Receipt for car purchase?

May 16, 2021 9:31 PM

When you buy a car from a name brand dealer using their financing, do you normally get an itemized receipt / bill of sale showing the price of the car, dealer fees, taxes, title, registration, etc.? If you didn't get one initially, what lengths would you go to to get one?

I purchased a used car a few weeks ago from a major car brand dealership in NY. When I purchased the car, I thought the amount I was financing was too high compared to the price of the car and stated fees that I had discussed with the salesman. I looked through my paperwork to figure out what exactly I was paying for and realized I only had paperwork for the financing, no receipt or bill of sale, so I couldn't figure out what I paid for anything. I emailed the finance guy and salesman a couple times asking for a copy sent electronically, but received no response. Finally, I emailed the general manager, and subsequently the finance guy called me to discuss my sale. (I was trying to email as opposed to phone because I believe strongly that communication like this should be in writing, in addition to my aversion to phone calls)

It turns out, the finance guy overcharged me by $2,000.* He's going to issue a refund to the bank and send me a copy of the check (supposedly - he's currently over a week overdue for this)

*Based on my calculations, I think they overcharged me by $3k, but since I don't have a receipt, I can't figure anything out.

I am spitting mad over this whole ordeal. I think they are trying to take advantage of me because I am a single woman with green hair. I need to call the finance guy tomorrow so he can fax or email the copy of the check to the bank. I am completely over dealing with him. I have been toying with the idea of having a lawyer friend send a physical letter to the dealership requesting a copy of the bill of sale to make sure everything is on the up and up. Would this be over the top for dealing with a car dealership? I've never financed a car before, so I don't know what standard protocol is. I would think a bill of sale or receipt would be standard paperwork for car buying, whether you finance or not.

Bonus question, what government agency would I contact to investigate the dealership for shady business practices? I cannot be the only person they are trying to screw over, and I feel like most people probably wouldn't notice the price being off. And how can a correction to a car price be exactly $2000? If he calculated everything with the price as $2000 more, I would've overpaid the sales tax too.

Note: I do not want to return the car. I want to pay the price I talked about with the salesman.

posted by DEiBnL13 to Work & Money (10 answers total)

Contact the NYS Attorney General Office. Tell the dealer you are going to contact the AG if they don't give you an itemized bill and at least the $2000 you are owed before you audit the transaction.

If it were me, I would show up tomorrow morning and ask for the information while you wait.
posted by AugustWest at 9:42 PM on May 16, 2021 [4 favorites]

You absolutely should have something itemized.
posted by azpenguin at 10:12 PM on May 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Dealers often play games with itemization so I'd expect to get one so I can verify the transaction. A common trick I've seen is putting the trade-in value above the line, to make the cost of the new car seem smaller, as an example.
posted by Candleman at 10:26 PM on May 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yes you should have been given a bill of sale.

Right now, sit down and write out everything you can remember about the negotiation and the final terms.
posted by Miko at 10:27 PM on May 16, 2021 [2 favorites]

I would go to great lengths to get a receipt for the car; that's your proof you actually own it: the finance paperwork is only proof that you took out a loan. As others have said, I'd do it by showing up in person and not leaving without the receipt in your hands.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:29 PM on May 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

You don't typically get a thing called a receipt, but you should have received a copy of the sales contract that identifies the specific vehicle you purchased and the price you agreed to pay. If you got financing through the dealer, you should also have paperwork for that which includes the Truth In Lending Act disclosure at the very top, which should outline the price you paid and the cost of the financing.
posted by wierdo at 12:54 AM on May 17, 2021 [3 favorites]

We bought a used car last month and I definitely have a receipt (the pink copy of a triplicate form) that itemized the car price, sales fees, the value of our trade in and our down payment. Financing docs are separate. All of it is hard copy, not electronic.
posted by kimberussell at 4:00 AM on May 17, 2021 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you all for confirming that I am not crazy for expecting a receipt for a car purchase. This dealer is hella sketchy!
posted by DEiBnL13 at 11:38 AM on May 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

I would not go to the dealer to demand a receipt. A common tactic in these ripoff situations is to claim you were disruptive or aggressive in their dealership, so couldn't give you the paperwork you requested and had to have you arrested instead, for their own safety and that of their other customers.

Communicate in writing only. Email is good. If you talk to them on the phone they will lie about what you said.

Car dealerships are regulated to stop this kind of ripoff when it happens. Don't threaten the dealership with going to the authorities, just do it.
posted by KayQuestions at 4:54 PM on May 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

Maybe the registration works differently when you buy at a dealer, bun for me, getting my car registered in New York State required the receipt/bill of sale from Indiana where it was purchased, so get the receipt and also hold onto it for the future.
posted by wowenthusiast at 1:34 PM on May 18, 2021