DA’s office investigates Wichita used car dealership after customer complaint
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A customer complained about a Wichita used car dealership, and now the general sales manager will have to pay more than $20,000 in penalties, according to District Attorney Marc Bennett.
Bennett said a customer of Credit King Auto Sales, 3205 S. Broadway, complained to the district attorney’s office after she had trouble getting a title to her vehicle.
The DA’s Consumer Protection Division investigated Credit King Auto Sales and its general sales manager, Thomas Anderson.
The investigators say that Anderson violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by failing to deliver the vehicle title within 60 days of the purchase.
They also say that during their investigation, they found evidence of the issuance of fraudulent 60-day temporary registration permits, commonly called 60-day tags, on numerous vehicles sold by the dealership.
Anderson denied violating the KCPA. But Bennett said Anderson agreed to enter into a consent judgment to settle the matter.
The judgment calls for Anderson to:
- Pay over $20,000 in civil penalties, costs and expenses
- Be in a 12-month probationary period and cooperate with any future complaints
- Make sure the dealership does not sell vehicles that it does not either possess the title to
or have sufficient funds to issue a refund - Provide training to salespeople to avoid a repeat of the allegations
- Make sure all salespeople are properly licensed before engaging in consumer transactions
Judge Stephen Ternes approved the consent judgment on Monday.
Bennett said customers should receive certificates of title within 60 days of buying a vehicle so they can register the vehicle. If they do not get the title within 60 days, the transaction is “fraudulent and void,” entitling them to a refund.
Also, dealerships may only issue a buyer one 60-day tag following the sale of a vehicle.
Bennett reminds people that driving without proper registration is against the law.
