ONE Honda’s motobike agent at Bowie, Maryland is facing civil charges after being accused of engaging in “unfair or deceptive trade practices at almost every stage” of new car salebased on Attorney General of Maryland Anthony Brown.
A July lawsuit from the Attorney General’s office alleges the dealership — and its parent company DARCARS Automotive Group — violated Maryland Consumer Protection ActThe company is accused of defrauding customers by adding a two percent fee to the vehicle’s price under the guise of an option.sales commission,” based on Car NewsHowever, this fee is not actually a commission and the customer does not realize that they are not paying this fee.
Since January 2019, DARCARS Honda has reportedly been advertising new car price on his website was misleading – means customer will pay more than the advertised price. Those costs include pre-installed equipment and Adjusted market value fee. Oh my. Some fees for add-ons such as “DARCARS Insurance” and “DARCARS Protection Plan”. On top of that, unwanted equipment and products are not clearly and specifically listed on the final cost sheet.
If convicted, the dealer could face fines of up to $10,000 for each violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
Here’s what the Attorney General’s office had to say about the lawsuit. From Car News:
“It is important that if a car dealer advertises a car price, that price includes any fees the consumer will pay,” Philip Ziperman, deputy director of the Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, told Automotive News.
A dealer spokesman said Car News that the case was not “supported by the record or facts.”
“Over the past two years, Honda of Bowie has cooperated fully with the Maryland Attorney General to respond to requests for information and address its concerns,” DARCARS said in a statement.
A DARCARS spokesperson said they “stand ready to defend our company and our legitimate operations in court against these baseless allegations.”
Attorney General Consumer Protection Department The company is seeking an injunction to stop the alleged violations. It also seeks compensatory, economic damages, penalties, and costs for the violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act it is complaining about. Car News.
If AG finds Bowie’s DARCARS Honda violate Consumer Protection ActThis would require the agent to “cease and desist from engaging in unfair or fraudulent commercial activities.” The company will also have to take corrective action – including refunds to customers along with potential fines of up to $10,000 per violation, Car News report.
