There Is No "Three-Day Return Period" On A Car Purchase - The Podcast

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
10/06/2016 at 09:45 • Filed to: None

This is one of those topics where 95% of the readers will say, “Everyone knows that!” Four percent will say, “My state has it!” and one percent will say, “You’re wrong.” Of course, those one percent always think I am wrong.

The notion is that you can return anything (or break any contract) for three days for any reason whatsoever without any negative repurcussions. And the notion is false.

Despite how everyone claims to know this - the “No ‘3-day’ thing” - I get calls about once a week from someone panicking because they bought a bad car 2-and-a-half days ago and need to return in the next half day. Right?!

Mostly, I think this is spurred by wishful thinking. People who have bought bad cars thrash around in their minds, trying desperatly to find a way out from under that as-is brick in the driveway.

And yes, I know CA has a thing where you can buy a form of insurance from a car dealer that allows you to return a used car within a TWO DAY window but you have to buy it first. And that is not the same as a FREE three day window to return anything for any reason.

So, here is the audio.

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And the video.

And notice that I have a new logo. This is the first episode of Year Three of Lehto’s Law. My, how the time flies. (Pic at top is from Orphan car show, Ypsilanti, a few weeks ago.)

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This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.

DISCUSSION (18)

jimz > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 09:48

This is the first episode of Year Three of Lehto’s Law.

Kinja'd!!!

speaking of buying encyclopedias/books, how much does the State of Michigan charge for the hardcover MCL books?

SteveLehto > jimz
10/06/2016 at 09:50

They are paperback and the state does not sell them. Have to buy them from West’s and I think they cost over a a thousand dollars.

jimz > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 09:57

O_O

Urambo Tauro > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 10:08

Yikes! I think I’ll just stick with the Michigan Legislature website ; their search tool makes it easier to find what I’m looking for than flipping through a book anyway.

LongbowMkII > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 10:17

It’s impossible to have a clutch slave cylinder repaired two weeks past warranty correct? Just assure me that this endless clutch saga is worth avoiding the hassle of making them own it.

SteveLehto > Urambo Tauro
10/06/2016 at 10:40

I agree. I like having the books when I know exactly what I am looking for but I often just use the site to start.

SteveLehto > LongbowMkII
10/06/2016 at 10:41

It’s impossible to say they have a legal obligation but you might be able to get them to do it as a matter of goodwill. Or, if they did a repair on it not too long ago and it went bad again.

Wil Haginen > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 10:44

I grew up in Michigan post-Fretter, but I remember watching old VHS recordings that had his commercials. Holy crap. What a trip down memory lane.

SteveLehto > Wil Haginen
10/06/2016 at 10:57

Fretter and Highland Appliance - those two ran ads day and night about appliances and so on. Really changed things when they disappeared.

Wil Haginen > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 11:01

Highland Appliance. Another one for nostalgia!

DipodomysDeserti > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 11:06

A heads up to anyone who buys a car from a Penske dealership. Many of them have a three day return policy for new and CPO vehicles. It’s not a legal thing, so completely different than what Mr. Lehto is talking about. I bought a CPO 3 series a few years ago from one of their dealerships and a day later the thing started reeking of cigarette smoke. My wife gets migraines, and the cigarette smoke triggered one. You can’t find this page on their website, as they bury it, but here is the link for the page. I still had to be a dick to the service manager in order to get him to take the car back, but they advertise that they will, and it ended up not being worth the hassle for him. Of course legally, he didn’t have to.

http://www.bmwnorthscottsdale.com/custom-form.aspx

Wil Haginen > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 11:13

Thanks Steve. Now I’m looking up old commercials from the metro-Detroit area circa 1980's and 90's.

jimz > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 11:15

yeah, when someone says you’re wrong about a law, you can’t thumb through a website then slam it down on the desk in front of them.

jimz > SteveLehto
10/06/2016 at 11:16

“FIFTY WATTS?!?!”