East Charlotte Nissan Step Rail Ripoff Charlotte North Carolina

Last year I went to East Charlotte Nissan in Charlotte, NC to purchase an Xterra. I told them I wanted a black or white Xterra with step rails, all electronic windows/locks & alloy wheels. The first vehicle they bring out had no step rails, no electronic windows/locks and had no alloy wheels. I told them I'm leaving and they decide to bring out what I asked for in the first place. The Xterra they brought out next and I test drove had step rails, electronic windows/locks, alloy wheels. After test driving I decided I like the vehicle and to purchase it. They haggle over the payments and tell me my credit is bad which it was not, they show me a fake score. I checked my score before going there. I ended up giving them $2200 plus my 1991 Honda Prelude as a down payment.

The vehicle I left the dealers lot was not the vehicle I test drove and not the car I decided to buy. They either switched vehicles on me or removed the step rails because thats what was missing "the step rails". I never agreed for them to remove the step rails or give me a different car. They will claim that I did and that I wanted lower payments. Of course everyone wants lower payments but the fact is this: step rails cost no more than $200 at the most $300 (online I found them priced at $175). I can afford $200-$300, and $200-$300 more on a 63 month lease is not going to cause a dent in my wallet. It should add about $5.00 to the payments maybe more but not by much. They claim they gave me this vehicle to lower my payments, yet they called me back and told me I had to sign a second contract which in fact raised my payments from $379.86 to $408.09. They did in fact switch vehicles on me or took the step rails off without my knowledge. I can afford to go buy new ones, I just want you to be aware of their business practices.

After I signed the first contract they would call my work and tell me I needed to sign a second contract. I found this a little odd. They would call and ask me to fax them copies of my paycheck which I had to get my boss to send me because I have direct deposit. They would call and say 'will you fax this..." and I said "yes, but I'm currently working and I'll do it later today" then they would get mad and defensive and claim that they would take away my vehicle and that my first car payment would be late and practically yell at me while I'm at work. Once they said "Where are your priorities?" He said this while I'm at work trying to get him off the phone becuase my boss is standing there saying "get off the phone we need to WORK!" I'm thinkng my priorities are to WORK and get paid so I can pay for this new Xterra I just dropped $2200 dollars down on plus my only vehicle my Honda Prelude. I thought they were going to take my down payment and my car and leave me with nothing so I went back in and signed a second contract in which my payments, like I said before, were raised from $379.86 to $408.09. And for an added bonus they claimed that I lied about where I worked. I still work there, at the same place, and I've been there for over a year. I even invited them to come pickup the printouts they wanted so badly (the faxes) that I couldn't fax at the time because I was working.

I contacted the Better Business Bureau, and the North Carolina State Attorney Generals office about them. They sent letters to East Charlotte Nissan to which they denied any wrong doing, and neither the Attorney Generals office or the BBB would do anything beyond that. This was he worst experience with a car dealer I have ever had. I leaves me to beleive they are nothing more than scam artists.

Michael
Charlotte, North Carolina
U.S.A.