Ford

We have a 2009 Ford Focus with only 23, 800 miles on it. Last spring, it started to go "cur-thunk, cur-thunk" on the right side. We took it to our regular mechanic to look at it. Sure enough, the right ball joint was loose. So, because we had purchased, and re-purchased, an extended Warranty Contract, we took it to the Ford Dealer, McKie Ford in Rapid City, SD., where we live. We took it there two separate times to get this mess straightened out. Both times, the Service Manager, who would NOT let my husband see the underside of the car, NOR LET MY HUSBAND RIDE WITH THE MECHANIC TO POINT OUT THE SOUND, they came out both times and said, "There's nothing wrong with your car." Well, the right ball joint is loose, according to two separate mechanics who looked at that for us, for free. These extended warranty contracts are a cheat. They are also called several things under the law, as follows" 1. Fraud in the inducement of contract. What does that mean? It means the customer is talked into paying extra for this "extended contract" which allegedly covers several other parts of the car, and which extends the overall warranty. The customer is thereby induced into purchasing these worthless contracts, and the dealer KNOWS they have no intention of fixing it when it goes wrong, hence the LEGAL PHRASE, "Fraud in the inducement of contract." 2. Simple, straightforward fraud, as the dealer knows the customer will never get satisfaction from the dealer, and you HAVE to go to the dealer on these things. 3. Pure theft, and the LEGAL PHRASE, "Theft by deception, " which all states have laws against doing. The theft is the deliberate deception of taking the customer's money, when the dealer knows there is no intention of fixing it. However, the customer is deceived at the time of purchase with the promise that the car will be fixed. 4. LEGAL PHRASE, "Reckless Endangerment." When the dealer knows that what they DON'T fix could cause a serious accident, with injury or death, they are recklessly endangering the buyer and they don't give a damn. If you have run across this vicious scam by a car dealer or anyone else selling you an "extended warranty" on a product, please make a formal complaint to the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI. These are "interstate transactions" and are therefore covered under Federal Law. That's certainly what we will be doing!