(CINCINNATI) — Attorney General Dave Yost today announced a consumer protection lawsuit against a former used car dealership and its owners who failed to deliver vehicle titles to customers in southwest Ohio.
“The car title is 90 percent of ownership,” Yost said. “These guys were ripping customers off for 90 percent of the value of the deal, and they’re not going to be able to do it anymore.”
The lawsuit accuses Jeremy Skeens and Kristopher Wolff of violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title Act. Their used car dealership, Economy Motors, was located at 3030 Glenhills Way in Cincinnati. The business also went by the name Gas Hogs.
Yost’s Consumer Protection Section provided a total of $18,820 to eight customers who said they never received titles for vehicles purchased at the dealership. The payments were made from the Title Defect Recision Fund, a program that helps used car buyers resolve title problems.
The lawsuit filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court seeks reimbursement from Skeens and Wolff, as well as civil penalties and an order preventing them from holding dealer or salesperson licenses in Ohio.
Attorney General Yost reminds consumers to take the following steps when buying a used car:
- Check for any complaints against the dealership with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Better Business Bureau.
- Get everything in writing and read the fine print.
- Take the vehicle for an extended test drive.
- Ask about prior damage, defects and repair history. Check out the vehicle’s history through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System at nmvtis.gov.
- Ask a trustworthy mechanic to check the car for problems.
- If a dealer does not provide you a title within 30 days of the purchase date, contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.
An accessible version of the linked file is available by request.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127
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