Award Winner for Excellence in Investigative Reporting from The National Consumer Law Center/National Association of Consumer Advocates. The report also spurred a Congressional investigation. When is a done deal not really a done deal? When your car dealer says so. Even after you've signed a contract, and traded in your old car, dealers in many states can demand you return your new vehicle unless you agree to pay higher interest or make a bigger down payment. Experts say the dealer has you on a string like a yo yo. You drive off the lot... but then you have to come back if you want to keep your car. This can leave the most vulnerable consumers with no options.
