They Paid to Settle Client’s Claims
» Print This Page- September 3, 2017
- Cases
A car was advertised on Craigslist as being a 1-owner car, with no accidents, and in exceptional and extremely reliable condition with no mechanical/cosmetic problems. Our client saw the advertisement, and ended up purchasing the car.
Needless to say, our client soon began experiencing numerous problems with the car. The car then completely broke down when our client drove it to the Tag Office. When our client tem to inform them what happened, they refused to repair the car. So, our client had it towed to an independent mechanic, who told her the car was in poor condition and was a rebuilt car. Despite being told about this, Garage Autos refused to accept any responsibility for the car.
When our client retained us, we promptly began our investigation. We confirmed that the vehicle was a rebuilt wreck, and obtained documentation showing thatthey knew this when they sold the car to our client. We obtained evidence demonstrating that they failed to properly disclose its rebuilt status to our client.
We sent the dealer a letter detailing our findings, as well as our analysis of the numerous consumer protection laws violated by them. Not long afterwards, they paid to settle our client’s claims even before any lawsuit was ever filed.
This is not the only case we had where a dealer’s advertising strongly helped our client’s case. Often, the dealer will run an ad claiming all sorts of great facts about a car that is for sale, even though those facts are simply not true. If you buy a car based on any advertisement, please try to keep a copy of the ad. Either print the ad, take a screen shot on your phone, or save the ad as a PDF file. This is especially important where the dealer quickly takes down the ad after the sale, such as on Craigslist, other online ads, or the dealer’s website. Even if you don’t think there will be a problem, it’s always a good idea to keep copies of the ads or any flyers or information about the car, since you never know what will happen.
Generally, the more information you obtain in writing (whether based on an ad or any other document), the easier it is to prove your case. If a dealer lied to you, cheated you, or misrepresented the condition of your car, you have important rights.
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