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Some Car Dealers Quietly Hide a Worse Interest Rate Inside a Deceptively Low Monthly Payment Figure, a Tactic Federal Regulators Call Payment Packing
Roughly 75% of customers surveyed as part of a federal investigation into one national dealership
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Dealership Add On Packages Like Fabric Protection and VIN Etching Often Cost the Dealer Just a Few Dollars but Get Marked Up Hundreds of Dollars at Signing
A Florida columnist and longtime dealer once tallied a $199 charge for filling four tires
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Unlicensed Sellers Sometimes Pose as Private Individuals to Unload Lemons Off Their Books, a Practice Called Curbstoning That State Regulators Are Cracking Down On
One Arizona operation alone processed more than 31,000 fraudulent vehicle titles, sold cars into 42
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Several Documented Dealership Negotiation Tricks Have Shown Up Repeatedly in State Attorney General Settlements Against Dealers Nationwide Over the Years
In December 2024, the Federal Trade Commission and the Illinois attorney general forced Leader Automotive
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Undercover Consumer Affairs Investigations Have Caught Repair Shops Recommending Work Your Car Never Actually Needed, and the Pattern Keeps Repeating Nationwide
California’s Attorney General once sued 22 Midas locations at the same time, alleging undercover investigators
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Getting a Mystery Check Engine Light Simply Diagnosed Can Cost Real Money Before a Single Repair Even Begins, and the Fee Varies Widely by Shop Type
The average cost just to have a shop plug in a scanner and tell you
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Dealership Documentation Fees Can Cost Buyers Several Hundred Dollars for Paperwork That Actually Costs the Dealer Almost Nothing to Process
When California dealers asked lawmakers last year to more than triple the state’s $85 documentation
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Drivers Are Not Actually Required to Answer Most Questions During a Routine Traffic Stop, According to Established Constitutional Law Most People Never Learn
You are not legally required to answer most of the questions an officer asks you
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Drivers Can Legally Refuse a Vehicle Search During a Traffic Stop in Most Situations, According to Real Fourth Amendment Case Law Most People Do Not Know
An officer asking “mind if I take a look inside?” during a traffic stop is
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Criminal Rings Sometimes Stage Fake Car Crashes on Purpose to Collect Insurance Payouts, and Investigators Rely on Specific Evidence to Catch Them Every Time
Insurers paid out somewhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million to a single Connecticut fraud ring
