Squeezing compensation out of lemons

If you are one of those people who always seem to get
caught out when buying a new or used vehicle then it
is a good idea to protect yourself right from the word
go.

Should you find your vehicle repeatedly throwing up
defects - large or small - it is imperative that you
note times - dates and hours wasted so that should you
press for compensation you have a full history of
events to ‘persuade’ the dealer with.

For example - what happens if you break down on a busy
highway? Note the defect - the time - how long you had
to wait for assistance and lastly the cost and nature
of repair. It is also a good idea to note how all of
this made you feel since you could claim for distress.

Of course small defects may not be enough in some
states to warrant the ‘lemon’ label. In other states
just one defect will be adequate. Unfortunately - state
laws differ widely on what constitutes a lemon but you
should not give up the good fight and accept shoddy
goods.

Details of all states and their criteria for classing
cars as lemons are available on the Internet and it is
easy to look up any particular state.

Some companies have a ‘buy back’ scheme for cars
classified as lemons so you should pay particular
attention to their requirements.

If all else fails then of course - once you have enough
evidence - you can follow the litigation route to try
for compensation. This can be both expensive and time
consuming.