The vehicle market is subject to constant change due to ownership habits and market demand. There has been a notable shortage of quality used vehicles in recent months, leading to dealerships aggressively competing with one another for trade-in vehicles.
Some dealerships will advertise offering people more money for trade-ins, but there is a catch to that practice. The staff at the dealership will then want to charge more when it resells the vehicle, possibly meaning that they won’t make necessary repairs to keep their costs low.
Buying a used car from a dealership that agrees to purchase used vehicles from people who have to push, pull or tow it in to make a trade could be a mistake. Such dealerships sometimes attempt to pass off these older and unsafe vehicles to unsuspecting consumers.
It’s not okay to lie about an as-is car’s condition
Dealerships often sell more than one kind of used vehicle. They may have certified used cars that come with warranties and other used vehicles sold in as-is condition. You can generally expect that as-is automobiles will be in worse condition and will have had fewer repairs made to them when compared with those sold under some kind of refurbishment or warranty program.
Still, even with as-is vehicles, dealerships have an obligation to tell buyers about known issues. Making cosmetic repairs or glossing over known defects during a sales pitch could lead a buyer to make a big mistake.
Lying about a car’s condition and trying to hide known defects are common forms of dealership fraud related to used vehicle sales. Fighting back may require that you file a civil lawsuit to recoup your repair or replacement expenses after you fall victim to fraudulent dealership behavior.
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