The process seemed simple enough. Her 2015 Honda Accord broke down, and while she considered fixing it, a salesperson at Bell Honda in Phoenix, Arizona, convinced her to move on. She didn’t have the money for a down payment, though. No problem, they told her. She could put her busted car toward the purchase.

That’s exactly what she did…or so she thought.

The driver says she signed the paperwork on an iPad at the Honda dealership. “We’re going paperless now,” they told her. Fine. She handed them the keys.

Weeks later, her lienholder called about missed payments on her old Accord

Shocked at the call, she explained that she’d traded it in to Bell Honda. They should have sent a check already.

The woman went to the dealership herself to see what happened to it. And she was given a totally different narrative.

The sales manager, who didn’t handle her transaction, insisted that they never took her Honda on trade.

She asked for a copy of her sales contract, but what they showed her seemed different from what she signed

They handed her a printed copy, dated several days after she visited the dealership. In fact, she was able to show proof of insurance on her car. The coverage started four days prior to the date on the paper copy.

And sure enough, the fine print read, “No trades.”

But where was her Honda, then?

The sales manager told her they didn’t have her old Honda at all

After AZ Family’s On Your Side pressured the business, they ultimately located the Honda…right on their lot.

Rather than accepting the vehicle as a legitimate trade, though, Bell Honda sent the Phoenix customer a letter. Subject line: “Abandoned Vehicle.”

The letter read: “Dear Ms. Morgan, It has come to Bell Honda’s attention that your 2015 Honda Accord is currently parked in our Service Department parking lot. The vehicle was towed to our Service Department parking lot on July 12, 2025, and was not used as a trade-in vehicle. At your earliest convenience, please retrieve your vehicle or arrange for it to be towed to a location of your choice. The keys to your vehicle are located in our Service Department.”

WTF?

I can assume a few things could have happened here. I might guess that whoever sold Ms. Morgan the replacement car did things to get the deal that they shouldn’t have. For instance, assuring the customer they’d take the Honda on trade without looking into its buyout number with the lienholder.

They also might not have known the cost of repairs, which could put the dealership underwater on the whole deal.

After discovering the mistake, the sales department might have deleted the contract Ms. Morgan signed. Days later, they could have created a new contract leaving her old Accord out of it.

The thing is, none of this is the customer’s fault. But, unfortunately, it’s still her legal responsibility to deal with the old Accord. That is, unless she has the funds to take them right to court, racking up missed car payments along the way.

Now, Ms. Morgan is left with two car payments, a broken car, and a dealership contract with details she never saw or heard during her purchase.

NEVER sign any car-related agreements without fully understanding every single part of it

We report on stories like this over and over. While buyers are often actual victims of fraudulent dealer behavior, consumers need to know that their signature is legally binding in most cases.

Don’t sign something you haven’t read and understood thoroughly. Ask for copies of everything. If you trade in a car, stay on top of the buyout. Be prepared to make additional payments. After all, until that buyout check clears, you’re still responsible for the financing.

The Honda owner above couldn’t afford both cars. The Accord’s repairs were more than she owed on it. She ultimately surrendered the Accord, taking a hit to her credit. Small wonder why 82% of Americans really don’t trust car dealerships, according to a recent CarEdge report.