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...
Does the dealer have to tell you if your car was in a flood?
When you go to buy a car, you want to learn as much as you can about that car's history. You want to know if it was ever in any accidents or if there was any other type of damage. You need to know what repairs were made, especially if they were expensive. But what if...
Why might a dealership hide the history of your used car?
Buying a used car is unquestionably a more affordable choice than buying a brand new vehicle. If you find a used vehicle in good condition, it could serve as your primary form of transportation for many years. Unfortunately, not every used vehicle is in great...
Connecticut ranks high for auto fraud in the U.S.
Did you know Connecticut ranks among the top states with auto fraud based upon data provided by the Federal Trade Commission? Unfortunately, in 2020, 120,000 cases of auto fraud took place in the United States. In Connecticut, 318.9 incidents were reported per million...
Can a dealership hide that a used car has a salvage title?
Buying a used car is a major investment. You will likely depend on that vehicle to get to work or to safely transport your children to and from school. You should know the condition of the vehicle based on your test drive and the disclosures made by the salesperson...
Bent and damaged frames on cars: What to know
Of all the problems that you can find with a vehicle, a bent frame is among the worse. Structural damage to the chassis will cause you major problems. Unfortunately for consumers, there are plenty of unscrupulous car dealers out there who will cheerfully sell you a...
What to do if your car is a lemon
The last thing you want after purchasing a new vehicle is to start experiencing mechanical problems. It can be challenging, especially if you put everything into buying what you thought would be a reliable vehicle to meet your daily transport needs. Fortunately, there...
Some used car salesmen deserve their reputation
It’s fair to say that used car salesmen have a negative reputation. The cliche is that they’re out to trick consumers and sell them useless products at inflated prices. This is certainly not true for every salesman, and there’s a reason people say to be wary about...
Is an extended vehicle warranty worth the cost?
If the manufacturer warranty that came with your car is expiring soon, you may actually start to listen to those extended warranty robocall messages on your phone. But is an extended warranty – also known as a vehicle service contract – worth the money? Surveys of...
Can you return a used car to the dealership?
When you buy a vehicle, it’s with the expectation that it has been represented correctly by the dealership. In fact, you go to a dealership to avoid questions about the vehicle, because many dealerships do their due diligence and make sure they are aware of all...
Price gouging is more than irritating, it is illegal
It’s a hard time to buy a vehicle. Due to supply shortages, there are fewer new and used cars at today’s dealerships, and that means prices have skyrocketed. As Business Insider notes, a lack of computer chips, rampant supply chain problems and high demand have all...