- For a used car, get a vehicle history report from www.carfax.com or www.autocheck.com. Note however that these only attempt to collect data from public records. So, if the car was in an accident but it was never reported, it is not going to show up here. Thus, these reports are helpful but not definitive. Don't let any car dealer try and convince you otherwise.
- Gather together and then review the originals of all paperwork given to you by the dealer, and read it. Does the contract contain the terms you agreed to? Are there signatures everywhere there are supposed to be? Are there any blanks in the forms? Did you receive all of the required disclosures? Is there an arbitration agreement that you can opt out of? Typical documents will include the following:
-Advertisements or Letters from the dealership or financing company
-Window Sticker
-Buyers Order
-Retail Installment Sales Contract
-Manufacturer=s Warranty Booklet
-Extended Warranty Forms
-Gap Insurance documents
-Etch or Lojack documents
-Odometer Disclosure Statement
-Agreement to Provide Insurance
-Spot Delivery or Financing Agreement
-Addendum
-Prior Use Disclosure
-Negative Equity Disclosure form
-"We Owe@ form
-Payment Book
-Credit Denial Letters
-Credit Acceptance Letters
-Title to the Car
- Get the car’s title history and review the paperwork which the dealer submitted to the MVA. Compare signatures, governmental charges, etc. Contact prior owners where appropriate – i.e. to find out about prior accidents, etc:
Send check for $9.00 (or $12.00 for certified copy) to:
Motor Vehicle Administration
Room 146
6601 Ritchie Highway, N.E.
Glen Burnie, MD 21062
- Go to any franchised dealer for the make of your car and get a complete printout of the car’s warranty, service and recall history. This may help you locate useful information about material problems the dealer failed to disclose at time of sale, or help establish odometer discrepancies.
- Get copies of your credit reports from each of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, by going directly to their websites, or by going to www.annualcreditreport.com There is one free credit report per year to Maryland residents (but they will try to sell you optional "credit watch" and other things). Once you have your credit report, look at which finance companies the dealer shopped your loan to.
- Armed with this information, identify any red flags such as phony down payments, a used car sold as new, an undisclosed prior daily rental, a salvaged title, forged signatures, unsigned documents, missing documents, etc. If you believe the facts warrant it, contact a lawyer to find out your rights.