(Arizona) Bought a car with financing, do I take it to DMV/DOT?
Based on your description of what you were given, then you should not need to contact DMV/DOT However if you are not comfortable with that answer then contact/visit the dealer, you can ask them how long it normally takes, and do you pick up the real plates at the dealer, DMV, or will they be mailed to you. Also call them if the temporary plates will run out in a few days, to make sure everything is good to go. One other note. If the dealer is in one state, and you live in another they can give you temporary plate for their state but may not be able to file for the real plates in your state. Once everything is finalized go online to DMV and make sure that the car registration is OK. A few years ago the dealer gave me real plates, they gave me a registration good for two years. But the info sent to DMV was corrupted: the VIN was in the system, but the description was wrong and the plates were listed as none. This was only noticed when I tried to re-register the car two years later. In fact according to DMV the plates on the car were listed as never issued. If I had ever been pulled over it would have taken hours to resolve. No you dont need to take your car to DMV, They will send you the number plate and registration sticker to your home address.  Dealer would have already charged you for that, he will send all the information to DMV and the temporary plate is also created through DMV only.
The only issue I can see is that the stranger is looking to undervalue their purchase to save money on taxes/registration (if applicable in your state). Buying items with cash such as cars, boats, etc in the used market isn't all that uncommon* - I've done it several times (though not at the 10k mark, more along about half of that). As to the counterfeit issue, there are a couple avenues you can pursue to verify the money is real: *it's the preferred means of payment advocated by some prominent personal financial folks, including Dave Ramsey "I somewhat agree to Alex B's post.  I was a finance manager for 7 years both prime and sub-prime(special)(in other words bad).   The parts he's 100% right on.  Hit up you local credit union then your bank.  Get your financing done first if you can.  Now 690 credit score is one of 3 bureaus, not all banks and lending institutions use all three or the same one.  Also the score isn't everything.  That could be good or bad.  The 2-3% range is normally for the 720+ crowd unless its a manufacture.  (GM, Ford, so on)  With rates capping out at around 30% depending on state laws.  However 690 should not be 19% on a new or late model car.  At 690 at 19% you would have be going for a 70,000+ mile 6 year or older car if I had to guess. Assuming you have no BK's and repos.   Some times dealerships have to pay banks to get people financed.  Its hidden in the cost and they by law are not allowed to tell you about it because it cannot be passed on to you.  However the banks don't just fund any crazy amount of money either say like 115% of book and  that it.  That is where and why they want that big down payment because that is used to off set the finance amount and what you pay.  Making the dealership money.  and i can go on and on and on...   But you should always try to get the funding prior.  Your credit union won't charge the hidden fees and they only care about your down payment to see that you are making a commitment.  If you are buying used.  Save out 1500 for future repairs and tires and such.  Don't buy paint protectant and such.  If you finance thru the dealership and put less than 20% down DO buy Gap Insurance but thats it.  I can go on and on but I won't.  Feel free to ask though.   And to answer your original only question with not context. ""Is there any reason not to put a 35% down payment on a car?"" Yes if the money is better served paying off credit cards or long term mortgage, assuming you don't need the write off." The dealership is getting a kickback for having you use a particular bank to finance through. The bank assumes you will take the full term of the loan to pay back, and will hopefully be a repeat customer. This tactic isn't new, and although it maybe doesn't make sense to you, the consumer, in the long run it benefits the bank and the dealership. (They wouldn't do it otherwise. These guys have a lot of smart people running #s for them). Be sure to read the specifics of the loan contract. There may be a penalty for paying it off early. Most customers won't be able to pay that much in cash, so the bank makes a deal with the dealership to send clients their way. They will lose money on a small percentage of clients, but make more off of the rest of the clients. If there's no penalty for paying it off early, you may just want to take the financing offer and pay it off ASAP. If you truly can only finance $2500 for 6 mos, and get the full discount, then that might work as well. The bank had to set a minimum for the dealership in order to qualify as a loan that earns the discount. Sounds like that's it. Bonus Info: Here's a screenshot of Kelley Blue Book for that car. Car dealers get me riled up, always have, always will, so I like doing this kind of research for people to make sure they get the right price. Fair price range is $27,578 - $28,551. First time car buyers are a dealers dream come true. Don't let them beat you down!  And here's more specific data about the Florida area relating to recent purchases: "Following up on @petebelford's answer: If you can find a less expensive loan, you can refinance the car and reduce the total interest you pay that way. Or, if your loan permits it (not all do; talk to the bank which holds the loan and,/or read the paperwork you didn't look at), you may be able to make additional payments to reduce the principal of the loan, which will reduce the amount and duration of the loan and could significantly reduce the total interest paid ... at the cost of requiring you pay more each month, or pay an additional sum up front. Returning the car is not an option. A new car loses a large portion of its value the moment you drive it off the dealer's lot and it ceases to be a ""new"" car. You can't return it. You can sell it as a recent model used car, but you will lose money on the deal so even if you use that to pay down the loan you will still owe the bank money. Given the pain involved that way, you might as well keep the car and just try to refinance or pay it off. Next time, read and understand all the paperwork before signing.  (If you had decided this was a mistake within 3 days of buying, you might have been able to take advantage of ""cooling down period"" laws to cancel the contract, if such laws exist in your area. A month later is much too late.)" Dealer financing should be ignored until AFTER you have agreed on the price of the car, since otherwise they tack the costs of it back onto the car's purchase price. They aren't offering you  a $2500 cash incentive, but adding a $2500 surcharge if you take their financing package -- which means you're actually paying significantly more than 0.9% for that loan! Remember that you can borrow from folks other than the dealer. If you do that, you still get the cash price, since the dealer is getting cash. Check your other options, and calculate the REAL cost of each, before making your decisions. And remember to watch out for introductory/variable rates on loans! Leasing is generally a bad deal unless you intend to sell the car within three years or so. "You are co-signer on his car loan. You have no ownership (unless the car is titled in both names).  One option (not the best, see below) is to buy the car from him.  Arrange your own financing (take over his loan or get a loan of your own to pay him for the car).  The bank(s) will help you take care of getting the title into your name.  And the bank holding the note will hold the title as well. Best advice is to get with him, sell the car. Take any money left after paying off the loan and use it to buy (cash purchase, not finance) a reliable, efficient, used car -- if you truly need a car at all. If you can get to work by walking, bicycling or public transit, you can save thousands per year, and perhaps use that money to start you down the road to ""financial independence"".  Take a couple of hours and research this.  In the US, we tend to view cars as necessary, but this is not always true.  (Actually, it's true less than half the time.) Even if you cannot, or choose not to, live within bicycle distance of work, you can still reduce your commuting cost by not financing, and by driving a fuel efficient vehicle.  Ask yourself, ""Would you give up your expensive vehicle if it meant retiring years earlier?""  Maybe as many as ten years earlier." When I asked this particular question on a car forum recently, I got the following suggestions: When we bought our last car, we met with the seller in the DMV's parking lot as there generally is some police around and paid him cash. Here in NV the plates stay with the PO so you have to get it registered or a movement permit anyway before you can drive the vehicle so this worked out pretty reasonable and safe for both parties. My assumption here is that you paid nearly 32K, but also financed about 2500 in taxes/fees.  At 13.5% the numbers come out pretty close.  Close enough for discussion. On the positive side, you see the foolishness of your decision however you probably signed a paper that stated the true cost of the car loan.  The truth in lending documents clearly state, in bold numbers, that you would pay nearly 15K in interest.  If you pay the loan back early, or make larger principle payments that number can be greatly reduced. On top of the interest charge you will also suffer depreciation of the car.  If someone offered you 31K for the car, you be pretty lucky to get it.  If you keep it for 4 years you will probably lose about 40% of the value, about 13K. This is why it is foolish for most people to purchase a new vehicle.  Not many have enough wealth to absorb a loss of this size.  In the book A Millionaire Next Door the author debunks the assumption that most millionaires drive new cars.  They tend to drive cars that are pretty standard and a couple of years old.  They pay cash for their cars. The bottom line is you singed documents indicating that you knew exactly what you were getting into.  Failing any other circumstances the car is yours.  Talking to a lawyer would probably confirm this. You can attempt to sell it and minimize your losses, or you can pay off the loan early so you are not suffering from finance charges. "Imagine that, a car dealership lied to someone trusting.  Who would have thought. A big question is how well do you get along with your ""ex""?  Can you be in the same room without fighting?  Can you agree on things that are mutually beneficial? The car will have to be paid off, and taken out of his name.  The mechanics on how to do this is a bit tricky and you may want to see a lawyer about it.    Having you being the sole owner of the car benefits him because he is no longer a cosigner on a loan.  This will help him get additional loans if he chooses, or cosign on his next gf's car. And of course this benefits you as you ""own"" the car instead of both of you. You will probably have to refinance the car in your name only.  Do you have sufficient credit?  Once this happens can you pay off the car in like a year or so? If you search this site a similar questions is asked about once per month.  Car loans are pretty terrible, in the future you should avoid them.  Cosigning is even worse and you should never again participate in such a thing. Another option is to just sell the car and start over with your own car hopefully paid for in cash." But.. what I really want to know.... is it illegal, particularly the   clause REQUIRING a trade in to qualify for the advertised price? The price is always net of all the parts of the deal. As an example they gave the price if you have $4000 trade in. If you have no trade in, or a trade in worth less than 4K, your final price for the new car will be more. Of course how do you know that the trade in value they are giving you is fair. It could be worth 6K but they are only giving you a credit of 4K. If you are going to trade in a vehicle while buying another vehicle the trade in should be a separate transaction. I always get a price quote for selling the old car before visiting the new car dealer. I do that to have a price point that I can judge while the pressure is on at the dealership.. Buying a car is a complex deal. The price, interest rate, length of loan, and the value of the trade in are all moving parts. It is even more complex if a lease is involved. They want to adjust the parts to be the highest profit that you are willing to agree to, while you think that you are getting a good deal. This is the fine print: All advertised amounts include all Hyundai incentives/rebates, dealer   discounts and $2500 additional down from your trade in value. +0% APR   for 72 months on select models subject to credit approval through HMF.   *No payments or 90 days subject to credit approval. Value will be added to end of loan balance. 15MY Sonata - Price excludes tax, title,   license, doc, and dealer fees. MSRP $22085- $2036 Dealer Discount -   $500 HMA Lease Cash - $500 HMA Value Owner Coupon - $1000 HMA Retail   Bonus Cash - $500 HMA Military Rebate - $500 HMA Competitive Owner   Coupon - $400 HMA College Grad Rebate - $500 HMA Boost Program - $4000   Trade Allowance = Net Price $12149. On approved credit. Certain   qualifications apply to each rebate. See dealer for details. Payment   is 36 month lease with $0 due at signing. No security deposit   required. All payment and prices include HMA College Grad Rebate, HMA   Military Rebate, HMA Competitive Owner Coupon and HMA Valued Owner   Coupon. Must be active military or spouse of same to qualify for HMA   Military Rebate. Must graduate college in the next 6 months or within   the last 2 years to qualify for HMA College Grad rebate. Must own   currently registered Hyundai to qualify for HMA Valued Owner Coupon.   Must own qualifying competitive vehicle to qualify for HMA Competitive   Owner Coupon. Dumb Coder has already given you a link to a website that explains your rights. The only thing that remains is how to execute the return without getting more grief from the dealer. Though the legal aspects are different, I believe the principle is the same. I had a case where I had to rescind the sale of a vehicle in the US. I was within my legal rights to do so, but I knew that when I returned to the dealership they would not be pleased with my decision. I executed my plan by writing a letter announcing my intention to return the vehicle siting the relevant laws involved with a space at the bottom of the letter for the sales person to acknowledge receipt of the letter and indicate that there was no visible damage to the car when the vehicle was returned. I printed two copies of the letter, one for them to keep, and one for me to keep with the signed acknowledgement of receipt. As expected, they asked me to meet with the finance manager who told me that I wouldn't be able to return the car. I thanked him for meeting with me and told him that I would be happy to meet in court if I didn't receive a check within 7 days. (That was his obligation under the local laws that applied.) "So there are a few angles to this.   The previous answers are correct in saying that cash is different than financing and, therefore, the dealer can rescind the offer.  As for financing, the bank or finance company can give the dealership a ""kickback"" or charge a ""fee"" based on the customer's credit score.   So everyone saying that the dealers want you to finance....well yes, so long as you have good credit.  The dealership will make the most money off of someone with good credit.  The bank charges a fee to the dealership for the loan to a customer with bad credit. Use that tactic with good credit...no problem.  Use that tactic with bad credit.....problem." "Uh, you want to lease a car through a dealer? That is the worst possible way to obtain a car. Dealers love leases because it allows them to sell a car for an unnegotiated price and to hide additional fees. It's the most profitable kind of sale for them. The best option would be to buy a used car off of Craigslist or eBay, then sell it again the same way when you leave. If you sell the car for what you paid, then you get the car for a year for free. If you are determined to go through with the expensive, risky and annoying plan of leasing a car, then you should use a leasing agent. I recommend reading some car buying guides before going out into the wilderness with the tigers and bears. Comment on Leasing Tricks Don't get tricked by the ""interest rate"" game. The whole interest thing is just a distraction to trick you into think you are getting some kind of reasonable deal. The leasing company makes most of their money from fees. For example, if you get into an accident it is a big payday for them. The average person thinks they will never get into an accident, but the reality is that most people get into an accident sooner or later. They also collect big penalties for ""maintenance failures"". Forget to change the oil? BOOM! money. Forget to comply with manufacture recall? BOOM! more money. Forget to do the annual service? BOOM! more money. Scratch the car? BOOM! more money. The original car mats are missing? BOOM! you just paid $400 for a set of mats that cost the leasing company $25 bucks. The leasing company is counting on the fact that 99% of people will not maintain the car correctly or will damage it in some way. They also usually have all kinds of other bogus fees, so-called ""walk-away fees"", ""disposition fees"", ""initiation fees"". Whatever they think they can get away with. The whole system is calculated to screw you." 1) How long have you had the car?  Generally, accounts that last more than a year are kept on your credit report for 7 years, while accounts that last less than a year are only kept about 2 years (IIRC - could someone correct me if that last number is wrong?). 2) Who is the financing through?  If it's through a used car dealer, there's a good chance they're not even reporting it to the credit bureaus (I had this happen to me; the dealer promised he'd report the loan so it would help my credit, I made my payments on time every time, and... nothing ever showed up.  It pissed me off, because another positive account on my credit report would have really helped my score).  Banks and brand name dealers are more likely to report the loan. 3) What are your expected long term gains on the stocks you're considering selling, and will you have to pay capital gains on them when you do sell them?  The cost of selling those stocks could possibly be higher than the gain from paying off the car, so you'll want to run the numbers for a couple different scenarios (optimistic growth, pessimistic, etc) and see if you come out ahead or not. 4) Are there prepayment penalties or costs associated with paying off the car loan early?  Most reputable financiers won't include such terms (or they'll only be in effect during the first few months of the loan), but again it depends on who the loan is through. In short: it depends.  I know people hate hearing answers like that, but it's true :)  Hopefully though, you'll be able to sit down and look at the specifics of your situation and make an informed decision. Your over-thinking this.  As long as the owner has the title and the vehicle is titled in there name they can sign it over to you then you can take it to the DMV and put it in your name. If they do not own the vehicle because they are still making payments then you will also need the signature from their bank or lien holder. You can ask to see their ID to verify they are the owner marked on the title. I've bought ~10 vehicles in the last 5 years and never had a problem doing it this way, my experiences have all been in California.