April 21, 2016

New York announced four separate settlements with auto dealers that return nearly $2 million in restitution to nearly 5,000 consumers and $174,000 in penalties and costs to the state for selling “after-sale” products. The dealerships, Koeppel Auto Group, Plaza Dealerships, Manfredi Auto Group, and Huntington Honda have locations in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Westchester. The Attorney General charged the dealerships with unlawfully selling “after-sale” products and services, including credit repair and identity theft protection services, that often added thousands of dollars to the purchase price of the vehicle. These settlements are part of the Attorney General’s wider initiative to end the practice engaged in by many dealers of “jamming,” or unlawfully charging consumers without their consent or knowledge for purchases. NY