Ohio Settles with Five Michigan Dealerships
Five Michigan powersports dealerships have agreed to pay a total of $76,000 in restitution, plus $54,000 in costs and fees to the state, following a settlement agreement with Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro.
Petro said he filed suit after consumers in 23 Ohio counties filed complaints ranging from alleged violations in advertising to selling ATVs in Ohio without an Ohio license.
Dealerships named in the suit include Champion Powersports, Inc. of Belleville; Pilgrim Motorsports, Inc. of Plymouth; Ray’s Powersports, Inc. of Monroe; Great Lakes Powersports, Inc. of Flint; and Michigan Powersports, Inc. of Ypsilanti.
Petro’s office said the five allegedly used illegal practices, including bait-and-switch tactics, misleading advertising, and hidden charges.
Consumer complaints alleged a number of misrepresentations were made by sellers at the point of sale. In one example, a motor vehicle that was advertised wasn’t the motor vehicle the consumer received. Some consumers said they were faced with hidden charges such as service contracts, accessories, destination, freight, dealer prep and handling fees. Several alleged violations pertained to the dealers’ advertising techniques, and the attorney general said many ads did not contain required disclosures, and important information, such as material costs, was not clearly and conspicuously displayed in the ads, a violation of the Consumer Sales Practices Act.
Champion carries BRP, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki and Yamaha product; Pilgrim carries, Suzuki, Yamaha and BRP; Ray’s carries Arctic Cat, BRP, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha; Great Lakes carries Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki and BRP; and Michigan Powersports carries BRP, Kawasaki, Polaris and Suzuki.
