1.0 Stars — Predatory and Exploitative Sales Tactics - kenn.gerber
1.0 Stars — Predatory and Exploitative Sales Tactics Target Disabled Adults
I am writing this as the SSI Representative Payee for my son-in-law. Recently, my daughter and son-in-law—both young adults on the autism spectrum with disabilities—visited Karl Malone Chrysler Dodge alongside a friend.
My daughter earns roughly $1,000 a month, and my son-in-law receives $360 in monthly SSI benefits with no additional income. Neither has established credit. Despite this obvious financial reality, the dealership used the friend who accompanied them to push through a sale on a $28,000 vehicle with a $500 monthly payment—an impossible burden consuming nearly their entire household income while caring for a 1-year-old child.
In any standard vehicle sale, income and financial capacity are explicitly assessed. Knowing their combined income was barely $1,300 a month, how was this transaction allowed to move forward without raising immediate red flags? Because of their disabilities, these young adults do not fully grasp the financial magnitude of a loan like this. Taking advantage of vulnerable individuals who clearly lack the financial capability to sustain such a debt is unacceptable.
When they realized what happened and tried to return the vehicle the very next morning, the manager claimed there was "nothing he could do," offering only to cover their first monthly payment—a token gesture that does nothing to solve an unmanageable financial burden.
Whether or not these practices technically cross legal boundaries, exploiting two young adults with disabilities and a young child is deeply unethical. This predatory deal has set this young family up for immediate financial distress. Buyers, families, and caregivers should exercise extreme caution dealing with this establishment.
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