A DRIVER who was overcharged by his local dealership took revenge after more than a thousand customers complained.
Taylor Brown of Long Island, New York was charged more than $5,000 by his local Nissan dealership.
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“I felt helpless,” Taylor Brown told ABC News affiliate WABC in 2022.
He was left wondering “Who am I going to call” after finding out he had been overcharged by $5,094.50.
According to the dealership, this was the cost to purchase your Nissan Altima for a “purchase fee and tri-state lemon law.”
Lemon laws protect those who purchase defective cars, also known as “lemons.”
Brown went undercover with the media outlet and was told by a manager when he questioned the fee that “this is charged to each customer.”
However, two years after Brown first complained to the media outlet, New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a multimillion-dollar settlement with five New York Nissan dealerships.
Each has appeared in complaints from more than 1,138 customers who were overcharged when purchasing their car lease.
Allegations filed with James’ office included consumers saying they were overcharged thousands of dollars to buy their car at the end of the lease.
Dealerships allegedly added random fees to the estimated value of the vehicle, or the pre-set price of the car at the end of the lease.
“We have received a number of complaints and our Consumer Protection Bureau is investigating and encouraging each of them to comply with the law and hire a good attorney,” James told dealerships via WABC in 2022.
In March, it secured a $1.9 million settlement for affected consumers.
All dealerships under the agreement were instructed to audit their dealings with consumers and issue refunds.
“That’s what happens when you’re greedy!” driver Joe Macaluso, who was also overcharged by a Nissan dealership, told the outlet upon hearing the news.
Drivers eligible for part of the payment should have been overcharged by any of the Nissan dealerships in New York between 2020 and 2023.
What are the lemon laws?
Lemon laws protect consumers from defective cars.
The Lemon Law applies when at least one manufacturing defect substantially affects the safety, value, or usefulness of the car.
Laws require dealerships to buy back or exchange a defective or unsafe vehicle if it has been damaged a certain number of times within a specific period of time – which is usually in accordance with the terms of the vehicle’s warranty policy.
Dealerships will make a certain number of repair attempts before Lemon becomes active, Forbes reports.
Candidates must prove problems with the vehicle.
Lemon laws vary by state.
IMPACTED DEALERSHIPS
The attorney general’s office revealed that Nissan of Westbury, where Brown was overcharged, agreed to pay $102,636.07 to all customers he overcharged.
He also agreed to pay a fine of $19,440.
Meanwhile, Nissan of Kings in Brooklyn agreed to pay $437,560.86 and a $147,000 fine.
More than 400 buyers from that dealership were part of the agreement.
In Queens, Nissan agreed to pay $608,347.83 to 276 drivers and a fee of nearly $70,000.
Baron Nissan in Greenvale said in the settlement it would pay more than $200,000 and a fee of $51,190 to nearly 200 consumers.
“We are pleased to have resolved any issues raised by the Attorney General’s Office and, as one of Nissan’s longest-standing dealers, we look forward to continuing to work with our long-standing customer base in the future,” said dealership general manager Baron Nissan. he told the outlet.
Four other dealerships were part of the agreement and agreed to it, but did not admit wrongdoing.
Utilities were required to review records and write checks to affected customers.
Those who feel they have been lost are urged to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.
Tips for dealerships
Here are some expert tips when buying a car from a dealership:
- 1. Set your price: Make sure you have calculated your monthly budget before going to the lot. You must include your car loan payment, insurance costs, fuel and regular maintenance.
- 2. Research: Make sure you know which cars you’re interested in testing before you get to the dealership.
- 3. Pre-approval: Secure financing before going to the dealership. Dealerships may offer a better interest rate if they are competing with an outside bank.
- 4. Test: Drive before making any payments. Buying a car will be worth thousands of dollars – drivers should ensure they like the car’s drivetrain, steering and comfort before driving it off the lot
- 5. Haggle: Drivers should always try to negotiate the price. There are so many good cars on the American market – buyers have a strong hand in negotiating prices.
Source: Kelley Blue Book
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
