I am hoping someone here can provide an answer to this. I don't want too much time to pass before I take additional action.

I purchased a 1993 Black on Black coupe from a local dealer here in Connecticut 3 weeks ago. The original delivery was set for a Monday evening after some of the issues I identified were resolved.

Monday came and went as did Tuesday and Wednesday with the car not being ready for pickup. Thursday I went to take delivery and the car was ready only they explained to me that they still didn't have the title so I would have to take it with dealer plates.

Anxious to drive it and taking their word for it that they would have the title in a couple of days, I handed them the check and took delivery...

It has been two weeks since then and I still don't have plates or the title. Last week I couldn't get my sales women to respond to voice mails and yesterday when I spoke with her she made light of the delays.

Should I be concerned? I am still driving on their dealer plate which I would think would be a no-no for so long.

My concern is what if they can't get the title? What if they were scammed by the person that traded it in? I can't believe they would take possession of a car without title or worse sell one...

Am I just overly concerned about nothing?

 

Personally, I would be very concerned. I would recommend you contact the dealer and tell them they had better have the title in hand, or you will take this up with the State Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau.

There should be no more than 2 - 3 days to get the title and the plates should show up in a week.

Good luck,
Dino

 

If it was still possible, I'd stop payment (or at least threaten it).

I'd say this is pretty serious.

- R

 

I would be nervous too.

 

To put yourself at ease (if that's the case) call the state attorney general's office and ask the question (s). "Should I have received within a few days of purchase from a car dealer permanent license plates and the title to the car?"

I believe the answer will be yes, you should have. But there may be some extenuating circumstances, what I'm not sure of.

Even if it is a long distance call, there must be someone there who can help you. Failing that, call your local DMV office and ask the same question.

Hope everything turns out ok. Tell us what happens, whenever it finally happens.

 

In some states like Virginia, dealerships can sell cars if they don't physically have the title.

When they don't have the title, the dealership can get a duplicate title. In that case, they are at the mercy of the DMV, which can take weeks to get anything done.

I would contact the dealership and speak with their title admin and ask them for a time frame when they will get the title.

In the meantime, you can drive on the dealer tag with no problems.

If they are a good dealership and have been around for sometime, I wouldn't worry. Happens all the time. If they are fairly new, like less than 1 year in business, I'd get on them and call 3 times a week for an update.

 

Title Laws are different from state to state.

Where are you?

Remeber if anything goes wrong at this point, with dealer plates on there, they are responsible.

I would talk to the GM at the dealership and ask for the truth, if you dont feel comfortable after that, call the BBB.

 

There is a possibility the previous owner had a loan on the car and the title is held by the finance company. The finance company is going to take their sweet time about finalizing the paperwork and getting the title sent out for processing to have the lien removed. As stated earlier the title could be tied up at the state DMV office being processed. Here in Tennessee it has taken as long a 6 weeks for a title to get to me. It will take 2-3 weeks just to get registration papers through the dealer. I seriously doubt any state can do a title in 2-3 days. Vehicle registration yes but not a title. The dealership is not going to risk losing their license and possible jail time for selling a car with a lost/missing, don't know where it is, whatever title. Even if there is a problem with the title unknown to the dealership, they will have to make everything right or risk a lot of legal problems.

 

Can somebody CARFAX it for you or did you do that already? That might show something. Good Luck, I have been through title issues before and should have bought stock in Malox.
Chris

 

In Maryland the dealer will give you temporary tile and registration papers. The original title goes to DMV and DMV creates a new title and mails it to you. The tags are mailed to the dealer by DMV.

 

I appreciate the feed back everyone. I am going to stop buy the dealership on my way home tonight and make a stink. If I had a warm fuzzy feeling about their efforts to retreive the title I wouldn't be as worried.

I had done a CARFAX and everything looked good. I even registered the car for the quarantee they offer. The one issue is that the title is from Massachusetts and we are in CT. But without a lien the prior owner should have handed over the title when he picked up his new car.

This is a dealer that has been doing business in CT for some time (many years) but they don't have the best reputation when it comes to after sales customer service. This was part of the reason it took me so long to make a decision. The longer I wait or it takes to get this resolved the less likely it is to end amicably.

Car's are sold/traded all the time. Between dealers, auction houses, salvage yards, etc... The title always follows the car unless there is a lien. When a lien is involved the lien holder will usually overnight the title once the lien has been satisfied. This has been my experience anyway.

A standard sale between a dealer (who had the car on the lot for a couple of weeks) and a customer with cash in hand shouldn't raise any issues. I have purchased many (too many) cars in my life and never have I see a deal go down like this one.

I will let you all know how this turns out...

 

You have some good previous advice, the reason answers vary is because the laws vary by state. For more specifics contact the local state DMV and ask for the dealer licensing section. That is also where you can record a complaint and/or claim. In general, there isn't a limit on the dealer plates - at least not from your standpoint, and they need to give you a copy of the registration for those plates if you are using them for more than a couple of days. You should also make sure your or their insurance is covering you in the vehicle with dealer plates for the extended time, some companies give a grace period and automatic coverage on ins. but typically have a time limit.

If that was going on in Colo, the dealer would lose their license - they can not sell a vehicle they do not have title to. And if they lose their license they are out of business.

You might want to verify your position by typing up a short letter to the dealer indicating your concerns, and asking them to verify that these items will then be taken care of. Have a representative of the company sign and date the document, you do also, and have a witness (of your choice not theirs) sign the document. It doesn't have to be fancy, just in writing, signed, and witnessed. It will be as good as evidence to either the dealer licensing board or in a court of law as any document drawn up by a lawyer.

 

a couple weeks plus is very common in WA., bill of sale, dealer plates,
and you'll have a/ or can get a copy of the check once cashed........I
wouldn't be ansy at all.

 

Finally got the plates today... Got a call from my sales lady on Monday to say that they got the title. I wrote a note to the general manager last week, I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

She promised that they would send a driver on Tuesday to take it through emissions and put plates on it. Tuesday came and went… Never heard from them...

Called Wednesday and they sent a driver over. The driver told me he was only there to take it through emissions, not to get it registered since the gal who normally does registrations is out.

I called my sales lady again and she told me it takes 24 hours to have the emissions get into the system so they could register it.

What is it???

In any case I called her this morning and she assured me they would bring the plates over. An hour later she calls back and says that all of their drivers took the day off to go golfing... I went and picked them up myself...

I couldn't be happier to have a deal done. This woman is a collection of every stereotypical car salesmen you have heard stories about.

This exercise was certainly a test of my patients.

 

Next thing they will tell you is the check is in the mail......You are very patient....

 

Glad it worked out for ya. I bought an 89 from a dealer years ago and had an even worse situation. They didn't have the title when I bought it and when they did get it the car I bought that was showing 66K miles had a non actual mileage title. They bought the car back and I bought an 85 from them but what a mess that was. The 89 was my first vette so when they bought it back they also had an 85 on the lot and a 96 which I couldn't afford so I bought the 85 from them and they gave me a hell of a price on it because of the mess the first one I bought turned out to be.

 

"...This woman is a collection of every stereotypical car salesmen you have heard stories about."

You forgot to tell us what she asked you when you first walked in to look at the car: "What'll it take to put you in this car, today?"

See? And you blinked first, and the title thingy went, POOF! Finally, it miraculously, re-appeared....gee whiz...

Glad it turned out all ok. Drive it and enjoy it. See ya.

 

You just learned rule #1 of buying a car, don't take delivery until everything is done and the car is just like promised. Otherwise, the check (yours) is already in the bank and the salesperson and managers are already spending their commission checks and have gone on to the next customer. You are old news once you take delivery.

 

Don't forget, they are playing golf while you are still trying to take care of business.

I'd ask for a free oil change for the stress.