The State is alleging the following:
a. Failing to honor the advertised sales price of a used motor vehicle;
b. Failing to honor the negotiated sales price of a used motor vehicle;
The State is alleging the following:
a. Failing to honor the advertised sales price of a used motor vehicle;
b. Failing to honor the negotiated sales price of a used motor vehicle;
The State of NJ filed a lawsuit against 21st Century Auto Group:
Acting New Jersey Attorney General John J. Hoffman and the State Division of
Consumer Affairs today announced a lawsuit against 21st Century Auto Group, Inc., a
Match.com has been sued for faking profiles of its members and having false profiles.
The plaintiff is a former model whose photos has been used on over 200 profiles, with no authorization from her.
Presumably, the damages are based on the theory that match.com has lured people to their site and charged them money wthi the false representation as to he numbers that are on the site.
Car Salesman Talk
On or about March 11, 2011, the plaintiff listened to an advertisement on 1010 WINS Radio from XXX indicating that it was 30% off of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, MSRP or $5,000 cash back on all of their new vehicles. (The bait) After hearing the ad with the reliance thereon, the plaintiff proceeded to the dealership and signed various documentations indicating that he would be acquiring a new vehicle from XXX at the interest rate of 3.9%. The plaintiff signed various documents and left the dealership. The price was over the MSRP by about 25% and once the “fictitious discount” is factored in the real price is %50 to %100 above the advertised price. (MSRP about $21,000 purchase price about $26,000) The plaintiff was not told verbally by any individuals that the contract was not final, subject to approval or otherwise not a completed transaction. The only documents in the plaintiff’s possession when he left the dealership indicated that the transaction was final. Plaintiff is unsure as to exactly what documents the dealership has in their possession pertaining to the ‘temporary’ approval of the transaction. However, the plaintiff was told, left with documents indicating the transaction was final. (Plaintiff reserves the right to amend the pleadings to allege that the advertisement was deceptive upon receipt of same from dealer or the radio station)
After approximately two weeks, the plaintiff received a call back from a representative of the dealership who the plaintiff believes was the finance manager that indicated that there was a mistake in the paperwork and that the plaintiff cannot get his tags without returning to the dealership. (Get him back to the dealer so we can do “The switch”) (Charge him too much for financing and charge too much for the car) Thereafter, the plaintiff returned to the dealership, sat down with the individual whom he believed was the finance manager and told the plaintiff that he had to sign a separate set of paperwork all of which was backdated (violated TILA) to the original specific date of the transaction. (The dealer transgressions just continue and continue) The representative of the dealership said this is the only way the plaintiff could get financed that if the plaintiff did not have the life, health and other type of insurance, the interest rate will be 5.9% rather than the 4.9% which was on the second set of documents and certainly above the 3.9% for which the plaintiff allegedly received an approval and had signed the documentation. The dealer was in possession of the plaintiff trade at this time or they had sold it.
http://bmwminicooperclassaction.com/
It appears that the class has already been settled
Details on how to file a claim for the MINI Cooper Transmission Defect Class Action Settlement are not yet available. Keep checking Top Class Actions or sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter below for updates on this case and other class action lawsuits and settlements.
Cars Sales Statistics
Nada.org is a great web site with all types of statistics on new and used car sales
Used Prices Fall by Largest Amount
This is not a complete defense to fraud or consumer fraud
Even if the dealer would have sold the car as is, this is not a defense to fraud or consumer fraud.
Richie and Pat Bonvie Stables, Inc. v. Irving 350 N.J.Super. 579 (App.Div 2002)
The dealer’s position that their ‘disclaimer’ protects them from any affirmative misrepresentations they made is clearly without merit and without support under the law.
The standard is whether or not the disclosures made to the plaintiff had the capacity to mislead. The dealership states that the vehicle has not been in an accident then they give disclaimers that they are not sure whether the vehicle has been in accident.
Clearly, these are contradictory disclosures and have the capacity to mislead the plaintiff and in fact did mislead the plaintiff. The defense claims that the plaintiff cannot justifiably rely upon the statements as to the fact as to whether or not there was an accident is not supported by law.
The issue of approximate cost and/or reliance is one for a trier of fact to determine rather than to determine on a motion.
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Bait and Switch
New Jersey does have laws that stop bait and switch practices by automobile dealers. An example would be to lure you into the dealer and then switch you from the advertised car. I have seen sales where the car that was advertised and was already sold by the time the customer went to he dealership then they switched the customer into another cat, or the advertised car was damages or never shown tot he potential customer.
Keep any advertisements and keep notes on when and where you saw the car on the internet so you can insist on the car that was advertised.. The real issue is what do you do and can you sue of they do not sell you the car that was advertised.
Lets look at this set of facts:
Car advertised on the dealer site for $20,000
Customer get to dealer and the price on the car is $50,000
Dealer refuses to sell the car.
Do you sue and if so what are the damages?
• Failure to disclose that the car had sustained damage in an accident. Totz v. Continental DuPage Acura, 602 N.E.2d 1374 (Ill.App.Ct 1992)
• Failure to disclose engine damage. Slaney v. Westwood Auto, 322 N.E.2d 768 (Mass. 1975).
• Failure to disclose defective brakes. Mahan Volkswagon v. Hall, 648 S.W.2d 324 (Tex.Civ.App. 1982)
• Failure to disclose that a new car had been damaged in transit and repaired. Pirozzi v. Pesnke Olds Cadillac, 605 A.2d. 373 (PA. Super. Ct. 1992).
• Failure to disclose that the vehicle had been used as a racing vehicle. Testo v. Russ Dunmeyer Olds, 554 P.2d. 349 (Wash. 1976).
• Failure to disclose MSRP. Ciampi v. Ogden Chrysler Plymouth, 634 N.E. 448 (Ill.App. 1994).
• Failure to disclose that the odometer was inaccurate. The Court held that intent could be inferred if the seller reasonably should have known that the mileage was inaccurate. Seller had exclusive control during period of alleged rollback. Huycke v. Greenway, 876 F.2d 94 (11th Cir. 1989).
• Failure to disclose mileage properly under circumstances that required the dealer to know about the discrepancy. Nieto v. Pence, 578 F.2d. 640 (5th.Cir. 1978).
• Statements made recklessly or carelessly without any reasonable ground for a belief in truth as to the mileage constitutes intent to defraud. Jones v. Fenton Ford, 427 F.Supp 1328 (D.Conn. 1977).
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Attorney General
The Legislature authorized the Attorney General, acting through the Division of Consumer Affairs Division, to promulgate regulations, having the force of law, “to deal with practices susceptible to consumer-fraud violations.” Id. at 16.
In response, the Division enacted extensive regulations, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-1.1 to 29.1, of which the Automotive Sales Practices regulations, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26B.1 to -26B.2, are a part. The regulations protect consumers by providing them with the information necessary to avoid paying for optional hidden service fees that they would have rejected had they known what these service fees were. Delaney v. Garden State Auto Park, 318 N.J.Super. 15, 20, (App.Div.1999).