(NETWORK INDIANA) Make sure you know who you are buying from.
That is the warning from Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who says two recent cases of bad dealings at used car dealers in Allen and Delaware Counties led to those dealers having to fork over thousands of dollars in settlements.
“Consumers purchased cars that were promised warranties, 3-month, 3,000-miles warranties, and in fact the dealerships never paid for those warranties,” said the AG’s spokesman Jeremy Brilliant. “Those consumers were thinking they were buying the warranty when really they weren’t receiving it at all.”
Brilliant says those dealers also failed to provide a title for some cars to customers within the 31 day time limit they have to do so. The dealerships are now in trouble after complaints were filed by consumers to the Attorney General’s office.
The dealers must by upwards of $62,000 in restitution to the customers they wronged, along with $180,000 in civil penalties.
Brilliant reminds you that you must always be educated on who you are buying from if you choose to by a used car from a small independent dealership.
“It’s good to do some homework about the dealership itself,” Brilliant continues. “Ask friends and neighbors: ‘Have you gone there? Have you purchased a vehicle?’ you can do some online checking to see what people are saying about that dealership.”
Brilliant says that if you know of any used car dealership or any other similar business that has wronged you in a similar way; you should file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office.