I just took it for a two day long TEST DRIVE'

If there is one thing I have learned since being in the Marine Corps is when your NCO's or Staff NCO's [Non-commissioned officers] tell you something it is best to listen to them, because the knowledge they are passing onto you is not just something they are saying so they can sound like they know what they are talking about but actually because they 'do' know what they are talking about and the information can actually be very useful to ones self. Which at the beginning is a very hard concept to grasp, especially for young marines like myself. So when one of my corporals came up to me one day and asked if she had heard correctly that I was interested in buying a car, my brain automatically went into hibernation mode as she started on about what to do and what not to do and how I should wait and so on and so forth. At that point the only thing being processed in my head was; "Blah, blah, blah..." though in truth I might have been considering what I wanted for lunch but that is not the point. The point is I should have been listening but I am stubborn so I figured I was old enough to know what I was doing and was not going to get into any trouble. In the end I agreed that I would think about it and went on with my day. I actually had no plans on buying a car that weekend, it had never actually crossed my mind. But it is amazing what we do on impulse.

So Saturday rolls around and I find myself relaxing in my barracks room, with my roommate Jones. We had no real plans for the day so we were simply going to lay there until something happened or didn't happen. I was actually quite pleased with that idea, I am never one to turn down a relaxing weekend of doing absolutely nothing but that was not meant to be. Because over the course of the next hour, we were informed by a friend that they had gotten a great deal on a car and that we should come down and check it out. Just to look, of course. I had considered staying but after a short consideration with myself while Jones was out of the room I decided to go check it out. What's the worst that could happen?

Well this could happen...


I could try and say that it was not my fault and that I got a really good deal, or maybe that the fates aligned and they gave it to me for free; but that would be so far from what really happened. The simple fact is I was sweet talked into buying a car at what I thought was a deal, but it really wasn't. And if it was not bad enough I went for the biggest and most expensive one on the lot, it's not my fault that I have a weakness for pretty things. Anyway, less then five hours after I left my barracks room to go 'look' at cars with no intention of 'buying' one I left the dealership in my shiny new car and was ever so excited. Everything appeared good to me, I had applied for a loan through Navy Federal and had signed the contract with the dealership, no money down. No nothing. Just sign here and take the keys. Everything was good. I enjoyed the car thoroughly for the rest of Saturday and Sunday, not once thinking anything was wrong, well besides for the fact that I had bought a car without really planning for it. But I figured I could handle it; no sweat.

Well that all changed on Monday when I received a call from my bank informing me that my loan had been denied for the amount I had requested. I had been approved for a loan but one that was a good five thousand dollars short of what I needed to afford the car. Though the bank was nice enough to inform of my options which included:

Option 1: Force dealership to sell me the car for five thousand dollars less then originally agreed on price. <----Fat chance of that one happening.

Option 2: Come up with the needed extra money before frist car payment was due. <----No chance of this happening.

So in truth my only option was to cancle the application for the loan and take the car back to the dealership and try to find someway out of the contract I had just gotten myself into, I doubted that was going to be easy. I called the dealership and informed them of my situation and that I would be returning the car. The receptionest infronmed me that, "It would be NO trouble". But she lied. I should have figured that one. I told them that I would be there before eight, which was when they closed to return the car. Of course I did not take into account 'field day' which for those of you who don't know is an awesome day the Marine Corps came up with to get everyone to clean their rooms.

You would think the fact that we are all considered adults we wouldn't need to be forced to clean ours room and to top it off be supervised while we do it. But that would just be the ridulicious to think we could be trusted. So clean my room I did. And luckily, thanks to the fact that me and Jones keep the room pretty much spotless throughout the week there was not much to do and we were finished before six. Which left me pleanty of time to return the car. A mission I set off to do right away, with a much needed blessing from Jones, of course.

Fifteen minutes and more then enough nerves later I arrived at the dealership once more to return the car I had bought just two days ago. I found myself somewhat terrifed when I stepped into the shop and the owner lead me into the back. I was unsure of how I would handle myself and I barely had time to figure out a gameplan before the interrigation began. And if you didn't know this, when someone is extermely nice it is so much worse then when they are screaming at you. A nice interrigation is just unbearable. Not to mention somewhat creepy at times.

So it started off pretty simple, he asked me what had gone wrong and I informed him of the circumstances at which my bank had denied my loan. And it was at this point that he began to infrom me that he did not believe my story and forced me to call my bank. Placing said call on speaker phone so that he could hear the bank representive inform him of what I had already told him. He then told me what my options were, around this time I was really starting to hate options.

Option 1: Buy a car from the lot for the price that my bank was willing to loan me the money for. <----Really did not want to do this.

Option 2: He would refinance the car through himself and force me to pay all of the money to him, without a loan. <------Would have had to become a whore to get this amount of money, so that was not even a choice.

So around about this time, my throat was closing up rather tightly and I could only nod when he brought one of his dealers in to show me around the lot again and try to find me a car for the amount I could afford and I spend the next fifteen minutes walking around in circles with a very large cloud hanging over my head. At this point I was more then sure that I am screwed and I had no idea what to do. All I could figure was that I had no choice but to get a car that was withen my price range but more then anything I just wanted out of this. If I thought it would work I would have just ran away.

But I am not a good runnier.

So when I thought all was lost, the dealer came back and informed me that the owner wanted to see me again, so once again I went into the office and right before I was even able to sit own he told me the best news I had ever heard in my life, he was going to let me out of the contract and I watched him void it right infront of my face. I felt free as bird, a very stupid and implusive bird but a bird all the same. It seems walking around looking like someone had just killed your puppy and hung it from a light post works to make people feel really bad for you.

So I somehow mangaed to get myself out of a very comprising situation. One I never want to go through again but one I am glad I experienced and was able to learn from. I know to listen to my NCO's a little better now and trust them when they say they know something because more then likely they really do.

I can use this as an example for other people to learn by, well that is if I ever tell it to anyone because as of right now....

All it was, was a two day long test drive.