Buying a new car is a major purchase, but that should come as no surprise to consumers. What may come as a surprise to new car buyers are the tricks Pennsylvania dealers may use to get more money from the purchase. Going to the dealership is unfamiliar territory for most car buyers, and dealers know this. In fact, some dealers may even stoop to fraud or misrepresentation to rip off customers during the transaction.
A consumer may have a budget to work with and certainly wants to get a good deal on a vehicle, but the dealer wants to make as much profit as possible from the sale. Dealers get more profit, for example, if they can talk the customer into financing through them instead of the customer’s bank or credit union. This often means much higher financing costs and monthly payments, which means thousands more for the dealer. Dealers may use other tricks such as these:
- Stretching a loan out an extra year to lower monthly payments but increase the overall cost of the vehicle
- Selling extended warranties that duplicate the coverage of a manufacturer’s warranty
- Talking customers into adding on costly and unnecessary extras
- Adding extras to the invoice without telling the customer
- Rushing the customer to make a decision about a sale
Customers may be unaware of these tricks. They may also be unaware that there are resources to help if they have been victims of financing fraud or misrepresentation at a Pennsylvania car dealership. An attorney who understands how dealer fraud works can provide advice and guidance for the most appropriate steps to take to seek justice.