Hagerstown is known as the “Hub City” because it sits at the intersection of several interstates and rail lines. Major League Baseball legends such as Willie Mays, Jim Palmer and Cal Ripken played minor-league baseball in Hagerstown. The city is close to Frederick and is a short drive from Hancock in the west. New car dealerships include Cadillac, Ford and Buick GMC.
If you have been defrauded or scammed by a new or used Western Maryland car dealer in Hagerstown, you may need legal help to get your money back and to hold the auto seller responsible for what they have done. The attorneys at Whitney, LLP have been assisting Maryland consumers who have learned the hard way that the car dealership was dishonest and cheated you. Our consumer lawyers can help you sue a car dealership and recover your money, or help to return a damaged vehicle.
Common scams that Whitney, LLP can help car buyers with are forgery of signatures and initials, running credit without permission, fraud, hidden damage, salvage titles, refusing to return a down payment if financing is not approved, canceling warranties and GAP insurance without permission, selling a rental car without disclosing it was previously a rental, odometer fraud and false online advertising pricing.
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.
Suing a Car Dealership in Hagerstown, MD
Whether it is misrepresentation or lying, when it comes to selling cars, they are two of the same. They are both examples of auto fraud and can be grounds for suing a car dealership. A misrepresentation can also include the dealer not telling you something that they should, such as the fact that the vehicle was in an accident, or other important information.
You can also add overcharging and false advertising to this list. When a dealer advertises a car for a certain price or signs a contract charging you an amount, they must honor that price. Overcharging can also give you a reason to file a lawsuit, and you may be able to get your money back.
Hagerstown, MD Car Dealership Forgery and Scams
Dealers go to all sorts of lengths to overcharge customers and commit auto fraud. Sometimes, you may see your monthly payments higher or lower than you had agreed to. Or, the interest rate or amount financed is different, or, a warranty or GAP insurance policy your purchased was canceled without your permission. These are all signs of forgery and fraud at car dealerships, and you may sue the car dealership to recover the stolen money. Whitney, LLP has helped many car buyers who reported to us that “the car dealership forged my signature and initials.”
Car dealers may charge you for phantom “options” that are nothing more than a scheme to get you to pay more for the same exact car. When salespeople are paid on commission, anything is possible. While you would like to think that you have dealt with an honest and trustworthy dealer, the truth is that some of the car dealerships dealers in Hagerstown and Frederick engage in all sorts of scams to take your hard-earned money out of your pocket.
Odometer fraud is another scam, and happens when dealerships decrease and change the odometer mileage from high mileage to lower mileage before selling the car. The customer finds out after they purchase, often after taking the car in for service and being told that the mileage does not match up, or that the car has much more wear and tear on it than it should. Whitney, LLP’s odometer fraud lawyers can help when the dealership changes the mileage and commits odometer fraud. There is a paper trail from where the used car dealership bought the car, and Whitney, LLP has experience getting those documents and proving odometer fraud.
Other schemes including not returning a customer’s down payment when financing is not approved, or trying to charge the customer’s fees when they have to bring the car back due to a lack of financing approval. When financing is not approved, but the customer is allowed to drive off the lot, this is called a Spot Delivery. If financing is not approved, the dealer should return the down payment and any other fees the customer paid. However, dealerships often try to keep the money and get their car back. Maryland has a strict spot delivery law, and Whitney, LLP’s auto fraud lawyers are able to use that law to recover customers’ money.
Hagerstown, MD Car Dealership Fraud Attorneys
If you are looking for a lawyer near me who can take on the car dealership, contact the consumer auto fraud attorneys at Whitney, LLP. We can advise you of your legal rights and explain to you how the legal process can make the car dealership answer for what they did to you.
Dealerships think they can get away with fraud. Maryland has strong consumer protection laws, but you must take steps to enforce your legal rights. Dealers often will not respond to you when you ask nicely. Instead, they often need to hear from a lawyer before behaving reasonably and returning money to customers. To set up a legal consultation, contact us online right away, or call Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000.
Watch our YouTube Channel and read our Auto Fraud blog for more information on dealer fraud cases.