Man takes revenge on car dealership who sold him a 'Lemon'

Sour 'lemon' driver returns to dealer; 'I didn't hit a car under $20K'

PORTSMOUTH — Unhappy that a Lafayette Road car dealer wouldn't take back the van he bought on Monday, David Cross drove "the lemon" back after the dealer closed on Tuesday and crashed it into six cars parked on the lot for sale.

"I hit the first $25,000 car I could see," Cross told the Herald. "I didn't hit a car under $20,000. Then I moved a van that they wouldn't come down on the price for. I moved it with the lemon they sold me. I just held it to the floor until I couldn't move it anymore. I took out seven vehicles, including my own."

Cross, a Salisbury, Mass., resident who turns 42 today, is charged with six felony counts of criminal mischief, one for each of the cars he damaged, excluding his own.

He said his story began on Monday, when his wife bought a van at the Portsmouth Used Car Superstore.

"It was a piece of crap," Cross said, elaborating that his mechanic looked at the van after it was purchased and found a host of problems, including an odometer that didn't work. He said an Internet search showed it had been in a wreck and his insurance agent told him he couldn't insure it with a broken odometer, so he followed his mechanic's advice to "take it back."

Cross said he went back to the car dealer, asked for a refund and was told "you're stuck with it." So he began negotiating the price for another van, but a salesman wouldn't budge, he said.

He said he and his wife returned home in the van they bought Monday, and he waited for her to fall asleep. He then drove back to the car dealership just before midnight and started driving into cars.

I gotta really feel for this guy. Used car dealers can be such schmucks (up to and including being criminals).

In Minnesota, we have 'Lemon Laws' that are supposed to protect the consumer from such predatory behavior from car dealers, but they still are often ignored by the dealerships.

If you look at the article, he was released on his own recognizence (sp?) so you know that he found a sympathetic ear somewhere in the police department.

Honestly though, do you blame the guy?

reply to post by TheOneYouFearIsRight


I don't blame him, but their insurance will cover the damages. He hasn't accomplished anything, and now he is facing charges. I love a good revenge story, but this one was really kind of wasted. His state surely has lemon laws. He could have contacted the Dept of Agriculture or Dept of Consumer Services to see what his options were. He could have taken it to the mechanic BEFORE he paid for it. He could have sought out an attorney.

Or, if he was intent on going old school, he could have plotted a little better and done something that would have either gotten him his way, or done personal damage to those responsible.

I know a true story about a guy that couldn't get a home loan. He caught the bank president in a town 70 miles away, on a Sunday morning, mowing his lawn, and they had a short and distinct conversation. On Monday morning, the bank president called the local branch and instructed them to give the guy whatever he wanted!

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by TheOneYouFearIsRight

 

I know a true story about a guy that couldn't get a home loan. He caught the bank president in a town 70 miles away, on a Sunday morning, mowing his lawn, and they had a short and distinct conversation. On Monday morning, the bank president called the local branch and instructed them to give the guy whatever he wanted!

Is that a euphemism?

reply to post by JonoEnglish


Nope, true story. The man researched and found the home address of the closest "decision maker" for that string of banks. Drove 70 miles to his house on a Sunday morning when he was pretty sure to catch him at home. Walked up in front of the guy's riding mower and stopped him. We don't know what exactly was said, but the next morning the bank president called the loan officer and said to "give the guy whatever he wants, make him happy, and I don't want him coming back to my house."

No euphimism, that's exactly how it happened.

reply to post by getreadyalready


No, I thought the 'mowing his lawn' might have been a euphemism.

I'd love to have known what he said and try that on my bank Manager.

reply to post by getreadyalready


He may not have accomplished something in your eyes, but, I PROMISE you he feels a hell of a lot better.
Revenge is sweet sir!

reply to post by Alexander the Great


Revenge is sweet, but it only feels better when you win! The car lot will have insurance pay for the damages, and they will prosecute the guy for his actions, and he still has his lemon van. He didn't accomplish anything. His wife is probably pretty pissed too!

I'm all for revenge, but give it a little forethought, and make sure you win.

Originally posted by Alexander the Great
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

He may not accomplished something in your eyes, but, I PROMISE you he feels a hell of a lot better.
Revenge is sweet sir!

That would have only lasted until he realised he's now in an even bigger hole.

Revenge may be sweet but it can give you a hefty kick up the arse afterwards.

He'd have been better off parking up outside when they open for business and waving a placard saying 'they will sell you a lemon'. They'd soon have backed down.

Two things I see in this..

1) American's are con artists at heart just for a quick buck
2) American's have a bad temper tantrums and resort to physical voilence as a solution to problems usually by their own fault

reply to post by zookey


That's quite a narrow view based on anti-Americanism you have shown there.

Go to any Country and you'll see the same sort of thing.

Originally posted by JonoEnglish
reply to post by zookey

 

That's quite a narrow view based on anti-Americanism you have shown there.

Go to any Country and you'll see the same sort of thing.

edit on 22-7-2011 by JonoEnglish because: (no reason given)

You see this MOSTLY in america, usually other countries deal with it more civally not by violence.

It is also the view that you publically promote outside America by your ACTIONS.

Sorry you feel threatned by not everybody blowing hot air up your jacksie.

Originally posted by zookey

Originally posted by JonoEnglish
reply to post by zookey

 

That's quite a narrow view based on anti-Americanism you have shown there.

Go to any Country and you'll see the same sort of thing.

edit on 22-7-2011 by JonoEnglish because: (no reason given)

You see this MOSTLY in america, usually other countries deal with it more civally not by violence.

Sorry you feel threatned by not everybody blowing hot air up your jacksie.

Are you being serious? I hope not.

You obviously feel threatened by someone who disagrees with you by responding with that twaddle you posted in your second line.

reply to post by zookey


I agree that is a fair assessment of the US. We do still have remnants of the cowboy way.

Still, it is definitely not unique to America! We don't riot after soccer games like Western Europe and S. America, stampede people in the streets like Spain, stone our women like the Middle East, rape and pillage our villages like Africa, or make midnight house calls with muscle and briefcases of cash like Easter Europe.

We might get a little rowdy, but our sophistication and civility is still top notch compared to the rest of the world.

Originally posted by JonoEnglish

Originally posted by zookey

Originally posted by JonoEnglish
reply to post by zookey

 

That's quite a narrow view based on anti-Americanism you have shown there.

Go to any Country and you'll see the same sort of thing.

edit on 22-7-2011 by JonoEnglish because: (no reason given)

You see this MOSTLY in america, usually other countries deal with it more civally not by violence.

Sorry you feel threatned by not everybody blowing hot air up your jacksie.

Are you being serious? I hope not.

You obviously feel threatened by someone who disagrees with you by responding with that twaddle you posted in your second line.

Not at all, i find it confirming the view promoted by Americans.

So much as say a bad thing about America or Americans, they start waving their patriotism about.

One American has agreed with you on one point.

My point is that type of scenario could have and does happen in most places.

I do have the view America takes Capitalism to the extreme and is damaging to their Country. That is another debate though.

reply to post by getreadyalready


agree completely that it didn't accomplish anything, other than screw himself MUCH more. My idea, is he shoulda 'hooked up with' the sales manager and conducted SUN TZU-esque manuevers.

cut the valve stems on his cars in his driveway.. EVERY NIGHT FOR A YEAR
found some 'unrule youths' interested in a couple "C-notes" for just "hanging out" in the vicinity of the sales manager and the owner..

you know. the Joe Pesci "Casino" type stuff.

used car dealers rank right up there with slum lords in the sleaze parasite club

Lol i think the moral of the story is, dont let woman buy cars for you ! lol sorry had to say that, but seriously, what are you thinking buying a car and checking it out afterwards lol, silly mistake to begin with, if you were buying anything you didnt know how it worked, you wouldnt just front up the cash for it without having it checked out first by a trusted professional, that would go for anything that doesnt have some sort of guarentee, people such as car dealers are criminals.

His anger got the best of him and now it's going to cost him. He should have went through the proper channels instead of flying off the handle like that. Although most of us can relate to his frustration, you can't over-react and lose all your sense of logic.

I wonder what his wife's reaction was after waking up and finding out about his hair brain rampage.

Originally posted by WeRpeons

I wonder what his wife's reaction was after waking up and finding out about his hair brain rampage.

Probably feigned anger with hidden utter joy, upon realising she could now go out and buy lots of shoes and handbags without so much as a word from hubby.

I can understand this guy's frustration; however, I must say....what an idiot! Now he will get sued and have to pay 10s of thousands of dollars in damages. Not to mention any jail time for the felonies he committed.