Car Buying Myth #2

Myth: Consumer laws allow up to 3 days or 72 hours to return a car, purchased or leased, back to the dealer if the customer is not satisfied or changes his/her mind.

Not true.

This is a common misconception that seems to persist, even grow, despite all the information that is available both online and offline. This misconception has gotten some consumers in trouble when they thought they could "test drive" a vehicle for a couple of days before making the decision to keep or return.

There are indeed some federal and state consumer laws that provide for "grace" periods on purchases of certain products or services, in certain places. Most of these laws relate only to door-to-door sales and health club memberships. None relate to automobile sales or leasing. Some states even require car dealers to specifically inform customers that there is no such law.

Therefore, the only way that a vehicle can be returned after a sale or lease is if the dealer wants to cooperate when asked. Some of my web site readers have informed me that there are some dealers who provide a written return policy to all their customers. This is not typical, however.