Lemon Law – I Believe I Bought A Lemon? Can the Dealership Really Assist Me?
posted in Car Insurance Savings |If you’re reading this article, you probably already believe you have a lemon and you want to do something about it. Well, before I can warn you about what you will be up against at the dealership you purchased it, let’s make sure you can qualify.
First of all, the California Lemon Law requires that your vehicle, whether new, used or leased, still be under warranty and it cannot be used for business reasons. Remember, a vehicle is not just an automobile but also includes: trucks, SUVs, vans, RVs, boats, motorcycles, etc. The same stipulation applies to them as well.
To qualify for this Lemon Law in California, you should have all your original paperwork and tried to get the malfunction repaired at least 4 times at the dealership. Also, the vehicle must have been out of your use for at least 30 days, although not necessarily consecutive.
But what should you expect when you first contact the dealership and tell them that you believe they sold you a lemon? First of all you must know this; taking back your vehicle that is a lemon is their obligation. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.
Dealerships train their employees and mechanics to say just the right thing to make you feel like you don’t have a chance against them. Several “tricks” that are used by them are: saying you don’t have the right number of repair attempts, saying that the defect actually doesn’t even exist, making it seem like the problem is minor and is just not big enough to qualify as a lemon, putting the blame on you, the consumer, saying that you did something wrong to the vehicle and lastly, that the problem you’re having is very normal and all of those vehicles do the same thing.
The best thing you can do if you are in this situation is to seek the help of an attorney that specializes in the Lemon Law. Many of them will do a free case evaluation and some won’t even charge any out of pocket expenses. What they do is to work on your case and then take a percentage of what they win for you. This way you have someone on your side and you’re not fighting the gigantic auto manufacturers on your own.
Be aware that not all attorneys specialize in this law. This is very important. This law has many sides to it and a lot of intricacies that have to be very familiar to your lawyer. Make sure this law is what they do and only what they do. Then you know that you will be in good hands.