Autoland Autoland Reneges on Trade-In, Asks Customer to Pay Difference 3 Weeks After Deal Was Signed! Los Angeles, California

My credit union used to use Autoland to supply its members with car-buying options.  Thinking my credit union still utilized this company, I called them wanting to purchase a new car as well as trade in my jeep as a down payment.  The process was simple, come in, tell them what I want, tell them what I had, see what comes up, and finish the deal.  About half way through the deal, I am told that my credit union no longer uses this company, Autoland, but they will still try and help me.  OK, Im in.

While the employee talked me into a higher value car than I wanted, I told her that I had a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, 4x4, V8, fully loaded.  I also told her that the check engine light was on and that the sensor on the computer read there was a bad O2 sensor in the tailpipe which was feeding bad info to the engine, causing a little stutter in the drive.  I also reported that the moon roof switch was out.  That's all there was wrong, and I reported everything I knew since I was the original owner of the car.

I was told by Autoland that they could get $5500 for the Jeep, I took it (even though low blue book was $8K, I saved the hassle of test drives and all that).  Cool, where do I sign?  I signed, but the form I signed DID NOT include the vehicle description.  Apparently, the Autoland employee did not relay in writing to the purchasers of my Jeep what I stated verbally was wrong.  

Three weeks go by and I get a phone call stating that I mislead Autoland, and they can't sell the car for what they thought.  They then had the nerve to demand $1,300 from me stating that I signed a contract allowing them to come back and ask for more money if they feel I mislead them.  I did not mislead them, I told them EVERYTHING, yet they came back with a list of problems wrong with the Jeep.  The funny thing is, she only took 3 pictures with her cel phone of the Jeep and spent about 1 minute looking at it.  So no inspection, no mechanic, just a write up that I never saw, yet my signature appeared on the write up.  Hmmmm....

So after repeated phone calls stating I owe them $1300, I have asked them to stop calling, but now they are emailing telling me I have a deadline of 10 more days.  I looked over the trade-in contract and I am in complete compliance with it, I have not mis-stated or misrepresented anything on the contract, so it's their word against mine.  Who knows what they did to it after I signed it off?  And there was no inspection at all with my Jeep, yet they are telling me I tampered with the emissions system which is funny because I told them about it before I signed.  They are still pursuing this and I am ready to take them to small claims court.  What a hassle.  No wonder my credit union dropped Autoland's services.

Shane
Fullerton, California