Some things should be obvious. But, apparently, a columnist in car dealer publication Automotive News felt that car dealerships need to be told that: "Signing a customer's name is forgery. Period." Check out the article, which suggests that the reasons for forgery...
Month: April 2013
Our Auto Dealer Fraud Practice and Representative Cases
In our experience, consumers have more problems involving motor vehicles than with any other type of purchase. State and federal laws provide consumers who lease or purchase motor vehicles with many protections, and an alarming percentage of motor vehicle sales or...
Buying a decent car with poor credit
Buying a decent car without good credit can be tough. In Connecticut, car dealers can charge up to 19% interest. All too often, dealers charge prices are well above book values, and that is before the cost of conveyance fees and other "extras" are added to the...
Trans Union Now Considering Metropolitan Area When Evaluating Credit Risk
Trans Union is now using "metro ratings" to evaluate credit risks for collective groups based on where they live. Attorney Chris Kittell of the Kittell Law Firm writes Trans Union contends that a low metro rating does not just reflect a geographically localized group...
Dealing With New Car Warranties: Part 2
Good Morning! If you've been following our blog, you might know from yesterday's post that Attorney Dan Blinn bought a brand new car over the weekend and that, less than 24 hours later, the car wouldn't start. Yesterday's post detailed some of the things that we...
It Can Happen To Anyone: Dealing with New Car Warranty Issues
It can happen to anyone - CLG attorney Dan Blinn bought a new car this weekend and, less than 24 hours later, it wouldn't start. So, he follows the advice that he gives to clients facing similar situations involving new car warranty problems:.... 1. Promptly...
Cell Phone Calls, Debt Collectors and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act
Many consumers have told us that they get several calls a day on their cell phones from a debt collector or creditor who is trying to collect a debt. Collection calls to cell phones can be particularly frustrating because most consumers always keep their cell phones...
Auto dealer fraudster sentenced to prison for 60 months
Used car dealers and salesman are some of the most hated individuals in the U.S. This is mostly due to a pervasive idea that they are fraudsters, and this is why every state has laws against auto dealer fraud. Though, what some may not realize is that federal law also...
Avoiding online car buying scams
Readers of our blog are no stranger to car buying scams. Indeed, many of our blogs are devoted to auto dealer fraud, like last week’s blog. In that blog post, we described how some online “internet prices” were actually after an undisclosed down payment. And, after...
Be careful when shopping for a car online
When a Connecticut resident needs a new car chances are they will search the internet first before heading into the dealership. This can be a good way of checking prices, models, features, etc., but a recent article in PC Magazine highlights the deceptive nature of...
Don’t get burned by these three common types of auto fraud
Studies show that around 1 in 10 property/casualty insurance claims are fraudulent. In fact, insurance fraud is close behind tax evasion amongst some of the most pervasive white-collar crimes. This means that the likelihood of experiencing the outcome of such fraud is...
Understanding title types to make an informed purchase
When a person purchases a used vehicle, it can sometimes be difficult to know the vehicle’s full history. The vehicle may have been in accident, may have flood damage or may have been owned by several different people. Buyers may not be aware that there are several...
What if I buy a car that’s been in an undisclosed accident?
Buying a used car always is a little bit of a gamble. You may choose to buy a car from an auto dealer because you feel better about that than buying one from a private party. However, auto dealers sometimes are sneaky and may try to sell you a car without disclosing...
Don’t be afraid to fight against auto fraud
If you believe that you have become a victim of auto fraud, it's likely that you have had some unpleasant interactions with your dealer. You'll likely be left with a bitter taste in your mouth and feeling that you have been short-changed in some way, but you may be a...
Review of Connecticut’s repossession laws
Most people in Connecticut realize that those who provide automobile loans have the right to repossess the vehicle if the borrower does not make timely payments. However, what they might not realize is that borrowers have rights during the repossession process, and...
Vehicle disclosure requirements and what if they are unmet
Buying a vehicle is exciting and a big step for many people. For that reason, car buyers and consumers should be familiar with vehicle history disclosure requirements and auto dealer fraud and how they can protect themselves. Vehicle disclosure requirements Vehicle...
What can you learn from a VIN search?
Every vehicle is a unique machine that comes with a unique identifier – a vehicle identification number. Known as a “VIN” number, this identifier is an alphanumeric code that provides important information about the vehicle's history. There are ways for...