GNYADA October 2016 Newsletter

NY AG Sues Local Dealers for Price Inflation Hidden fees, credit repair, and other actions trip up dealers 15

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman recently sued two local dealerships over allegations of inflating prices with point-of-sale credit repair and identity theft prod- ucts to more than 2,300 customers. Reportedly, the dealerships collected more than $2 million from these transactions. This is a continuation of the AG’s crackdown on credit-repair services, and specifically, Credit Forget It, Inc.

His office’s position remains that selling any product purporting to “fix” an individual’s credit is a viola- tion of state law. In this latest instance, the AG alleges that con- sumers also did not receive the serv- ices for which they were charged. The suit sites deceptive tactics that include failing to disclose fees for aftermarket products. In addition to seeking refunds for overcharged cus- tomers, the AG also seeks to prohibit

the dealerships from engaging in these practices in the future. This latest action is evidence that the AG is remaining highly focused on automobile sales tactics. Since 2015, his office has settled with 9 dealer- ship groups, resulting in almost $16 million in penalties and restitution paid to some 20,000 consumers.

Dealers Breathe Life into Their Communities

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Donate one today! Your dealership can participate by donating one of these top-of-the-line training manikins to a worthy organi- zation (an EMT department, ambu- lance core, school, etc.) in your com- munity; the Association will com- plete the CPR Training Unit Application on their behalf. At no cost to your dealership, GNYADA will arrange for a photographer, invite your local legislators, along with notifying the local press. There are only 8 units left for the remainder of 2016. Requests will be honored on a first-come-first-serve basis. Join your fellow dealers who have already donated in 2016 - Ramp Ford; Brown's Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram; Biener Audi; East Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge; Tower Ford Inc. In addition to providing new Resusci- Anne, Resusci-Baby and Resusci- Junior CPR training units (including replacing old units), GNYADA mem- bers can also donate Little Anne AED (Automated External Defibrillators) training systems.

Brown's Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram donates four Resusci-Anne training manikins to the Holbrook Fire Department.

For more than 10 years, GNYADA has partnered with the NADA Charitable Foundation, to help local dealers donate CPR training manikins within their communities. This equip- ment aids in the teaching of life-sav- ing techniques, and the Association has helped facilitate over 50 manikin donations to hospitals, police depart-

ments and firehouses, since the pro- gram started. Since its inception in 1975, the NADA Charitable Foundation has donated some 4,800 CPR training units — worth more than $3 million in total — throughout all 50 states and The District of Columbia.

Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association • www.gnyada.com

The Newsletter • October 2016 9