A few consumer reviews of International Motor Productions

A Better Business Bureau overview, and BBB's complaint history.

A couple from My3cents.com

TheConsumerist.com

As "good" as its word

There is a reason why people have such negative opinions of used-car dealers.

Based on first impressions -- and second and third -- International Motor Productions, a used-car dealer in Carrollton, TX, does its level best to make sure customers feel more like victims than participants in a good-faith transaction.

If you are considering buying a car from them, please make sure you do the following:

1. Review their Better Business Bureau scorecard. They are not members of the BBB, so there is little or no recourse against them via the BBB complaint process. Be aware that, as of today, they have had 33 complaints made against them, only nine of which have reached any sort of resolution that has made the buyer happy.

2. Make absolutely certain you get any promises from them in writing. Even if they agree to make repairs to a car, there is no way to ensure that they will do so or that any repairs will be done to specification if those repairs are not described in writing. The dealer may even tell you that they have made the repair, and then require that you sign an "As Is, No Warranty" form. If you have a problem with the repair after the fact or discover that they used shoddy parts or shortcuts to make the repair, they will use the "As Is, No Warranty" form as their proof that they have done everything they were obliged to do.

3. Do not expect them to act in good faith. Be sure to follow the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on dealing with used car dealers: Review the Buyers Guide, which must tell you:

* whether the vehicle is being sold "as is" or with a warranty;
* what percentage of the repair costs a dealer will pay under the warranty;
* that spoken promises are difficult to enforce;
* to get all promises in writing;
* to keep the Buyers Guide for reference after the sale;
* the major mechanical and electrical systems on the car, including some of the major problems you should look out for; and
* to ask to have the car inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy.

When you buy a used car from a dealer, get the original Buyers Guide that was posted in the vehicle, or a copy. The Guide must reflect any negotiated changes in warranty coverage. It also becomes part of your sales contract and overrides any contrary provisions. For example, if the Buyers Guide says the car comes with a warranty and the contract says the car is sold "as is," the dealer must give you the warranty described in the Guide.

As Is - No Warranty

When the dealer offers a vehicle "as is," the box next to the "As Is - No Warranty" disclosure on the Buyers Guide must be checked. If the box is checked but the dealer promises to repair the vehicle or cancel the sale if you're not satisfied, make sure the promise is written on the Buyers Guide. Otherwise, you may have a hard time getting the dealer to make good on his word.

One sure thing about dealing with International Motor Productions of Carrollton, TX, is that final sentence: They will not make good on oral contracts; avoid them at all costs.

Exceeding her own expectations...

From a September 2006 article about International Motor Productions owner Brigette Brown in D Magazine

...[S]he started buying and selling as many cars as she could afford to pay cash for, a strategy that she follows to this day. Selling cars that way is almost as unique as a woman owning her dealership. Most dealers "floor plan," or finance, their used cars.

Brown's approach is like gambling....

Her unorthodox strategy has served Brown well. From its humble base of operations on Tarpley Road in Carrollton, International Motor Productions has become one of the top 500 dealerships of the nearly 8,000 in Texas. She built the dealership there two and a half years ago, after outgrowing her first space. She owns the building and the land it sits on. Paid for upfront. And she now sells about 75 cars in a good month, during the spring and summer. She did $8 million in sales last year.

Besides paying cash for her inventory, Brown does a couple of other things that are unusual in her business. Even though she's the owner, you'll often see her emptying trash or detailing cars. "If I do the work with the boys, they're more motivated to do the work," she says. "I'm not a boss. It's more of a team around here." She also has a bad habit of answering her phone at all hours, not wanting to miss a single sale.

Be aware that Ms. Brown's expectations as a seller of vehicles and yours as a buyer most assuredly are not the same.

Photo credit: Elizabeth Lavin for D Magazine