Gotta' bone you wanna' pick about your lemon car? Well I'm your man...grrr... dog! Send your problems and questions and I'll sniff out an answer for you.

Send your questions to Connor's Corner (I got my own email - pretty cool, huh?). And I have my own blog too! Visit the Connor's Corner Blog for more letters and posts.

Hey, Law Dog, I was ripped off,

I bought a new car and when I was signing the sales papers the nice finance lady used one hand to hold the contract paper still and pointed to where she wanted me to sign it. Later when I got home I saw that she had slipped in my deal stuff I didn't agree to or even know about. It&rsqo;s something called ProPack for an extra $1,249 and a window etch they call theft guard for $199 and a Key care program (not sure what that means) for $199 and Gap insurance for $800 and a Personal Assistant, who I still have not met, for $199, plus a $3,499 extended warranty. I did not authorize all this extra stuff and they did not tell me about it either. I think it's a ripoff - can I get my money back?

Ripped off When I Wasn't Looking

Dear Ripped off When You Weren't Looking,

Yeah, I heard the humans talking about this around our office and it makes me want to go down there and bark and bite somebody but they won’t let me loose. But you can do something about it. What that finance lady did to you is called a 5 Finger Close and it is really, really sneaky. They put their hand on the sales papers and pretend to want to help keep it still so it is easy for you to sign, but what they really are doing is using one hand to hide the extra charges they packed into your contract while the other hand distracts you by pointing to where they say to sign. Very sneaky. When they do that, they then usually fold up all the sales papers and put them in an envelope and tell you to take it home and put it in a safe place. They call that sealing the deal and they really are just hoping you will put the envelope away without even looking over the papers, so you do not discover what they did to you. See? I told you it was really sneaky. And all that extra stuff the lady charged you for? Well, from what I hear around here, that stuff is worth about as much as a fresh pile of my ... well, you know what I mean. So, if you think they ripped you off, fax your sales paperwork to 888.331.6471 or 937.432.9503, and I’ll have one of our smart two legged lawyers review it and call you to tell you what your rights are.  If you want more information, call 888.331.6422 and we can help you.

If you want to stop by our office to meet me (oops I mean an attorney), bring your paperwork (and a dog treat) and I’ll get you right in.

Love and Licks,
Connor—The Burdge Law Dog

Dear Law Dog:

I bought a new car (well, new to me anyways) and it has leaks and it’s making a loud scratching noise under the hood and my friends said I paid too much for it.   Is there something that says I can return it within three days?

Desperate in Dayton

Dear Desperate in Dayton:

People feel the same way about dogs sometimes, and the answer is no.  You can’t return a car (or a dog) within three days unless there is something specific, in writing, saying you can.  I scratched my paw over that and thought about all the things we can take back when they don’t meet our expectations.  But Mr. Burdge said you can only return something when there is a written return policy or they sell it to at your front door.  Most car dealers don’t have a return policy and will only take a car back if the law says they have to, and it can turn into a real dog fight sometimes.  New cars and used cars both have other laws to protect you though, and our experienced attorneys know all about that stuff.  So, if you think the car you bought is bad, and you bought it from a car dealer in Ohio or Kentucky, email me your story or fax your sales paperwork to 888.331.6471, and I’ll have one of our smart attorneys review it for you.  If you want more information, look under the Buyer Beware section on my website or call 888.331.6422 and we can help you.

If you want to stop by our office to meet me (oops I mean an attorney), bring your paperwork (and a dog treat) and I’ll get you right in.

Love and Licks,
Connor—The Burdge Law Dog

Send your questions to Connor's Corner. Check out Connor's Corner Blog for more letters and posts.