Hi Mabs
I met my fiancé almost a year ago. He had entered into a ‘rent to buy’ deal for his car because his credit rating wasn’t great. Whenever the car needs servicing, he has to take it to their appointed service centre next to the dealership in Ekurhuleni, even though we live in the West Rand. He paid a large deposit, but the instalments are more than double the going rate for a Polo Vivo GT and the insurance is beyond exorbitant.

The biggest red flag is that the contract doesn’t specify when he will own the car. When I raised these concerns, he started paying attention, and we went to the dealership for answers. We were shunted from one salesman to the next, and it became clear it was a scam. Last week, I gave him an ultimatum to return the car and get out of the contract. They laughed at him and told him he would have to pay an additional R350 000 to exit the contract, without the car. This is the cost of a new car. Now, he is being threatened and called by the dealership at home and work.
I can’t believe how he missed the red flags and negative reviews online, and is now miserable and fears for his life while I am expected to be supportive. How can he get out of this situation and stop these scammers?
Mabs Answers
I am sorry you and your fiancé are going through such an experience. While I don’t have the entire story and am basing this on what you’ve told me, this situation does not sound above board. Shady dealerships often tie customers into complicated contracts that are exorbitant and only favour them. Most often, they have no intention for the motorist to end up owning the car.
It’s important to put emotions aside when entering into a contract. People need to take their time and review contracts thoroughly and even have an attorney look into it and give advice before they sign so they can avoid ending up in these situations. The next logical step is for your fiancé to get an attorney to review the contract he signed with the dealership and provide him with legal advice on how to proceed.
He may even need to involve law enforcement based on the consultation. Additionally, he should consult the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa to look into his case. They can be reached at [email protected] or called during office hours at (010) 5908378. Good luck, and please let us know once this has been resolved.