Crofton is a planned community that was built right before Columbia and was named as one of the 100 Best Places to Live by Money Magazine. Crofton is located a short ride down Route 3 from Bowie, and it, along with neighboring Annapolis and Severna Park, are considered high-income areas.
In the immediate surrounding area, there are Ford, Kia and Hyundai dealerships.While some dealerships are honest, some car dealers in Maryland are known to have committed different types of auto fraud when selling and leasing cars. This can include failing to disclose rental histories, forging signatures in sales, finance and lease agreements, odometer fraud, false online price advertising, spot delivery violations including keeping down payments when financing is not approved, and running credit checks without permission. When this happens, your lawyer to sue a car dealership should be the attorneys at Whitney, LLP.
Whitney, LLP’s consumer attorneys help victims of car fraud recover compensation, including unwinding a deal, returning a damaged car, and recovering money for fraudulent practices.
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 Dealer Forgery in Crofton, MD
Some of the worst schemes include car dealers forging signatures and initials on finance and lease contracts. Forgery is an extreme case of fraud that can entitle you to even greater damages than the money the dealer took from you, including compensation for emotional distress.
When clients tell us that the dealer has raised, lowered or changed their monthly payments, interest rate or amount financed without telling them, we will get a copy of the sales or lease contract. Very often, we find that a finance manager forged signatures and initials in order to make an illegal profit.
Prohibited practices include both false signature and forged initials. Both allow a fraud victim to sue the car dealership for damages that can include recovery for economic and emotional distress. Whitney, LLP represents many car buyers in lawsuits against dealers that forged their signatures.
Illegal Practices at Car Dealerships
Dealers in Crofton and Bowie and surrounding areas may engage in other various forms of misrepresentation that are auto fraud and can be grounds for suing a car dealership. Misrepresentation does not have to be outright lying to be auto fraud. It can also occur when a dealer fails to tell you certain material facts or uses any kind of overcharging tricks.
Of course, Crofton and Annapolis-area car dealers may also be guilty of blatant schemes like odometer fraud. They could disconnect, reset or otherwise lower and tamper with the odometer to engage in misrepresentation of the car’s mileage. They could also make misstatements about the car online, including hiding damage and salvage titles, representing the car as new when it has had a previous owner and failing to disclose that it had a history as a rental or fleet vehicle. False online advertisements can also include advertising a low price for the car, and refusing to honor the price once the customer arrives at the dealership.
Car dealers in the Crofton area may also engage in Spot Delivery violations. A spot delivery is when a customer leaves the lot in their new car, but financing has not yet been approved. If financing is not approved, the dealer has to give notice within 4 days, in writing, to the customer, and the customer has the right to return the car and receive their down payment back, in full. Many dealers try to keep the down payment even once the car is returned, or will try to return less than the full down payment by deducting illegitimate fees or false depreciation costs. Maryland law requires the full down payment to be returned.
Finally, Severna Park-area car dealers may also do a “hard pull” on your credit without permission.
Whitney, LLP’s lawyers can help victims of car dealer fraud, and can help remove illegal credit inquiries from customers’ credit reports.
Attorney for Car Dealership Fraud Near Me
Even though you may think that the dealer in or around Crofton and Annapolis has more power than you, Maryland law gives you significant legal rights to fight back, seek justice, and recover compensation or unwind a bad deal. An experienced attorney levels the playing field and is often the first step to holding a dishonest dealership accountable.
Whether you are the victim of overcharging or any other type of dealer fraud, you have legal rights and can seek legal help. To start the process of holding the car dealer accountable, call the law firm of Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000 to set up your free initial consultation, or use our Online Quick Contact Form.
Watch our YouTube Channel and read our Auto Fraud blog for more information on dealer fraud cases.