Wow. Really?
I'd have your dad go down there and let them have it man. If they can sell you a ****ING car then they can loan you one when that car breaks.
I'm guessing that if your dads name is on it then that's why. Legal liability issue maybe?
Oh, and refurbished also means rebuilt. It might just be BETTER than new. Try and find out. They could have put better parts in it somehow. I seriously doubt it but it's possible. At least they were up front with you.
This might be all on the up and up. But I'll stay tuned to find out.
I'd let you take mine to homecoming if I lived there.