New Jersey Consumer Lawyer and Consumer Protection Lawyer

New Jersey and dealership fraud

New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and buying a car and the need for a New Jersey Consumer Lawyer or a consumer attorney for help in New Jersey and with New Jersey Consumer Laws.

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Protect yourself from used car consumer fraud and new car consumer fraud.
Buying a new used car can be very challenging. There are all types of tactics and tricks that a user or new car dealer can implement to take advantage of an unsuspecting customer. I must rephrase that because even a suspecting customer can be taken advantage of by an experienced dealership salesperson. They are usually very good.
The dealership controls most of the interaction and the flow of information between the customer and the dealership. Information is power. Since the dealership controls this flow of information, they control you. You do not control them.

In these circumstances when you are at the dealership you are relying upon information from the dealer. You have already lost. When you negotiate by telephone or fax you have an advantage, you can hang up the phone and there are no transaction costs. Once at the dealership you have already invested and committed time and effort and you want to go forward. The dealership is aware of these transnational costs. This is why the dealership has the advantage.

I will say it again. Information is power. The dealership tells you what they want you to know. The dealership tells you what financing you can get. The dealership tells you what vehicle you can get. The dealership tells you what you can afford. The dealership tells you what your payments are. The dealership tells you what car you want. The dealership tells you what car you can get based on your credit score. The dealership is in total control. You need to take this control away from the dealership.
It is with this control they can do anything. They can engage in bait and switch they can engage in deceptive practices they can engage in improper financing they can do anything they want is you are a willing participant. If you are not at the dealership were not a willing participant. Once you have stepped on the dealership's home turf you are participating, and you think you are negotiating. There is no negotiating occurring between the dealerships. The dealership is softening you up in getting you to agree to what they want.

This is not negotiating.

It is in this framework that the dealership can occasion upon you all the tricks I listed below. It is your willing participation which permits the dealership to take advantage.

It is important to understand these basic rules. The understand these basic rules and you understand the games that the dealership can play you can prohibit the dealership from engaging in deceptive practices that work. To understand the difference? You can never control the dealership. You can never stop them from trying to deceive you and implement deceptive practices and tactics. You can, however, reduce the effectiveness of these tracks and tactics. It is the equivalent of wearing armor. It is equivalent of being in of the powerful position. It is in a position where the dealership cannot take advantage of you. Remember, information is power.
Used Car and New Car Fraud and the need for a New Jersey Consumer Attorney.

These are but several examples of claims that you might have against the car dealership for the car dealership violating your consumer rights. The claims vary and would be called consumer fraud or fraud claims against the dealership.
Window Etching on Used and new Cars.

This product is overpriced and has very little to offer the consumers who purchase cars. Window etching is a product that offers a benefit for those who "choose" to purchase the product. This product on the net is always cheaper than at the dealership even if you do want to use the product. Usually, it appears as a pre-printed item on the buyer's order or other dealer documents.

Appearance Packages - New and Used Cars

Appearance packages or extras commonly utilized by the dealership to increase the sales price of the vehicle. What will happen is as follows: When the vehicle gets to the dealership lot whether it be new or used the dealership will apply various products. Sometimes these products might be pin-striping, wheel well molding or door edge guards. Usually, these items have a value of less than $50 and the dealership increases the price of the vehicle as part of an appearance package by thousands of dollars. Then the dealership uses these items as leverage in negotiating to sell the vehicle at a higher price. Not before these items have almost no value and the only reason that the dealer puts an addendum on the vehicle containing these extra items is to get leverage in the negotiating process.
Bait and Switch and Consumer Fraud - New and Used Cars
Bait and switch is a common name for a tactic that a dealer might use to sell vehicles to customers. The underlying premise is that they do whatever they have to do mostly through advertising, to get individuals to the dealership, in the door to look at a vehicle. This is the bait. They either advertise a car, a set of cars, a contest, or other items to get the customer to the dealership. Once a customer is at the dealership, they use their skills to have the customer purchase another vehicle.
Payoff Trade When You buy a Car.
The dealer will tell you that they are paying the trade vehicle off when they are packing the payoff into the new lease or purchase.

Odometer Roll Back and Odometer Fraud

Many cars have the odometer rolled back, either with or without the knowledge of the dealership. There are state and federal laws that prohibit this conduct, and it creates a breach of warranty, violation of the Consumer Fraud Act, Federal Odometer Law. Odometer fraud costs consumers millions of dollars. Once you learn that your vehicle has an incorrect odometer when you sell you must disclose that the odometers and correct. This term is also known as TMU or total mileage unknown. When a vehicle has total mileage unknown you usually will get a approximately half of the market value had the odometer been corrected.
False Credit Applications

Many time the dealer will have you sign a blank credit application and submit the credit application with the false information trying to get you approved.  Make sure you see the "completed" credit application before submitting.
Important Questions: Questions for people who think they might be a victim of consumer fraud or a used car scam:

Consumer Fraud and Dealership Fraud

Purchasing a car can be hazardous to your wallet.
Salesman are trained sales experts, and you need to understand this when attempting to purchase a car. You need to be very cautious when researching and purchasing a car.

Here are some general rules you should follow when purchasing a car:

1.    Never step on a dealer lot without having completely researched the car you want to purchase. NEVER.
2.    Never step on a dealer lot alone.
3.    Never step on the dealer lot when you are hungry or tired or with your children. You will sign anything to get out of there!!!
4.    Never purchase a car without having left the dealership at least once in the negotiation process.
5.    Make sure you have your own financing option available when you go to the dealer if you can!
6.    Always have a used car inspected by your own mechanic.
7.    Write down questions about the car before you buy the car.
8.    Make sure you test drive the car for at least 1/2 hour.
9.    If you go to the dealer with a friend NEVER let them separate you.
10.    If the dealer promises something make sure it is in writing.
11.    READ EVERY DOCUMENT EVEN IF IT TAKES HOURS AND ASK QUESTIONS.

The Numbers are Staggering in the Used Car Business.

In 2006 there were 16.5 million new cars sold in the United States. The average selling price of a new car was almost $28,000, and $16,000 for a used car. In New Jersey car revenues were 23 BILLION dollars, averaging over thirty-nine MILLION per dealership. Most importantly, retail car sales account for almost 22% of all retail sales.
New and Used Car Sales are BIG BUSINESS

Recently the auto industry has undergone quite a shakeup and continues on a daily basis with the impact of internet sales. The domestic auto industry has undergone a significant change due to long-term systemic problems and economic problems beyond its control. There has been a significant uptake in the used car sales industry for both micro and macro-economic reasons Consumers need to be as careful as ever. Many used car dealers are hurting, and they will do almost anything to sell cars, any kind of car.

The auto industry is big money, with a lot of political clout. The selling of a car is a complicated process, one in which you have no real chance to be successful. It is an art: the art of the rip-off. They distract, delay, and confuse you in many ways. After a while you just sign the papers so you can leave the dealership. Does this sound familiar? It should. It occurs hundreds of times every day in every New Jersey County. Years of litigation have revealed a host of well-rehearsed and unfortunately common practices. The selling process is a science.

The entire process is set up to beat a customer down and to get a customer to buy anything, from advertising to closing a deal!
Both used car dealerships, new car dealerships and manufacturer authorized franchise dealership's make a significant amount of money by selling vehicles, financing vehicles and servicing vehicles. Many times, consumers feel that they have been taken advantage of by deceptive acts and practices and or violations of state consumer laws. If you think you need the service of a consumer attorney or consumer lawyer about an automobile transaction for the purchase, lease, or cash acquisition of either used during the vehicle you can reach out for help.

Do not feel embarrassed, as the tactics that are potentially employed by numerous dealerships are designed to make excessive profits under many circumstances. At a minimum, it could not hurt, and it could be potentially helpful to the consumer attorney or consumer lawyer review the transaction or the transaction paperwork.
Many times, the consumer laws in the state of New Jersey provide consumers who feel they have been victimized or who feel they are a victim of deceptive conduct might have rights under the applicable consumer statutes.

New Jersey has some of the strongest consumer statutes in the entire country. Under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act any losses must be tripled by the court. Under the same consumer laws the courts require the business engaging in deceptive practice to pay the attorney’s fees of the person who has been victimized if there is a trial and there is success at the time of the trial.

New Jersey law provides for triple damages and the payment of counsel fees to a successful claimant.
The purpose of the underlying law regarding counsel fees and triple damages is to encourage competent counsel to litigate these cases, even cases that might involve a small amount of money.

The concept is to attract the lawyers to litigate all of the cases as the attorneys should be paid.
The following is a link to an article about FCA US LLC  for inflating new vehicle sales results by paying dealers to report fake vehicle sales and maintaining a database of actual but unreported sales, which employees often referred to as a “cookie jar.”

Auto fraud and consumer fraud lawyer Tinton Falls NJ, Jonathan Rudnick Esq.

The NJ Consumer Fraud Act is a law that protects consumers from deceptive and fraudulent practices by businesses. It allows consumers to sue for damages and recover attorney fees if they are harmed by a violation of the act. The act covers a wide range of conduct, such as false advertising, bait and switch, misrepresentation, and unconscionable contracts.

The New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) provides a powerful civil litigation remedy for consumers who have suffered losses due to fraudulent practices from car dealerships. Plaintiffs can bring suit to recover their losses, as well as treble damages and attorneys' fees, for violations of the CFA. The law prohibits a wide range of deceptive and unfair