Last week, about 20 Poles in New York lodged a complained that they were cheated out of thousands of dollars by a car dealer who promised them to get them a “dream car.” They paid up but never got the goods and the money was not reimbursed.
Although they have international driver’s licenses, many of them are undocumented in the United States, so they decided not to file an official complaint.
Polish immigrants usually find such inviting offers, like car ownership, in the Polish-language newspapers or the Internet. The ad would be anonymous, only stating the first name of the dealer, a cell phone number and nice copy to encourage Poles to own a car.
Based on the interviews with Polish immigrants, they respond to anonymous ads because they have a limited amount of money and have no credit history, which means that they have no access to any bank for a car loan. In many cases, they go to the Manheim Auto Auction, in Pennsylvania, where they can bid for vehicles confiscated by banks.
‘Leave your message after the tone’
Alicja Marchewka, a polish immigrant from Long Island, said that inviting ads do not convince her and her husband easily. But because they have a strong need to replace their old car and they have no credit history, they were compelled to give the ad a try.
“At the beginning, no one picked up the phone. The only option was to leave a message after the beep. After some time, a man named Wlodek called and offered us a 2000 Ford Focus for $4,500. We thought it was a good deal, so we agreed to buy the car. Wlodek said, ‘you need to have with you $1,800,’ to drive the car away,” Alicja said.
From New York City to Manheim
With a verbal agreement, Alicja and her husband waited at the Penn Station. Wlodek was supposedly going to pick them up from the station and they would drive together to the auction. When Wlodek didn’t show, after several minutes past their meeting time, the couple called his cell phone. He explained he was already at the auction looking for a car for them and requested they go to Canal Street to meet him, Alicja said.
“When we reached our destination, a man named Pawel took our money and instructed us to wait for a couple of men – Andrzej and a guy with Russian-sounding name,” Alicja said. When a Ford Focus came on with 100,000 miles on the meter – it was the make of car we worked. There was no way for us to take such car. So I told them, ‘Maybe next week.’ But they didn’t listen to me. Wlodek said, ‘I already bought you the car.’” The car, however, was not the Ford Focus but a 1997 Ford Taurus, which was $500 higher than the car that they wanted.
“I was indignant and asked for my money back. I started crying,” Alicja said.
Adding insult to the injury, Pawel – the driver – demanded $100 for driving them to the auction. At their wits end, they drove their Ford Taurus to Coney Island, where the seller’s headquarters was located. When they got there, they were told that their “new” car had to be kept at the shop because it needed repairs.
The Polish couple was driven to the Jamaica train station, where they took the train to get to their home.
“I wanted my money back because I don’t have the car. I was disappointed,” said Alicja. “But I decided not to be intimidated. So the next day I called Wlodek, but he didn’t pick up. I left him a few messages. After a while, someone returned my call and said that I still owe them $3,200.”
Poles warned
“If you are not a dealer, you can’t take part in the auction. No private person is admitted to enter the auction area,” a Manheim Auto Auction representative told the Super Express. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the New York State Consumer Protection Board confirmed it.
For many Poles, however, buying cars at auction is not new,” said a Super Express reader, who requested to remain anonymous. “I went with somebody who has access to the auction and only paid $300 for the car. After a while, I even engaged in this business myself. I take clients, but if they decide not to buy a car, they just pay me a $100 for the trouble.”
Vigilance first
With a rise in consumer complaints, the Consumer Protection Board urges buyers to be more vigilant.
“A person buying something in the auction has three weeks to cancel the transaction,” said James Dees of the NYS Consumer Protection Board. “We can’t tolerate these cheats. Those who are here illegally still have the right to protect themselves. Everybody has the right to lodge a complaint, no matter the immigration status. And every buyer should be wary of responding to those come-on ads in the newspapers.”
