A spot delivery is often considered a scam technique that some dealers use to get you to take delivery of a car immediately after you agree to a deal. However, just because you agreed to a deal verbally and put some cash down doesn’t mean that things can’t change or that the vehicle is yours to keep.
Spotting Spot Delivery Scams
Spot deliveries, also called yo-yo financing, simply means that you drive off with the car before the financing process is done. This is problematic because you can sometimes drive home with a vehicle, only to get a call later that your auto loan application was rejected.
Once you get that call that your financing didn’t go through, one of two things tend to happen next:
- You have to draw up a new contract with the lender, typically with different terms than you originally agreed to.
- If you don’t want the new terms or can’t afford the payments, you’re forced to return the car.
This can be an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s extremely inconvenient. You get to drive off with your next vehicle, elated that you were tentatively approved, only to find out that you must return to the dealership to start the process over again.
Often, bad credit borrowers can be victims of a spot delivery scam. Once they hear they can take the car home, it feels like a done deal and that everything is sorted. When you’re struggling to get an auto loan approval, some borrowers take what they can get if they need a vehicle quickly.
This is the yo-yo part – going back and forth between an approval and a denial, and from home back to the dealer until something can be finalized.
Avoiding a spot delivery scam is simple: just don’t drive off with the car until all of the necessary paperwork is completed and finalized. This means verifying that you’ve signed the title, the financing documents, and the sales contract. Don’t put any money down on a vehicle until your financing is approved, and don’t drive away from the dealership with any documents left unsigned.
Additionally, bad credit borrowers can explore other financing options if they’re struggling to get an auto loan approval.
Trouble Getting an Auto Loan?
If you've had issues finding a lender that can work with your credit, consider special financing. Special financing dealers are signed up with subprime auto lenders that are equipped to handle all sorts of unique credit situations like a past repo, bankruptcy, or poor credit. Instead of basing their loan decision on credit score alone, they examine the many parts of your financial health to determine your ability to take on a car loan.
After you submit your items to a special finance dealership, they’re sent off to one or more subprime lenders that see if you’re ready for an auto loan. Based on your income and overall stability, subprime lenders tailor a car loan (if you qualify) to your situation.
This means approving you for a monthly payment that fits your budget, also called a payment call. Subprime lenders see if you qualify before you pick a vehicle – not afterward. The financing process is done before you take a car home, unlike a spot delivery.
Subprime lenders also report their auto loans to the credit reporting agencies, giving you the chance for credit repair. With an improved credit score, you can have more options for new credit, and hopefully qualify for a better interest rate and possibly a higher loan amount on future car deals. Getting out of bad credit should be a priority, since it can determine so much of your vehicle buying power.
Finding the Right Car Loan
Instead of hoping to run into a dealer that has bad credit lending resources, start with us at Auto Credit Express. We know where special financing dealerships are, and we match bad credit borrowers to them daily.
To get connected to a dealer in your area, fill out our auto loan request form. It’s completely free, secure, and carries no obligation. Get started now!
