A SINGLE mom was left struggling to pay rent after a car she bought for $15,000 fell apart – with her misery compounded by the failure of the vehicle’s warranty.
Annette Morales, from Camden County, Georgia, recently found herself in a dire situation – until a local auto shop came to her aid in the best possible way.
An auto shop owner was left deeply moved by a woman’s struggles after she bought a car with numerous problems[/caption]
Despite paying out $15,000 for the vehicle, it quickly began to experience serious mechanical issues[/caption]
The sngle mom of two had been struggling to make ends meet and was hit hard when the car’s warranty failed to cover basic repairs[/caption]
She was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from her community after a local repair shop owner launched a GoFundMe campaign[/caption]
According to a recent GoFundMe page, Annette, a single mom of two, has been struggling to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck while trying to support her family.
And her financial challenges were made even worse after she purchased a second-hand 2010 GMC Terrain for $15,000 – a price far above its actual value of $6,000.
But not only did she significantly overpay for the vehicle, it quickly began to experience serious mechanical issues – including engine problems, misfires, worn-out wheel bearings and safety concerns.
Furthermore, despite paying $2,000 for a warranty, it failed to cover even basic safety repairs, leaving Annette with a car that was falling apart.
Barely able to make her monthly rent, her older daughter was forced to delay college and get a job to help her pay bills.
To get a second opinion on the car, Annette went to Royalty Auto Service, a local repair shop owned by Sherwood Cooke that’s known for its YouTube channel and social media presence.
Sherwood was left deeply moved by Annette’ situation and decided to take action, secretly setting up a GoFundMe campaign to help her which quickly gained traction.
“We see a lot of people in need, but something about Annette just struck me,” Sherwood told News4Jax.
“I told my son, ‘We’re going to do something for her.’ ”
On the GoFundMe page’s bio, Sherwood explains how Annette was left “living paycheck to paycheck”.
He added: “She needs a buffer. She needs to be able to pay her bills and get caught up.
“This woman hasn’t asked for ANYTHING! She is extremely humble and we want to help her out.”
The campaign seemed to strike a chord with the local community and the GoFundMe page hit its target within two hours.
By late August, the campaign had raised over $165,000 – allowing Sherwood and his team to provide Annette with much-needed assistance.
“We’ve raised it to see if we can do life-changing stuff for this family,” the auto shop owner wrote.
“We are overwhelmed by the support and want to see if we can get her enough money to put a down payment on a house and get her out of the apartment that she struggles to pay rent on.
“We want to see if we can get her emergency savings. Y’all are literally changing this family’s life!”
In a now-viral video, Sherwood surprised Annette with the total raised from the fundraiser – leaving her stunned with gratitude.
“Thank you so much,” she says in the video.
“You have been like a blessing.”
Sherwood, visibly emotional himself, expressed that helping her was “meant to be.”
Royalty Auto Service says the funds will be used to change Annette’s life – with her first purchase to be a reliable, newer vehicle.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
