Located next to Columbia and Jessup, the Maryland unincorporated community is home to more than 20,000 people. Elkridge and the surrounding Laurel and Ellicott City areas feature Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai dealers, among other makes.
Car buyers are conditioned to expect lying and overcharging based on a reputation of some dealerships being dishonest and cheating their customers. These dealers use many forms of dishonesty to make unlawful profits at your expense.
Some of the worst examples of auto fraud are:
- keeping down payments when financing is not approved,
- selling tradeins before financing is approved,
- forgery,
- odometer fraud,
- spot delivery violations,
- false online price advertising,
- keeping GAP and warranty payments,
- and running credit checks without permission.
- When these or any other form of fraud happen, call the attorneys at Whitney, LLP for help.
The consumer lawyers at Whitney, LLP represent car buyers and can often unwind bad deals and recover compensation in unfair auto fraud transactions.
Here are reviews from what some of our past clients have said about us, and here are some of our past settlement results in claims and lawsuits against car dealerships. We offer legal consultations. Call us at (410) 583-8000, or use our online form to request your free initial consultation today.
Car Dealership Forgery in Elkridge, MD
When you buy a car, the last thing that you expect is that the dealer will violate the sanctity of your signature. However, when we have been contacted by unhappy customers and get our hands on the sales contracts, they show our clients that the answer to their question of “has the dealer been forging my signature” is yes. Forgeries occur when the dealership signs your name, signature or initials to sales contract, finance contract or lease agreement without your permission. We have found that some Maryland dealerships forge customer signatures at a surprisingly high rate.
If you are being charged more than you agreed to in the contract, or your monthly payment, interest rate or loan amount is different, either higher or lower, than you agreed to, you are probably the victim of car dealership forgery. We can help.
Dealers will use doctored signatures and forged initials for several reasons. One thing that they will fake is that they made a disclosure about the car. Another explanation is that the dealer is using forged initials or forging my signature to change the payment terms of the contract as a way of overcharging you.
These practices are illegal, and the dealer can face severe legal consequences when you hire a lawyer to sue a car dealership.
Car Dealership Fraud in Elkridge, MD
A dishonest Elkridge, Jessup or Columbia car dealer may use a number of different schemes to get you in the door or take your money. Here is just a small representation of different forms of auto fraud that could involve you wondering, how do I being the process of suing a car dealership near me?
One is odometer fraud, which is common among used car dealerships that want you to believe that a car is a little less used than it really is. This is not just misrepresentation, it is also a felony, and it can lead to the car dealer being forced to pay you damages.
You can also hire a lawyer to sue a car dealership when a dealer falsely advertises a vehicle’s price, and increases after showing a lower price, or adds on fake fees, such as reconditioning or inspection fees. When a dealer engages in misrepresentation about things such as the price and condition of a car in its print or online advertising, it may be sued.
Spot Delivery – When Financing Is Not Approved
Another form of auto fraud is when the dealer commits a spot delivery violation. This means that the dealer has given you possession of the car before everything is final. When the deal falls through, the dealer will then find a way to raise what you need to pay.
Alternatively, the dealer may refuse to give your down payment back, or return your trade-in, if financing is not approved. Maryland law requires that the dealer return your down payment and trade-in.
Attorney Near Me to Sue a Car Dealership
Whitney, LLP’s auto fraud lawyers have sued many Maryland car dealerships for clients who were cheated and deceived. We can often unwind bad deals and recover compensation for car buyers.
The good news for you is that Maryland law protects you from dealer scams that defraud you. In order to make sure that your legal rights are respected, you need an experienced lawyer on your side.
Contact us online today, or call us at (410) 583-8000 and request a legal consultation.
Watch our YouTube Channel and read our Auto Fraud blog for more information on dealer fraud cases.