Authorities: Morris County Used Car Dealership Lied About Vehicle Damages, Warranties

A used car dealership in Morris County is being accused by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs for allegedly committing various acts of consumer fraud in recent years when selling vehicles to customers.

According to Acting Attorney General John Hoffman, RLMB, Inc., and its manager Michael Bloom advertised used motor vehicles for sale without disclosing to consumers the vehicle’s prior damage or prior use, sold vehicles “as is” when they actually qualified for a warranty, and permitted third parties to advertise or offer for sale and sell used motor vehicles that were titled to RLMB on Craigslist.

The dealership, located on Rt. 46 in Ledgewood, faces up to $10,000 for each violation of the statutes and/or regulations committed by the defendants.

The complaint from the Attorney General’s office alleges:

Failed to provide consumers with title and registration to used motor vehicles prior to the expiration of temporary title and/or registration;

• Required that consumers sign blank sales documents;
• Offered used motor vehicles for sale at the dealership location that did not have prominently displayed the Federal Trade Commission Used Car Buyers Guide, a document which, among other things, indicates whether such vehicle comes with a warranty;
• Offered for sale used motor vehicles that did not have the total selling price conspicuously posted;
• Advertised and/or offered for sale used motor vehicles through the RLMB website, without the required statement that “price(s) include(s) all costs to be paid by a consumer, except for licensing costs, registration fees and taxes.”;
• Failed to itemize documentary service fees;
• Since at least 2007, failed to pay the $.50 administrative fee for each used motor vehicle sold, as required by the UCLL and UCLL regulations.

“This is just the latest of a number of recent enforcement actions involving the advertisement and sale of used motor vehicles,” Hoffman said in a statement. “We will continue to protect buyers of used motor vehicles by making certain that dealers provide information as to prior use and damage to help the consumer determine the actual value of a vehicle.”

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