Edgewood, Maryland, is situated between two arms of the Chesapeake Bay — the Gunpowder River and the Bush River. About 26,000 people call it their home. Many residents of Edgewood as well as Belcamp, Clayton, Abingdon and Bradshaw make a regular commute to the Baltimore area.
When buying a new or used car, you want everything to go as smoothly as possible. Some unethical dealers can rush you through the process. You bring your vehicle home only to discover that you are a victim of auto fraud.
You will likely need a lawyer to sue a car dealership if you suspect dealer violations such as forgery, lying about the odometer reading, false internet price advertising, keeping your down payment if financing is not approved, running credit checks without your permission failing to disclose a used car’s rental history.
Fraudulent practices can have serious financial implications and do damage to your credit. The auto fraud lawyers at Whitney, LLP, can help you sue the car dealer, and may be able to unwind the deal and recover compensation for fraud and deceit.
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.
Forgery By Car Dealers in Edgewood, MD
Every transaction with a car dealer requires a good deal of paperwork. Standard forms include the bill of sale, the financing agreement, and mandatory state and federal disclosure forms. As you go through the process, many of these forms require signatures and initials showing that you have read them. An unethical dealer will forge signatures and initials to withhold information from you or change important information about the car or about the financing.
Red flags for forgery on finance contracts:
If your monthly payment, interest rate, or total loan amount is different, either higher or lower than agreed to at the dealership, you might wonder “was the car dealer forging my signature?” The answer is that they probably did. We find forgeries in about 1 of every 5 contracts we review.
A forged signature or forged initials can make it seem like you agreed to options you did not ask for or a payment plan that you cannot afford. Whitney, LLP’s attorneys sue car dealerships for forgery and can help car buyers who are victims of forged signatures.
Car Dealership Fraud in Edgewood, MD
Like any business, car dealerships around Edgewood, Belcamp, Clayton, Abingdon and Bradshaw are trying to make money. Many use fraudulent practices to overcharge and cheat their customers. If this happens to you, you have legal rights and can fight back.
Many used car dealers buy rental cars, and do not tell their customers the car is a rental. This is a violation of Maryland law, and customers can recover compensation when rental history is not disclosed.
Putting a down payment on a vehicle saves you money because you are lowering the principal amount of your auto loan. A car dealer might try to increase your payments by keeping the down payment without reporting it to the financing company.
Spot delivery fraud happens when a dealer gives a customer a vehicle before receiving approval of the financing plan. If the financing is not approved, the dealership has to immediately return the entire down payment and allow the customer to return the car. Many dealers try to keep the down payment illegally. If this happens, Whitney, LLP’s spot delivery lawyers can help you get your down payment back.
The internet makes it possible for a good deal of the auto purchase process to happen online. However, it can also be a source of fraud when a dealer puts false price information online and then raises the price when you arrive at the dealership. Lying about the odometer reading is another form of false advertising. By changing the reading and committing odometer fraud, the dealer can ask for a higher price on the vehicle.
Watch our YouTube Channel and read our Auto Fraud blog for more information on dealer fraud cases.
According to federal law, car dealers cannot check your credit without your permission. Sometimes, dealers want do a credit check without permission to see what a customer can afford. This kind of hard credit check can damage your credit rating. We can help remove illegal inquiries.
An Edgewood, MD, Car Dealership Fraud Lawyer Near Me
Overcharging and other types of auto fraud can have serious repercussions on your financial health. If you think you have been taken advantage of by an unethical car dealer, the attorneys at Whitney, LLP, can help.
While dealers often ignore customer complaints, we help car buyers fight back and sue dealerships to unwind deals and recover compensation.
Contact Whitney, LLP, online today to request a legal consultation, or call us at (410) 583-8000.