Mar 18 2010
Odometer Fraud: Are You Protected by Law?
Odometer fraud is the illegal act of tampering with the odometer of a vehicle to falsely represent the true mileage of the vehicle. Used car salesmen, individual sellers and mechanics may commit odometer fraud in an attempt to increase the probability of selling the car and profiting from it. Unfortunately for the offenders odometer rollback discovery often leads to a combination of serious charges and severe penalties if convicted.
Usually the ultimate goal of odometer fraud is to make the car appear more attractive to potential buyers and charge more money for the used car than it is worth. If a person is charged with odometer fraud, he/she will likely also be charged with title fraud and grand theft, which include:
Title fraud: The total mileage of the car recorded on the title is altered so that the buyer does not suspect that the odometer has been adjusted.
Grand theft: If the amount of money defrauded from the buyer is calculated to be $300 or more, an offender will be charged with grand theft.
The United States is considered to be the only country in the world that has federal criminal penalties for odometer fraud. It is illegal to reset or alter an odometer with the intent to change mileage or to file a false odometer disclosure statement, federal regulators say. One recent law, the Truth in Mileage Act, requires the seller to disclose the vehicle’s mileage on the title when a car’s ownership is transferred. The title, the law says, must be printed by a secure process to decrease the possibility of counterfeiting or altering titles.
If you suspect that you are a victim of odometer fraud, where either your odometer was rolled back or the mileage was not properly disclosed, then contact us for cay lawyer’s help and advice.
car advertised “Low Mileage” - 57977
The price of the truck was on the it on the front and two side windows, each listing the price with a low mileage sticker too. I have a photo of each side (each price is different 4995, 4795, 4998). We agreed to purchase for 4795. My husband is the primary and I am the co-signor. My husband left to get more money for the down payment (which initially was told would be $1000 no more than $1500)- Actual down required was $2,000. While my husband was gone, the finance girl had me in the office signing the paperwork…..I saw that the cash price of the vehicle said 5675 so I told her that she had the wrong price on it. She told me she discussed this already with my husband on the phone and that he knows all about it so I signed everything. My husband comes in and she rushes him through signing - Later that night I asked him why he agreed to paying a higher price and he knew nothing about it.
We went back to the lot about 4 days later and spoke to a man we believe is the owner - he told us that the price on all his vehicles is the cash price and the price on the contract is if you financed and that we should come back the next day and speak with the finance girl. We feel cheated. The selling point on this truck was that it had one owner and low miles with a six disc CD Changer and they have the carfax which he would show us - he never did. They took out the CD Changer and we have asked more than 4 times where it was and keep getting put off. Early this week the finance girl called and said that we had to bring the truck to them so they may install GPS which is required by the finance company. I made an appointment for Sat 4/3 at 11 am and asked how long this would take. She told me a half hour. Well we went today to do this and the owner asks us to leave the truck with him for an hour or so. Fine, no car we’ll just walk up the street. I return almost 2 hours later - truck not there and not done. 30 minutes later owner comes back with it saying the person he took it too cant do it can he needs to take it to someone else…..I am frustrated and ask if I may take it to that person myself and he agrees. This is 4 hours after we arrived. I went home……We really dont know what can be done here. I do not want to talk with them again because it gets me nowhere.
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Sounds like you were defrauded by the dealership. Now the trick is for us to be able to prove everything. Please call my office to discuss details and to send me your documents for review. Thank you.