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Pa Attorney General Sues 3 Car Dealerships, President for Alleged Fraud

The Pennsylvania Attorney General announced a lawsuit against three local car dealerships and their president after they were accused of selling and leasing used cars at inflated prices, using deceptive business practices and selling vehicles that were not roadworthy.

The lawsuit from the office of Kathleen Kane comes after officials investigated more than 130 complaints against Dean Cafiero and his businesses.

Cafiero, of Philadelphia, is the president of Drivehere.com Inc. The lawsuit also names him the president of Peoples Commerce Inc. and DTC Corp. also known as Car Vision and Carvision.com.

Investigators say the businesses operated dealerships in Montgomery County and Philadelphia. The ads for the companies promised bargain deals on used cars while targeting customers with bad credit or none at all, using slogans such as “$1 Drive Today” and “$1 and $79 a Week.”

Cafiero’s customers reported several problems with the condition of their vehicles as well as billing, credit, repair and contract disputes. Cafiero and his businesses also failed to mention important details on contracts and warranties, officials say.

The lawsuit states one customer signed documents to purchase a vehicle only to find out later the payments were actually to lease the car. The purchase fee was almost triple the value of the vehicle, the lawsuit says.

Another customer reported buying a car on Drivehere.com that needed repairs the day after it was sold. The customer was then placed in another vehicle after several unsuccessful attempts at fixing the car, officials said. Yet the customer said the new vehicle also had several problems as well, which were confirmed when it was brought to another car service center.

The lawsuit also accuses Cafiero of violating several sections of the Consumer Protection Law and the Automobile Regulations.

Officials believe there are more victims out there and encourage anyone who believes they were scammed by Cafiero to contact the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection at (800) 441-2555 or visit www.attorneygeneral.gov.
 

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