Audio By Carbonatix

Richard and Janice Favor have lived in San Antonio, Texas, for most of their lives. Richard is mechanically inclined, so for many years, he was keen on buying used cars that required minimal maintenance to keep running. Being in his 80s, the couple decided to buy a new Nissan for the first time, to keep him from having to work on it.

“He was tired of buying used cars that needed repairs,” Janice told KENS 5. “He wanted to go get a new truck.”

In February of this year, the couple spotted a brand-new, white Nissan Frontier at a local dealership. The price on the Monroey sticker read $40,085 MSRP. In speaking to a salesman, the couple said they were led to believe that’s what they would pay.

“They told us it was $40,085 plus tax, title, and license,” said Janice. However, as the couple was led into the financing office, the salesman was quickly going through the contract, and they didn’t get a good look.

“They said, ‘This is the warranty… Sign here. Sign this.’ which I did,” recalled Richard. Before leaving, they asked for a copy of the contract. They weren’t given one—instead, employees said it would be mailed to them. It never came.

When Janice called, she said they would be given a copy soon.

“They said we would get it when we picked up the license plate,” said Richard. The couple retrieved the license plate, but they weren’t given a contract. So, Janice called and demanded a copy be sent over email.

The couple was shocked by the Nissan dealer’s sneaky upcharges

Janice was given a copy, and as she read over it, she was shocked by how much they ended up being charged for the truck. Instead of the $40,0085 they were led to believe they’d pay, the truck was sold to them for $52,886. After interest, add-ons, taxes, and fees, the total cost came to north of $73,000.

“I was crazy angry, upset,” said Janice. The couple immediately drove back to the dealership, hoping to speak to a manager to renegotiate the contract. They waited for hours, but never spoke to a manager.

So, they contacted KENS 5, who spoke with a lawyer about the Favors’ situation. Their attorney contact, Bill Clanton, specializes in consumer protection. He confirmed a dealership can upcharge a vehicle how they like, but it’s how they advertise the vehicle’s price that can land them in hot water.

If they advertise or agree to one price, they can’t alter the numbers in the contract.

The media’s involvement reduced the truck’s cost by almost $20k

The dealership contacted the Favors the day after reporters started sniffing around. Managers offered to renegotiate the cost of the Nissan truck.

The new contract reduced the MSRP by $7,000, and adjusted the financing terms to lower the total cost by almost $18,000. It’s not the $40,085 they originally thought they’d pay, but Janice was grateful for the reduction. She says reporters did most of the heavy lifting.

“KENS 5 has been fantastic. I believe they wouldn’t be working with us if it hadn’t been for what you had already done,” she said.