- Maryland AG Anthony Brown and the FTC reached a settlement with the Lindsay Automotive Group and related entities to resolve allegations that the dealerships violated the Maryland Consumer Protection Act and the FTC Act through deceptive pricing, misleading financing claims, and unauthorized add-on charges.
- According to the complaint, the dealerships allegedly lured consumers with low advertised vehicle prices they would not actually honor, later telling buyers they did not qualify for certain rebates or had to pay mandatory fees or packages later in the transaction process.
- The complaint also alleges Lindsay falsely told some consumers they had to finance through the dealership to get the advertised price and slipped in or forced add-on products consumers did not authorize or were told were required, such as GAP coverage and service contracts.
- Under the terms of the settlement, the defendants must pay $3.1 million to Maryland, provide restitution to eligible consumers for certain price markups and unauthorized add-ons, clearly disclose a vehicle’s total price in ads, and obtain consumers’ express, informed consent before imposing charges.