Most consumers trade-in their old vehicle when buying a new car. These deals can be complicated if there is still money owed on the trade-in, and a consumer can have real problems when the dealership does not pay off the trade-in. In a typical deal, the dealership...
Month: July 2014
Games Dealers Play: The Waiting Game
Games Dealers Play: The Waiting Game Buying a new or used car can be an exhausting process. Unfortunately, some dealers may drag the process out far longer than necessary. When consumers are tired or hungry, or when they have small children who getting cranky, they...
Dealership Admits to Auto Dealer Fraud
The Arizona Attorney General has obtained a consent judgment against a used car dealership for multiple acts of auto dealer fraud. The dealership was accused of selling cars with salvage titles without dislosing the status of the title, not properly disclosing...
Student Loan Scams
An article in Today's New York Times discusses the predatory nature of some debt settlement companies, who are increasingly targeting consumers who collectively owe more than $1 trillion dollars in student loans.
Auto Dealer Fraud Higher For Cheaper Cars
Incidents of fraud by auto dealers are higher for lower priced cars, according to a recent study. The study, which was conducted by iSeeCars.com, evaluated millions of advertised vehicles and determined that the lower the price, the greater the likelihood that there...
How to Get Free Credit Reports – No Strings Attached
We highly recommend that consumers check their credit reports before they begin shopping for a new or a used car. Finance charges are a major expense, and consumers should know where they stand before they let a car dealer talk them into paying too high an interest...
Telemarketing Scams: Rachel from Card Services
Unwanted telemarketing calls can be very annoying. The Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call Registry helps limit calls from legitimate telemarketers. But, the registry is not much of a deterrent to scam artists.Many have received calls from "Rachel from Card...
Car Dealership Sold Unsafe Certified Pre-owned Car
A Connecticut Serviceman and his wife have sued a West Haven dealership for selling them an unsafe car even though the dealership allegedly told them that the the car was certified-preowned. Read about problems with certified pre-owned cars here. According to a...
CFPB Needs to Act on Arbitration
No one does a better job of shining a bright light on the problems caused by forced arbitration than Public Justice Executive Director Paul Bland. He really lets loose in a blog article written earlier today discussing a recent travesty of justice in North Carolina,...
Connecticut pre-owned vehicle warranty protections
Consumers who buy a preowned car should not purchase someone else’s problems. They should know about Connecticut’s law that helps protect them from vehicle warranty problems. Coverage Under state law, warranties are required for a used car purchased from a dealer...
Spotting odometer tampering in a used car
Until the advent of digital odometers, tampering with the analog odometers was perhaps the most common type of fraud involved in used car sales in Connecticut and elsewhere. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration once estimated that more than 450,000 used...
Beware of hurricane damaged vehicles
Connecticut managed to avoid any extensive damage from the historic 2020 hurricane season. However, used car buyers should still be on the lookout for vehicles that may have suffered from flood damage. Often, flood-damaged cars are transported far beyond their...
What is odometer fraud?
When people in Connecticut purchase a used car, one feature they may pay particular attention to is the milage on the vehicle. In general, vehicles with lower mileages will have less wear-and-tear and thus may be more reliable vehicles. However, not all dealers are...
State law protects buyers of used cars before and after the sale
Connecticut has laws which authorized used car dealerships have to follow. These laws are there to protect customers from paying way too much for a car that has significant mechanical problems. Before the sale of a vehicle, a prospective buyer has the right to have...
An overview of Connecticut’s Lemon Law
Most residents may not know this, but our state was the first state to enact a “Lemon Law” to help car owners of defective vehicles. In fact, the program has refunded or replaced vehicles to the tune of over $60 million. Where is the Lemon Law? “Lemon Law” is not...
Financing scams run by auto dealerships
People in New Jersey use their vehicles every day to get to various places that they need to go to. However, cars do not last forever and people need to buy new vehicles from time to time. People have different options on where to purchase their vehicle, but many...
What are lemon laws?
Lemon laws provide many important protections for car shoppers, car purchasers and consumers. For that reason, anyone considering a car purchase or who has recently purchased a car should be familiar with lemon laws. What is a considered a lemon? What qualifies as a...
What makes a problematic vehicle a “lemon” under the law?
When we purchase a new car from a dealer, we have the right to expect the vehicle to conform and perform to the expectations advertised by the manufacturer, as well as the dealership. However, many cars do roll off the assembly line with problems that were not caught...
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...