Issue with A Dealership

[English for Nursing]

Alright, so I can just get down to brass tacks here. My fiance (Thai) just purchased a "brand new" (1st hand) test driven car from an official Mazda dealership. Now, when we went to test drive the car, it had 10,000+ kms on the odometer. Even before going to test drive it, the saleswomen said it had 10,000+ kms. Now, here's where the issue lies. When we went to pick the car up, I was absolutely astonished to see over 100,000+ kms on the odometer. I got out of the car and politely confronted her, the saleswoman, about this and she apologized because she forgot to tell us that "In order for them to sell the car, they had to change the odometer up to this number for insurance purposes." Now, in defense of them, I did the math. This car was shipped to Thailand in July 2017. From then until now, even if it was test driven 10 kms a day for the 2 years and 4 months it's been here, it would be nowhere near 100,000 kms. 

This just throws up all kinds of red flags to me, someone who has bought and purchased cars from both dealerships and second hand shops in the US and who has dealt with similar situations like this. What I am trying to ask is if anyone else has encountered a situation like this before? That is too big of a difference in kms for the price we are paying for the car, a 2018 Mazda 3 SP Top Model, to ignore. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by English for Nursing

[faraday]

It's Brass Tacks.

 

If what you say is true, get your money back.

[English for Nursing]

Well, after contract signings and financing approvals, don't believe it's as simple as that.

[blackcab]

Personally I wouldn't accept the car. Contact the finance company and ask them if you can cancel without penalty.

 

Any problems and contact the Office for Consumer Protection.

 

Sounds like a bait and switch to me.

[Rimmer]

Take pictures of everything then contact Mazda and the finance company see when they think about this, but on no account accept the car or their story. 

The finance company wont be very pleased either, they are supposedly financing a brand new car not one with 100,000k on the clock.

[English for Nursing]

Thanks for your reply. We are weighing our options now. We will contact the finance company and inform them of this first, as well as Mazda themselves.

 

 

Edited November 4, 2019 by English for Nursing

[Jitar]

Apparently the dealer thinks it is ok to change the Odometer in order sell a demo car.  Now that it is sold, ask them if they will change it back.  They should have no problem.....

[Puchaiyank]

Tampering with a vehicle odometer is a criminal offense in some countries...

 

This does not pass the smell test...

 

"BUYER BEWARE!"   ????

[canthai55]

Begs the question ...

Why - after seeing 100K - did you accept it ?

 

[transam]

The car will belong to the finance company, so just tell them you/they are being duped...

[Don Mega]

I seriously doubt a 2018 model vehicle was shipped to Thailand in 2017.... not to mention the Mazda 3 is built at the AutoAlliance facility in Rayong.

[English for Nursing]

2 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Begs the question ...

Why - after seeing 100K - did you accept it ?

 

We couldn't really back out as this was right after we got done signing all of the paperwork, contract and all. 

[richard_smith237]

The Sales woman has lied through her teeth and told you absolutely anything to get a sale. 

 

Do not accept the car.

 

Question though: Did you ever see 10,000 km on the car? 

[worgeordie]

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Sales woman has lied through her teeth and told you absolutely anything to get a sale. 

 

Do not accept the car.

 

Question though: Did you ever see 10,000 km on the car? 

It sounds like she never even seen the car,and just believed what the car dealer said !!!!

regards worgeordie

[steve187]

 

22 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

It sounds like she never even seen the car,and just believed what the car dealer said !!!!

regards worgeordie

he clearly states in the op

Now, when we went to test drive the car, it had 10,000+ kms on the odometer

Edited November 4, 2019 by steve187

[Don Mega]

If you have evidence of odometer tampering give the consumer protection people a call.

 

http://www.ocpb.go.th/ocpb_eng/main.php?filename=index___EN

[NanLaew]

9 hours ago, English for Nursing said:

"In order for them to sell the car, they had to change the odometer up to this number for insurance purposes."

They are trying to get a lower insurance premium by the car suddenly being 'older'.

 

The downside is your manufacturers warranty will expire 'sooner'.

 

There's no need to accept either the dealers's or the finance companies insurance.

 

But all a moot point. Get Mazda head office in on this dealerships fraud and work towards giving the car back and getting a refund.

[Wicked Roger]

8 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

They are trying to get a lower insurance premium by the car suddenly being 'older'.

 

The downside is your manufacturers warranty will expire 'sooner'.

 

There's no need to accept either the dealers's or the finance companies insurance.

 

But all a moot point. Get Mazda head office in on this dealerships fraud and work towards giving the car back and getting a refund.

Presumably there is no service history for the vehicle, and with 100k on the clock there will be no warranty either.

 

Seems a very high price to pay for just a cheaper insurance premium!

[Just Weird]

As the OP is not complaining about the condition of the car, just the mileage shown and if this, highly unlikely, tale is accurate, with no omissions, all that has to be done is the dealer has to adjust the odometer back to the 10,000kms it was before.   And no insurance company adjusts the premium down based solely on a higher-reading odometer.

[Just Weird]

On 11/4/2019 at 3:37 PM, English for Nursing said:

We couldn't really back out as this was right after we got done signing all of the paperwork, contract and all. 

The contract was signed before "the odometer was adjusted" up 1000% so how is that not a reason to refuse the car until the reading is corrected?