Attached is a link about the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of North Carolina filing a lawsuit on a pair of BHPH dealers. The State of North Carolina is stating these dealers have violated the state's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. 

The government is seeking customers who enter into sales contracts with these dealers since 2006, former employees of these dealerships and any other individuals with information about the sales practices of these dealers. These individuals are encouraged to contact the U.S. Department of Justice as they move forward with this lawsuit. If this seems intense, you might want to consider what these dealers are alleged to have done.

The compliant states that these dealers used predatory terms on customers that had limited credit options. They alleged these dealers increase prices on add on services such as vehicle service contracts, and changed prices on vehicles when they had to be financed using sub-prime lenders. The complaint also alleges that the defendants fail to provide the customers with reasonable notice of repossession and even repossessed vehicles of customers who were not in default on their contracts. 

Now before you say, this is not me .... consider some of the following:

 

• Do you increase the selling price of the vehicle because you have to finance the vehicle?
• Do you not post your "doc fee" in your ads or website, but instead list them in the small print that discusses the tags and fees?
• Do you adjust the selling price of your vehicle service contracts based on what you feel you can get away with?
• Ever change the price of your vehicles just because you have a "hedge fee".
• Do you bump your "buy rate" to make reserve?
• Ever attempt to repo a vehicle without giving a written notice?
• Have you ever told a customer they must get a vehicle service contract or a GAP policy just to make the deal possible?

 

If by chance you are wondering if your practices and policies might be out of date, most likely they are. Reach out to the ones you trust and make sure you have a compliance and sales process in place that can protect your assets while giving you the edge in the market. 

This is not going away. If you are a license dealer / retailer, your business practice will be audited. Be ready and do the right thing.  

Click here to visit the Department of Justice web site  

Just recently I got stranded in Detroit due to a US Air flight. Forcing me to find a local hotel to stay at my return to the airport at 4:00 AM. 

As I started the process of canceling appointments and reshuffling my schedule, my inner child started to surface thinking how unfair this all was. 

It was not until I was in the air looking out the window at the morning sunrise reflecting off the storm clouds that it hit me; my troubles are nothing compare to what was going on around me. 

Sure I could stay in that self pity mode or enjoy the moment viewing the sunrise with a recently acquired new friend sitting next to me. 

Life is too short and we are not that important in the scheme of things to get so worked up over small changes to our set plans.

By mid morning, I had made a few new friends. Enjoyed a 30,000 flight to clear my head, and view the start of an amazing day while others still slept.

So was getting hit with a cancel flight really that bad? Yeah it was not planned, but sometimes our biggest adventures start with a unplanned challenge.

With that thought, I wish you find your next adventure when your plans get side tracked. 

Go out and make it a great day!