**If you know anything about cars or purchasing a car, please help a girl out**
I know I'm going to sound like an idiot, but this is the first time I've purchased a car on my own. I'm a young adult and thought I knew what I was doing, which I obviously don't.
I leased a 2017 RAV4 in 2017 and had it for the full three years, I decided to purchase the car in December 2020. I owed $14,900 (that includes sales tax) and made a $6,000 down payment. I thought I would just owe $8,900 but I actually owe $15,436.38.
Turns out I paid $1,050.00 for a Gap contract which was optional. Something called TMIS which is for Mechanical Breakdown, I don't even know what that is for but they charged me $3,600 for that. They also charged me $1,000 for surface protection.
I guess I feel taken advantage of because I remember seeing $15,436.38 and I asked "So the $15,436.38 is if I don't pay it off right away? That's because of the interest right?" And the man who was helping me said yes.
I don't remember going over this Gap contract whatsoever, I don't remember them saying what a gap contract was or that it would be $1,050. I for sure never heard that it was optional. He never said anything about TMIS, the only thing I recall is the surface protection, I asked him how much it was and he said it was included in the cost of the car and not to worry about it.
I guess my first question is, is there anything I can do about this? Second, did I get completely screwed over or are these extra fees actually worth it?
I'm just feeling like an idiot and wish I brought someone experienced with me, all of my friends are women who don't know anything about cars or purchasing cars so they wouldn't have been able to help me out.
Submitted January 15, 2021 at 01:04AM by uncertainuglygirl https://ift.tt/3stdiYo
