PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha has filed a lawsuit against a used-car dealership in Bristol, alleging the company’s managers sold unsafe cars to consumers.
The 10-page civil complaint filed in R.I. Superior Court alleges King Philip Motors managers Tammy DeAlmeida and Neil DeAlmeida for years engaged in a pattern of unfair and deceptive trade practices by not inspecting cars before selling them.
“As we allege in our complaint there were several consumers that were harmed by that conduct because the car did not operate the way it should or the company did not fix the car,” Neronha told Target 12.
Carl Ricci, an attorney for the managers, pushed back at the complaint, saying, “it is problematic what the attorney general is doing. This is an accepted practice in the whole state.”
The consumer-protection lawsuit laid out four separate allegations against the dealership. One involved an unnamed customer who alleged they bought a GMC Acadia from the dealership in 2021, and “immediately after purchase, the vehicle’s check-engine light came on.” The attorney general noted the light typically prevents a car from passing state inspection.
After the check-engine light turned on, the customer alleged the SUV died at an intersection when the customer’s 16-year-old child “was driving it home from school the next day.”
According to the complaint, the customer further claimed they returned the SUV to King Philip Motors for repairs. And after getting it back, the check-engine light turned on again within minutes, according to Neronha.
The complaint alleged the dealership refused to take back the car for service a second time, forcing the customer to bring it to “another repair shop which concluded that the engine was failing.”
According to Neronha’s lawsuit, the customer filed a separate complaint with the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles Dealers License and Regulations Office. But before the office could render a decision, King Philip Motors bought back the car, according to the complaint.
“A few months later — without replacing the engine and before the vehicle successfully passed a safety inspection — [King Philip Motors] turned around and sold the vehicle to another unsuspecting consumer,” Neronha’s office wrote in the complaint.
“When you spend money on a new or a used car you should get the benefit of your bargain,” Neronha said.
In another section of the lawsuit, Neronha alleged the managers’ actions could “deceive consumers into thinking vehicles were safe and ready for sale when they were not, and lure customers away from competing businesses which are playing by the rules.”
Attorney Ricci fired back, calling that a false claim that’s trying to “muddy the waters” for his clients.
In the past year, the attorney general has taken action against individual businesses across different industries. The efforts have ramped up in the wake of him successfully advocating to strengthen the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which had previously prevented him from taking action against business regulated by a different state of federal agency.
The lawsuits have spurred criticism from some of the defendants, who have argued they are being singled out unfairly. Asked about the criticism, Neronha insisted that’s not the case. But the attorney general said he wants business owners to get the message that his office will pursue legal action against them if they are deceiving consumers or treating them unfairly.
“They are going to face consequences with us — that’s exactly the message I want to send,” Neronha said.
Sarah Guernelli (sguernelli@wpri.com) is the consumer investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.
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February 01, 2024 at 06:55AM
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Neronha accuses used-car dealership of selling potentially unsafe vehicles - WPRI.com
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