Do some car dealerships have special funds to help low income people afford a car?

My sister and mother received a thing in the mail from Ford Grindstaff saying they won a prize. $15, 000 debit card, IPad + IPhone, 250 Gift Card (Must Be Used On Special Website), or $150 in cash. Well my sister went to claim her prize which was the $250 Gift Card. While there she traded her PT Cruiser in for a Kia Berrango. The Kia Berrango she got was $12, 000 and they gave her $7, 000 toward her PT Cruiser. So now starting in March she has to pay $100 toward the Kia Berrango till paid off. She is $2, 300 something in debt which Ford Grindstaff said they will send her a check for $2, 300 to pay off her debt to be able to afford to pay the car off better. They said they have a special fund or bank they go through to do this and help low income families get cars easier. They said she should receive the check within 7 to 10 business days. Is this a lie or can it be true? If she doesn't get the money promised her she can't keep the car and they already got her PT Cruiser up for sale. So she's in trouble if she doesn't get the money. What are your thoughts about this and do you think their lying or telling the truth! She got handwritten proof that they will send a check of $2, 300, but she's thinking about demanding more like name of the fund or bank etc and a printed copy saying she'll get it. Let us know your thoughts as soon as possible.

Added (1). O my mother doesn't have an appt. With them till Saturday 1/19/13. My sister's appt.came and gone the other day.

Added (2). Yep, just recently found out they took her for a ride and lied about everything. The car was actually $19, 000 plus warranty making it $22, 000 and then their only going to send her $1, 500 so they say. So everyone gets a 10 points here if I was able. Dang them to hadies for this.

Added (3). O forgot to add that her payments are $500 something a month for 6 months then she can get it refinanced and make it around $200 something a month. She says if she receives the $1, 500 she can have her debt paid off in a year and also she has budgeted some things and still believe she can afford the new car so here's hoping she knows what she's doing. She had me do the math of her bills, debt, and car and she looks to come out okay so I hope. Here's praying for her it works out. My mother and I are going to let them take us for a ride I'll tell them to go to hadies if they try to much.

They are going to consolidate the debt by the sound of it.

Go in get your car back and turn the new car in

Dealers are amazingly creative when it comes to getting customers into their store and selling them a new car, whether they can afford it or not. Once the sale is made and the dealer has been paid (by the customer's loan from a finance company), the dealer doesn't care about it anymore. It's now the finance company's problem.

Dealer's don't have programs for low income customers. You deal is so convoluted, it's hard to say what's right and wrong with it. But you can bet your boots that the dealer isn't "helping" anyone.

They are taking you for a ride, but you're sister and mother seem too naive to realize it. The dealer isn't just going to "send her a check" for 2300.that's one of the most ridiculous things i've ever read on here

by the way you explained the situation, she owed more on the car than she got for trade.therefore, she is what we in the dealer world call "flipped" in the car, and the difference would be made up for in the financing.

this whole situation sounds extremely shady, you're sister got in over her head.but, BUYER BEWARE!

This is a marketing campaign to get customers in the door. Nothing more.