Strapped for cash? Who isn’t? Unemployment is up. News reports continue to flood in about how poor the economy is. As gas prices soar higher, the money in our wallets seems to dwindle. Our homes are not worth what they were and neither are our stock portfolios. So, how would $2,000, $3,000 or even $5000 sound? In a non-taxable check, and you don’t have to do much to get it. You may be entitled to a large sum of money and the answer may be right in front of your nose…in your driveway to be exact (and no, we are not talking about selling your car). If you have read it before on the blog, it bears repeating, because consumers who call into the 1 800 LEMON LAW hotline can’t believe it. This is a Federal law which applies to every state we work in: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Washington DC, and New Hampshire.
It’s a little known Federal law called the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, that’s not discussed by car dealerships when you purchase your car. It’s a statute that is not heavily promoted or publicized but it applies to cars, or any products that cost over $25 and are covered by a manufacturers warranty. What is says is that if you find that you have to get your car repaired three or more times for the same thing, it means that the warranty has not proven to efficient or very effective. And for that reason, you could be entitled to monies that reflect the diminished value of the car as a result of the problem. So, that darn window motor that’s been replaced, the air conditioner that hasn’t been blowing cool air, the water leak in the trunk that was finally fixed after four tries, or that nav system that’s gone through quite a few upgrades could mean thousands in your pocket PLUS:
- You get to keep your car
- Your warranty remains completely in effect and they still have to fix your car.
- Your car is NOT branded in any way (like the lemon law), so know one can look up a carfax report and determine that you received this money.
- You do NOT need to disclose that you received this money when selling or trading your car.
- Like the Lemon Law, the Magnuson Moss provides a provision which entitles consumers to completely FREE LEGAL HELP, so they are on equal footing with the manufacturers.
And unlike the lemon law, this law can also apply to used cars, motorcycles(when state laws do not apply), and some sea-craft too (like jet skis and Sea-Doos). You read this right–This is free money and it applies to any car or truck which has repeated problems under an original or extended manufacturers warranty (normally three times in for the same problem) .
If you’d like to see if you are entitled to this money, click here or call us at 1-800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652). Also, this past Spring, CBS3 consumer reporter Jim Donovan put together a great story on this which you can view by clicking here (story taken down).