What is Car Dealer or Auto Fraud?
Auto Fraud Is A Serious Problem In California.
Unscrupulous car dealerships often sell vehicles they know have defects, sell vehicles they know have frame damage, and engage in creative and illegal financing. Don’t believe us? Just check out our Hall of Shame. Search for your dealer or problem to find out if you were cheated. If you believe you have been a victim of auto fraud, contact the Auto Fraud Legal Center, today.
“Auto Fraud” or “Car Dealer Fraud” Is A Catch-All Term For Common Illegal Practices, Including, But Not Limited To:
- Misrepresenting a vehicle’s accident history
- Concealing a vehicle’s accident history
- Concealing a vehicle’s known poor mechanical condition
- Misrepresentations about allegedly “certified” vehicles
- Failing to deliver title so you can register your vehicle
- Overcharging vehicle license fees due to the DMV
- Failing to disclose on your contract the schedule for your down payment
- Violation of California’s single-document rule, which requires all of your agreements about paying for your vehicle to be in your contract (did you sign a separate promissory note?)
- Monroney sticker violations (charging you over the sticker price)
- “Yo-yo” financing/10-day rule violations (calling you back to the dealership to sign a new contract because the dealer said it can’t get you financed)
- Failure to provide a federally-mandated Buyers Guide
- Failing to disclose a vehicle’s prior rental history
- Failing to provide foreign-language contracts for deals not negotiated in English
- Failing to disclose negative equity on your trade-in (you owed more than they gave you, but your contract doesn’t show that)
- Charging tire fees when your car doesn’t have new tires
- “True Mileage Unknown”/odometer fraud
- Failing to provide required paperwork
- Falsifying credit applications, paycheck stubs, etc., to get you financed
- Forging sales documents submitted to the DMV and/or financing companies