutes if you're approved". In two days I received four voicemails from representatives in a follow up of that. I admit I should have read further to know that I would not know if I was approved via email which I had hoped. Oh well. I'm very glad these reports are here. After reading the BBB reports and these, I plan to make sure to ask the next telephone representative who hounds me with phone calls questions that the company will not be able to answer. I have been reading these comments for the last 4 hours. It will not happen. I will gladly pay the extra money through a regular dealership for a down payment. This place is a joke.

I'll have to quote this authorative figure's response:

I know all of you are preatty po'd at them maby its just the location you are at but i can tell you now that my store is one of the best stores and i personally test drive each one of the cars that come in and if i feel that there is something wrong i send i back to be repaird and my bosses only care if the car is cheep but i swear that i would rather sell a good reliable car than a cheep car that will break down i under stand about the intrest too i myself am a customer and have a car way over priced but it helped me establish credit and i have never had so many requests for credit cards and car offers in my life so in a way i can see how they can help but also i can see how they can ripp you off too

Chris - Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.

I've noticed most of the employee rebuttal responses have looked like this. I was on the edge of deciding to check it out just to see for myself but I can't go with a company that doesn't screen test their employees, and especially their management, for grammatical skills. Wouldn't want to see you filling out any contracts for me.

I filled out the application online with the mistake of reading the fine print of all the advertising that said "Fill out the application online and find out in minutes if you're approved". In two days I received four voicemails from representatives in a follow up of that. I admit I should have read further to know that I would not know if I was approved via email which I had hoped. Oh well. I'm very glad these reports are here. After reading the BBB reports and these, I plan to make sure to ask the next telephone representative who hounds me with phone calls questions that the company will not be able to answer. I have been reading these comments for the last 4 hours. It will not happen. I will gladly pay the extra money through a regular dealership for a down payment. This place is a joke.

I'll have to quote this authorative figure's response:

I know all of you are preatty po'd at them maby its just the location you are at but i can tell you now that my store is one of the best stores and i personally test drive each one of the cars that come in and if i feel that there is something wrong i send i back to be repaird and my bosses only care if the car is cheep but i swear that i would rather sell a good reliable car than a cheep car that will break down i under stand about the intrest too i myself am a customer and have a car way over priced but it helped me establish credit and i have never had so many requests for credit cards and car offers in my life so in a way i can see how they can help but also i can see how they can ripp you off too

Chris - Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.

I've noticed most of the employee rebuttal responses have looked like this. I was on the edge of deciding to check it out just to see for myself but I can't go with a company that doesn't screen test their employees, and especially their management, for grammatical skills. Wouldn't want to see you filling out any contracts for me.

I filled out the application online with the mistake of reading the fine print of all the advertising that said "Fill out the application online and find out in minutes if you're approved". In two days I received four voicemails from representatives in a follow up of that. I admit I should have read further to know that I would not know if I was approved via email which I had hoped. Oh well. I'm very glad these reports are here. After reading the BBB reports and these, I plan to make sure to ask the next telephone representative who hounds me with phone calls questions that the company will not be able to answer. I have been reading these comments for the last 4 hours. It will not happen. I will gladly pay the extra money through a regular dealership for a down payment. This place is a joke.

Cheryl,

My first question is, did you actually graduate high school? I know schools in L.A. suck, but you rambled on for 6 long lines of text with absolutely no punctuation or capitalization. I think this is a record.

Literacy creates credibility. You should at least try to appear literate. You should last a long time at Drive Time , JD Byrider or the like that you obviously work for.

I know, you will probably come back and tell me you are a school teacher or something.

Cheryl,

My first question is, did you actually graduate high school? I know schools in L.A. suck, but you rambled on for 6 long lines of text with absolutely no punctuation or capitalization. I think this is a record.

Literacy creates credibility. You should at least try to appear literate. You should last a long time at Drive Time , JD Byrider or the like that you obviously work for.

I know, you will probably come back and tell me you are a school teacher or something.

Cheryl,

My first question is, did you actually graduate high school? I know schools in L.A. suck, but you rambled on for 6 long lines of text with absolutely no punctuation or capitalization. I think this is a record.

Literacy creates credibility. You should at least try to appear literate. You should last a long time at Drive Time , JD Byrider or the like that you obviously work for.

I know, you will probably come back and tell me you are a school teacher or something.

well here i go again i was very upset with drivetime last year and i went to repossess auto in the valley and i got 2002 chevy venture i traded in my 99 ford taurus from drivetime in wilmington calif well this van gave so many problems that i was nearly in tears so after thinking about it very much i did a voluntary repo and i went back to drivetime and now i have a 2002 kia rio and i have not had one problem with it and i hope i dont so until next time i guess i wont be quick to judge them i think you have to be wise in your choices and maybe we can avoid those bad drivetime dealerships i think all of them are not alike i also brought a car from the drivetime in van nuys and it was a d**n good car so until next time folks. !!!

cheryl

Hi Shaneen can I get Elvy's contact information to discuss my situation with drivetime?

Hi Shaneen can I get Elvy's contact information to discuss my situation with drivetime?

Hi Shaneen can I get Elvy's contact information to discuss my situation with drivetime?

Hi Shaneen can I get Elvy's contact information to discuss my situation with drivetime?

from all the sad stories i have heard i havent heard one from my dealer in vannuys ca the experiance was great even though they were somewhat fake they were excellent and understanding and caring.


the car was 2003 ford taurus with new tires, brakes, fresh interior and my mom said it drove better than her 01 taurus but the lady we delt with was very selctive of what car we got but it like she was steering us awat from the lemons because my dad wanted a 98 ford mustang that look like trouble bit she said no even though it was the same price as the taurus and we got 21% apr with biweekly payments of 177.64. and we put 1000 down and traded an 2000 taurus with problems and we owed 1800 they gave us an allowance of 450 dollars which was great because the car wasnt worth 1000 dollars.

the 2003 taurus was excellentit drove like new! and we got 2 drive time sun visors which came in handy. but my point of this story is that most drivetimes were shyters but not this one in vannuys ca, we purchased the car on 06/30/2006

I was desparate! I bought a car from ugly duckling 4 years ago! It got repossesed voluntarily. The piece of crap car broke down so many times in 3 months and had no kind of warranty or was offered any. I was only 19 and knew nothing of cars. My son was very ill and I wasn't making enough money to meet the high car payment or to get it fixed. It was smoking up, rattling...needed all kinds of parts... piece of crap car. I called them to tell them to stop harrrassing me and just take it. My credit is now messed up and I am mortified at what happened those years ago. If only I wasn't so desparate for a car......and they had the nerve to say I did not keep up with the vehicle! Sheesh, i had it for 3 months for crying out loud. How can u build credit with crappy cars like that. I hope they shut down. I am just glad my son and I did not crash or die in that car. I did have some close calls though.

As a 3 year employee of DriveTime Car Sales, I will tell you with full disclosure and all honesty that my company does not intend to scam, lie, misrepresent nor deceive in any way our customer. We offer financing to those with a very risky credit score, which usually means we are at an increased level of risk in carrying the loan.


No our cars are not the cheapest, and our interests are not the best ( something we let each and every customer know before they buy. ) but there is nothing wrong with our cars. Our cars are 5 years old or newer, and have less than 90,000 miles on them. In fact we have many under 40,00 miles, and still are covered under factory warranty.

We offer a 180 day, 6,000 mile warranty with every vehicle we sell, which is one of the strongest warranties offered by any used car dealer. Bottom line, DriveTime backs up our cars. We offer our customers a way to improve their credit score, while getting reliable transportation for them and their family. We offer programs to our repeat customers who have proven their credit risk with us to get into vehicles with little or no down payment, and offer interest rates as low as 7.9%.

And yes, we have thousands of satisfied repeat customers, some of them in their third or fourth vehicle with us. Apparently many of our customers would disagree with the posting on this site.

Remember, that anytime you deal in used cars, a small percentage of them will have some problem at some time during the contract period. That percentage is actually slightly lower than the industry average! I would say that if you are in a drivetime vehicle, and believe you have a lemon, or have been lied to, that you call your DriveTime account rep and ask for the corporate customer service number, we are here to help you.

As for this article by an ex-DriveTime employee, all I can guess is that either he is upset he was terminated, or he worked for the wrong Manager, who allowed things to go on without corporate knowledge. We just don't sell cars that way....I know for a fact that I don't.

Here's my Ugly Duckling/Drivetime experience.

Like others, my credit score wasn't in the range necessary to purchase a vehicle from a reputable dealer. I was going through a very difficult divorce. My then-husband decided to sneak over to my house in the middle of the night, and take my car. He had a set of keys that I had forgotten about. It was completely legal, the car was in his name, so I had no recourse.

With 2 children, and a job that required daily driving, I had to have a car. After being turned down by 4 dealers, I ended up at Ugly Duckling.

I lucked out though. I had an awesome salesman. He was very professional and sympathetic to my situation. He steered me away from several cars I liked. Instead of the little sporty rides I wanted to see, he suggested a '94 Acclaim. He told me it was one of the better cars on the lot. He pointed out the positives, like easy on gas mileage, more affordable paments, low mileage, and the engine was in great shape.

I wasn't crazy about the car itself, but it was the more practical choice. I never had a problem with the car. It ran great. My mechanic echoed what the salesman had told me. I couldn't believe how honest, and even kind, this gentleman had been.

And then, with only 6 months left before the car was paid in full, I was rear-ended and the car was totaled. The other driver didn't have insurance, so off I went to settle up with Drivetime. They offered to write off the rest of the payments, which was great, and sell me another car with a low down payment.

My divorce was killing my credit, so I had no choice but to take them up on their offer. When I walked out to the lot, I saw a friendly face. The salesman who had sold me the first car was standing there. He showed me the better cars, again steering me away from the lemons.

For every car tragedy I had faced, I was blessed by this man. It was good timing too. Incidently, he told me that it was his last day there. He said after 3 years he had had his fill of the slimy business practices, and the way he was expected to sell cars.

Apparently, his heart was too big to conduct shady business deals. If I had worked with a different saleperson, I may have told a different story. From what he told me, and what I've read here, I guess this isn't exactly an ethical business. If your credit is damaged, for whatever reason, you're at the mercy of these loan sharks.

Fortunately, I had a decent enough income to make all of my payments on time. With two cars paid in full, it did help my credit score. The second vehicle is still running great. Not one problem in three years.

These type of car dealerships are both good and bad I suppose. They offer up cars to people in dire straits, and then charge juice loan interest. They take advantage of people already hurting. We end up paying new car prices for used vehicles that cost some even more in repair bills.

I have been dealing with DriveTime since December 2003. The only time I have gotten any response out of them was by filing official complaints with local authorities. This last time I had to go to the Los Angeles County of Consumer Affairs, because after paying $1500 to have my car fixed twice in two months, I applied for a deferrment that they sat on for a month, then refused to give it to me saying I had applied for it too late!

So far I've filed complaints about their legal, but slimy business practices with the agency listed above, the California DMV, and I thought with the Better Business Bureau. I even called a local News Station about their business practices, but by the time I was contacted DriveTime was basically leaving me alone.

All I'm saying is the squeaky wheel gets the oil. If we bring enough pressure on DriveTime, especially in the form of the media, they will have to change their business practices.

Also, if you decide to file any type of charges, make sure you have copies of everything: your contract, receipts, everything, as well as some log of phone conversations. The more proof you have that you are being screwed, the better.

They might be able to shut us up individually, but if we get together, it will be very hard to shut us down!

It has been about 10 years ago. I bought this great Lincoln Continental from Ugly Duckling in Phoenix, Arizona.

I checked the car out good and everything looked fine. Even the tires had a lot of thread on them. Well after I paid $7000. cash for the car the salesman told me that they were washing, waxing and detailing it for me.

I waited over an hour to get the car. Next day I started a road trip north. A few hundred miles down the road a tire blew out. To my amazement when I looked at the tire it was bald as were the others. They had removed the good tires and put on old ones. Also there was no jack or tire wrench. The electric seat died next. Then the computer system went out a few days later and the car would not work. It cost me thousands more to get it running and most of the time it was in the shop.

Since I was from out of town I did not know who to complain to and had to take the shaft.

I am glad I found this site to finally put my word on Ugly Duckling out for everyone to read.
These crooks totally ruined my first vacation in 7 years. I finally sold the car a year later for $2500. DO NOT BUY OR RENT FROM UGLY DUCKLING.

read the reports!!! this company must teach the managment how to humiliate employees and customers. calling people cockroaches, worthless, no good to the company...you name it my manger called me it or wrote it in a note to me AND encouraged this behavior.

Now not all the people working there are this way, but they shuffled me around to avoid further problems ( ha, that didnt work either ) and for your own manager to do this is mind boggling. So i guess its what they teach them out there in arizona at the lollapalooza camp for natzys. So yes I am going to sue them and was wondering who else was? My attorney thought i was crazy with what I was saing about them, untill I played the tapes. Oh and yes I was recording everything you said ART and Melissa.
This company has the worst record I have ever seen. just look at what 5 pages of people saying what a bad company this is?? DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM HERE!!!! RUN AWAY!!! STAY AWAY!!!

i know all of you are preatty po'd at them maby its just the location you are at but i can tell you now that my store is one of the best stores and i personally test drive each one of the cars that come in and if i feel that there is something wrong i send i back to be repaird and my bosses only care if the car is cheep but i swear that i would rather sell a good reliable car than a cheep car that will break down i under stand about the intrest too i myself am a customer and have a car way over priced but it helped me establish credit and i have never had so many requests for credit cards and car offers in my life so in a way i can see how they can help but also i can see how they can ripp you off too

i know all of you are preatty po'd at them maby its just the location you are at but i can tell you now that my store is one of the best stores and i personally test drive each one of the cars that come in and if i feel that there is something wrong i send i back to be repaird and my bosses only care if the car is cheep but i swear that i would rather sell a good reliable car than a cheep car that will break down i under stand about the intrest too i myself am a customer and have a car way over priced but it helped me establish credit and i have never had so many requests for credit cards and car offers in my life so in a way i can see how they can help but also i can see how they can ripp you off too

i know all of you are preatty po'd at them maby its just the location you are at but i can tell you now that my store is one of the best stores and i personally test drive each one of the cars that come in and if i feel that there is something wrong i send i back to be repaird and my bosses only care if the car is cheep but i swear that i would rather sell a good reliable car than a cheep car that will break down i under stand about the intrest too i myself am a customer and have a car way over priced but it helped me establish credit and i have never had so many requests for credit cards and car offers in my life so in a way i can see how they can help but also i can see how they can ripp you off too

I was despirate after my mini van was destroyed by a dumb machanic that I went looking for a car ... I stopped by there to see what they had... and their cars were crap and they were priced higher than buying a new car.. they wanted to give me 21 percent interest and a 400 dollar a week payment. I didn't even have bad credit. On the lot they showed me several cars.. one the transmission was going out on it, and another looked like it had caught fire.. when I asked for the vehicle history report they told me it would cost me 5 dollars as they would have to pull one. I then decided to hop in my rental and FLEE.. AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. I feel sorry for anyone who has to go there for a car. they are theives and like to kick people when they are down. I HOPE SOMEONE HITS THEM WHERE IT HURTS SOME DAY... SOON -- disapointed in Arizona

I worked for the company for 10 months. I fianlly quit because the ethics of this company is non-existent. The sales people and staff do not care about the customers. they only care about making money off of people who don't have good credit. The only good thing about this company is that it helps restore your credit. However, this is only if you, by chance, get a good running car that does not give you any maintenance issues. If the customer gets maitenance issues, they are faced with having to come out of thousands of dollars to fix the car. Most of the customer that go to drive time live paycheck-to-paycheck. therefore, maintenance issues will put them in a whole which in turn will make them late on their car payments. While working there, i saw first hand how customers would come into the store crying and very upset. there was only a 3-month, 3000 mile warranty. they just upped it to 6-month, 6000 mile warranty. I saw customers come in with the 3-month, 3000 mile 4 months later and their car had broken down. We are in the year 2006 and I have seen them sell 1998 cars for $13,000. During my time there, I could only scoff secretly at the continuous rip offs that customers got. When my family and friends even inquired about getting a car through drivetime, i immediately told them not to. as a former employee, i can truly say that this is by far one of the worst companies for customer service, product quality and one of the worst companies to work for.

In my opinion, Drivetime specializes to a certain type of customer. It is certainly not the place where you want to buy a new vehicle, It is more for those people like me, that need a second chance after crappy credit problems.Honestly, I got tired of car dealerships sticking me in a brand new car, only to take it away from me a week or two later, because I didn't have the 2000 dollars to stick in their pocket. It stunk.I bought a 98 cherry red toyota tacoma from them a year and a half ago. I have had few problems, and it is honestly the best car I have ever owned. Maybe Drivetime has changed. They are concerned about customer complaints, at least where I live. My credit has gone from very bad, to good in a shorter time frame, and I am very satisfied.

Manda of NM and Jon of NY have really said it best regarding what some people are calling scams. At one time I also had a "Buy here-Pay here" for motorcycles. I did charge somewhat higher than market prices but, I did not charge interest and the payment time frame/contract was very short compared to those mentioned here. I did have to repo a few bikes over the years but no credit reports or further action was taken after the bike was back in my possession. Of course after a repossession I was a very nasty, no good s****.> Bad things can and often do happen to good
people. It's just too bad that bad things don't always happen to bad people.

As for all the nasty phone calls for payments before they are due, I think the are being made for 2 reasons, 1st. to confirm that the buyer hasen't skipped out and 2nd. the salesman may be on a pay plan where he only gets his commission as the customer pays for the car and if the payments stop so does his commission on that vehicle.

I hope these statements help some of you to understand the situation the salesperson is in as not all new or used car sales persons are thieves looking to take advantage of the unfortunate. All of us need to earn a living, minnows and sharks alike.

As stated earlier "If you don't like the deal or terms, don't sign the contract". There is very little you can do after the contract is signed and the money changes hands.

I bought a 2000 Ford Windstar from DT and haven't had any problems!~ We got a carfax report on the vehicle AND we took along a mechanic to check it out as well. We bought a nearly new vehicle (we are the second owners of the car)that had NO mechanical or cosmetic issues. The CSR's at DT are nice and will work with you when your payment is gonna be late. I haven't incurred not ONE late fee-thank God and everything on my credit reports checks out just fine.

But, I have heard of ppl saying that DT reported them as never paid a payment on time and that has negatively affected their credit. I've heard of ppl buying clunkers from them as well. I say, before YOU buy ANYTHING, it is up to YOU to do all the research. The salesppl are just like anyone else-trying to make a living by any means necessary...even selling someone a lemon. No, it's not right, but it is what it is.

They tell you (in my case) upfront what your interest rate is gonna be, what your payments are gonna be, and how long it's gonna take to pay off your vehicle. If something doesn't sound right then don't sign on the dotted line. But, if there is something that they did underhandely or didn't inform you of something then by all means, take the proper steps to rectify the situation and warn other ppl.

I work for a used car dealership that works with people that have less-than-even-decent credit. Yes, a lot of times, they come back saying you need 50% down or a cosigner...But that's to be expected if you have a repo in the last month, and have filed bankruptcy in the last year.

I've never heard a customer complaint about the vehicles. Sure, they break down sometimes (after over a year), but all cars have that possibility, new or otherwise. The people that buy vehicles from my dealership...pay to fix the car, or come get another from us.

If you have bad credit, you have a couple options: Eat the interest from a dealership, pay your bills on time, check out the car before you buy it. Most dealerships by law have to give you a Carfax report on the car if you ask for it. A good dealership (like the one I work with) will tell you, "It's been in a minor accident, which dented the right passenger door". If they don't and you can't get them to give you a Carfax report, leave the lot. Frankly, I'd rather have the honesty than a warranty.

Your other option: Check the classified ads. Take the couple thousand dollars that you would spend on a down payment, and buy something out of the paper. You've got more luck with that person being honest (though you might have to pay for your own Carfax report) than a dealership.

You know your situation. Don't try to achieve what you can't, and if you're trying to get someone to take a risk on you, realize they can afford to take that risk because driving their car is a risk on your part.

And if you end up at my dealership and try to be dishonest, our managers push you right out the door. :)

I am astounded to read this many reports of buying old cars that have broken down...I wouldn't pay $17,000 on something I can find in the paper for $3,000. Taking on payments like that in an unstable place is such a risk, and not worth the damage to your credit. If you need to fix your credit, get a small loan from your bank and keep the cash, make the regular payments to build credit. But taking a risk isn't a good answer, ever.

Hope this makes sense to you all.

James,

You're in an unfortunate situation in an industry that is well known to be dishonest and deceitful. No one is about to sanitize the system, so you must rely on your own wits, and not be a sucker.

We all know that whenever it comes to cars, that the consumer is always on the short end of the stick. The auto industry, the backbone of America, is like a colony of ticks, sinking their teeth into your wallet, and not letting go. And unfortunately, too, people with no credit or bad credit are at the bottom of the food chain, and will be sucked dry since they don't have any financial resources to defend themselves or strike back. USA = you have to be rich to survive. But also, USA = you can use your brain to survive. With all of the rip-offs of the many suckers out there, it looks like the latter equation is seldom used.

Don't expect a tick to have feelings about you or your family, or your desperate situation.
Business is business and there is nothing personal or emotional about it. Bottom line is always profit margin, so they hustle to stay in the black and buy those big homes and vacations for their wives and kiddies.

I don't know what you would sue this Ugly Duckling for, and litigation doesn't come cheap. The best advice is to avoid any place that doesn't seem legit in the first place. I mean come on, why don't people just use their head?

It seems your wife went to Ugly Duckling with absolutely no idea of the value of cars. And why didn't you go with her? Shame on you! Salesmen love to see lone women come in, since they don't usually know a tire from a hubcap, and they make easy prey. These people are vultures, and you let her go it alone? You've just helped her set herself up to be one of their "Roaches" (suckers).

Why do people let themselves be a sucker? Don't they have any self worth? Are they just too lazy to prepare themselves for a major purchase? Would you walk into a den of wolves and let them eat you? Then why would you go to a used car lot, the territory of the notorious used car salesman, and essentially tell them to devour your wallet?

"Hello, Mister Upright, Honest, You've Got My Best Interests At Heart Used Car Person, I don't know anything about cars or how much they cost, but I want to buy one, and I need it today".

You've just cooked your own goose.

I bet the Ugly Duckling used car salesman is in the same boat as many salesmen are. Ugly Duckling seems to be such a schlock outfit (as most places are) that they don't pay anything to the salesman in the way of salary. Commission only, so you now have a pack of hungry ticks that would sell you anything that even resembles a car, at top dollar, so they can make some money..

Otherwise, they can't feed their wife or kids, and they'll eventually lose their job and home. They don't care if the car is falling apart, or if you have to pedal it like Fred Flintstone. They just need to earn a living, and theyll lie and manipulate you until they legally own a huge chunk of your future income.

So why don't you get a used car price book before you go to the salesman's territory? It's not hard. Then you know that the 2001 Supersonic 18-wheel drive SUV with power mud flaps isn't worth the 20 grand they're asking, it's only worth 9G's.

And for God's sake educate yourself and your wife a little bit. There are a ton of books out there about buying a used car. You are about to go into the ring with a professional salesman that's been selling cars his whole life. He knows every trick in the book to wring every last dollar out of your paycheck; and you know squat. Who's going to win and who's going to lose (big time) on this deal? That's a no brainer, isn't it?
You don't even need a brain to know these things.

Never, never sign anything until you're totally satisfied with the price, financing, condition of the vehicle, everything. Once you sign, you are stuck, period. You may spend the rest of your life paying for a car that went to the junkyard after 4-months on the road. An inspection of the vehicle by a professional mechanic that has no ties to the seller, is an absolute necessity. Never trust the salesman, he'll say anything to sell you that car. If his lips are moving, he's telling you lies. If his lips aren't moving, he's thinking up new lies to
tell you to get you to buy.

The repossession racket goes hand in hand with the used car sale. Miss even one payment and that's it, you're done, and it's entirely legal. Well, golly, your wife signed the loan papers, so now it's too late, what do you expect? If you have bad credit, you can't get a loan at a good bank, so you're stuck with the rip-off dealer financing, with super high rates and zero tolerance for missed or late payments, since you are a high risk loan for them. Don't like the loan terms? Was it even read? Then don't sign the damned paper unless you're sure what you're getting yourself into.

But any bank, good or bad, where you default on the loan, will eventually repossess your car, and auction it off at a low price; they can't afford to store it. And yes, they all will hold you responsible for the difference between the auction price and what you owe on the loan. Nothing illegal about that; you're wife was the one that promised to pay a certain amount, which was way above what the car was worth. Actually, Ugly Duckling did cut her a break by asking only $3000 more instead of $6000. They didn't have to do that. I know you don't feel that way, but what if they did want her to pay $6000 more dollars, that they are legally entitled to? There is no way to fight it, unless she declares bankruptcy.
And I just looked at your reports again, and your wife is being sued for the $6000. This is no surprise, is it?

Cosigning a loan is usually a very bad idea, since your credit rating might get ruined if there's problem down the road. Any negative activity on the loan will show up on your report, too, since you signed on the loan along with your wife. You're both responsible in that situation. Then you both will have lousy credit should the loan go sour. It's always best to keep at least one of you with top notch credit. But if you can keep up her payments if she's having trouble, and keep the account current, perhaps you should consider this option. Car loans are easy to get, and extremely easy to get with a cosigner. Just don't get took on the interest . If for some reason your wife gets pissed off at you, though, and refuses to pay on the loan, you either pay it for her , perhaps against your will or means, or lose the car and both your credit ratings take a deep dive. And don' forget a divorce may bring you a lot of grief with a cosigner situation, too. A lot to consider here.

You could get a car loan yourself, but of course the car would have to be in your name, not your wife's, so it won't legally belong to her until the loan is paid off and you transfer it to her name. If she's comfortable with this, it might be the way to go. And if your wife has any judgments against her from good old Ugly
Duckling, or anyone else, it is the only financing option that you will have available. No one will give her a car loan, even with a cosigner should she have unpaid judgments against her. Well, the loan sharks would, but we won't go there. Anyway, if the car was in her name, and she has an outstanding judgment, she might find her car down at the Sheriff's auction lot pretty quick being sold to pay Ugly Duckling. And there is no way to stop the Sheriff from towing the car away, unless you bury it somewhere, or pay off the judgment real quick. And don't forget , you could wind up with some of the same headaches as the cosigner loan, should you and your wife start not getting along.. Be prepared to keep up the payments yourself should she no longer contribute, even if you don't want to or are financially strapped. Fail to to this, and there goes the car and your good credit, and maybe even your marriage.

I think your best bet at this point is to buy the most expensive car that you can afford to pay cash for. No financing, which will also save on the insurance, no collision required. Here in NYS there are plenty of small car lots with cars $5 g's and under. The big places don't sell these cheap cars, since NYS law usually requires some sort of guaranty, and the big places can't make any money on a small margin, and perhaps repairs, too. If the dealer won't let you have the car checked out before you buy, quickly move on, since it is probably a lemon. The same goes for private sales. Although realize some people don't like inspections for the mere fact that they figure you're just trying to beat the price down. So promise not to derate the car if there are small things wrong with it. Don't forget, the car is used, and probably a bit old, so about any car is going to have some problems. Best bet is to stick with the cars that have the best reputation for
dependability, such as a Toyota Corolla or Camry. You can find plenty of these around, and at a good price. The Toyota engines last forever, and Toyota owners usually take good care of their cars.
Short on cash? Buy a beater car for $200 and drive it until it doesn't run anymore and then have the junk yard buy it for $50 and buy another one. Junk yards usually have running beater cars displayed out front of the yard: they try to sell them cheap before they get the car scrapped and it goes to the crusher. Many people just give away their old cars to the yard, so if you look around, you may be able to find one of these that the owner will give you free for the hauling, or you can buy it cheap at the yard. If the car needs a little repair, try a mechanic at an auto shop, and ask if he'd repair the car on his own personal time for cheap, and the repair needn't be perfect, since the car won't last for long anyway. Just enough to keep it running. Meanwhile, you are saving your money to buy a better car. Of course if you're into the social status frame of mind, you won't be comfortable in a beater unless the car looks real good and doesn't make noise or smoke.

To battle with the credit bureau is pretty useless. They just report what they are told. I'm sure that your wife now shows a history of late payments and repossession by Ugly Duckling on her report. Not good things, and it can get worse. There's still the matter of the $3000. They will surely get a deficiency judgment for $3000 on her, if not for the entire 6G's. It may include court costs and attorney fees, plus back interest. Then once entered, the whole mess will earn interest at the amount allowed by your State. Here in NY it is 9%, but not compounded. Judgments in NY last for 20-years. Yes, that is 20-years, and to make it worse, that 20-years restarts every time you make a voluntary payment, or an involuntary payment through wage garnishment or grabbing your bank account. The only way out is to negotiate a settlement, or file bankruptcy, which can be tricky if you have real estate or substantial assets. Most of your negotiation power is pretty well shot once a judgment is entered, so your best bet is to negotiate right away. Make the best deal that you can, and the one you can afford, and ask them in return to remove the black marks from your wife's credit report. Do I need to tell you to get the whole deal in writing and make sure it's signed by the Manager
in charge of the loan, before you send any money?

As for putting consumer comments on a report, as one person suggested, this is pretty futile. No one pays them much mind, and they are not even usually read, since computers do all the credit scoring these days.
More of your consumer rights bite the dust; they always find a way to defeat them.

I hope you now understand how careful you must be before you sign your name.

There are a lot of lawyers out there, but you'll find all of the consumer protections you thought you had are just mostly a cloud of smoke. The litigation route is a hard way to go, you're on your own as one consumer rights attorney told me. He's busy with class action suits, where he makes all the money and the Plaintiffs get squat. To take an individual case, he would have to charge more than what it would be worth to you, and you would probably lose anyway, since I can't see what you could sue Ugly Duckling for. A contingency basis suit would not bring in enough money for you to split it with him, so he wouldn't make enough to cover his work, and when you lose, he's out his pay entirely. The Courts will not award him his fee if you should win, one big reason that you'll never find an attorney to take your case, unless the amounts involved are huge and the case is solid.

Does your State have a used car lemon law? This is an avenue that you could probably pursue, since you had problems with the car shortly after it was purchased. Didn't the car come with some sort of warranty? I mean, it it had a 99-point inspection done, they must have provided something to back that up, in writing. What actually happened to the car? You state it blew up, but what does that mean? Since you waited until the car was repossessed, you may be SOL. If there are any legal options for you, they'e usually pretty
slim to begin with and dwindle each day you don't take action. Best to hurry if you do have a legal option; call the Attorney General. Small Claims Court might be your actual best course of action, but claims are usually limited to fairly small amounts .

Does Ugly Duckling register with your State DMV and have a shop ID #? Register a complaint about them, and everyone else do the same. Enough complaints might get the DMV to do something about them.
I f the complaints keep rolling in, they might pull their license to sell and/ or repair vehicles. I've never heard of this happening though. There's tons of crooked shops in NY, they register with the State, and many have been in business forever.

What is wrong with everybody? You buy a piece of junk and then cry and whine about it!

Welcome to the USA, where, if you're over 7 years old, you know all about the used car salesman. Am I right?

Their reputation is firmly entrenched in American
culture.

So why then, when you're old enough to buy a car, do you go to the used cat lot and buy a piece of junk from the used car salesman that you knew as a hustler since you were a little kid?

Unbelievable!

Have you ever heard CAVEAT EMPTOR?

I have no sympathy for any of you since you did not take responsibility and have the car checked by a professional mechanic before you signed on the line. You already knew the whole car business is as crooked as can be, so what, exactly, are you complaining about? Your own
stupidity?

So now you're stuck with a worthless wreck, which you could have easily avoided in the
first place if you had used 1% of your brain.

Quit trying to blame someone else, a used car salesman is going to get as much profit as he can, no matter what lot he works on. You already knew that when you entered his territory and signed the bill of sale.

I should think 29% interest rate is a pretty d**n good warning that you are being took, so why didn't anybody buying there run?

You can only be taken if you let them, so you're
part of the problem of places ripping people off.
At least now something has sunk in and perhaps
you will refuse to do business with any place
that doesn't appear to be legit.

Has anybody bothered to check their State's usury laws? Here in NY you can't be charged more than 25% interest.

And all cars have problems, used or new. If something fails under warranty, then the
seller should fix it. Most places will try to blow you off, you know that, or are you still 7?

A lot of States have lemon laws, which include used cars, that you can use if the seller won't fix your car that came with a warranty. But most
people are too lazy to pursue it, and the car salesmen know that, so they know that probably
nothing will happen when they blow you off.

Since Ugly Duckling/Drive Time has been in existence quite a while, it doesn't look like anybody really cares that they got ripped-off.

Of course they will most likely survive no matter what, so again, CAVEAT EMPTOR. Would you buy a used house without having it inspected by a professional?

So use your head for God's sake and have the object of that huge financial deal you're about to sign inspected and verified as a quality car.

And as for the guy that worked at Ugly Duckling, I really don't understand you. You complain about this firm selling bad cars, but then you worked for them with this prior knowledge, and you yourself sold shoddy cars to the public. I guess your soul is for sale if the price is right. Then you have the audacity to complain about them. Can you spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E?

I think the term Roach really means SUCKER.

Just as a quick note, I ALMOST bought a car from the local Drive Time, about 3 blocks from my house. I was interested in a Honda Civic and even though I have decent credit I checked out Drive Time because I thought that perhaps the lower down payment would be better. I went and test drove a very worn out 99 Civic. They gave me the quote and ran my credit, etc. I told them I would return the next day. I was asked to bring back $1500 for a down payment, etc. I then visited the Honda dealer down the street and was offered the same car, in better condition for a LOT less. They ARE in fact ripping you all off. Don't be taken in by their lies. When they continued to call me and try to get me back in, I told them I had gone ahead and purchased a car from someone that wasn't interested in ripping me off, they laughed and said that wasn't their business and wanted me to bring in the car I had just bought as a trade in and they would give me a '00! Are you kidding me?! They wanted an additional $7k to give me a car that was only 1 year younger!!! The blue book value on the car was $5K less than they wanted! DriveTime is a scam, but unfortunately they're going to survive until all of you band together and sue for harassment of the ongoing phone calls, or everyone stops buying cars from them all together. Keep in mind that it IS illegal in almost every state for them to call and harass you about a payment that is not even due yet. And MOST states have laws regarding how often and what times they call you once it is delinquent. Good luck to all of you. Additionally, don't believe their lies about being the only ones to finance someone with bad credit. In most cases, Credit Unions will finance you no matter what and their interest rates, on the high end, are always going to be lower then rip off drive time's.

Many of us were not that fortunate. I'm not saying all of their cars are crap. But far too many of them are, and unfortunately, they don't care to do anything about it once you've signed on the dotted line. The best thing to do when purchasing a used car is to take it to somewhere and have test done on it. You can also take it one step further by not dealing with Drive Time at all. If you must buy a used car, buy from someone you trust. Someone who will respect you as a customer.

Currently, My husband and I are customers of Drivetime. We actually did some homework on what we wanted to buy, and what we were willing to spend before setting foot out the door to look for a vehicle. We went to Earnhardts, Midway chevrolet, Sands, Abc Nissan,mark kia to name a few. I wanted a Used truck however, all they wanted to sell us, was a new one. The prices they asked, including the finance charges were almost as bad as Drivetime! (when you consider the price of a new vehicle.)

however, when my husband and I saw our future vehicle at drivetime, our jaws dropped open. It was absolutely perfect! a cherry red Toyota Tacoma fully loaded, with a light leather grey interior and all the benefits that we wouldn't have recieved by buying a brand new car at a dealership.

we put 1,500 down, and drove off the lot. I Love my little extended cab truck, but, as with most used cars, it has its problems. the fluid hadn't been changed, maybe due to the fact their service department is scared to death of opening a can of worms. It is actually an easy fix, but so many people get it wrong! and that is where some end up with huge bills on their trenny.

My Truck is Eye candy. If anything, I mostly fear someone else stealing it from the parking lot where I live.

The salesperson let the truck sell itself.

It seriously disturbs me though about this roach thing, and the fact that so many consumers have had complaints.

but, at the same time, I have been laughed out of dealerships like ABC Nissan and treated like dirt.

At least to my face anyways, Drivetime treated me with respect and has not disrespected me, or my husband.

I cannot say that about other dealerships.
I just wish our interest rate was lowered. 25% for 4 years is a bit much, thankyouohsomuch! as being my biggest concern.

I am also paying above kelly bluebook for a fully loaded vehicle. (I wonder why?)wish me luck on the payments, I have another 3 1/2 years to go!

maybe my AAA will come in handy....

I AM A CUSTOMER OF DRIVETIME HERE IN CALIFORNIA THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY DEALERSHIP IN WILMINGTON,CALIF THEY ARE A BUNCH OF RUDE AND CRUDE FOLKS YOU EVER WANT TO MEET I KNOW RIGHT IS RIGHT BUT IF YOU ARE ON A BUDGET AND CANT PAY ALL OF YOUR CAR PAYMENT AND YOU MISS PAYING 50.00 AND YOU SEND IN 440.00 THAT IS SOMETHING AT LEAST I TRIED I AM NO DEAD BEAT WHEN IT COMES TO PAYING MY BILLS BUT SOME MONTHS I HAVE TO JUGGLE A LITTLE I AM A SINGLE MOM OF 7 KIDS AND I TRY TO DO WHATS RIGHT AND MIND YOU THIS IS MY 2ND CAR I HAVE BROUGHT FROM DRIVETIME UGLY DUCKLING THE FIRST TIME AND THEY CALLED ME SEVERAL TIMES TO COME IN AND GET ANOTHER CAR FROM THEM NOW WHEN I AM SHORT 50.00 THEY WANT TO HARASS ME AND MY REFERENCESTHEY ARE FULL OF SH-- AND I WOULD NEVER DEAL WITH THEM AGAIN IF THEY WERE THE ONLY CAR PLACE ON THIS EARTH I HAVE HAD MY PROBLEMS WITH MY 99 FORD TAURUS BUT I HAVE DEALT WITH THEM AND STILL SENT IN MY CAR PAYMENT AND ALSO MY SON WHO AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT WENT AND BROUGHT A 2002 CHEVY IMPALA FROM THEM AND THEY DID NOT TELL ME THAT I HAD CREDIT FOR 1 CAR PYMT ACTUALLY IT WAS JUST 100.00 OFF MY CAR PYMT FOR REFERRING HIM BUT THEY NEVER TOLD ME I JUST HAPPEN TO CALL FOR ANOTHER REASON THEN I WAS INFORMED BUT IF I NEVER WOULD OF CALLED THEY WOULD OF JUST KEPT ACCEPTING MY PYMTS LIKE NOTHING THEY ARE HEARTLESS TO CALL AND THREATEN ME OVER 50.00 WHEN SOME OF THERE CLIENTS HAVE THEM TO A POINT OF REPOSSESING THEIR USELESS JUNK I HAVE LEARNED MY LESSON I JUST HOPE THEY DONT DO MY POOR SON WHO HIS ONLY 19YRS OLD WITH A GOOD JOB AND GOALS IN LIFE I WOULD HATE FOR HIM TO GET MIXED UP IN THEIR RIP OFFS AND MESS HIS CREDIT UP AND DEALING WITH THEM IT CAN HAPPEN

I to fell victim to drivetime. It was my girlfriends car at the time. Which she bought before we started to date. She never told me all the problems she had with it before she needed me to sign on the loan because she wasn't working. I decided okay because the car was runing fine while we dated. After I signed on the loan so she could keep her car had nothing but more problems. Yes they did try to help by financing the repairs into the loan but with all the problems no matter what she paid the loan kept getting higher and higher. We eventually broke up for other reasons I tried to get off the loan they gave me the run around to. Basically it's your car too bad you deal with. She eventually gave the car back and now it's on my credit I've been trying to dispute it, but no go. Well any way I got screwed over but after a year and a half was able to buy a new car with a large down payment even with past credit problems. Bad credit is not the end of the line hang in there and say FU to drivetime.

I happen to know a previous owner of an Ugly Duckling. He was an honest man who did an honest deal. Not everyone is out to rip you off. Do your homework in the area you are in before you buy.
You certainly must realize that when you go to used car dealers who offer inflated interest rates to individuals who can't afford to buy these cars through conventional means, you run the risk.

Ok Eric, sure, I'm sure someone is willing to tell matt hi.

Anyhow, I was also in a situation where I needed a car. Of course with the money I had, I only qualified for certain cars, so being that I almost got a Taurus (they seem to have alot of those crappy cars) I decided on and Olds Acheiva. The car ran fine initially,but soon after the car would run hot. They said the antifreeze was old and they flushed it, but that didnt help. I took it to a friend of my moms that fixes cars, and he said that the fan was not working, it hadnt worked in so long that it was warped (from the heat coming from the radiator). They refused to compensate me for it so i left it alone. Then the multifunction switch burned out (it's on the turn signal that turns on my headlites, etc). I was getting pulled over for not having any taillites because of this switch being bad. Everytime I'd call their service department, I would get so many excuses about the mechanic not being there, or he left to get parts,etc. They'd tell me this when they found out who was calling. (i know they were lying, they have a parts company deliver parts to them on the spot when needed). I tricked them one day and since i found out the guy's name, i took a chance and played like I was his wife. I was parked across the street. Once he answered, i was in his face in 5 minutes. Then they tried to tell me that that the cost to get this fixed (part + labor) would be $300 and I had to pay it. I had a few choice words for them that I wont repeat, but it ended up me paying only $35 for the cost of paperwork (wtf). Of course when picking up the car everything was in working order, including the brakes, but only after having the car 5 months, the brakes were so bad i was told I needed new roters (they wouldnt even spin them they were so bad). I had had enough. I bought my brothers old clunker from him and told them to get their car. Before telling them, they were also harrassing me to pay my payment (reminders and such) but then when i told them they could have their car, they wanted to work with me then. I told them too late. What's even funnier is that the car sat there for TWO MONTHS before they picked up the car. They tried to put it on my credit report as a repo and being beyond 90 days in arears (which is bogus, they had WRITTEN notification to pick up the car). It took me almost a year, but they actually removed it from my credit.

I also know someone that doesnt have a car with them anymore but is still paying for a car (that she DOES NOT have). They to this day are still taking EFT payments out of her account.

Drivetime can eat a d*ck

Hello Everyone...
I can really feel for some of you and your situations. I too was a poor credit risk (and am somewhat to this day.) I was on the end of a very short rope. I have bought several buy here pay here cars in the past and have had nothing but problems over the years. I expected Drive Time to be no different. I had just been repossesed from another piece of crap car. The less than honorable company left me with 2 kids and a wife (but with no car.) We will avoid the details of that.

Point is that when I came to Drive Time, I had just $600 in my pocket. I was led around the lot by Matt. I informed Matt that I had to have a car for my family, and A/C was a must. He and I looked through the cars until I settled on a Red 2000 Ford Taurus. We ran my credit, and I was not qualified for that one. I was offered the white one (without leather and without the high end alloys.) I accepted. I was informed that the down payment was $800, I thought that was the end of that, but they worked with me to pick up the rest.

I have had the car for over 7 months when my wife was driving it in Tampa. The water pump blew out. Nobody told her that you can't drive a car without water in the system. The next thing you know...she's calling me at work to tell me that the car is broken down. A friend of ours (that owns a local garage told me that the engine was shot by her driving it dry.) He wanted $2800 to fix it. I was stunned. I called the collections department to figure out how they would come get their POS (piece of S###), but when I explained what happened, they made a written arrangement to defer payments for 6 weeks, and got me in touch with the garage that fixed my car for less than $1500 (parts only.) The best part was that they financed the repair for me. All I needed was 35% of that down to get me back on the road.

If it wasn't for Drive Time, I wouldn't be driving a nice car for this little.

Would I go back to Drive Time? Yes and no. I will admit that once this car is paid off I plan to find a new car, but I have to tell you that I plan to give a very solid thumbs up to anyone that ever asks me about them.)

If you ever stop in to the Pinellas Park, FL location to buy a car. Tell Matt (he's a sales manager now) that Eric said Hi!

I was in a panic to get myself into some wheels that were going to get me to and from work after my repo. I went to Drive Time in Torrance to check it out. Let's just say that I got all caught up in the hype that the next time I went, I got dropped off by my friend with the downpayment in hand. They brought up a list of cars that I "qualified" for due to my credit score and these are the cars I test drove. First I went around the block in a 2002 Dodge Neon. I turned the corner and I hear this weird sound, and luckily my boyfriend was in the car and was my witness. What does the car salesman tell me? "Oh we can just have that checked out for you." Then I decided to take some Deawoo for a spin, it looked nicer then the Dodge, (NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER). I drove that piece of junk and I so did not feel safe what so ever, now I'm panicking because me and my boyfriend are stuck in Torrance with no ride and I was so sick to my stomach that I almost fell for their scam. Luckily I went so late in the day that they coudn't get any of the finance people on the phone. I was so thrilled when they had to give us a ride back home. It's so funny cause I just got a call from them today to see if I had purchased a car yet, I lied, I told them I was in a Honda Civic. If I would have read these comments before the phone call I would have given them a piece of my mind. I guess I can do it here. Hey Karen from Drive Time, thanks but no thanks, I'm not going to be a part of your "roach" motel. Do me a favor, loose my number!!!

AS PART OF THIS I AM TO A VICTUM OF PROPERGANDA!
I BOUGHT A USED 99 NISSAN ALTIMA FROM A DEALERSHIP IN PHOENIX, AZ. YHEA THEY PREY ON PEOPLE AND RUSH SO MUCH YOU THINK YOU JUST GOT A DEAL AND AFTER IT'S ALL OVER YOURE LIKE WHAT DID I JUST DO. THAT'S HOW I FELT 2 WEEKS INTO BUYING MY CAR, IT BROKE DOWN. AND TO SAY THE LEAST, THEY WE DENYING ANY MAINTNENCE ON THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK IT ALL THE WAY TO THE HEADQUARTERS AND REFUSED TO PAY FOR A P.A.S.

SO IN THE END YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU BUY AND I CAN SAY IT WAS NOT WORTH IT IN THE END BUT!!! I AM NOT SCREWED JUST SMART ABOUT IT!!

DRIVE TIME K.M.A.

Often, it is creditors that over extend credit to people via over zealous sales people which perpetuates the situation. I have bad credit now because of Mitsubishi Motors telling me I did not qualify to buy a car but I could lease a car instead. I was mis-lead by the mileage clause and ended upside down. I amazingly qualified to buy when my lease was up. It was either that or pay $7,000!! Heading for bankruptsy anyhow, I said screw em and turned it in for the best car on the lot. Now my bankrutptsy can be alittle more robust, because I made the 960.00 payments as long as I could and gave it back for a total amount owed of $19,000!

Don't listen to the collections friendly jerks that act like they are so perfect because they have good credit. Don't feel bad about your situation you victom!! Do like I did and buy a used car for cash. Borrow from your 401k and put that interest you save back into the 401k by increasing your payments to yourself. And enjoy front row parking by the shopping basket coral!!!

Hello I really understand what customers of drivetime are commplaining about...I work for a collectin agency. I just started at this job a month ago.. A client i work for just started collecting for drivetime.. As far as collection goes. When call from drivetme collecting there considerd first party collector...They are not bound by the FDCPA (fair debt collection Practice act) so they can call as much as they want an say anything they want.. Iam consider as third party collector I am bound by those laws..But after talking to some of the consumers.. And reading all of this things. Its the same things the people ive talked too have..I dont think i want too collect for drivetime anymore..Iam going to ask to sent to another department to collect..I want to say iam sorry because there is a good chance i talk to some of you people this place is a rip off...They should be shut down...

Amanda, you did the right thing by sending the letter. best thing to do is, send another one but this time do it certified so that someone from that business MUST sign for it as proof that they got it. trust me this would help your case greatly. next after they receive it, keep a telephone log of them calling you. if they do continue to harass(SP?)you, write down the day and time and a name if you can and then you can contact the FTC and you can sue for damages.

here's some info for you at this weblink http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm . I hope it helps you somewhat. here's the actual Federal trade comissions weblink too.http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/fdcpact.htm

best wishes!

I bought a 2002 Cavalier in February of this year. In August I break down on the side of the road during rush hour. I take it to two places because I thought it was something small. They told me at Firestone that it was the transmission. I told them that they had lost their minds. My car was only two years old, and they there is no way that it could be the transmission. I had it towed again. I had to pay $400 dollars just for them to take my car apart. It was the transmission. It was actually the torque converter and that led to ruining the transmission. The owner of the shop said that there was no way I could have done that much damage in 6 months. I told Drive Time about it, and they said that there was nothing that they could do because I "chose" to have my car fixed elsewhere. I told the GM that I live in Duluth, there "workshop" is in Douglasville, which is on the other side of the city. I also told him that I was not confident in his ability to fix my car. I wanted a warranty. Now, my car is fixed. The owner of Cottman said that he thinks it is strange that my check engine light never came on. He stated that my transmission was one of the best on the market. I work 3 jobs just to pay my normal bills. Now, I owe Cottman over $2000. I have manager to pay a little over $500 so far. But it is hard because my car note is $348 every month. Plus all my other bills. I am behind one payment because I want to pay the shop every week. I won't be able to get my car out until Thanksgiving. They are now calling all three of my jobs, my boyfriend, my mom and she lives in another state. I have sent a letter and I have asked them not to call me. I have told them and written them about my ordeal. Any advice about how you settled your issues would be greatly appreciated. Thanks..

You must understand that there are laws such as the ones stated in the webpage I'm going to show you. But you MUST write them a letter to cease in phoning or contact..just read this info here -> http://fair-debt-collection.com/fair-debt-act.html

this should help you get a foothold against them maybe even sue them. good luck!

Hi Leslie,
I am sorry for your illnes. My girl friend is has been dealing with cancer of all sorts for over 10 years.

You are right. Most people are honest and have every intention of paying. Things do happen. Illness, job loss, divorce, death of someone... there are so many reasons.

I have always found it interesting... I was listening to the raido yesterday about 3 major airlines that are about to go into bankruptcy... I never hear about this being a "moral" issue (except for Enron and those crooks). But K-Mart, airlines and a host of other companies go into bankruptcy and wipe away millions of dollars of debt as a matter of doing business and no one cares. Wanna guess what happens to the pension plans of them?

Maybe in the old days companies would work with you. I remember reading Ann Landers as a kid and she would suggest to people to call the creditors and try to work things out with them. What a joke. They don't want to work things out. They want to get it all, NOW.

What is ironic is that after they sell it to a collection agency they only get a few pennies on the dollar... but they just don't care. They would rather write it off than work with you.

My advice to everyone? File bankruptcy if you need to and don't lost sleep over it.

Thanks and Good Luck,

I am disgusted with this "credit score" business. I know plenty of dishonest people with "excellent" credit, and it did'nt make them outstanding people. I thinks it's wrong to take the attitude that "you are whatever your credit score says you are."

I am writing this after reading the postings about people with bad credit being poorly treated and taken advantage of at Drive, Time and any other company for that matter.

I had excellent credit before $360,000 of medical debt just landed on me one day when my doctors discovered I had a malignant tumor. Cancer operations/treatment/ and medications to keep me from dying cost me more than I could afford. I was forced to pay my medical to survive. I had to make my health my priority and not my "Credit Score".

I was sick and was out of work for awhile and not because I was lazy. I could not work while going through operations. The bills, you know- the lights and telephone and car etc, still come in the same. Your savings gets eaten up, and you start making payments later than you're used to because you don't have a regular income like you used to because you cant work like you used to.

Bottom line. All people with Bad credit are not in the situation because they are lazy and irresponsible. Some of us fell on hard times not of our own making. And so many of us on that hospital ward were not thinking about what our credit score was going to drop too...when you're faced with your own mortality, the last thing you care about is how much money you've got.

I didn't plan to have cancer, Joey, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. However, should the day come that you and other who think like you do, fall upon your "Cancer"
(and it could be a Hurricane disaster, another 9/11 event or THE cancer it's self)let's only hope that your creditors will show you the Mercy that you and Drive Time will NOT show to others.

I'm Glad there's a God who will see to it we all get what we trully derserve in the end.

Hi Lynne,
You are so right! Things do happen. I also find it surprising when a company goes bankrupt because they can't pay their bills everyone just shrugs their shoulders and figures it is business. If a person has financial problems people want to make it a moral issue.

Definitely, if a person can buy a good $800 car then they are ahead of the game is just a couple of months. Also, if a repair is too expensive then just junk the car and get another one.

If a person really really wants a nice new car then they can put those car payments the were going to pay into a savings account and then either pay for the car with cash or put down a huge downpayment which will give them much better interest rates.

The funny thing is that those high interest rates are a pretty much self fullfilling prophecy. If a person wasn't forced to pay such high rates then they would stand a better chance of being able to pay off the loan. The people that can easily afford it get the best rates while those least able to afford it (but could pay it if it wasn't so expensive) don't.

Thanks,

I don't have great credit, so I sympathize with everyone who's bought a car at Drivetime.

I had the same thing happen when I bought a car at a reputable dealership. The payments were misrepresented, I lost the car and had to pay off the balance after they sold it.

Needless to say, it served as a cautionary tale for me, and I hope these experiences prove sad but educational for everyone else. I had to scrimp and save...and I paid cash for a used car. I had a mechanic inspect it, I keep it in good mechanical condition and treat it well.

Granted, it's not like having a new car...but let's say I have 600.00 worth of repair in one year, not counting routine maintenance. I'm still going to come out on top.

Please keep this in mind. I wish everyone luck in their dealings and hope all this turns out okay. You're not ROACHES. Bad things happen. They should appreciate your business.

i am glad you got resolution to your problem with drivetime allthough my problem is with the drivetime in california it seems like all drivetimes are a mess i think they should of kept there other name as ugly duckling because so far they have lived up to that name i hope and pray that your check engine light does not come back on but with that company it might be something else all i can say is i will never ever buy another car from those ducks again!

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON DRIVETIME. I BOUGHT A 2001 KIA OPTIMA, IN JUNE OF 2004. AFTER 2 WEEKS MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DRIVETIME TOLD ME TO GO TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP SINCE MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE KIA WARRANTY. WHEN I DID, THE KIA DEALERSHIP HAD TO FLUSH MY ENGINE (AFTER ONLY 2 WEEKS) AND THEY ALSO HAD TO ORDER A BOLT FOR MY BREAK. I KEPT HEARING A NOISE ON MY TIRE, ONE OF THE BOLTS WAS MISSING FROM MY BREAK. I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT DRIVE TIME, BUT I WILL GIVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS.

EVERYTIME I GOT MY CAR BACK, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON THE NEXT DAY. I AM NOT ONE YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SO I STARTED ACTING CRAZY. THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS PAYING $440 A MONTH FOR A CAR I COULDNT DRIVE. KIA FLUSHED MY ENGINE 2 TIMES AND DID SOME OTHER PROCESS TO IT. THEY EVENTUALLY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SLUDGE IN MY ENGINE BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO HAD IT BEFORE ME NEVER GOT AN OIL CHANGE. THE ESTIMATE I GOT FROM KIA WAS FOR $6001 FOR THE NEW ENGINE, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I LEFT WORK IMMEDIATELY AND WENT TO DRIVETIME. DRIVETIME ATTEMPTED TO GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND BUT I WOULD GO FOR IT. I GOT THE CORPORATE NUMBER FORM THEM, SOME BS 800 NUMBER. THEY TAKE MESSAGES AND HAVE A MEDIATOR CALL BACK WITHIN 24 HRS. THE MEDIATOR TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD GET OUT OF THE LOAN AND BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY. I ASKED HIM WHY DID HE CALL ME IF ALL HE WAS GOING TO DO WAS PISS ME OFF. I SENT LETTERS TO THE OWNER OF DRIVETIME AND THE GUY RIGHT UNDER HIM ON THEIR LADDER OF AUTHORITY. I CALLED AROUND AND GOT THE NUMBER TO THE ACTUAL OFFICE IN ARIZONA, I DIDNT WANT ANY 800 NUMBER TO SOME CALL CENTER. I WANTED TO TALK TO "THE MAN IN CHARGE". IN THIS CASE IT WAS A WOMAN. ELVY KARAGIC. SHE IS IN CHARGE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND BASICALLY ANY ESCELATED PROBLEMS SHE HANDLES. MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY STOP AT THAT MEDIATOR, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE MEDIATOR WORKS FOR DRIVETIME AND ITS THEIR JOB TO TRY TO KEEP YOU FROM CALLING BACK AND BOTHERING ANYONE ELSE.

I HAD SO MANY RUN INS WITH THE GM AT THE DRIVETIME I WENT TO. HIS NAME IS NEIMIAH CHEETAM. HE IS A BUTTFACE. HE HAS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS AND DOESNT CARE ABOUT ANY CUSTOMERS OR SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM BECAUSE HE IS DRIVING A LEXUS THAT I KNOW HE DID NOT GET FROM DRIVETIME. I TOLD ELVY I DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH HIM ANYMORE. SO SHE CALLED HIM AND TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING. THEY WERE GOING TO FIX MY CAR, AT NO CHARGE OF COURSE. I GOT A RENTAL CAR THAT THEY PAID FOR. BEFORE THEY AGREED TO FIX MY CAR, THEY SAID I COULD TRADE MY CAR. I HAVE A 2001 KIA OPTIMA WITH 29,900 MILES ON IT, ONE OF THE CARS THEY OFFERED ME WAS A 99 SATURN I THINK WITH 85K MILES. I FLIPPED OUT AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE CRAZY TO THINK I WAS GOING TO PAY $440 A MONTH FOR A CAR WITH THAT MANY MILES ON IT. I ALSO WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FINANCE THAT CAR INITIALLY DUE TO THE HIGH MILEAGE, SO WHY WOULD THEY OFFER THAT TO ME AS A TRADE.

DRIVETIME HAD MY CAR FOR ALMOST A WEEK, CALLED ME TOLD ME IT WAS READY ON A THURS. I PICKED IT UP AT LUNCH TIME AND BEFORE I GOT BACK TO WORK, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK THE NEXT DAY, GOT MY RENTAL AGAIN AND IT TOOK THEM ALMOST A MONTH TO FIX MY CAR. PEOPLE AT WORK WERE TELLING ME HOW MUCH THEY LIKED MY NEW TRUCK (THE RENTAL) NO ONE KNEW IT WASN'T MINE UNTIL I TOLD THEM. DRIVETIME HAD TO PUT A NEW ENGINE IN MY CAR. I JUST GOT IT BACK 3 DAYS AGO AND NO LIGHT HAS COME ON YET. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE FIRM WITH THEM. ONCE THEY SEE THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING AWAY, THEY WILL DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO, TO SATISFY YOU. I HEARD DANIEL THE SERVICE MANAGER TALKING TO NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS AND HE ALWAYS TOLD THEM TO GO TO AUTOZONE OR GO TO A DEALERSHIP. WHAT DO THEY HAVE A SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR IF THEY DONT GIVE YOU SERVICE?

I CALLED CLARK HOWARD ON THEM AND I WAS HEADED TOWARDS CALLING AN ATTORNEY. WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED ELVY, I TOLD HER THAT I WAS GOING TO CONTACT AN ATTORNEY BUT I WOULD WAIT TO HEAR FROM HER FIRST.

ITS A SHAME THAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO SUCH LENGTHS TO GET WHAT YOU EXPECTED TO GET FROM THE DOOR.

ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME FEEL FREE. I WOULD LOVE TO HELP ANYONE GET THEIR CAR FIXED OR GET A NEW CAR.

THEY ALWAYS SAY WOMEN SHOULD NOT GO TO DEALERSHIPS ALONE AND THATS WHAT I DID. I HAD ON A SUMMER DRESS AND A PAIR OF STILLETOS. THEY PROBABLY SAW ME COMING AND SAID "THIS WILL BE EASY" GUESS AGAIN FELLAS. THE JOKES ON YOU.

NEVER BUY FROM DRIVETIME. I'D RATHER WALK!

Nope not the original who posted this, you got it all wrong

Joey,
I have been trying to read through the reports here. Are you the same person that originally reported?

The reason I am confused is that originally you posted that this company was a rip-off... then later on you are attacking the same people that were vicimized by this company.

This can only be attributed to a couple of different reasons that I can see...

1) You did have contempt for the customers in keeping with the tradition of the company that you are accusing them of having.

2) You are upset with this company and making a report to do damage to them for some personal reason.

3) Some other reason that you might want to let us know.

I do not work for the company or in any related industry. Just wanting to figure this out. It just isn't usual for the reporter of a rip-off to abuse victims of the company they are reporting.

Thanks

I bought a 1990 toyota Paseo from there and never had any problems except I had to change the fuel filter, no big deal. Before I purchased the car, and Took it to another shop to ahve it examined and all went well. Never really had nay problems with it, It was a great Car, just stay away from the good Ole Ford Taurus......

this is to theresa and from florida when i read your story on this rip off report i could believe what i was reading to you theresa the same thing has just happened to me with my 99 ford taurus that i purchased from drivetime 20 months ago i had to replace wobbling rotors serp belt and my husband changed brakes 3 times,

i thought he was at fault and did not know what he was doing and i dont no to much aboout a car but i do know a lemon when i see it and it must be something about those fords to and to d i also was late or actually short 60.00 odd dollars and they harrassed the heck out of me and also i dont like that after you buy a car from them they call your references and harrass them to buy a car i fortunatly got my carpayment for this month deferred because my car payment is 383 and change and my repairs were 381.89

so after one certain person kept calling yes it was approved then call back again and say it was rejected come on these people are crazy and they are snakes sucking blood and also i too have a family and you can harrass some one to come in and pay 10.00 on a 60 odd dollar ammount that you owe is plain greed i have went so far as to tell drivetime in wilmington,calif come pick up this piece of dog poo poo car i have had they make public transportation look d**n good thats how tired i am of them.

good luck dumping those clowns and i agree never will i ever buy a car from those people again

This is my first time seeing this website and I have a comment also. I bought a 2000 Chevy Malibu 1 yr ago. When I test drove the car, I noticed that the a/c compressor would shut off and I had to keep pushing it to make it come back on. I voiced my concern to the mangager and he stated he would have it checked out and would put a comment that I would be bringing back in soon to have it checked out. I brought the car back about 2 weeks later only to find out that he walked across the street to a a/c company and they told him they never have heard any kind of problem that I was having. He then advised me to call a Chevorlet dealer to see if they would know what the problem was. So he just wanted to get me out of his hair. Also I heard the brakes squealing at the time I bought the car. He went in the office and said he checked the report on the car and there was brand new brakes on the car. I let that go. Then after having the car for less than 6 months, I noticed the car was kinda of hesitating , it eventually broke down on me on the way to work. It cost me 560.00 to fix . Was told it was the fuel pump. Just recently not even 1 yr after buying the car my brakes were metal to metal! Some new brakes huh!! I have a friend who is a mechanic and I wish he would of been around when i bought the car, but i guess that was my mistake , thinking because of my credit rating I would not be able to go anywhere else. And to the people who have been making nasty comments about people with bad credit.. you guys need to get a life!!! Everyone in life has problems. You do not know why these people had bad credit. Every heard of Divorce???? That can be a big problem for single women with children when the dead beat father.. which you probably are, dont pay their child support for the children they made. Trying to feed your children and pay all your bills on time after going from 2 incomes to 1 can mess anyone up! So stick your comments where the sun dont shine!! All I know is that Drivetime is an awful company and I will never purchase another car from them.

On 12-28-02 I purchased a Black 2000 Ford Taurus Se from the DriveTime in Leesburg, FL. The reason I went to DriveTime is because I had less than $1000 and I needed a second car and good dependable car to get back and forth to work. The car was nice clean, 75,000+ miles, rides good, very cold AC, no dents a few scratches thou. He said that it had been expected by their mechanic, I was given the history report of the car, and I was told after two years from the purchase of the car that I could trade it in. After about 6 hours there I agreed to the terms and I drove off the lot.

A big mistake because the car have been given me problem. I have told them about it but they don't car

On Saturday in 9-03 I was out of town and I was driving the car I heard a loud boom and then the car started running hot, it stalled out and shut off, the ac quit working and it started ticking. Well I had to get it towed home. Well, I took it back to them to see what the problem was; they told me that they had to send my car to Sanford, FL to head servicing center. Once there they would us what the problem is then we will let you know. So I agreed. After a couple of days I was told that the alternator, air conditioner condenser and water pump had to be replaced. All these parts went out at the same time it was very expensive to get fixed. I told them that I could afford to get all that stuff fixed and I told them to keep the car. They kept my car for a week. They called themselves given me a deal by cutting the cost in half they also offered me a repair repayment plan and I agreed. I got the car back and it was making a chirping sound like birds were underneath the hood. I took the car back and the repair manger Mike along with his the mechanic said that it was the alternator adjusting and for me to get some WD40 and spray on it. I tried it and it didn't work. I continued to drive the car for about one week and the noise was getting louder. After that week I took the car by one of my friend's house who is also a mechanic he looked under the hood and told me it was the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt was about to break. I had to replace the serpentine belt and it wasn't cheap.

One Sunday after church I was driving down the highway and I heard a loud noise under the hood and I almost lost control the car thank GOD I was the only one on the road at that time. I had little control of the car. It scared me to death. I managed to get the car off the road. I pop the hood and anti-freeze was everywhere come to find out the idle pulley tenser broke. That Monday I went into DriveTime and I showed the part to the manager Chuck. He said what do you expect, it normal wear and tear beside Ford makes cheap parts now and days. They don't make cars like they use too. I told him what if I would have wreck and one of my kids got hurt or killed then what. His respond was you didn't wreck and don't worry about it. I was furious as a manager he didn't care. I even asked them to put me in another car with the same value and they wouldn't.

Since I have had this piece of junk I have replaced brakes several times, 3 sets of warp rotors, brakes, bulbs, wires, wheel cylinder, spark plugs, I have had some work done on the transmission, valves, 3 Serpentine belts one broke about three months ago while I was coming home from work during rush hour; radiator reservoir busted replaced on 7-26-04, tires, gaskets, you name it I have replaced it. Parts aren't cheap. Top it off it's burning too much gas. Had a tune up and it's still burning gas.

I am constantly being harassed about payments. My payments are current. When I make repairs it's kind of hard to make a full payment. However; I do try to pay something. However if you are a day late they are calling you. Even if you called them to make arrangement they constantly will call you Breakfast, lunch, dinner time, four, five and six times a day they don't care. They will even call your references and harass them. They even will use their cell phones to call my house and job. They even have DriveTime from Orlando, FL calling me.

On 7-19-04 at 6:01 I received a call on my answering machine from Dan/Leesburg, FL; DriveTime. When I got home I called returned Dan's phone call it was 6:30pm on 7-19-04. Dan wanted to know when I was coming in to make my payment. He said that I had made an arrangement for the 7-17-04 which was not true. I told him that I had not mad any arrangements with any one. When you make arrangement in person or verbally on the phone they still call claim that they don't have any information in the system. I said to Dan how stupid can you be I don't get paid until the day before my car payment is due. Why would I make arrangements when I didn't have any money? My car payment wasn't due until 7-24-04 and I was behind only $62.35. They harassed me one time for less than $20 one time and late fees. Late fees are another story. They don't give you a grace period like a real dealership. For everyday that you are late they charge you a late fee.

After I talked to Dan on the 7/19/04 I went out of town for a few days and when I got home I checked my Caller-ID and answering machine I had a total of 8 messages. Dan called from 7-21-04 thru 7-24-04 saying that it was very important that I call him. He even left several messages on my voice mail at work. It pissed me off I didn't even make my payment on 7-24. I waited Monday 7-26-04. I took my house phone with me to show them my caller ID and I was heated. I showed my phone caller ID to Jeanna/CSR in the finance department. I was pissed. She said I didn't call you that Idiot Dan called me. Dan was sitting in there when I walked in he turned his back to me. I told them not to call my house or my job anymore because I know my obligation. I pay my bills. I asked Jeanna about my balance which was $7000+ and what's the requirement for a trade-in. Jeanna (Finance dept) told me that I had to get a balance of $2500 or less before they would consider a trade. I told her that I didn't want to trade-in the car with them. She said that I could take the car some where else if they would accept the trade. She said that the other company's probably wouldn't accept it because I owe too much on it. Another thing she said that DriveTime wouldn't release the loan or titles until after two-three years. I told her that was nonsense. I am tired of making repairs and payment at the same time. I am a single parent living from paycheck to paycheck.

I advise anyone if you need a car do not go to DriveTime in Leesburg, FL. Save your money and go to a real dealership. Look in your local shopping guide to purchase your vehicle. Some time a private owner is better. I have an 88 Pontiac 6000 that I bought in 11/99. I am the second owner of that car and it's still drivable it's in better condition than my 2000 Taurus SE.

FORD stands for: Fix On Repair Daily
or
FORD stands for: Find On Road Dead.

I purchased a 2000 Ford Taurus Se on 12-28-02 because I needed a second car and good dependable car to get back and forth to work. A big mistake because the car have been given me problem since day one. I have told them about it.

In 9-03 I was out of town and the car started running hot, it shut off, the ac quit working and it started ticking. A couple of days later when I had it towed I took it back to them to see what the problem was they told me that the alternator, air conditioner condenser and waterpump had to be replaced. All those went out at the same time it was very expensive to get fixed. The called themselves given me a deal and they offered me a repair repayment plan. I paid it. I got the car back and it's making a chirping sound like birds under the hood, the manger Mike and the mechanic said that it was the alternator adjusting and for me to get some WD40 and spray on it. I tried it and it didn't work so I took the car by one of my friends house who is a mechanic he looked under the hood and told me it was the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt was about to break.

On sunday my family I was riding down the highway and the idle pulley tenser broke thank GOD I was the only one on the road because I almost wreck. I had no control of the car. It scared me to death. I told the manager Chuck about it and he said what do you expect it normal wear and tear. I told him what if I would have wreck and one of my kids got hurt or killed then what. His respond was you didn't wreck and don't worry about it. I was furious.

I have replaced brakes, rotors, brakes, bulbs, spark plugs, I have had some work done on the transmission, Serpentine belt 3 times It popped will I was driving it a couple of months ago, radiator resivor busted replaced, tires, gaskets, you name it I have replaced it. Parts aren't cheap. Top it off it's burning to much gas. Had a tune up and it's still burning gas.

I am constantly being harassed about payment. My payments are current. When I make repairs it's kinda hard to make a full payment. However if you are a day late they are calling you. Even if you called them to make arrangement they constantly will call you Breakfast, lunch, dinner time, four and five times a day they don't care. They even will use cell phones to call your house or job. They will even have other Drivetime in other area to call you.

My payments are due bi-weekly my next one is not due until 8-7-04. I spoke to the Dan he's over finance on 7-19-04 @ 6:30 pm and he was wanting to know when I was coming in to make my payment. He said thatI had made an arrangement for the 7-17-04 which was not true. When you make arrangement in person or verbally on the phone they still call claiming that they have any information in the system. I said to Dan how stupid can you be I don't get paid until the day before my car payment is due. Why would I make arrangenment when I didn't have anymoney. My car payment wasn't due until 7-24-04 and I was behind only $62.35..They harrassed me for less than $20 one time.

However last week on my Caller-ID and aswering machine I had a total of 8 messages. Dan called everyday from 7-21-04 thru 7-24-04. He even left messages on my voice mail at work. It pissed me off I didn't even make my payment on 7-24. I waited monday 7-26-04. I took my house phone with me to show them my caller ID and I was heated. I told Dan not to call my house or my job anymore because I know my obligation. I pay my bills..I asked they about my balance which is $7000+ and what are the requirement for a trade. Jeanna/Finance dept told me that I had to get a balance of $2500 or less before they would consider a trade. If you take take the some where else to trade they won't release the loan or titles until after two years. I told her that was nonsense.

I advise anyone if you need a car do not go to DriveTime. Save your money and go to a real dealership or look in the shopping guide to purchase your vehicle. Some time a private owner is better. I have a 88 pontiac 6000 that I bought in 11/99. I am the second owner of that car and it's still drivable it's in better shape than the 2000 Taurus.

Joey, if anyone was making a rude response it was you...I'm the consumer here making a complaint and you must be either part of the party that is trying to sue my wife or someone who just likes to argue.

I will make one last comment on this and then ignore you completely.

She bought the car in October with the first payment due on the 8th of November. She had the car a whopping 2 weeks when the engine blew up. She had the car towed back to the shop where they told her the 99 point inspection was never done on it because they hadn't seen it yet. The manager got upset that she complained about the car being advertised as inspected when it wasn't.

When she contacted the finance department to see about the payment that was due she was told that it could wait until she got the vehicle out of the shop since she was without a vehicle and couldn't get to work. She ended up in the hospital emergency room on the 17th of November right after she got the car back. Her bishop from church tried to make the payment for her but the manager refused it saying she was a week late and in default. When she got out of the hospital they repossessed the vehicle (the payment was 1 month late at that point)

We met at the end of November while she was in the hospital so there wasn't anything I could have done to help her. I did buy her a brand new car in February after we were married.

Regardless, it would have been illegal and stupid of them to charge her the full price for the car when they resold it for a $6,000 difference. Even then she should have only been responsible for the original price of the car as Arizona law states you only have to pay the principal off and not all of the interest that would have accumulated had you kept the car for the full life of the loan. That would have made the car worth about $6,000. The 300% interest they stacked on top to get the price up to $17,000 they don't get if they repossess it. Considering the fact they resold the car for $11,000 she shouldn't owe them anything.

Please continue with the personal attacks...I'm sure the editor won't mind you cluttering his website with your crap.

WELL JAMES, NOT TO BE TOO MUCH MORE RUDE. BUT IF YOUR CREDIT WAS SO GOOD BEFORE SHE BOUGHT IT, AND ITS GOOD AFTER YOU WERE MARRIED, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT HER A CAR.YOU ARE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT TALKS BIG, BUT DOES NOTHING WORTH WHILE. I KNOW YOU WERE DATING THEN, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE HELPED HER GET A GOOD CAR.YOU SEEM LIKE THE MAN THAT SAT NEXT TO HER AND SAID "ITS YOUR DESCISION".YOU ARE SAD.TOO BAD THEY DONT SUE HER FOR THE WHOLE AMOUNT,JUST SO YOU HAVE TO HELP HER PAY IT.

Joey: my credit is good enough that I bought us both new cars....about $40,000 worth to be exact.

Moron,

Joey,

As to being a fool, you didnt read my original comments did you?

I stated she bought the car back in October, we were married just this January.

Read all pertinent information before putting your foot in your mouth.

WELL JAMES,
IF YOUR WIFE GOT THE CAR ON HER OWN, THEN YOU ARE NOT A GOOD HUSBAND BEACAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE WENT WITH HER.IF YOU WENT WITH HER AND LET HER PAY d**n NEAR NEW CAR RETAIL FOR THE CAR, THEN YOU ARE A FOOL.WHENEVER YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THAT, WHERE YOU GET AN ANSWER FROM ONE PARTY, YOU SHOULD GET IT IN WRITING.

ITS NOT THE COMPANYS FAULT YOU AND OR YOUR WIFE HAD BAD CREDIT, IT'S YOURS.NOW YOU ARE STUCK WITH A CHARGE OFF ON YOUR CREDIT, MAKING IT WORSE. NOW AS FAR AS BLUE BOOK, NOONE CARES ABOUT BLUE BOOK AFTER YOU BUY THE CAR,TOO BAD,SO SAD ON YOU.THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS YOU SHOULD JUST BASICALLY FILE BK, OR JUST PAY IT. IT WONT MAKE YOUR CREDIT BETTER, IT WILL ONLY SHOW A PAID OFF CHARGEOFF OR REPO. BASICALLY, YOU ARE SCREWED.

WELL JAMES,
IF YOUR WIFE GOT THE CAR ON HER OWN, THEN YOU ARE NOT A GOOD HUSBAND BEACAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE WENT WITH HER.IF YOU WENT WITH HER AND LET HER PAY d**n NEAR NEW CAR RETAIL FOR THE CAR, THEN YOU ARE A FOOL.WHENEVER YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THAT, WHERE YOU GET AN ANSWER FROM ONE PARTY, YOU SHOULD GET IT IN WRITING.

ITS NOT THE COMPANYS FAULT YOU AND OR YOUR WIFE HAD BAD CREDIT, IT'S YOURS.NOW YOU ARE STUCK WITH A CHARGE OFF ON YOUR CREDIT, MAKING IT WORSE. NOW AS FAR AS BLUE BOOK, NOONE CARES ABOUT BLUE BOOK AFTER YOU BUY THE CAR,TOO BAD,SO SAD ON YOU.THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS YOU SHOULD JUST BASICALLY FILE BK, OR JUST PAY IT. IT WONT MAKE YOUR CREDIT BETTER, IT WILL ONLY SHOW A PAID OFF CHARGEOFF OR REPO. BASICALLY, YOU ARE SCREWED.

WELL JAMES,
IF YOUR WIFE GOT THE CAR ON HER OWN, THEN YOU ARE NOT A GOOD HUSBAND BEACAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE WENT WITH HER.IF YOU WENT WITH HER AND LET HER PAY d**n NEAR NEW CAR RETAIL FOR THE CAR, THEN YOU ARE A FOOL.WHENEVER YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THAT, WHERE YOU GET AN ANSWER FROM ONE PARTY, YOU SHOULD GET IT IN WRITING.

ITS NOT THE COMPANYS FAULT YOU AND OR YOUR WIFE HAD BAD CREDIT, IT'S YOURS.NOW YOU ARE STUCK WITH A CHARGE OFF ON YOUR CREDIT, MAKING IT WORSE. NOW AS FAR AS BLUE BOOK, NOONE CARES ABOUT BLUE BOOK AFTER YOU BUY THE CAR,TOO BAD,SO SAD ON YOU.THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS YOU SHOULD JUST BASICALLY FILE BK, OR JUST PAY IT. IT WONT MAKE YOUR CREDIT BETTER, IT WILL ONLY SHOW A PAID OFF CHARGEOFF OR REPO. BASICALLY, YOU ARE SCREWED.

WELL JAMES,
IF YOUR WIFE GOT THE CAR ON HER OWN, THEN YOU ARE NOT A GOOD HUSBAND BEACAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE WENT WITH HER.IF YOU WENT WITH HER AND LET HER PAY d**n NEAR NEW CAR RETAIL FOR THE CAR, THEN YOU ARE A FOOL.WHENEVER YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THAT, WHERE YOU GET AN ANSWER FROM ONE PARTY, YOU SHOULD GET IT IN WRITING.

ITS NOT THE COMPANYS FAULT YOU AND OR YOUR WIFE HAD BAD CREDIT, IT'S YOURS.NOW YOU ARE STUCK WITH A CHARGE OFF ON YOUR CREDIT, MAKING IT WORSE. NOW AS FAR AS BLUE BOOK, NOONE CARES ABOUT BLUE BOOK AFTER YOU BUY THE CAR,TOO BAD,SO SAD ON YOU.THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS YOU SHOULD JUST BASICALLY FILE BK, OR JUST PAY IT. IT WONT MAKE YOUR CREDIT BETTER, IT WILL ONLY SHOW A PAID OFF CHARGEOFF OR REPO. BASICALLY, YOU ARE SCREWED.

Like I said in the previous post they sold my wife a car and it's engine blew up after a couple of weeks, the receptionist told her she didn't need to make a payment until she got the car back and when my wife was late with the payment they repossessed the car.

My wife was in the hospital at the time and church members tried to make the payment for her but Drivetime refused them since the manager was upset that she complained about the engine blowing up on her and come to find out the 99 point inspection never got done on the car.

Thats the reason they repossessed after only a few days late payment on the first payment even though the car was still broken.

Well to add insult to injury their strong arm credit collection office is threatening to file a lawsuit against my wife for not making payments on the $6,700.00 difference between what they resold the car for ($11,000.00) and the original cost of the car ($17,000.00)

Hmm I wonder what the bluebook value is on a 1994 Honda Accord? $5000 to $6000 maybe? So they resold the car for more than it's retail value and yet they are still coming after my wife for what it sells for retail?

What ever happened to Arizona's law where you only had to pay the principal on a loan to pay it off? How much interest did they charge to get the price of the car up to $17,000.00 in the first place?

I AM AN EX-UGLY DUCKLING/DRIVETIME CUSTOMER...and here is my take on this situation. This company deals with people who have severe credit problems (slow pays, no pays, bankruptcies, etc), so you can expect to pay a VERY high interest rate with Ugly Duckling. Anyone who complains about their interest rates being high, or complains about them repo-ing their vehicles because they don't make their payments as stated in their contract needs to get a life & grow up.

When you sign a contract stating you will pay a 20%, 25% or some other outrageous level of interest AND your payments must be made on time (they liked 2-week or bi-monthly payments last I heard)...then you must stick to that contract. If you cannot stick to that contract, you're out of luck & deserve any consequences for breaking it. I also know that - yes - they do have older cars. They cannot afford to sell anything than slightly older cars considering what a credit risk their average client is, so you can either buy what they sell OR not buy it. Easy enough.

If you have the credit OR money to go elsewhere, then do it. If the older car (without a warranty) breaks down...it's YOUR job to pay for fixing it, not Ugly Duckling's. Anyway...to conclude...it erks me that some people blame others for their own mistakes. These guys helped me re-establish my credit when I screwed up, severeal years ago. These guys are not all that bad. Now my credit is much better & I've since bought a new vehicle from a regular dealer at a much better interest rate.

Then I guess that makes Drivetime the ROACH KING/QUEEN crawling around dumpsters in the hopes of someone throwing their money away!! GLAD I was warned! GLAD I didn't work there either! I didn't because it is a commission ONLY job!

for needing a job does not make it acceptable to rip off customers. I'm sure all these employees on the ripoff report can say the same thing and use the same excuse.

Wow...I guess I am one of the lucky ones! My car, a 2001 Ford Taurus, runs like a dream! I put 400.00 down and pay 350.00 a month for my vehicle. I was charged 9000.00 for the car but hey, when you have a little credit boo-boo what can you do?? Take the good with the bad. I have had only 1 problem with it in the first 12 months of ownership, my air conditioning unit went out. I took it to the Wilmington, California location for service and they fixed it. End of story. No anoying phone calls for payments or anything.

I think that consumers might need to be a bit more pro-active when purchasing a used car from ANYWHERE. When I first got my car I took it to AAMCO, paid the 59.00 fee they charge to run a diagnostic on the Transmition to see if there were any problems. If there had been, I would have taken it back within the 3 mos period and had it fixed. I also had a diagnostic run on the engine as well and there were no problems.

My experience, outside of the crazy interest rate, has been a pleasant one. So much so that I have refered 2 people to them within this past year and received my 100.00 credit for each of them. The recent buyers, one in January and one just this past May have had no problems with the vehicles or the service at either the Torrance, CA or the Oxnard, CA location. I guess we are just the lucky ones.

Would I get another vehicle from them in the future? Probably not, the interest rate is just way too high..

Hello to all...and we too were victimized by the Drivetime/Ugly Duckling lot in Bradenton. We had posted several posts here in 2002 about it. We had a 94 Pontiac Bonneville and Hugh the Manager knew the car had problems and stated he would take care of it...after a year of paying on time $340/mo for a car that would just stall for no reason and without warning...we decided to apply for an E-loan..which came via email. Within four days, we had a check in the mail for $10,000 and we went to our local Honda dealer. YES A REAL DEALER...who not only found us a better rate through another finance company..but allowed us to come back a week later and use the E-loan check that we didn't use initially to purchase a SECOND vehicle. Each car had a warranty and carries a lower monthly payment than that peice of crap Bonneville did!

DON'T EVER LET DRIVESLIME tell you that you WON'T get financed anywhere else...you CAN..and E Loan is an option.

After we got our cars...we had Driveslime come and get their peice of junk since they refused to address the issue of it stalling. Note, it stalled while I was making a left turn, when I started the turn, I had plenty of clearance, but the car stalling caused a semi truck to slam on its brakes and almost jacknife.

Also, a friend of mine's friend was killed in Bradenton while in a car from Drivetime from Bradenton...she was thrown from the car because the car she was sold was formerly in an accident (something they FAILED TO TELL HER) and instead of soldering/welding the car door on as they shoulld have done the proper way, they used some cheap metal glue instead ..the bond was weak and the door flew off on impact, the force sucked her out of the car and she died. She was a college freshman.

But her death in on THEIR hands...Drivetime in Bradenton are not only crooks and robbers, they are murderers in disguise..they sell death traps and DON'T CARE!

I believe that in most states, the Department of Motor Vehicles is the agency who maintains control over new and used car dealers. I would strongly suggest that you follow-up by by filing a complaint against the car dealer for his method of doing business. A District Attorney may not do anything, but DMV may!...like pull their business license!

To all,
I guess you could say I have been lucky in one sense; my car runs perfect. I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am which I purchased from Drivetime a year and a half ago that I absolutley adore and runs great.

Financially though, they raked me through the coals. I am a very young saleswoman, and was only 19 at the time that I purchased the car. I made excellent money, but thought that my credit was poor being that I was so young.
I came into Drivetime and they offered me a "first time buyers" program with 2000 down and a 24.9% interest rate. What could I do? I purchased the car and resigned myself with the 400.00 per month payments.

It was 3 months later that I had to have my credit again pulled, and found my FICO score was in the very high 690s! (No, Drivetime had not yet reported.) With my income and FICO, my credit union said they would have financed me at 3.99% but I was so upside down they could not refinance the debt.

Not to mention, they would call and be very nasty to remind me that the payment is due by 5:00 pm. One time, I was 4 days late on my payment. (BTW, there is a 10 day period after the payment is due to remit with no penalty.) I had to go out of town to a funeral and it was really not on my priority lists. There were 5 voicemails on my phone at work when I returned, so when I called back they informed me there was a tow truck out to pick up my car! I explained I would bring them the money on my lunch break, but they said I had to pay them and their "phone processing" fee right then or face reposession!

I have been paying double payments monthly to lower the effective interest rate. (Paying more to principal gives them less to make interest on.) The car is almost paid off and they keep inviting me to buy another. NO WAY! I will keep my Pontiac until it dies, and then take my good credit and get the rate I deserve!

To all,
I guess you could say I have been lucky in one sense; my car runs perfect. I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am which I purchased from Drivetime a year and a half ago that I absolutley adore and runs great.

Financially though, they raked me through the coals. I am a very young saleswoman, and was only 19 at the time that I purchased the car. I made excellent money, but thought that my credit was poor being that I was so young.
I came into Drivetime and they offered me a "first time buyers" program with 2000 down and a 24.9% interest rate. What could I do? I purchased the car and resigned myself with the 400.00 per month payments.

It was 3 months later that I had to have my credit again pulled, and found my FICO score was in the very high 690s! (No, Drivetime had not yet reported.) With my income and FICO, my credit union said they would have financed me at 3.99% but I was so upside down they could not refinance the debt.

Not to mention, they would call and be very nasty to remind me that the payment is due by 5:00 pm. One time, I was 4 days late on my payment. (BTW, there is a 10 day period after the payment is due to remit with no penalty.) I had to go out of town to a funeral and it was really not on my priority lists. There were 5 voicemails on my phone at work when I returned, so when I called back they informed me there was a tow truck out to pick up my car! I explained I would bring them the money on my lunch break, but they said I had to pay them and their "phone processing" fee right then or face reposession!

I have been paying double payments monthly to lower the effective interest rate. (Paying more to principal gives them less to make interest on.) The car is almost paid off and they keep inviting me to buy another. NO WAY! I will keep my Pontiac until it dies, and then take my good credit and get the rate I deserve!

To all,
I guess you could say I have been lucky in one sense; my car runs perfect. I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am which I purchased from Drivetime a year and a half ago that I absolutley adore and runs great.

Financially though, they raked me through the coals. I am a very young saleswoman, and was only 19 at the time that I purchased the car. I made excellent money, but thought that my credit was poor being that I was so young.
I came into Drivetime and they offered me a "first time buyers" program with 2000 down and a 24.9% interest rate. What could I do? I purchased the car and resigned myself with the 400.00 per month payments.

It was 3 months later that I had to have my credit again pulled, and found my FICO score was in the very high 690s! (No, Drivetime had not yet reported.) With my income and FICO, my credit union said they would have financed me at 3.99% but I was so upside down they could not refinance the debt.

Not to mention, they would call and be very nasty to remind me that the payment is due by 5:00 pm. One time, I was 4 days late on my payment. (BTW, there is a 10 day period after the payment is due to remit with no penalty.) I had to go out of town to a funeral and it was really not on my priority lists. There were 5 voicemails on my phone at work when I returned, so when I called back they informed me there was a tow truck out to pick up my car! I explained I would bring them the money on my lunch break, but they said I had to pay them and their "phone processing" fee right then or face reposession!

I have been paying double payments monthly to lower the effective interest rate. (Paying more to principal gives them less to make interest on.) The car is almost paid off and they keep inviting me to buy another. NO WAY! I will keep my Pontiac until it dies, and then take my good credit and get the rate I deserve!

To all,
I guess you could say I have been lucky in one sense; my car runs perfect. I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am which I purchased from Drivetime a year and a half ago that I absolutley adore and runs great.

Financially though, they raked me through the coals. I am a very young saleswoman, and was only 19 at the time that I purchased the car. I made excellent money, but thought that my credit was poor being that I was so young.
I came into Drivetime and they offered me a "first time buyers" program with 2000 down and a 24.9% interest rate. What could I do? I purchased the car and resigned myself with the 400.00 per month payments.

It was 3 months later that I had to have my credit again pulled, and found my FICO score was in the very high 690s! (No, Drivetime had not yet reported.) With my income and FICO, my credit union said they would have financed me at 3.99% but I was so upside down they could not refinance the debt.

Not to mention, they would call and be very nasty to remind me that the payment is due by 5:00 pm. One time, I was 4 days late on my payment. (BTW, there is a 10 day period after the payment is due to remit with no penalty.) I had to go out of town to a funeral and it was really not on my priority lists. There were 5 voicemails on my phone at work when I returned, so when I called back they informed me there was a tow truck out to pick up my car! I explained I would bring them the money on my lunch break, but they said I had to pay them and their "phone processing" fee right then or face reposession!

I have been paying double payments monthly to lower the effective interest rate. (Paying more to principal gives them less to make interest on.) The car is almost paid off and they keep inviting me to buy another. NO WAY! I will keep my Pontiac until it dies, and then take my good credit and get the rate I deserve!

So my wife got a call from their finance section the other day. They sold the car and said there was a $6,000 difference between what they charged her and what they got for the car.

So they want $3,000 (how kind of them to cut it in half) to pay off the car when it was absolute crap and not worth what they charged for it.

Should I sue? Or is there anything else I can do?

I would like to organize something with Channel 3 news to get this situation investigated and Drivetime/Ugly Duckling put out of business for good and their owners put in jail for their crimes.

These unethical business people took advantage of a single mother of 3 who was stranded in Phoenix with no way to get to work because they sold her a crappy car that broke 2 weeks after she bought it and then repossessed it because she was in the hospital..even though her church members tried to make the payments for her (the payments were rejected because the manager was upset that he got turned in for failing to have the inspection done on the vehicle before it was sold)

Her 7 year old daughter has severe medical problems and they took away her transportation even though she attempted to make 2 months payment after she got out of the hospital (essentially paying the car 1 month in advance).

These people belong in jail for fraud and unethical business practices.

I'd like to find someone to assist in sueing them. I'm so appalled at the way they treated her and her children.

Shame on you Drivetime.

Im sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation. Since you tried in good faith to make a late payment that the dealer refused, it seems like they want to keep your down payment then re-sell the car to another victim.

You asked if there was anything you could do to erase' information from your wife's credit report. The first thing to do is to obtain a copy of her credit report to see what you are dealing with. I do not know of a legitimate way to erase' information since it the info is not entirely inaccurate. But you can leave a comment in her credit report explaining the situation. Contact the three major credit reporting agencies for information on how to do this. (http://www.transunion.com, and http://www.experian.com are two of them, I don't remember the third) Keep your explanation short and to the point. Also, do not fall victim for some of the credit fixes' offered in various places as they are all just scams. The only true cure for bad credit is time.

You expressed some concerns about co-signing a loan for your wife. It seems to me that you have no other option. With a FICA score in the mid 600's, I believe you would be considered to have a fair credit rating. You will probably not be able to qualify for the best interest rates offered, but you should be able to obtain a used car loan in the 8 to 12% interest rate range. Co-signing for your wife may have a slight negative impact in the short term. This is not because of her bad credit somehow harming your credit, but is simply due to you taking on more debt. Negative information from your wife's credit file will never be mixed with yours. Experian has a score simulator where you can access your credit report and FICA score then plug in various future loan situation to see how it impacts your credit score. It costs about $12 and you can find more information on their website, http://www.experian.com As long as you make your payments on time, co-signing would improve both you and your wife's credit ratings.

If you do not co-sign for your wife, she would be faced with dealing with another shady used car dealership and wind up overpaying for her next car and grossly overpaying on her interest rate.

Many years ago I had a small two van portable engine rebore, cylinder sleeving, crankshaft grinding and general mechanical mobile repairs in the L.A. area. In general I found most car dealers, especially USED car dealers to be dishonest. A couple of examples: I was called to a used car lot to do a crankshaft repair on a fairly good looking Cadillac. I determined that the crankshaft was beyond the point of repair. However, the salesman wanted me to do what I could to make the engine run. I told him that the best I could do was perhaps get it running, but the repair wouldn't last because the crankshaft is ruined. His comment?..."All I want it to do is drive off this lot."

At another used car outfit, the "mechanic" was spray painting a complete V-8 engine to make it appear new. I asked him what he was doing, as it was obvious to me that the engine had just been pulled out of the frame. His answer?..."I'm rebuilding the engine." He made that comment with a laugh! Seems that the car was going to be sold as having a "rebuilt engine." Similar situation at a generator/alternator "rebuild shop." I walked into the back lot and saw a worker testing a generator on a device that consisted of an electric motor driving a fan belt. The worker would connect a couple of wires to the contacts on the generator and allow the fan belt to spin the generator armature. If a light bulb lit-up, the generator was placed onto a pile of other generators for steam cleaning and painting. THAT was their "rebuild" of generators they purchased cheap out of wrecking yards! Still another place that I stopped by was an engine "rebuild" shop. It was one of those cut-rate "complete overhaul" for $400 places. There was an engine being assembled on an engine stand. Out of curiousity while having a few moments to spare, I measured what appeared to be excessive cylinder wear with my micrometer. The cylinders were completely worn beyond servicable limits! My question to the "mechanic" / shop owner?..."Aren't you going to rebore this engine?" The shop owner's answer...."Hell no. It'll run."

What I don't understand is that in most towns, the District Attorney's Office is disinterested in complaints against dishonest car dealers, which I think is most of 'em! I myself filed a complaint against a Chevorlet Dealer once after having my car tinkered with in the shop in their attempt to justify unnecessary work. To make a long story short, I offered my services to the D.A.'s office to set-up a sting operation. It would have been simple: An expert mechanic would have done a complete inspection of my car (a Corvette) and then I would have taken it to the Chev Agency for a minor repair. That particular Chev Agency would have fabricated fake repairs...guaranteed! The D.A. wasn't interested! I couldn't believe it?! Turns-out that the D.A. got big campaign dollars just prior to re-election from most of the big businesses in town...the Chev Agency included!

These dishonest car dealers and politicians are a way of life. I guess that it's up to you to go find an honest repairman, whoever they may be. There is only one honest one here in the
Reno area that I personally know of. His philosophy is: "There is enough work out there. You don't have to cheat people." ....but he is a rare one indeed! Heck, I'll even name the place....Compact Car Repair, Reno, Nv.

My wife (married 17 Jan 04) was ripped off by these people in October. She bought a car with a supposed 99 point inspection and the motor blew up 2 weeks after she bought it. She wouldnt pay them due to the fact the car was crap until they fixed it, which they did. They gave her a later payment due date over the phone but then changed their mind on it.

She was in the hospital a week later and friends from our church tried to pay the bills for her but Drivetime would not accept her payment saying she was in default after less than 1 month overdue and they wanted the car back.

When she got out of the hospital the manager who sold her the car wouldnt deal with her because he said he was mad because she turned the car in broken when there was no 99 point inspection. A month later they repossessed the vehicle and then sent a letter stating they were auctioning off the vehicle and she would have to pay the difference between what she owed ($18,000.00) and what they would get for a 1994 Honda Civic which was in bad shape overall when I saw it.

It is March now and they havent sent any more letters since December but is there anything I can do to get them to erase this from her credit report or at least change the way it is reported since they probably reported it as a repossession? We would like to get a new vehicle and I am afraid of adding her name to a loan application, I might just co-sign for her but not sure what if anything will happen to my credit rating for doing either.

My credit rating is approximately 630-670 depending on which company you go thru and I'd like to not let it fall any further than it already is since I just spend 5 years paying off all my old credit cards in order to get it raised back up.

Thanks in advance.

i too was taken in by drivetime aka ugly duckling
i am a certified master auto tech , i happen to fall into work at a location in las vegas , after a few short weeks i started to see how this company does business many of the salesman as well as the managers themselves are as they say "roaches" any short cut to save a buck on these cars was their way , from using used parts to subletting the work to unreputable shops .
at one certain meeting all the techs were told "treat these cars like glass because we dont know how long they will last " shortly after i took my concerns to the general manager , too which he said "i will look into it" 3 days later he was transferred to the downey calif loaction.
when our new GM arrived he said fix all the cars the right way the first time , then 2 days later we started installing used motors and transmissions , if that was not bad enough myself and another tech were the only hispanics in the shop , and our new service manager started to throttle back the work we recieved, when i again took my concerns to the GM , i was told its like that sometimes , maybe you just dont know your job or your place "mexican" i quit the next day .
i notified the labor board here in las vegas but i live in a right to work state , oh well i now work at a reputable comapny , but that is the way it gets done at DRIVETIME aka uglyducking

I BOUGHT A MADZA MPV FROM THIS COMPANY AND WITHIN 3 MONTHS THE CAR HAD BEEN PLACED AT A SERVICE CENYER THAY THEY WANTED THE CAR AT AND REPEATLY STATED THAT THE CAR WAS FIXED. THE LAST STRAW WAS WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ANE THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETLY FAILED. I CALLED THEM AND THEY STATED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT NOTIFIED IN ENOUGH TIME. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I HAD REPORTED THIS PROBLEM AFTER ONLY 3 DAYS OF HAVING THE CAR. THEY STATED AGAIN THAT IT WAS NOT THERE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED MYSELF. I GLADLY TOLD THEM THAT THEY CAN PICK UP THE CAR BECAUSE I WAS NOT PAYING ANYTHING ELSE ON IT AND THAT IT COULD STAY WERE IT BROKE DOWN. NOW THEY HAVE PLACED THE CAR ON MY CREDIT FOR ALMOST $8000.00 AND THE CAR WAS NOT WORTH MORE THAN $1500.00..

I too brought a drivetime car no problems until I purchased a 2000 oldsmobile alero they have hounded me with phone calls and I paid on time.

My car was recently totaled by a 70 year old woman and her insurance company paid the car in full for $8000.00, still I was going to end up paying 20000.00 for the car.

Instead even with their Gap insurance they are still trying to get me to either pay $5000.00 or get another car from them which I don't understand.

I don't want another car from them especially if they call you morning, noon and night. I was not satisfied.

I was told that I would only need to put down $1000.00 and end up putting down $1200.00 and their sign outside advertised $599.00 down. I have spoken with general managers etc.
And all I ever got was the run-around. How can I avoid paying or shall I say oweing $5000.00. Any help would be appreciated.

I would like to respond to this:
The cars do come with a basic 3 month 3 thousand mile warranty on basic components such as engine and transmission. Some customers do not understand it is "their car" and they are responsible for repairs and

All I will say is, "BULL_CRAP!"
You sir are full of it and you know it!
Everyone I have known,including myself, that has got a car from your establishment and has had a problem with the car, has been told too d**n bad. And I am talking about problems that happened right away. I know a lady who had problems the first week/20miles and they told her to go to hell!!!!
You are going to burn in hell for being one of the "evil ones".

I am an ex employee of DriveTime/Ugly Duckling and filed in federal court a case of Wrongful Termination/Age and Sex discrimination in PHX Federal Court. Filed in May, 03, default judgement, July, 03, oral argument was cancelled for Nov 17, 03. Waiting on judge to make decision on who wins...alot of money is involved here. Im still without a full time position and on the the final 13 weeks of unemployment.

As a former sales manager for Drivetime I can understand most of the complaints that are lodged against the company as reasonable, the cars are pre-owned and a minority of the cars will have problems.

To put it in perspective, Drivetime nationwide sells between 50 and 60 thousand cars annually, making them the largest purveyor of pre-owned cars on a retail level in the country.

As far a customer base, in my experience, 90% of their customers trying to finance a car conventionally would be asked by the bank to put down about 50% of the cars total purchase price, somewhere in the 4 to 7 thousand dollar range as a down payment. Drivetime normally asks for a down payment in the $600.00 to $1200.00 range which is basically tax and license for these cars.

Drivetime can do this because they are the bank and the only source of financing for these customers, who's credit profile normally includes numerous collection accounts, auto repossesions, charge offs, and bankruptcies.

The average monthly income of a customer is between $1200.00 and $2000.00 per month gross income. With that income and their credit profiles, no conventional bank will finance them on any car, Drivetime will.

Drivetime will markup their cars approximately $5000.00 and charge 29.9% interest over a 42 month loan period making the total finance charge about $5000.00 over the term of the loan, hence making about $10,000.00 per car profit if the loan is paid off in agreement with the purchase contract.

Basically the company has a 30% chargeoff rate and is charging 2/3rds of their customers to pay for the 1/3rd that default on their loans.

The cars do come with a basic 3 month 3 thousand mile warranty on basic components such as engine and transmission. Some customers do not understand it is "their car" and they are responsible for repairs and maintenance. When you buy a house and it has a problem, you do not call your realtor to come out and fix it, same premise with a pre-owned auto bought anywhere.

In summary, yes when you sell 60 thousand cars per year their will be problems and complaints, and yes all cars come with a history report run by experian that is given to each customer for inspection. After being on the front lines for awhile with this company they do put people in better cars than their credit justifies, and ask for very little down payment. The tradeoff is a higher markup on the vehicle and a higher rate of interest, but noone else will finance these credit challenged customers. And the cars are usually later model vehicles in the 1996-2001 model year category and basically domestic vehicles.

Finally, the overwhelming majority of their customers realize their credit situation and can live with the decision they made to buy a car from Drivetime.

hello again,
I'm back to rebutt on all the reports I have read. they are so sad to say the least. all I can say is that I'm glad I dont work there anymore.

the sad part about all the reports is that all of them are true. they sell cars that have problems they wont admit to. the mechanics are not certified to do anything but turn a screw driver basically.just incase you did'nt know......

all the cars are marked up 5-6k.the cars they have now are kinda new(98-99-00)but they are old under the hood.if and when you go to a lot(I hope you don't) you will see that the cars are sad looking. they take advantage of the customers by giving them someone elses problem.let me say that all used cars dont have problems...

but it seems that most of the problem cars are owned and sold by drivetime.another thing that they do is call and harrass customers about the payment that is coming up. I called hundreds of customers 2-3 days before the payment and kept calling till they made it.

I was made to do this by my manager...because if I didnt do it...he wouldnt help me rob another customer(unwritten rule..help me or I dont help you).I have talked to hundreds of current and past customers of that company, and I have to say that only 1 of a few things are being said.

1) I don't want another car from anyone...

2)I got another car from drivetime...

3) YES,I want to get another car but I don't wanna get another car from THEM again.

To all that think i'm lying..find some people that have bought a car there and ask them if they would do it again.

As for them rebuilding your credit, that is a joke. Every dealership knows what they do to customers,and after you get raped by them....

they feel sorry for you.29.9% is like shooting yourself in the foot, it makes no sense.

now that the are "DRIVETIME",they have this downpayment driven interest rate. what that means is that the more that you put down,the lower your interest rate. you basically would have to put down $5000 down on a piece of junk car to get 9.9% if that.let me give you an example...

for a 2002 daewoo(now remember that america daewoo is gone)you would have to put down $5000 to get(with ok credit).

now if someone had that amount of money...why would you get a daewoo...but thats what they sell.well.....thats all for now...any questions....email me here.