Odenton is the fastest growing town in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. For a time, it was referred to as “the town that the railroad built” because it was constructed alongside the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad. Odenton is located in close proximity to Laurel, Columbia and Crofton, and there are many car dealerships in the area that sell Cadillacs, Fords, and Chryslers, among other models. If any one of these dealers has been unscrupulous during your purchase experience, you can find a lawyer to sue a car dealership at Whitney, LLP.
Whitney, LLP’s consumer lawyers provide representation to car buyers, including in common car dealer schemes that victimize customers such as false online price advertising, odometer fraud, forgery of signatures and initials on sales and lease contracts, spot delivery violations and keeping down payments when financing falls through, running credit reports without permission and stealing warranty and GAP money.
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.
Lawyer for Auto Sales Contract Forgery and Fraud in Odenton, MD
We have had clients come into our office telling us that the dealer has been forging my signature. When you get the bill for your monthly payment and it seems off, and it either higher or lower than the monthly payment amount you agreed to at the dealership, it is a red flag for forgery. Similarly, if your interest rate is different, or the amount financed has changed from what you agreed to, those are signs that the dealer forged your signature on lease, sales or finance paperwork. Whitney, LLP’s car dealership fraud lawyers help customers in forgery cases.
Even if the contract contains forged initials or any other kind of forgery, the dealer still has committed auto fraud. Forged initials are the same as any other type of forgery if they are used to take money out of your pocket. We have held dealers accountable when they engaged in this conduct. One dealer, Sheehy Hyundai in Waldorf, paid $50,000 to settle when it forged a contract that resulted in our client being charged approximately an extra $24 a month. Of course, all cases are different, and past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
If you had a situation where “the dealership ran my credit without permission” or “your credit was run without permission” Whitney, LLP can help you sue the dealership for running your credit without permission, help remove the credit inquiry line from your report and recover financial compensation for you. Car dealers cannot run credit without a customer’s permission, although they often do.
Spot Delivery Violations in Maryland happen very often. Dealers let customers drive away in new vehicles before financing has been approved – this is called a Spot Delivery. If financing falls through, dealers are required to follow specific laws, send written notice within 4 days that financing was not approved, and return your down payment and any other fees you have paid. They are not allowed to make you pay for the use of the car, as long as you bring it back shortly after being told financing fell through or you were not approved for the loan. Whitney, LLP has successfully sued dealers for spot delivery violations in Maryland, and we can help.
Car Dealership Fraud Lawyer Near Me in Odenton, MD
In our years of helping clients in Maryland, including areas such as Laurel, Crofton and Columbia, Whitney, LLP’s attorneys have seen many examples of auto fraud. This can include a dealer overcharging consumers for “dealer options” that simply do not exist. This is more than just misrepresentation or lying. It is plain fraud. We are also aware that car dealers tell customers that a car is new when it actually had a previous owner who returned the car to the dealership. This is also lying. Overcharging beyond the agreed-upon price or the price that the dealer advertises to the public is illegal.
We have also had clients come to us saying that a dealer failed to accurately disclose the condition of the car, including accidents and salvage titles. Dealers may also engage in bait-and-switch practices and make other misrepresentations such as the fact that a vehicle contains features that it does not actually have.
Maryland has strong consumer protection laws. If you are concerned about dealers taking advantage, know that you have the law on your side as well as strong legal advocates. Any type of auto fraud can be grounds for suing a car dealership. However, car dealers will likely not simply give in and refund your money when you complain. Often, what you need is a lawyer to sue a car dealership in order to show the seller that you must be taken seriously.
The only way that car dealers can rip you off and get away with it is if you let them. If something does not seem right when you drive home with your car or your payments end up being larger than you thought, do not hesitate to contact Whitney, LLP. We can help you file a lawsuit to right the wrong that the auto dealer did to you. In some cases, they can be made to pay more than the amount of actual monetary damages, including compensation for emotional distress. The attorneys at Whitney, LLP can fight for you against dishonest car dealers.
To set up a legal consultation, contact us online right away, or call Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000.