Tag Archives: ftc

Hurricane Harvey Once Again Raises Fraud in Auto Titles

Hurricane Harvey, aside from the ill-preparedness of government and the vast human tragedy that occurred – it is could hurt people far from the storm flooding if they buy a car flood car with a fraudulent or “washed” title. Continue reading

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Judge Rules Against Dealers on Disclosure of Car Loan Terms

A federal judge in Washington has ruled that automobile dealers who engage in so-called three-party financing transactions must disclose information to consumers who take out car loans if they are offered less favorable terms, such as a higher interest rate, than the most favorable terms available to the majority of consumers. Continue reading

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Right to Repair on Massachusetts Ballot. National Bill Stalled

A similar national measure, the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 1449), died from inaction in the 2011 U.S. Congress. Various forms of Right to Repair bills have been tied up in successive Congresses since 2002. It is not surprising that the National Association of Automobile Dealers opposes the legislation. NADA says that automakers provide emissions service and some other data available to any technician who needs it already. Continue reading

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OnStar Reverses Tracking of Ex-Users after Privacy Uproar

The OnStar privacy about face does not address what will remain an issue about OnStar’s data collection and reselling of current subscriber information. In the U.S. automakers and other marketers assume customer information is their property to do what they will with. This is the exact opposite of laws in place in Europe that stipulate the customer, not the company, owns and controls their information. Continue reading

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AAA Asks Congress Yet Again to Pass “Right to Repair Act”

Dealerships used to thrive on automaker-paid warranty repairs, paid for by the factory at reduced labor rates. In order to compensate technicians for this factory dictated lower rate, dealers charged higher rates for non-warranty parts and repairs. In effect, car owners were subsidizing the cost of poor quality at automakers if they went to a factory store. Continue reading

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