New Jersey Lemon Law Lawyer Blog

Craftmatic Bed Complaints!

March 17, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

I had a client call me today with complaints against Craftmatic. The allegation was that he forwarded a payment on time and was not credited until there was a TREMENDOUS late fee that was activated by the late payment and an increase in the interest rate. I did some research and found a Craftmatic complaint site on the web AND it appears that there are many unhappy customers.

It appears that there was also an investigation by West Virginia and a large settlement.

If you have a Craftmatic bed and you have any complaints please contact me for a free consultation.

Car dealer, salesman indicted in fraud involving dealership

March 14, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

The Asbury Park Press is reporting that there have been indictments of Michael Kouvaras, 55, of Maplewood and Salvatore Rivello, 56, of Matawan. They were indicted for theft by deception, identity theft, deceptive business practices and defrauding secured creditors. I will be getting a copy of the indictment form the Prosecutor’s Office so as to comment further. The dealership was Chrysler of Eatontown, according to the Press. I will follow up with details.

Negotiation With Car Salesmen: Remember The Facts

March 12, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

When you negotiate with a car salesman you need to remember some important statistics. There are over 21,000 new car dealerships in the country and over 550 new car dealerships in the State of New Jersey. The car you want is at another dealership, probably for less. Get up and walk out, if you can. This might not be a real option if they have your trade vehicle and it is lost or sold or they can’t find it anywhere.

All you need to do is look at all the advertising on the web and in the newspaper to see the level of competition. You actually have the upper hand. Also, try to have financing approved before you enter the dealership so you have the leverage. Get everything in writing. Do not trust anybody. Never go to the dealership alone. Some more help

Good Luck.

What Should You do If You Think You Have Been Ripped Off by a Car Dealer?

March 9, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

You have a range of choices, none of which are really attractive.

Return to the dealership and confront the management. You need to be very confident and have the ability to negotiate against skilled salesmen and do it under stress. You don’t have a chance. You know it and the dealer knows it. STAY AWAY. Not recommended.

File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or the Consumer Affairs Office in your county. They have no ability to force the dealership to do anything. I’ts all voluntary. Just a further waste of your valuable time.

Should You Purchase A Certified Used Car?

March 6, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

This depends on your comfort level in negotiating with experienced salesmen and your ability to have the car inspected that you are purchasing. As a general matter, in my opinion, this is not a good purchase. The term “certified” means almost nothing. In the context of a used car sale it only means that the manufacturer has issued a warranty on your car and has required the dealer to perform some extensive inspection. Remember this is not free. There is a charge for this warranty, whether the dealer tells you or not. You are purchasing this warranty. Then the dealer tries to sell you an extended service plan. What a joke.

First of all, shouldn’t the dealer have to inspect the car before they sell the car to the public? Why is this extra? Just purchase your own warranty on the internet and have the car inspected by your own mechanic.

Here is a listing of all the major manufacturers’ certified used car programs.

Do Car Dealerships Have Insurance For Consumer Fraud Claims?

March 4, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

Many dealerships, of medium to large size, have insurance for claims of consumer fraud. One of the largest companies that writes this insurance was Universal Underwriters, which was purchased by Zurich. BUT the coverage usually only pays for the cost of a lawyer and will not pay money to the claimant for any verdict or pay any settlement monies to the plaintiff. Usually this is paid by the dealership out of their pocket.

What Is The Cost of a Used Car?

March 3, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

You would think that this was an easy question. But when the answer is in the context of calculating salesman commissions you might be amazed at how the dealer calculates the answer. The answer should be simple: what is the cost at which the dealer acquires the car? The dealership has already been reimbursed for overhead and expenses by charging a “pack” on each deal to each salesman. BUT the dealer adds money to the acquisition price of the used cars, sometimes known as “ups” or “ads.” What is either the need or the justification for this? Usually the pay plans are based on profit for the sale of each car, as agreed by the salesman and the dealer. These ups are usually not disclosed to any of the salespeople since it is “none of their business.”

If you work in either sales or finance at a car dealership you should start asking some questions about the COST of the used cars that you are selling and how the dealer gets these numbers.

The Law Office of Jonathan Rudnick litigates these cases against car dealerships, located at 262 HWY 35 Red Bank NJ 07701, 732-842-2070

2007 Toyota Tacoma Trucks

February 28, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

There appears to be a host of consumer complaints about this car. I personally have always thought Toyota was the best manufacturer, hands down. Things are changing. Some complaints pertain to an acceleration problem, and there are some generalized complaints. Tacoma complaints from complaint.com. If you have any problems with the Toyota Tacoma, acceleration or otherwise, we provide free consultations. The Law Office of Jonathan Rudnick, 262 HWY 35, Red Bank NJ 07701. (732) 842-2070.

Saturn of Toms River, NJ

February 25, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

I have a pending class action suit in Superior Court of New Jersey alleging that Saturn of Toms River is not providing the employee discount to those who should receive the General Motors employee discount. If you have acquired a car from Saturn Toms River and think that you should have received the employee discount, please call my office.
The Law Office of Jonathan Rudnick, 262 HWY 35, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 842-2070 Continue reading ›

Car Salesman Getting Ripped Off? Part I

February 21, 2008 | Jonathan Rudnick

Guess what? In the car business dealer stake as many liberties with their employees as they do with the customers. There are two basic profit centers: the front end and the back end. The salesmen get paid on the front end only. This is the “cost” of the car, as compared to the selling price. Some people think the cost is the invoice of the car, better known as tissue. The higher level employees get paid on the overall profit of the dealership, which includes all the items considered after market, warranties, etc.

The problem occurs when calculating the cost for calculation of the gross commisionable proceeds for the employees.The dealers add costs to the acquisition price of the car. Some dealers call them “ups.” The dealers increase the cost by the amount of the ups to reduce the commissions.

Usually the pay plans are based on the costs of the products. The dealers take liberties with increasing the cost of the vehicles without disclosing this to the staff, because they exclusively control access to this information.