How the scam works:

You come across an advertisement that says the car dealership down the street has a "No payments for 12 months" promo. Your income is a little unpredictable right now, but you have a few prospects so it would be perfect. You pick up the nice convertible you saw as you were driving by. 

After a few weeks you receive a letter from the dealership saying the first payment is due. Calling immediately to dispute the letter, they say the promotion was only available for the week previous. You check the ad again and there are no dates so there is no way of holding them to it.

How to avoid:

Indeed, there are legitimate "specials" like this in several dealerships, but be aware of the shady ones. Always ask the dealership to add in the contract "No payments due until..." Verbal agreements are not enough.

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