Home to more than 30,600 people, Owings Mills is home to plentiful shopping centers and nature attractions, such as the Irvine Nature Center and the Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area. Many of the local residents who visit these places rely on their vehicles to navigate the busy streets here. Baltimore County naturally has its share of new and used car dealers, but not all of them play by the rules. The deals on offer at Mercedes, Kia, Honda, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet showrooms can be hard to pass up when saying yes means driving home in a new car, but these deals are not always what they appear to be.
Lying, overcharging and forged initials are worryingly common in the retail car business. Dealers risk both criminal sanctions and civil actions from attorneys when they engage in this kind of behavior. This is why new and used car dealers across Maryland, including but not limited to Garrison, Randallstown, Pikesville and Worthington Ridge often choose to settle these matters discretely at the negotiating table when faced with the prospect of a public court case.
The skilled consumer protection attorneys at Whitney, LLP, have successfully litigated many of auto fraud cases. We understand the process of suing a car dealership. If you believe that an auto dealer has cheated you or sold you a defective or unsafe vehicle, Whitney, LLP can help you pursue justice.
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.
Forged Signatures and Inflated Sales Prices in Owings Mills, MD
One common type of auto fraud involves altering prices and forgery. The papers that car buyers sign in the finance office are not always the documents sent to the bank. Dealers sometimes send different contracts with forged signatures and higher sales prices. They often try to conceal this fraudulent activity by lowering interest rates so that the payment remains the same.
When a customer realizes “they were forging my signature” and decides to take action, the dealer will often respond with outright denials. Forged signatures can look very convincing to the untrained eye, but the truth usually comes out in court. When suing a car dealership, attorneys with experience in this area generally call on third parties to examine the documents in question and look for telltale signs of forgery. When fraud is clear for all to see, car dealers have been known to offer far more than the amount in dispute to settle the matter quietly. If you need a lawyer to sue a car dealership, look for a law firm with auto fraud experience that will ensure the defendant fully understand the risks of going to court.
Bait and Switch Tactics in Baltimore County
Another way auto dealers cheat customers is by using “bait and switch” sales tactics. They advertise cars at extremely low prices to lure consumers in, but the sales pitch is an illusion and they have no intention of living up to the deal. Instead, they upsell customers into more expensive vehicles with larger profit margins. This kind of deceptive sales practice is prohibited by the Maryland Code, and is illegal.
You could be thinking “this happened at a dealer near me but what can I do if the salesperson tells me the car in the ad is sold?” You should remember that the same story has likely been told by dozens or even hundreds of others. When investigating claims of bait and switch, the experienced attorneys at Whitney, LLP check previous ads and look for other victims to establish a pattern of lying and misrepresentation.
Car Dealer Overcharging and Misrepresentation Lawyer in Owings Mills, MD
If you have been defrauded by a car dealer in Owings Mills, Garrison, Randallstown, Pikesville or Worthington Ridge, you should fight back by consulting with Whitney, LLP’s consumer protection attorneys to discuss suing a car dealership.
A common complaint we hear from car buyers is “I think the manager at a dealership near me forged my signature and initials on a finance contract.” If this happened to you, you may be able to recover significant compensation.
You can schedule a legal consultation by contacting Whitney, LLP online with our Quick Contact Form, or you can call us on (410) 583-8000.