HOT TOPICS
2017
MEMBERSHIP
DIRECTORY
175
5. If spot deliveries are permitted in your state, always use a spot agreement containing terms
permitted or required by your state’s law or approved in a case decided by a state appellate court.
Include language that gives both you and the buyer the right to unwind or re-contract if you cannot obtain
financing approval for the original contract on the terms set forth in the RISC. Your attorney should review and
approve your form spot agreement for compliance with your state’s laws. Track your percentage of unwound spot
deals. A significant percentage can lead to claims of deliberate “yo-yo” financing by the dealership which some
courts have held to be an unfair trade practice.
6. Document the re-contracting of an unwound spot deal.
When you re-contract a spot deal, do not
backdate the new contract the customer is signing. Date the new contract on the day when both parties sign. And
don’t forget to give the customer an adverse action notice for unwinding the original contract.
7. Be able to show customers how they can quickly thaw their frozen credit files.
For customers who
have placed security freezes on their credit files, have a sheet of paper available containing the phone numbers
of all three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) for the customer to call to temporarily
“thaw”their credit files so that you can pull a credit report on the customer. This will require the customer to have
available the PIN issued to them by the credit bureau when they froze their credit file. It is not advisable to take
the customer’s PIN or offer to make the calls for the customer. If you spot deliver or sell a vehicle to a customer with
a frozen credit file, proceed with extreme caution. Consider obtaining additional information, such as a pay stub,
bank statement, or other evidence of the customer’s creditworthiness, and be especially diligent when verifying
the customer’s identity. Few lenders will purchase a contract for a customer on whom they cannot pull credit.
Additional Resources
FCRA:
www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0111-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdfECOA and Regulation B:
www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/6500-2900.html The OCC’s Handbook containing information on TILA: occ.gov/publications/publications-by-type/ comptrollers-handbook/truth-in-lending-handbook.pdfCar Buyer’s Bill of Rights California:
www.consumer.ca.gov/publications/car_buyer_rights.shtmlMinnesota:
www.mada.org/Portals/70/Documents/Legal/Consumer/BillRightsBulletin.pdf Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: www.military.com/benefits/content/military-legal-matters/scra/ servicemembers-civil-relief-act-overview.html The Risk-Based Pricing Rule: www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2011/07/ftc-federal-reserve- board-issue-final-changes-risk-based-pricingInformation about Filing IRS Form 8300 on cash deals with cash payments over $10,000:
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1544.pdfInformation provided Courtesy of Dealertrack Technologies 888.705.7926;
www.dealertrack.com