The following simple steps will help you determine how much car insurance you need to carry. And it will also help you get the best coverage at the lowest price. If you are confused about any of the terms we use, be sure to review the glossary in "Little-Known but Important Insurance Issues."...
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A new car is second only to a home as the most expensive purchase many consumers make. That’s why it’s important to know how to make a smart deal.
Buying a New Car: Buying a New Car Guide
Buying a Used Car: Buying a Used Car from a Dealer Guide
For the same guides in Spanish/Espanol, please view the attachments below.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, urges you
to be skeptical of mail and phone calls warning that the warranty on your car is about to expire.
The companies behind the mail and calls may give the impression they represent your car dealer
or manufacturer. With phrases like Motor Vehicle Notification, Final Warranty Notice or Notice of
Interruption, they are trying to make the offer seem urgent — and to get you to call a toll-free number
for more information.
For more information, please click the link below.
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Below you will find a number of institutions both governmental and private that specialize in helping you to file a complaint. These institutions are similar to leaving a review on Google or Yelp except they work resolve the issue. As such, they are not places for a person to rant and rave about how terrible the service at a restaurant was, but rather to help a person that was a victim of a shady business, or to get help when a financial institution (like a bank) has mistreated someone. They are not law enforcement agencies imposing a punishment onto these businesses, but rather helping to add authority to your complaint. If your issue cannot be solved after submitting a complaint through one or more of these resources, it is recommended to seek legal help from a private attorney.
Review the document below for links to the agencies that may be able to help if you submit a complaint. These agencies include:
1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
2. Help with my Bank
3. Federal Trade Commission Complaint
4. Idaho Attorney General Consumer Protection Complaint
5. Better Business Bureau Complaint
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What is an abandoned vehicle?
Vehicles are considered abandoned when they are left for twenty-four (24) hours or longer within the limits of a highway, on property open to the public, or on private property without the property owner’s consent. This definition excludes instances when an owner or operator cannot remove a vehicle and has notified a law enforcement agency and requested assistance.
Please view the Idaho Department of Transportation's Abandoned Vehicle Guide for more information.
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This pamphlet is designed to assist car owners, auto manufacturers, and car dealers in understanding their rights and responsibilities under Idaho’s lemon law, Title 48, Chapter 9, Idaho Code. The lemon law protects consumers who buy a vehicle that is subject to an applicable manufacturer’s warranty.
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The Center for Responsible Lending has created a list of five "Signs of Predatory Auto Finance Loans" that you may view below or view on their webpage: https://www.responsiblelending.org/issues/signs-predatory-auto-finance.
Don't get into car trouble: Learn to spot predatory auto finance loans.
A car buyer initially qualifies for a lower interest rate or “buy rate.” The lender willing to fund the loan for the buyer allows the dealer to increase the “buy rate” at the dealer’s discretion. The dealer has a powerful incentive to increase the interest rate, as most of the extra interest is “kicked back” to the dealer.
Dealers inflate the overall price of the car loan through overpriced add-on products – often sold in packages –including “GAP” insurance, vehicle service contracts, credit life and disability insurance, rust proofing, theft deterrent packages, and “window etching.” By inflating vehicle cost and loan size, the potential loan kickback for the dealer is increased.
The buyer is either convinced to enter into or unwittingly placed in a conditional sale agreement rather than a final sale. After the buyer drives the vehicle home, the dealer later claims to be unable to fund the loan at the agreed-upon terms. The buyer is required to return the car and renegotiate an often more costly loan. Often, the buyer is told that their down payment is non-refundable and/or their trade-in has already been sold.
Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealerships typically finance used auto loans in-house to borrowers with no or poor credit histories. The average APR is much higher than a bank or credit union loan. BHPH dealers expect much higher default and repossession rates. Instead of responsibly financing affordable cars, the business model depends on churning the same vehicles (many would be classified as “lemons”) to local buyers as many times as possible.
Dealers usually require a disproportionate percentage of the car’s actual value for downpayment and pack the loan with unnecessary fees to make more money up front.
“Mandatory arbitration” clauses essentially waive the customer’s right to sue and appeal in court. In simple terms this means that if you have a valid complaint with a car dealer, you won’t be allowed to take action through a court of law. Instead, companies require their customers to pursue complaints through an arbitrator—a process that is more likely to favor the dealer.
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OK, so you can no longer afford your car. What to do? The first idea comes to you after a few intense discussions with your spouse or perhaps after a few beers. “I know, we’ll just give it back.” The next day you call the dealership and tell them why you can’t afford to make payments. Fully expecting to hear from that same understanding salesman that threw in the leather and sunroof at “factory” prices, instead you get the third degree about late fees and penalties. “NO, you can’t just turn the car in early, sorry.” Whether you’ve financed the purchase or leased, the dealership or lender wants their money and they won’t be shy about asking (suing) for it...
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With prices averaging more than $28,000 for a new vehicle and $15,000 for a used vehicle, most consumers need financing or leasing to acquire a vehicle. In some cases, buyers use “direct lending:” they obtain a loan directly from a finance company, bank or credit union. In direct lending, a buyer agrees to pay the amount financed, plus an agreed-upon finance charge, over a period of time. Once a buyer and a vehicle dealership enter into a contract to purchase a vehicle, the buyer uses the loan proceeds from the direct lender to pay the dealership for the vehicle. Consumers also may arrange for a vehicle loan over the Internet...
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Chances are you rely on your vehicle to get you where you need to go — and when you need to go — whether it’s to work, school, the grocery store, or the soccer field. But if you’re late with your car payments, or in some states, if you don’t have adequate auto insurance, your vehicle could be taken away from you...
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