Wow 1 week after my discharge car comapnies are contacting me

[so-beyond-broke]

Hello All

I opened up my mail today and found the way the letter was addressed a little odd. It was addressed to me in someone's handwriting. I am used to solicitations being done with a pre-printed address like off of some mailing list. Well anyway, it was from a car dealership located in Danbury Connecticut. I live in NYC. The woman had her dealership card attached to the letter and basically she said that, she moved from NJ to CT to help people like me who have been discharged from BK. The letter states the obvious about how hard it is to rebuild credit after BK. The letter also stressed that the interest rates are much lower in CT (why tell me this?). The letter also mentioned that I could get $500 off of a used car or $300 off a new car. I have a car which I still owe $2K but there was no mention of trade ins. The letter mentioned to call a 24 hr number to get preapproval first before seeing the people at the dealership selling the cars.

Are people just pulling CR's all the time or what? How did these people know that I am discharged and so soon?

The offer sounds interesting, just to call and hear if they are legit, but Danbury is not around the corner from where I live.

sbb

[BassBoy]

LOL.....just like the trollers that jump from forum to forum to stir the pot, there are trollers (that's what I call them) that look for recent BK discharges. I had dozens of these auto finance offers everyday as well, but to be honest, you can do this on your own. You don't need some "Special Finance Department" to help you get an auto loan.

To answer your question, I feel most "Special Finance" deals can be legit, but I also feel that they are preying on people. I found myself asking myself, "What is it that they are able to do that I can't do myself?" The answer, "NOTHING!" I did it all on my own, and so have a lot of other members here. It can be done.

[BassBoy]

Wenderful, I too loaded my garbage can with this crap. Eventually, the offers stop coming when you do not respond. I've only been getting 2 or 3 a week now.

[BassBoy]

I got the same types of mailing from what looked like atty's. LOL....they were. Like you, they wanted to help me file BK. I classified these bozos with ambulance chasers.....LOL! Like vultures, circling and looking to scavage.

[so-beyond-broke]

Wenderful

we were discharged the same day and there's no need to feel left out!!(LOL) The offers will be coming shortly. I am just a bit nerved that people know of my discharge and my CR's before I do. I can't wait to my CR's come in so that I can start to clean them up. I am so ready to rebuild my life at least financially.

sbb

Originally Posted by wenderful

I was discharged on 7/25 and have not received one offer like this yet! I should feel left out, but I'm actually happy that I'm not -- I'm still wading through the 100's of offers from the buzzards that I'm getting on my house that has entered foreclosure. They're swooping down on me hard!

My garbage can is full of them!

[onepowerfullady]

I have already begun to clean up my credit report and both my hubby and I are already back in the 600's I get reports almost everyday that my credit scores have gone up...so I am sure that this will really help when we go to get another car...

[so-beyond-broke]

Wenderful

As long as you're happy with your cars and they are reliable good for you! You can be putting the $$ for a car note into a coffee can if you don't trust the bank for a down payment when you're ready to purchase a new car. I have a 98 Nissan that I still owe $2k. Can't wait to pay it off, so that I can actually put some $$ into a coffee can for a "cushion fund."

I just worry running into problems as my car gets older - how are your cars running?

sbb

Originally Posted by wenderful

BB & SBB -- I spoke too soon! I got 4 offers in the mail today for car financing! ROFL!

Threw them right in the garbage -- I've got a 97 Grand Prix with only 40k miles on it and a 97 GMC Jimmy with 80k miles on it -- both paid in full!

No new car loans for this kid -- not anytime soon!

[so-beyond-broke]

Wenderful

I live in NYC, so I am not too far from Long Island. Go out there several times in the Spring because my youngest son plays the local lacrosse teams out there. Is PA better? I see the ads in the NY Post of the beautiful homes in PA for like $200K. Is that true, can you own a custom built 4 bedroom, 2 bath house on acres of land for that price. I just had to ask. Are you in a city or suburb and do you miss the city life?

As for not having a car payment in 6 years, I am ssooooooooo envious (LOL)!

sbb

Originally Posted by wenderful

Hey SBB!

Yes, I love having cars that are paid for! The Pontiac is running great -- it's been well taken care of all these years and has really low mileage. The inside is starting to look "worn", it is almost 10 years old.

The GMC, well there are some problems with the EGR valve (or is that ERG). It's been recalled by GMC and fixed by them twice -- still I get the rough engine every time I hit passing gear (but it clears up once I turn off the truck and turn it back on). When I lived in NY, it wasn't a problem -- no hills on Long Island -- so I never hit passing gear. But since moving to PA I can only drive the GMC around town. Since Hubby is the only one working outside the hom right now (I work part time from home), he takes the Pontiac to work and I drive the GMC around town without incident. Since we've made the same repair more times than I care to count, I'm just going to live with the passing gear problem and use the GMC for grocery shopping, and small trips I need to take around town while hubby's at work.

I realize both my cars are getting old and I will need to replace one soon -- hopefully by then I'll have saved a nice down payment or can buy a used car outright.

I'm just so anti-debt right now I cringe at the thought of financing anything - I haven't had a car payment since 2000 - I'm just not ready to "go there".

[so-beyond-broke]

Wenderful

Not too much info at all. I figured that PA was nice. But I heard something on the news that people in PA are worried that local gangs from NY and NJ are starting to mark their territory. I don't know which counties in PA are being affected or what.

I myself am tired of living in the city. But I wouldn't pick up and leave until my kids finish high school. Two are starting 9th grade and the other will be starting 8th grade. So I am looking at 5 more years. With my credit right now my options are limited for now but not for long. I thought about living upstate like Syracuse, or Rochchester. My 13 year wants to go to Syracuse U so I would be close if I moved upstate. But I hear that Maryland and Virginia have nice places to relocate.

Don't mind the trolls, you have a full time job raising your family which is most important. And working from home is great. I am dying to do something on the side from home that's legit and earn a little extra $$ to supplement my income.

I got another car dealership letter from Lincoln Mercury in Ridgewood, NJ. They claim that due to "extreme competition in the current lending markets, individuals with less than perfect credit (i.e. all of us Bk'ers) are encouraged to respond." One of the things that they ask is for 6 complete references. You don't need to list that many when you are applying for a job - not to mention a car. When I got my car from Major Auto in Queens I didn't need to bring the "phone book" to get a car. I am adding this to my collection of solitications.

As for Goodfellas, I love most of the movies that Robert Deniro acted in. I can watch, Goodfellas, Casino and Heat and never get tired.

Sbb

[arf75]

I've been getting offers from car dealers and credit card companies. And I haven't been discharged yet.

[Cylb]

After my bankruptcy and even now I get hit for offers on buying cars. I avoid these as I had a friend who went bankrupt a few years ago and took on one of these car offers. They bled him dry....it was a terrible experience for him so soon after his bankruptcy. I have learned from his experience. I plan to buy a used car next year as I need to allow myself some time to re-build my money and credit a little.

The bankruptcy was very draining on me and going into debt without a plan isn't for me anymore.