These invoices included misleading charges disguised as government fees, such as a state inspection fee of $37 being fraudulently presented as $300, and a title fee of $50 being falsely inflated to $500. This is a blatant disregard for the law, as every consumer is entitled to a transparent and accurate receipt for every car sale.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has reached settlements totaling over $1.9 million with five Nissan car dealerships in New York City and Long Island. The settlements come after an investigation revealed that the dealerships had been overcharging and taking advantage of over 1,000 consumers who wanted to purchase their leased vehicles.
As part of the agreements, the dealerships will pay restitution of over $1.6 million to affected consumers and a civil penalty of $340,000. These actions aim to provide justice and send a message that unethical practices will not be tolerated. James and her team have once again shown their commitment to protecting the rights of New Yorkers and ensuring fairness in the car purchasing process.
“Ignoring agreements and adding bogus fees harms New York consumers, and that is something my office won’t allow to go unchallenged,” said Attorney General James. “These car dealerships lined their pockets at the expense of hardworking New Yorkers who were trying to have a reliable car to get to work, take their children to school, run errands, and live their daily lives. Our investigation and settlement put money back into New Yorkers’ pockets and send a clear message that lying to New Yorkers and manipulating costs with shady tactics will not be tolerated.”
The OAG has initiated an inquiry into five Nissan dealerships—Baron Nissan on Long Island, Nissan of Westbury on Long Island, Nissan of Kings in Brooklyn, Nissan of Queens, and Nissan of Staten Island—following complaints from customers about excessive charges and inaccurate receipts. Upon investigation, it was discovered that these customers had leased their Nissan cars with an option to purchase the vehicle at a predetermined price after the lease period.
However, when they returned to the dealerships to exercise this option, they were significantly overcharged. The dealerships either included additional "dealership fees" or "administrative fees," or inflated the vehicle's price on the invoice provided to the customers. Shockingly, some customers were overcharged up to $7,000 for an $18,000 vehicle.
“When buying out a vehicle lease, the only thing that should be taken for a ride is the car,” said State Senator Monica R. Martinez. “On behalf of customers across Long Island, I thank Attorney General James for putting the brakes on these fraudulent and deceptive end-of-lease purchasing fees that have cost consumers in excess of $1 million.”
“As Chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee, I applaud Attorney General James taking actions against deceptive Nissan dealerships,” said Senator Kevin Thomas. “Preying on hardworking New Yorkers looking for reliable and affordable cars is unacceptable. These settlements underscore our commitment to consumer protection and send a clear message: fraudulent practices will be met with consequences.”
The investigation conducted by the OAG has uncovered a troubling revelation regarding the dealerships' practices. It has come to light that these dealerships have been providing customers with deceptive invoices, which is a clear violation of consumer rights.
These invoices included misleading charges disguised as government fees, such as a state inspection fee of $37 being fraudulently presented as $300, and a title fee of $50 being falsely inflated to $500. This is a blatant disregard for the law, as every consumer is entitled to a transparent and accurate receipt for every car sale.
To address this issue, several agreements have been reached. Baron Nissan will be compensating 186 overcharged consumers with a total amount of $204,656.89, in addition to a penalty of $51,190. Similarly, Nissan of Kings will be paying $437,560.86 to 420 overcharged consumers, along with a penalty of $147,000.
Nissan of Queens will be providing restitution of $608,347.83 to 276 affected consumers, accompanied by a penalty of $69,757. Furthermore, Nissan of Staten Island will be compensating 184 overcharged consumers with $282,255.61, and paying a penalty of $55,200. Lastly, Nissan of Westbury will be paying $102,636.07 to 72 overcharged consumers, along with a penalty of $19,440.
“Every consumer on Long Island and across the state deserves a fair shake, especially when making major purchases like a car,” said Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, Deputy Majority Leader and Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. “It is unacceptable to have had these predatory business practices occur while so many family finances were already strained amid the pandemic and the affordability crisis that followed. I am pleased the Attorney General secured these restitution payments for the car owners impacted by this scheme.”
“Today’s settlement is a victory for consumers everywhere! Adding junk fees to lease buyouts is flat-out unethical and violates our consumers' trust. New Yorkers deserve honesty and integrity,” said Assemblymember Kimberly Jean-Pierre. “I sincerely appreciate Attorney General James for investigating this issue and ensuring that consumers are compensated for the wrongs done by these dealerships. This settlement sends a clear message that these deceptive practices will not be tolerated.”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Steven Wick Blog. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.
If you decide to purchase any item using our authorized referral/affiliate links, be aware, we may receive a portion of the sales as commission, i.e. if you purchase a product/service.
To shop, select or click buttons, links or images, you will be redirected to product pages. Please, carefully research before you purchase. Feel free to share and leave a comment, we would love to hear from you. Your feedback is very important to us.
For more like this, music, literature, news, fashion, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Steven Wick News Letter.
We here at the Steven Wick Blog are so proud of our work, we’d like to thank you for being a part of our community. However, our mission to share so much from music, literature, lifestyle to fashion is a 24/7 undertaking! We need your help to continue our work. Your financial donation will help us not only keep the lights on, but enable us run many more stories in the future to come. DONATE HERE
Message Of Gratitude
We deeply appreciate your contribution in making our blog the top brand among customers.
Without you as our readers, we wouldn't have achieved this level of success. Your satisfaction is our utmost priority, and we assure you that we will always be a reliable source for your entertainment needs.
Your trust in us is invaluable, and we are grateful for your generous donations as our readers.
A number of you took an extra effort and opted to contribute as monthly donors. By doing so, your generous contribution is multiplied by twelve throughout the year, thereby amplifying the impact you have on our work. Your dedication truly makes a significant change, and we sincerely appreciate your valuable support.
Your support has been instrumental in our brand's success.
Thank you for being with us throughout the past year.
As we continue to grow and enhance our business, we pledge to prioritize your needs and interests.
Best Regards
The Steven Wick Team
Comments