Woman says Chesapeake dealer wouldn’t let her leave
By Scott Daugherty, The Virginian-Pilot | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Those are the two portraits emerging of a woman's car-buying experience last summer at Nissan of
The dealership's managing partner countered that his staff did nothing wrong. He said they worked with Faulkenberry until after closing only because they wanted to help her finalize the deal.
"We stay until whatever time they need us to stay," said
Faulkenberry, a 40-year-old defense contractor who develops online training programs for the military, claims among other things in her lawsuit false imprisonment, unjust enrichment and breach of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. She seeks
The lawsuit stems from the purchase of a 2013 Nissan Rogue on
It says Faulkenberry purchased the SUV for a "total sale price" of
Banister said the Rogue sold for
"It wasn't midnight," said Banister, whose dealership closes at
Faulkenberry said in an email that she went to the dealership at
The lawsuit says Faulkenberry test-drove a Rogue shortly after arriving. She spoke to salesman
The lawsuit claims that "numerous" salesmen stood at the entrance of the cubicle in which Faulkenberry sat during the negotiations, "blocking all attempts she made to leave." She specifically told a finance representative she wanted to leave because she had not had dinner, but again was physically blocked from exiting the building, the lawsuit says.
A dealership employee told Faulkenberry her Altima was not safe to drive off the lot, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges that was false.
The lawsuit claims Faulkenberry "felt forced to agree to purchase the new
She asked whether she could take the paperwork home to review, but the employee said the dealership would not give her the same deal if she left and returned, the lawsuit says.
Faulkenberry signed the paperwork, the lawsuit says.
Faulkenberry returned the next day with an advertisement indicating the same SUV was being offered for about
Faulkenberry filed complaints with Nissan's corporate offices and the
About two weeks after the sale, the salesman, Evans, went to her home. The lawsuit claims he knocked about
Banister said Evans was wrong to go to Faulkenberry's home, which is near the dealership.
"That should never be done," he said. He explained Evans thought he was helping Faulkenberry by bringing her an extra set of keys and an owner's manual for the SUV -- items that were not provided the night of the sale because of the late hour.
"He's been counseled never to do that again," Banister said.
Nissan of
"We tried to rectify this and come to a resolution, but Ms. Faulkenberry ended communication, and we couldn't do any more," Banister said.
Faulkenberry said in her email she no longer owns the Rogue. She traded it in for a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk after "several months of research and test driving."
"No one should be treated the way that I was treated, and I'm not going to let them get away with it," Faulkenberry said.
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