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Larchmont Auto Dealership Named In Lawsuit For 'Deceptive Charges'

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - A Westchester County auto dealership is facing charges that it charged more than 1,000 consumers for unnecessary “after-sale” products that may have cost buyers thousands without their knowledge or consent.

Victory Mitsubishi of Larchmont.

Victory Mitsubishi of Larchmont.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced on Wednesday that Victory Mitsubishi of Larchmont has been named in a lawsuit alleging that the dealership “deceptively charged as many as 1,100 consumers for an unwanted and bogus anti-theft product that cost up to $4,000 per consumer.”

Schneiderman said that the product was often added onto the final cost of the vehicle without the consumer’s knowledge or consent, after the customer had agreed upon the purchase price of a vehicle but before the sale transaction was finalized.

The instance was first brought to Schneiderman’s attention in 2015, when he received a complaint from a buyer who noticed there was a $1,996 charge labeled “Etch” on the bill of sale.

When contacted by Schneiderman’s office, the dealership allegedly explained that the charge was for a glass etch product, a security add-on in which a serial number, often the VIN, is etched onto each of the vehicle’s windows. However, the consumer said that she had not been made aware by the dealership that she was purchasing the etch product, and that had she been made aware, she would have declined to purchase it.

Mystery charges billed to consumers ranged from $129 to $3,998.

“Consumers shouldn’t have to worry about being scammed by auto dealers when they buy a car,” Schneiderman stated. “We will continue to protect New Yorkers – and take on those who seek to rip off consumers with hidden and unwanted fees and products.”

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