Question:

I recently purchased a car and I am happy with the deal I made. But when it came time to sign the papers and finance the vehicle there were many pieces of paper presented to me. One I remember had to do with agreeing to go to arbitration of there were any problems. A month after I bought my car I saw a program on television that said this is not something I should have signed.

Have you, or could you, run an article about the papers--contracts, agreements, etc.-- that might be presented at time of purchase, what purpose they serve, and whether they need to be signed.

I think this would be highly informative and very useful.

Answer:

You are correct arbitration does not provide protection to consumers as it is claimed that it does. Personally I am not a fan of it. I do my best these days to keep from signing anything that binds me to arbitration. That's my personal preference.

As for the paperwork that comes with the purchase of a vehicle, it is not standard. There are some documents that can be standard within a state, but for the most part all consumer aspects of a sale are controlled by the state. The best way to find out what is standard -- unfortunately -- is to contact the district attorney's office and ask where you may look it up. There is likely to be an online resource.