Orangeville Mazda Overprices Car $25,000 to Intellectually Disabled Woman
Interesting Story being reported by The Star and City TV News, Madeline Leonard who is intellectually disabled arrived at the Orangeville Mazda dealership last December to replace her tires. She drove away the unexpected owner of a car whose price had been massively overinflated.
Leonard, 56, said she had never intended to buy a car or trade in her other Mazda, but the Mazda salesman talked fast, confusing her with numbers and she signed a deal.
A few days later, after doing some homework, she complained to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, which regulates new and used car dealers.
“I felt manipulated and cheated,” she said.
The regulator’s investigation revealed that Leonard actually paid a whopping $66,000 for the 2010 Mazda6 G6 sedan, including taxes and the value of a trade-in vehicle. The car should have cost $41,000 or less. Bains promises to reimburse Leonard $8,000 the dealership paid for her trade-in once Leonard returns the car.
Investigator Carrey Smith said the dealership had actually sold Leonard a “demonstrator” model, which dealers use for test driving. As well, add-on items had been sold three times what they should cost.
The dealership had also saddled her with an eight-year loan and heavy financing costs (7.8%). Leonard, who is unemployed and lives on a disability pension in a subsidized apartment, should have never qualified for the loan, Smith said.
“It’s killing me financially, it’s bi-weekly payments, $319 every two weeks,” she stresses. Leonard is on disability and says she has an income of just over $1800/month.
Last week, the regulator charged the dealership, business manager Kien Trung and sales manager Mohammed “Moe” Shaikh with “engaging in unfair practice by making an unconscionable representation” contrary to the provincial Consumer Protection Act.
In an interview on Thursday, Trung said he didn’t do anything wrong and “made a little bit of money on the deal.”
Bains said he could not discuss the reasons for the abrupt dismissals of the salesmen because the case is before the courts. The defendants are to appear in court next week.
“In my opinion, everyone thinks we did something wrong,” Bains said. “Therefore, I’m going to fix the situation. I do apologize for what she went through and suffered.’’
If found guilty, the dealership could face a maximum penalty of $250,000. The salesmen could receive fines of $100,000 each and/or two years less a day in jail. The regulator could also revoke their registrations to sell vehicles.
The Better Business Bureau of Mid-Western and Central Ontario has issued a D+ rating for the dealership, on a scale of A to F, after receiving complaints.
See the City TV news report below:
Posted: May 8th, 2010 under News, Orangeville.
Tags: Madeline Leonard, News, Orangeville, orangeville mazda
Comments
Comment from Suzy
Time May 13, 2010 at 1:30 am
The lady said she bought the car in December, and she’s just realizing now that she didn’t want the car? Seems like she can’t keep up with the payments and wants money.
Just saying, there’s always two side to things. Most likely, she’s dramatizing it a bit.
Comment from Unknown
Time May 14, 2010 at 11:27 am
Are you kidding me?! How is she dramatizing if she was OVER CHARGED for the vehicle?? Your gonna tell me that she made that part of it up to?? She’s not dramatizing. She was ripped off. The article clearly states that the vehicle was over paid for by approx. $25,000 AND it was a demo model. The price they based the overcharged amount on is for a BRAND new vehicle. Not one that has kms on it.
Comment from PATRICIA
Time May 14, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Im so happy to see that Mazda did the right thing and pulled the dealership this is not the first time I have heard of such crooked dealings at dealerships It goes on all the time I just hope omvic also does the right thing and suspends all there licences and than they can all look for new jobs selling swamp land in Florida.
Comment from Barrie BliZZards
Time May 17, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Stay away from Mazada real high charges on parts they don’t care about the common man just profit hope they shut more buy Honda
Comment from Steve
Time May 27, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Are you kidding me?! How is she dramatizing if she was OVER CHARGED for the vehicle?? Your gonna tell me that she made that part of it up to?? She’s not dramatizing. She was ripped off. The article clearly states that the vehicle was over paid for by approx. $25,000 AND it was a demo model. The price they based the overcharged amount on is for a BRAND new vehicle. Not one that has kms on it.
Pingback from Terminated Orangeville Mazda dealership reopens Motion Mazda | Inside Caledon, Ontario
Time June 25, 2010 at 2:42 pm
[…] follow-up to the story, Orangeville Mazda Overprices Car $25,000 to Intellectually Disabled Woman; the dealership was quickly terminated by Mazda Canada which resulted in the Mazda logo and signs […]
Comment from bigassbikerboy
Time October 13, 2010 at 4:36 pm
THESE CROOKED BASTARDS… I bought a car from this owners other dealership PICKERING SUZUKI last year…. this week i had a visit from the bailiff… THERE WAS A $26,000 LIEN ON THE CAR THEY SOLD ME!!!! I’m out a car while I try to get legal action against them.. NEVER BUY A CAR FROM THEM!!!!
Comment from rick
Time May 11, 2010 at 8:20 am
This dealership is crooked! No question about it. They advertize cars, get you to drive up from Toronto even after several calls making sure the price was right and then while your test driving the car tell you it’s actually not the price that was advertized!!!! For months the same car was advertized at the same low price. What a bunch of crooks! I was disgusted and recommend people stay away.