Dealer wont accept CC payment

[tupacbiff]

I was attempting to put a large portion of the purchase of a new vehicle (over 10k) on a CC. Upon going to the dealer to pick up the vehicle they refused to accept payment by CC saying that at most I could put only $2,000 towards the purchase.

 

I know this is a violation of there merchant agreement, yet I dont want to make too many waves since my car is going to be serviced there for 5 years under the warranty.

 

Any advice?

[MarvBear]

As far as I'm concerned you could pay for the whole car on the credit card.

 

I could care less.

 

Won't do any good to make any waves either, you can report them all you like, because neither visa/mastercard/amex or the like will fine a dealership or suspend/revoke our agreement for imposing any limit we like.

 

As a business, we may choose the method of payment we accept or any limitations on any method of payment we accept. And to be quite frank, there is nothing anyone can or will do about it.

 

It's probably just that store's policy not to accept over a certain amount.

[Anon]

The credit card companies may not do anything, but if you let enough people who have principles know about it, they will certainly go elsewhere for a car.

 

I am thinking that is something that can be done.

[MarvBear]

The credit card companies may not do anything, but if you let enough people who have principles know about it, they will certainly go elsewhere for a car.

 

I am thinking that is something that can be done.

 

 

And I'm thinking that actually not a great many people care either way.

 

I certainly don't. Pay Cash, Pay with a loaded wheelbarrow full of Coin Wrappers, pay with a credit card, makes no nevermind to me.

 

Since this is more of a policy post regarding the acceptance of credit cards or denial thereof, I'm am moving this thread to the appropriate forum and saying goodbye to it.

[GEORGE]

MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE DEPARTMENT

[GEORGE]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

[GEORGE]

SOME DEALERS ARE A STRANGE BUNCH OF PEOPLE

 

THEY MAKE MORE MONEY BY REFUSING A SALE

[tfmotors]

As a former General Manager of 3 dealerships (family owned) it was policy not to accept payment over 1000 on a credit card toward the purchase of a new/used vehicle. I did not care if it irritated people or not.

[tfmotors]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

[GEORGE]

A CREDIT CARD FEE IS...

 

A TAX DEDUCTABLE COST OF DOING BUSINESS JUST LIKE...

 

PHONE

WATER

GAS

SEWER

ELECTRIC

ETC..........

[GEORGE]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

[tfmotors]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

 

Yes. It wouldn't have been personal. Just business.

[GEORGE]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

 

Yes. It wouldn't have been personal. Just business.

YOU THE ONLY PLACE IN TOWN???

[tfmotors]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

 

Yes. It wouldn't have been personal. Just business.

YOU THE ONLY PLACE IN TOWN???

 

No.. not the only dealership in the metro area. ARE YOU THE ONLY CUSTOMER IN TOWN? It was my policy not to be held hostage by a customer for any reason.

[GEORGE]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

 

Yes. It wouldn't have been personal. Just business.

YOU THE ONLY PLACE IN TOWN???

 

No.. not the only dealership in the metro area. ARE YOU THE ONLY CUSTOMER IN TOWN? It was my policy not to be held hostage by a customer for any reason.

OK...........

 

THE PLACE NEXTDOOR WILL GET THE SALE

[tfmotors]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

 

Yes. It wouldn't have been personal. Just business.

YOU THE ONLY PLACE IN TOWN???

 

No.. not the only dealership in the metro area. ARE YOU THE ONLY CUSTOMER IN TOWN? It was my policy not to be held hostage by a customer for any reason.

OK...........

 

THE PLACE NEXTDOOR WILL GET THE SALE

 

As always a interesting and spirited debate.

[JerseyBaby]

2 DURANGOS

 

100% PIF

 

AMEX DELTA

 

YES I WAS WILLING TO WALK AND TOLD THEM FROM THE GET GO

 

 

I would have held the door open for you.

AS IN KICK ME TO THE CURB???

 

Yes. It wouldn't have been personal. Just business.

YOU THE ONLY PLACE IN TOWN???

 

No.. not the only dealership in the metro area. ARE YOU THE ONLY CUSTOMER IN TOWN? It was my policy not to be held hostage by a customer for any reason.

 

Please explain how a customer, willing to buy a car at a mutually agreed upon price, and using a legitimate payment method, is holding you hostage.

[orangecrush]

If you really want to pay by credit card. Contact MC or Visa and complain. In about 14 days the dealer will get a nasty letter telling them to cut it out. Wait a few weeks go back and see if they are still doing it. If so, report them again.

 

You can report the violation to Mastercard here:

 

 

http://www.mastercard.com/contactus/contactus_mv.html

 

 

I have seen some of the letters that merchants in violation of MC/Visa policy get. Some of them are pretty nasty (repeat offenders).

 

 

 

 

 

From another thread:

 

My friend made some enemies at a local Toyota dealer with that one. After beating them into the ground, he pulled out his credit card to pay. They told him they only took credit cards for deposits. He told them that if they accepted Mastercard, then they had to accept it for all purchases. They said no. He called MC corporate line from his cell phone. They put him through to the correct department. The finance manager refused to speak to MC on the phone. My friend gave MC the dealership info.

 

Somone called a few days later and invited him to come and purchase the car. He was told that their processor called the manager and "explained the situation to him".

 

I take that to mean they were threatened with having their account yanked.

[Seabee]

As a former General Manager of 3 dealerships (family owned) it was policy not to accept payment over 1000 on a credit card toward the purchase of a new/used vehicle. I did not care if it irritated people or not.

 

When you accepted your merchant agreement, was there a clause in it that said you could not set a maximum charge amount?

[GEORGE]

STORE POLICY DOES NOT OVER-RULE CREDIT CARD POLICY

[tupacbiff]

****Update****

 

Although I knew I could call up the CC issuer and make a situation out of it, in this case that was not the route I chose to take for various reasons.

 

1) they were the only local & convenient dealer for the make of car

2) I gorged them on my trade in value and got it in writing. The appraiser messed up and thought I had a different model and appraised it over blue book value.

 

Next time it will be the 1st thing I say to dealer and make sure it wont be an issue.

 

We negotiated a fair and reasonable amount to be put on my CC. It was not the amount I had planned but am happy with the results.

[PalmBeach]

Why not walk into a nearby bank and get a cash advance? Was it the % charged for the cash advance fee that was stopping you? Some of my cards don't charge for a cash advance and I can just go to a bank, hand them the card and ID and leave with either cash or a cashier's check for the items I want to purchase. This was very helpful for me when I traveled extensively..

[hurricanesfans27]

Again you can pay for a car with a card till the cows come home but dont expect the dealer to suffer a loss for it. in other words dont expect to pay invoice because you wont be paying invoice with a credit card and we will not only show you the door we might even be nice and open it before we throw you out of it.

[demejoe]

It can be done, my father used his AMEX and got a new car so it depends on the dealer, if it was me, I would let them know I am using a CC dont like it, fine I will go spend my money elsewhere. On the other hand though, lets be realistic, some of these dealers dont want you to come in with a credit card, a certified check or cash. They are usually hoping they can get you "financed" with one of their banks. Paying in full works in the customer's best interest, not the banks. JMO

[Uncle Leo]

From another thread:

 

My friend made some enemies at a local Toyota dealer with that one. After beating them into the ground, he pulled out his credit card to pay. They told him they only took credit cards for deposits. He told them that if they accepted Mastercard, then they had to accept it for all purchases. They said no. He called MC corporate line from his cell phone. They put him through to the correct department. The finance manager refused to speak to MC on the phone. My friend gave MC the dealership info.

 

Somone called a few days later and invited him to come and purchase the car. He was told that their processor called the manager and "explained the situation to him".

 

I take that to mean they were threatened with having their account yanked.

 

I'm sure they wouldn't want to lose their CC accounts completely... too much goes through their service department on CCs. So, if it's such an issue, why don't dealers set up two separate business entities... one for service that takes CCs, and one for sales that does not?

Edited September 7, 2006 by playthecreditgame