What are some other ways that people are defrauded through the purchase or lease process?
There are numerous schemes automobile dealerships use to increase profits and defraud consumers during the purchase or lease process. These schemes include: misrepresenting discounts in advertising and not disclosing important limitations; altering the terms of the contract and forging signatures; inflating quotes of monthly payments and then selling add-on products (service contracts, paint sealant, alarms, etc.) as if they were part of the deal; and adding amounts owed on trade-in vehicles to a purchase or lease contract without disclosure to the consumer. These schemes are sometimes complex, and most consumers never realize they’ve been defrauded.
