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,...
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...