Overhaulin'

Gave down payment and signed an auto contract but did not take possession of the vehicle yet. Can I cancel?

In New York. I signed a contract for a car with a $18,000 sale price. This price went up $20,000 after all the dealer fees (including the doc fee, prep free and window etching which I now know are bogus) and bank application fees. Since the dealer has to get the title transferred, I only gave half of my down payment and planned to give the rest when I pick up the car. The Icing on the cake was when the dealer told me it would be an additional $583 for plates when I picked up the car. I want to cancel the deal and get my deposit back if they can not adjust for these bogus fees. Is this possible since I have not "taken the vehicle off of the lot" (excluding the test drive before the signing of the papers)?

Public Comments

1. Auto finance is what I do for a living and as long as you have not taken possession of the vehicle you can back out. Look for the dealer to make all kinds of threats but in reality there is nothing they can do. You may have to contact the lender and get them involved. And just so you will doc, prep, window etching and bank fees are not bogus. They are perfectly legal fees that apply to most all car deals. All of this was or should have been disclosed when you signed your paperwork.