If you live near Camp Pendleton like I do, you've no doubt seen the bright red, white, and blue signs at auto dealerships offering special deals for Marines. But the phrase "buyer beware" has never had more meaning than when dealing with those vendors, according to a new investigation from the Center for Public Integrity. As Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety tells CPI:
At issue: whether car dealers inflate car loans or downright lie to servicemembers about the legality of the loans they're offering. CPI reports that locally, three Camp Pendleton Marines have filed lawsuits against Certified Auto Sales, claiming the company wrote down fraudulent information about the Marines on their credit applications. Certified Auto Sales denies the charges.
Retired Marine Michael Archer heads up legal assistance for Marine bases in the Carolinas and Georgia. He says the repercussions of troops getting raw deals can be far reaching:
The Federal Trade Commission will hold a public hearing August 2 in San Antonio, Texas on the matter. Consumer advocates will speak out on their belief some car dealers are trying to snooker troops buying automobiles on credit. And auto dealers are expected to testify that they deal fairly with members of our armed forces.
What do you think? Do you believe you've been targeted by car dealers because you're a member of the military?
