Talk about driving a hard bargain!
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is forcing a Ridge auto dealership to cough up almost $100,000 for allegedly lying to car buyers.
Bay Ridge Nissan, located at the corner of 65th Street and Fifth Avenue, cut a deal with Schneiderman to fork over $43,341 to 15 disgruntled customers and $50,000 to the state to avoid criminal charges over allegedly deceptive ads and contracts.
“This agreement is a victory for consumers in Brooklyn and around the state,” said the state’s top lawman.
Consumer complaints led Schneiderman to accuse the car dealer of posting deceitful ads on Craigslist.com, putting out misleading promotions aimed at people who lost their cars during Superstorm Sandy, tacking unasked-for add-ons onto contracts, and tardy reimbursements of down payments when deals fell through.
The attorney general also claimed the Nissan dealer made a range of dishonest statements to customers, including that they would be able to cancel certain add-ons after singing a contract, that they were obligated to obtain financing through the dealership, and that they were required to take certain add-ons. The dealership also allegedly failed to provide buyers with the required documentation.
“Anyone buying a car should be able to expect that when they negotiate prices and terms for vehicles, the contracts will accurately reflect those terms,” said Schneiderman.
Each of the customers involved in the deal will get between $1,000 and $7,000.
A receptionist who answered the phone at Bay Ridge Nissan said the business would not comment.
This isn’t the first time Schneiderman has cracked down on a Ridge car dealer. In 2012, a judge ordered the Giuffre auto empire to pay out more than $500,000 after a successful state lawsuit alleged the family-owned chain had strong-armed customers into signing blank contracts and accepting unwanted add-ons.
The Giuffre Auto Group and Bay Ridge Nissan are not affiliated.
