Auto Dealers, Burach Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Lincoln Park, N.J. fraud with 1998 Corvette purchase

Complaints.com received the following e-message on March 30, 2001:

From: Hawthorne, Gail

RE: AUTOMOBILE FRAUD - Burack Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Lincoln Park, N.J.

I have been a victim of Automobile Fraud. I purchased a used corvette in

1998 (1995; 8,600 miles as per the written odometer disclosure statement

provided by the dealer on 3/19/98) for $32,000 (plus paying for an extended

warranty from GM Protection Plan purchased on 3/16/99 #973230795) from Peter

Sabatino, Burack Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Inc., Route 202, Lincoln Park, N.J.

07035, (973-696-1100)

WHO HAS TWO VIOLATIONS FROM THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS IN

NEWARK, N.J. and I financed the car by signing the agreement on 3/19/98 and

sent my first payment on 3/22/98 to the Chevrolet dealer’s bank (Chase

Manhattan Bank, 900 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530), who is

also to blame for not notifying me of the contents of the certificate of

title, and upon completing the payments in 2.5 years(2/22/00), I received

the certificate of title from Chase Manhattan Bank and across the title was

“RETURN TO MANUFACTURER, LEMON LAW” & the status was “L”.

This was not

disclosed to me (see copy of the bill of sales signed on 3/14/98, in the

right hand corner of page 2, under wavier of Dealer’s obligation) at the

time of purchase by the dealer, Mr. Peter Sabatino. The same day I received

the certificate of title (February 28, 2000), I confronted the dealer in

person and Peter told me that he knew nothing about the branded Certificate

of Title. He told me that if I was not happy with the car, that he would try

& sell it on the Burack car lot.

This was his solution to the fraudulent

act. As per an article in the Sunday Record written in December 2000, by

Kevin DeMarrais, Mr. Jim Appleton, President of the N.J. Coalition of

Automotive Retailers stated that it is a dealer’s legal & moral

responsibility to be aware of defects in his cars and to let the consumer

know.

The next day, I connected Mr. Frank Stevens at the lemon law unit in

Newark, N.J. (973-504-6597) and he told me that I was a victim of CONSUMER

AUTOMOBILE FRAUD. I found out further when I obtained the “History of the

Vehicle” from Trenton for a small fee, that there were 5 other owners beside

myself. As per the History of the Vehicle, the car was sold to Burack

Chevrolet by Les Daniels, Mountain View Auto Body in Wayne, N.J.

(973-694-8516).

I have had one year of electrical trouble with the car (as per the vehicle

history). Electrical problems have branded this vehicle a lemon on 11/20/97.

The vehicle had stalled twice and had been towed twice to the dealership.

Due to mechanical problems, please note the following dates & the invoice

numbers from Burack service area written up by Burack’s service employee,

Darlene Olsen: 9/15/98 ,10796 MILES, INVOICE #873446; 11/30/98 ,12420 MILES,

INVOCIE # 88570; 12/23/98, 12607 MILES, INVOICE # 88812; 1/27/99, 12695

MILES, INVOICE # 89266.

If I did not have a second vehicle, I would have had to purchase one because

of these mechanical issues that have plagued me and by caused insecurity

while driving the lemon car. Based on the violation of the Unfair Trade

Practice Act, I sincerely hope that Chevrolet fines Mr. Peter Sabatino and

also revokes his license for his unprofessional & unethical representation

to Chevrolet.

At the time of purchase I did not receive a copy of the Buyers

Guide at the time of sale, which is a violation of the Used Car Rule.

To-date, this car with 14,500 miles will not start due to electrical

problems & has been sitting in my rented garage for several months waiting

for resolution.

A car branded as a lemon is only worth