Menu
Login
I was in a car accident and totaled my car in October of 2009. I had just started a new job and could not miss work or I would lose my job (job probation). I only had $700 available as a down payment on another vehicle. A friend was able to get me to work for two days only, so during that two days I shopped around many places trying to buy another vehicle. Due to my credit and lack of money and short time on the job the only place I could buy a vehicle was DRIVE TIME. I was offered two vehicles only. A Chevy Lumina and a Ford Taurus. I had had previous experience with a Lumina and did not want to even consider that option. I asked what the MPG was for both cars. I drive 100+ miles per day round trip for work. So gas mileage was a must. They assured me that the Ford Taurus would get 26mpg. Now DRIVE TIME's selling feature is that they do a (22 or 32) point inspection on all vehicles. I don't remember the number. This is to reassure you the buyer that you are not getting a lemon. I put down my $700. I signed papers. I was told that I could make payments right there in the local store. My second day of owning the vehicle I called them back because the brakes were making noise. Basically I was told that was not covered and I would have to take it elsewhere. I said what about this inspection you were supposed to do.. I got the run-a-round. So it turned out that my back brakes were completely worn down and needed replaced desperately. So a year goes by.. I am stilling paying over $340 a month for this car that gets 19-21 mpg TOPS, and I get an ad from a local car dealership that says they see I have a Ford Taurus and they have been authorized to buy it back from me and put me in another car for less money. I go. The truth is I need gas mileage. I am spending $140+ every two weeks on gas. I get there and I go through some paperwork with them, only to find out that they cannot buy my car because I am financed through DRIVE TIME. They explain that the interest rates with DRIVE TIME are 19%... and that the bluebook on my car is $2000. I owe $8000. They explain how companies like DRIVE TIME know that you cannot trade this vehicle in and are forced to pay the entire contract.
So I immediately call DRIVE TIME and talk to them about all this information which came to light. They explain that "THEY" have a buy back program, where I can trade the car in for another one. Not much of an offer. But at this point I am thinking I need gas mileage, prices are going up. So I am told to call back on Monday and speak to someone about trading in my car. I call Monday. I get run-a-round. I call back Tuesday and they finally tell me that they will not take my car in trade until I owe less than $2000. At this point I say.. I have had the car over a year and paid you on time and from day one you have shafted me. Lied to me about gas mileage. Lied to me about your inspections. So I said I will let all my friends know how you do business. What else could I do?
Which brings me to point 3. Remember I could pay at my local DRIVE TIME. Well they removed that option. You can have the car payment deducted from your bank account monthly. You can pay at bill paying locations for a fee. You can pay online for a fee. My local pay location is 30 miles away. So I started paying online for a $5.50 fee. Hated to pay that fee, but I figured by the time I drove 30 miles one way and paid at the location plus the fee I was saving money by paying online. Here' s the problem with that. I paid with my bank debit card. The money is withdrawn immediately. DRIVE TIME however did not collect the money immediately. When it is not collected it goes back into your bank account. Two weeks later they re-collect the money. Now YES the money is still there, but because you do not get a monthly bill, nor can you ever see anything online to show your payments, interest and so on.. How do I know if I am getting charged a late fee?
So I ask.. Now DRIVE TIME should be politicians because they have a gift for answering your question without ever answering your question. So basically I don't know. So I requested an itemized statement of what I have paid. I have yet to get that in the mail, however I was told verbally what I owed at that moment.
So that brings me to two weeks ago. My paycheck is direct deposited (late the night before payday). Sometime during the night my check was deposited and a debit came in (unauthorized ) and removed that paycheck. By the time I get up the next morning, that transaction is final. So I call the bank and let them know I did not authorize that transaction. So they suggest I call that company to get them to give me the money back, where upon you get the run-a-round of you must sign this and that.. and it gets investigated. So I go back to the bank and have them start investigation. Anyway long and short.. I did not have the money to make my car payment. So I call DRIVE TIME and notify them. I get a lovely operator who says You have been a good customer let me apply for a deferment. So she applies. I am told to call back the next day to see if it was approved. NO it was not. So she says well we have other options. So a week later when I have to make my usual car payment again, we re-apply for the deferment. Once again it was denied. My circumstances are not considered a hardship. So they suggest I pay 90% of the lost payment. At which time I say Don't you think I would pay something if I had any of that money returned to me. It was at this point that I realized that this company is not about helping people. Many circumstances can produce bad credit. Five months without a job can do so much damage to your credit report. And it takes years to catch these things up. Years. And for companies to prey on people who are in these positions is inexcusable. They say that statistically 95% of the United States population is two paychecks away from bankruptsy. A huge chunk of the population does not have good credit. When companies charge 19 % interest.. and sell you a car for $14, 000 that is not even worth $4000 that is scandalous. Is it any wonder that people cannot get ahead when you are forced to do business with companies such as this? So I am writing this in the hopes that we can petition the Government or someone into stopping these unfair practices and creating a environment for people with poor credit to get ahead and clean that credit up.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Pinnacle Motorcars
4 reviews
Lindsay Ford of Wheaton
3 reviews
Vic's Legacy Auto
2 reviews
University Kia
7 reviews
Eddy’s Chevrolet Cadillac
1 review
Thank you! I had read numerous complaints about this company and am in a situation to where I was actually still considering buying a car from DriveTime. Well, not anymore! ...thanks to you. Sorry for your ordeal.
What a [censor] Company to do business with there TV Adds are so Dum.
This is so depressing. Another dead end. I guess I'll just have to try a traditional dealership and have 50 hard inquires because it seems all these dealerships geared to subprime consumers are money grubbing sleazoids.
They approved but they require a deposit AND their vehicle choices are a rip off. If I can't get my soul back, I can't work, I'll be evicted, etc everything will be gone.
No thanks did you read their story. So terrible. This world is a joke. I'm not getting myself into that. Do you know I paid 419.44 from February 2011 to Now that's 20, 500 these past four years not including repairs oil changes etc. Pissed. .I invested my being into this. I only got 42k miles, looking at drive time vehicles they are DOUBLE this mileage or MORE plus it's getting right back into the same predicament.
The negative equity from my Ford Focus plus the price of the Kia Soul. The oan was already upside down lown. I got screwed. But with 26-29 payment left I'm better off keeping my investment if I can't well you already know.
Not including late fees, they did a 72 month oan. Plus my 5 months used deferment so 77 months in payments plus the 355 late fees. ...
At 419.44 a month. ...that car cost me 32k, a whole 12k more! ! I think 5/6k was carried over from my Focus so ya. ...Thirty-two Thousand dollars. ...down the drain because of lost wages. ...
Thanks America ...
Thanks to this review drive time lost a sucker! I refuse to put my self In this predicament they had me fooled with the loan approval but after reading this they can shove it.
So.. you overpaid for a car, have bad credit, and overpaid on the payments, and it's their fault? Did you not do a KBB search on the car before you bought it? I'm looking at a car from them right now for $13, 985 that KBB.com says is worth $14, 500 at a dealer, or $10, 900 as a trade in. I have the VIN, and have carfax'ed it as well. Not a salvage title.
Car mileage is YMMV, and quoted directly from the manufacturer. Again, did you not do your research? If they quoted 26MPG, then I bet you ford says 26MPG too. I have a jetta that's quoted as 42MPG but gets 49MPG. YMMV = "YOUR" mileage may vary. Depends on how you drive. If you're getting 21mpg out of a 26mpg car, you're driving it wrong.
Oh, and you had to pay for oil changes? I've never bought a car where oil changes are included, and I'm a grandfather twice over. Only reason I'm looking at drivetime is that medical bills have ruined my credit (don't try to tell me that medical bills can't, if the doctor sells you to a collection agency, then they are no longer "medical bills" they are just "lines of credit" and still count) so I can't get a regular car loan at this time.
We have been with drive time since 2010.. it's been great ! We are on our 2 nd vehicle .. we went in 2010 my husband had very low credit paid $800 down chose between 4 cars.. we needed a car bad and couldn't go anywhere else so we the best of it . 6 months after our transmission went out, we only paid $50 for the new one because we had a 3 year warranty . We were Supposed to pay on it for 5 years, on the 3 rd year they called and said we could trade it in for anything on the lot no extra down . We went and got an awesome Nissan Xterra and paid nothing down after trade. Have had this car for 3 years and no major issues with it. It's has a 5 year warrant now as well. My husband was laid off last year, we missed over 3 months of payments, they never threatened repo once. They continued to work with us and only asked we call and check in on a regular basis . When he went back to work they deferred all missed payments and told us not to worry about it . Everyone has bad experiences however if you are in the position where this was your only choice for a car, you can't complain much with what you get . My husbands credit has improved by being with drivetime as well . As far as everything else, it sounds to me like the salesman you worked with caused a lot of issues and not the company as a whole. Each time we have looked at a car with them we have been given car fax reports and able to look up the car value . The interest rate made us pay more than the value of the car, but the sale price was always less.. you control your interest rate and with your credit . Yes it may suck but if you have bad credit and won't better in the future, you have to suck it up for a while .
How is selling someone a car that's supposed to be 7900, then you find out it will be 35, 000 before you can pay it off, sounds like you work for there sorry [censor] people if I wasn't a Christian I would take this car I got from them for supposed to be 7900 and nope it's 35, 000 for an 08 Dodge Grand caravan, I would take it to there parking lot and set that mother on fire
Very sensible! !
I used to sale cars. After being told that there car prices were set in stone... I would not dare buy a car that is worth 5000 for 13k that should be illegal.
If you are thinking about buying anything from them check the black book retail and trade in... The reason for the high down amount is so they can get it down to where the bank will give the loan... Its sick and sad.
It's a rigged system designed by the string pullers to keep the common human down and beneath their feet. The people will rise one day and this is what they hope to avoid more than anything else literally so places such as DT are created the machine is real ... was this issue ever resolved?
They done the same thing to me cause I was in need of a car and had 1000$ down and had poor credit and the price on the car was 6900$ and just two weeks ago I looked at all my paperwork that they breeze through with you so you don't see it but by the time I get done paying for this 08 Dodge Grand caravan which is o ly worth 2500$ I will be payed 35, 000$ that's like paying for the car ten times, but I wish someone could help me with this, I wish there was an attorney that could help me I pay 484$ a month and have payed for 2 1/2 years so I've payed more than what the car is worth could someone refer me to someone to get help with this I'm desperate, please Joshua Brock
REALLY? ? You Rant and Rave about the way someone does Business? THANK GOD WE LIVE IN AMERICA! ! THAT MEANS YOU HAVE CHOICES! ! Go somewhere else, do your research before doing business! ! He said she said, read all disclosures and make your best decision and live with it ! You have no legitimate complaints other than blaming someone else for your ignorance or stupidity! ! This sounds like a new generation way of thinking, Snowflakes? ? Lmbo ! Gees Grow up !
I must say that I am soooooooo happy to have come across your complaint. I am in need of a vehicle and do not have many options other than places like drive time. Since they seem to suck that much, they will not receive my business and I do not feel like I have to capitalize their name:)
My wife bought a 2 year old Ford Focus for 11k. After financing it cost about 16k. She chevked the bluebook value and the interest rate BEFORE she purchased the car. She knew she would pay more than she might pay if her credit was good but understood that it was not good and accepted the costs. She made her payments in time snd paid the car off early by adding additional payments to the principal. She understood that in order to bulid her credit and be able to finance a new car at a regular dealership she had to pay on time and make good financial choices. Her wxperience with Drive Time was positive because she investigated the deal in advance and then made good choices by paying in time. Today our credit is established and we recently bought a used Caddillac CTS with a preapproved check from a private person thus, saving dealer fees etc. The majority of these complaints are made by people whose bad decisions put them in a bad place and instead of reseraching, taking responsibility for their actions and making good choices, they continue to not pay on time and complain about the deal they made. Stop. Research deals before, not after making them. Make the payments toy agreed to make. If you can't afford it, do what we did in the past which is to buy a $1000 car and bit have payments. It's about taking responsibility. There is a saying that "ignorance is bliss". It appears that ignorance is painful. Quit whining and take responsibility. Only you can improve your life. Drive Time or the president can't do it for you
I BOUGHT A 2007 KIA RONDO ON MARCH 30, 2016 AND THE CAR WAS TAKEN THRU INSPECTION BY A DRIVETIME EMPLOYEE, IT PASSED. APRIL 30 MY HUSBAND TAKES THE CAR FOR IT'S YEARLY INSPECTION AND IT FAILS BECAUSE OF EMMISSON, ALRIGHT WE PUT A BRAND NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE. FROM THERE THE WOULDN'T STAY RUNNING, SO I HAD TO HAVE A FUEL PUMP, THROTTLE BODY, MASS FLOW SENSOR, STARTERAND EVEN NEW SPARK PLUGS AND IT STILL WOULDN'T RUN, AND DRIVETIME IS NOT TRYING TO HELP US AT ALL.
Me also I bought a car there for 10500 by the time I get done I’ll pay 25000 my car is only worth 5000 and looked at my balance and it’s still the same ever payment I made has went straight to interest so can’t trade the car in course I owe three times the car is worth I would avoid DriveTime at all cost they prey on the poor
Glad I saw these comments before buying anything from this company. Is it just me or do these vehicles look like they may have been rental cars that have been bought by DriveTime . I totaled my car, but I will exhaust every option available to me before signing anything at DriveTime.
They don't prey on the poor. They prey on the ignorant. Buying a car at a car dealership that specializes in people with bad credit you should already expect an interest rate of 15-30% which will take a 10k car in turn it into 20k when you pay payment for payment. Second off when you take it for a test drive if you dont know anything about a car take to a shop on you test drive and have them check it out. Dint just assume a dealership is sell you a good running car. Like the one guy said do your homework. You guys sign contract blindly then [censored] about afterwards. How you got screwed. You screwed yourself