The city of Salisbury can be found right at the center of the Delmarva Peninsula at the head of the Wicomico River. This strategic location was one of the reasons that Lord Baltimore founded a colony there in the 1600s. Today, Salisbury is the home to over 30,000 people who are employed by such organizations as Salisbury University and the Purdue poultry company.
Residents of Salisbury and surrounding towns such as Fruitland, Delmar, Parsonsburg and Hebron need a reliable vehicle. This region is home to dealers of Ford, Lincoln and other manufacturers as well as many used car dealers. There are test drives, negotiations and a great deal of paperwork to get through before you drive your car off the lot.
Dishonest Salisbury car dealerships may engage in auto fraud such as forgery, overcharging, not paying GAP Insurance or extended warranty/service contract premiums, spot delivery violations including keeping a down payment when financing is not approved, running credit checks without permission, and misrepresentation, such as false online advertising, odometer fraud or failing to disclose damage and salvage titles. If that happens, you will likely need an experienced lawyer to sue the dishonest car dealership. The auto fraud lawyers at Whitney, LLP have a great deal of experience in helping clients with car dealership fraud, recovering compensation, and unwinding car deal that should not have happened. Whitney, LLP’s attorneys have experience representing clients against new and used car dealerships across Maryland.
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.
Watch our YouTube Channel and read our Auto Fraud blog for more information on dealer fraud cases.
The Car Dealership Forged My Signature
Forgery is rampant at dishonest car dealerships. When you buy a new car, many documents require your initials or signature as you decide on options and work through the price, lease or financing arrangements. Buyers are surprised when the amount of their monthly payments are higher or lower and do not match what they thought they had agreed on. Similarly, when the interest rate is different, and usually higher, than what was agreed to, this is another red flag that forgeries were committed. If the balance on your credit report is different than the amount of the loan you took, or there are other financial terms that seem wrong, it is very likely you were the victim of a dishonest finance manager who forged your signature or initials, and sent fraudulent paperwork to the finance company.
Whitney, LLP’s car dealership fraud lawyers have experience helping clients in forgery claims against car dealerships. If you suspect a dealer has forged your signature, Whitney, LLP offers a Legal Consultation, and we will review your paperwork at no charge.
Lawyer to Sue a Car Dealership Near Me in Salisbury, MD
Auto dealership fraud happens very often in Maryland, and it occurs when a dealer engages in any kind of misrepresentation in the process of selling a car. In used cars this could involve the dealer hiding information about frame or salvage damage or lying about a vehicle’s past and not disclosing that it used to be a rental car, which is required to be disclosed in Maryland. In new cars, dealerships often fail to disclose that a “new” car was previously delivered to another buyer who later returned it, usually because financing was not approved.
You may find yourself the victim of a bait and switch technique where a dealer may advertise a car online at a lower price, but when you get to the dealership, the car they offer has a higher price or mileage or lacks options that were listed in the ad. Dealers may also run a check on your credit without permission.
In both new and used car sales, dishonest finance managers and dealerships will sell GAP Insurance or an extended warranty or vehicle service contract, but not pay the premium, and instead steal and keep the money. When the customers has an accident and makes a GAP claim, or their car needs repairs and they go to use the warranty, they have no coverage, and the scheme finally comes to light. Whitney, LLP can help car buyers when dealers steal and GAP and warranty money.
They may engage in a Spot Delivery violation, where they have you sign the finance paperwork and take your down payment so that you can take the car home before your financing is even approved. If they cannot get your financing approved, they may tell you that you need to agree to different financing terms or increase your down payment. Worse, they may even make you give the car back but keep your down payment or charge you fees for mileage and depreciation against the down payment. Maryland has strict Spot Delivery requirements that the attorneys at Whitney, LLP have experience enforcing to help our clients, including getting down payments back.
Whitney, LLP’s consumer lawyers are available to discuss potential claims against dishonest car dealerships with consumers in Salisbury, Fruitland, Delmar, Parsonsburg and Hebron.
Salisbury, MD, Lawyer Helping Car Buyers
Unethical car dealers have ways to cover their tracks. The dealer will most likely claim that you are the one who is making the mistake and misremembering the deal, or that their actions are legal and you simply have buyer’s remorse
Consumer complaints are often ignored by the dealership, and are not taken seriously until a lawyer is involved. When you look for a lawyer to sue a car dealership in Salisbury, Whitney, LLP has experience and can help consumers who have been deceived.
You should not let a car dealership take advantage of you. The legal team at Whitney, LLP knows how to hold dealers accountable. To set up a Legal Consultation, contact Whitney, LLP online. You can also call us at (410) 583-8000.