Langley Park is a diverse area in Prince George’s County. It is located near the University of Maryland’s flagship campus in College Park and the growing area of Hyattsville. Car dealerships in the area sell new and used vehicles of all types.
Unsuspecting buyers in and around Langley Park can fall victim to a number of fraudulent tricks that dealers pull to make an illegal and unfair profit. Dishonest dealers use many schemes, including:
• forgery,
• keeping GAP and extended warranty money,
• odometer fraud, false price advertising,
• keeping down payments and selling trade-ins when financing is not approved,
• failing to disclose a used car’s rental or commercial use history, and
• running unauthorized credit checks.
When these scams happen, the lawyers at Whitney, LLP can help – we have experience unwinding bad deals and recovering compensation for car buyers.
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.
Auto Contract Forgery in Langley Park, MD
When a Langley Park, College Park or Chillum car dealer doctors documents with a fake signature or forged initials, victims often feel violated. Thankfully, this form of auto fraud can be strongly punished if the case goes to court. If your payments, interest rate or loan amount are different, or seem higher or lower than what you agreed to, call Whitney, LLP, and we can help you figure out if your signature was forged.
Some dealers use forged initials to both change sales terms and fake disclosures that they should have made as required under Maryland law. Whitney, LLP has helped many Maryland car buyers with forgery claims against dishonest dealerships.
Car Dealership Schemes in Langley Park, MD
There are numerous other schemes that dealers use in addition to forgery. Any of these deceptive acts can be a reason to hire a lawyer to sue a car dealership.
For example, one reason for suing a car dealership is odometer fraud. This is when the dealer interferes with the normal operation of the odometer to hide how many miles the car has. It is a federal crime, and you can also recover damages for it in civil court.
Some dealers also lie in their online price advertising in order to attract customers to the dealership, and then springing a higher price after they are in the door. Dealerships must honor their online pricing. If you were tricked into a bait and switch pricing scheme, Whitney, LLP may be able to help you get back the money that you were tricked out of.
If a dealer fails to disclose that a used car was previously a rental car, or was used commercially, you have legal rights and can sue for damages. Maryland law requires that past commercial use be disclosed, although it often is not.
Spot Delivery – Keeping Down Payments and Selling the Trade-In
Langley Park, Silver Spring or Hyattsville car dealers could also commit spot delivery violations. Also known as yo-yoing, this is when they change the financing terms after you already have possession of the car. The pretext for this will usually be that the financing that you had fell through. Some sellers will also refuse to return the down payment that they asked you to make. When financing is not approved, dealers must return the down payment and your trade-in upon request.
When a dealer makes a misrepresentation that has impacted your purchase decision, it is time to take legal action. Do not be afraid to hire a lawyer to sue a car dealership. While not every form of lying and misrepresentation is grounds for a lawsuit, you should at least check with an experienced auto fraud attorney if the seller has been untruthful in any way.
Car Dealership Fraud Attorney Near Me in Langley Park, MD
Auto fraud is much more common than you think. Some car dealers will try to pad their income at your expense through overcharging or lying. They do not think you will hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit against them. Most dealers will not take you seriously when you point out their auto fraud and ask for your money back. We can help unwind bad deals and recover compensation for unfair practices.
Call us today at (410) 583-8000, or contact us online to learn more about how the law protects you from unscrupulous car dealers.