Dealership demands thousands more for car days after customer takes it home

RICHMOND, Texas (KTRK) -- After dealing with a local car dealership, a customer 'Turns to Ted' for help.

Mark Stadtfeld knew exactly what he wanted in a new car.

"I was only looking for a hybrid," he said.

Stadtfeld picked out a 2017 Camry hybrid at Fort Bend Toyota. He test drove it and got a quote online. He negotiated a deal, signed paperwork at the dealer and thought the vehicle was his.

But, Stadtfeld says the car he was driving was not the right one.

"The car that I was driving, was not the car that they sold me," he explained.

The VIN number on his sales contract did not match the car he was driving. Stadtfeld says when Fort Bend Toyota discovered the mistake, they told him to come in and sign new paperwork for thousands more over the life of his loan.

"They want more money. They want, to me, a lot more money," he said.

Fort Bend Toyota says Stadtfeld signed a contract for a standard model when he found out the hybrid he wanted was too expensive.

Stadtfeld says that's not true.

When the dealer realized the mistake, their corporate office told ABC13 they offered him the cheaper standard model or a higher price for the hybrid. Stadtfeld says he agreed to the higher price, but says he felt it was the only way to keep the car he wanted all along.

"Just threatening that they're going to come repo the vehicle out of my driveway if I'm not up there immediately to sign the new paperwork, to pay more money for the vehicle that I thought I had already bought," he said.

Rick McElvaney, a consumer law expert at the University of Houston Center for Consumer Law told ABC13, "(The dealer) probably didn't do this intentionally, but then when they found out about it, they didn't handle it to the consumer's benefit certainly."

Fort Bend Toyota told ABC13, "The dealership and customer have sorted out all the differences."

It's not exactly how Stadtfeld - the customer - feels.

Stadtfeld explained that after ABC13 got involved, he received a call from the general manager who apologized and offered just $500.

McElvaney told us Stadtfeld has rights, "Whether he's happy with $500 or not, it's up to him."

Stadtfeld said he is currently exploring his legal options.

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