More Dealers Accused of 'Deceptive' Ads
ALBANY, N.Y.--A dozen dealers in Long Island, N.Y., agreed last week to pay fines totaling $57,500 for advertising auto prices and financing deals that allegedly misled consumers. Without admitting guilt, the dealers made various commitments to the state attorney general's office about future advertising.
ALBANY, N.Y.--A dozen dealers in Long Island, N.Y., agreed last week to pay fines totaling $57,500 for advertising auto prices and financing deals that allegedly misled consumers. Without admitting guilt, the dealers made various commitments to the state attorney general's office about future advertising.
The attorney general brought charges against dealerships on the basis of reviewing their ads--not because of complaints from customers, according to Newsday.com.
Some questionable ads promoted extremely low prices but didn't explain that the prices only qualified for customers who financed through the dealership. Others failed to mention that the low prices advertised didn't include additional charges or applied rebates that few would qualify for. Ads promising financing regardless of credit history were considered deceptive because they didn't explain that high-risk consumers might get prohibitively high rates.
Ads promoting zero down payment were said to mislead customers into thinking they could buy or lease a vehicle without paying any money out-of-pocket. The attorney general's office also said advertising zero-percent APR without disclosing the conditions violated the Truth in Lending Act.
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