Humphrey, Farrington, & McClain has filed a class action lawsuit against Olathe Dodge for allegedly defrauding its customers. If you financed a vehicle from Olathe Dodge within the last four years, you may be a victim.
The lawsuit, filed in Johnson County District Court, alleges that Olathe Dodge engaged in a widespread scheme of deceiving customers by performing the following deceptive practices:
- Falsely inflating customers’ incomes on credit applications.
- Payment packing—the practice of misleading a customer about what their monthly payment will be so the dealership can add-on junk fees. This ends up costing customers thousands of dollars that are tacked on to the sales price.
- Selling bogus add-ons that provide no benefit to the customers—like extended warranties, service contracts, GAP coverage, diagnostic fees, environmental protection plans.
- Pushing customers to get services done that are not needed.
- Rushing customers through the signing of detailed, complex, and lengthy contracts.
- Falsifying paystubs.
- Forcing customers to sign deceptive arbitration agreements.
This conduct is a violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (“KCPA”), the lawsuit alleges. The KCPA was created to stop businesses from taking advantage of customers. In multiple instances, the lawsuit alleges, Olathe Dodge took unfair advantage of customers and generated substantial profits as a result. According to the KCPA, each violation can result in a $10,000 penalty.
This lawsuit follows a similar class action prosecuted by HFM against Lawrence Kia. In that case, the lawyers at HFM represented 31 customers in arbitration and ended up obtaining a $14.8 million judgment. HFM lawyers believe Olathe Dodge’s exposure may be even more significant.
If you financed a vehicle from Olathe Dodge within the last four years, you may be eligible to join the lawsuit. If you would like to learn more about the lawsuit, contact Attorney Paul D. Anderson at 816-836-5050 or pda@hfmlegal.com.
