LI Auto Dealership Chain To Pay $310K Over Claims Of False Advertising, Misleading Sales Practices
WEST ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island auto dealership chain will pay a big penalty to settle claims by New York's attorney general of false advertising and misleading sales practices.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said an investigation by his office concluded that Atlantic Auto Group persistently misled consumers with advertising and fraudulent sales practices, including offering false discounts on vehicles, charing for extended warranties the customers did not want and conducting a promotional scratch-off game customers had virtually no chance of winning, WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported.
LI Auto Dealership Chain To Pay $310K Over Claims Of False Advertising, Misleading Sales Practices
Atlantic, which operates 22 dealerships in Nassau and Suffolk counties, will pay $310,000 in penalties and restitution. As part of the settlement, the auto group admits no wrongdoing.
"Purchasing a car is one of the biggest financial decisions many families will make," Schneiderman said in a news release. "New Yorkers have a right to navigate the car buying process without being targeted by false and misleading promotions and sales practices."
The company primarily blamed outside promotional firms.
Atlantic co-owner Michael Brown pointed out that it only takes one employee not following proper protocol to trigger complaints. He told Xirinachs that Atlantic has taken all necessary corrective actions, cooperated fully with the attorney general's investigation and is again focused on being Long Island's premier auto dealership.
