There are pages upon pages of documents that you have to sign when buying a used car from a dealership. There is the sales contract, disclosure paperwork, financing documents and more. Most people don’t read every word of small print, and in some cases they unknowingly sign documents that disclose important facts about the vehicles history. But what happens if a dealership forges your signature on documents when buying a used car?
Believe it or not, forging documents is a relatively common occurrence in the used car dealership world. They may forge your signature to avoid actually disclosing that the car has frame damage, or it could simply be that they forgot to present you with that document before driving off the lot. Regardless of why they forged your signature, it is illegal and you may have a claim against the dealership for auto fraud.
Even if the dealer takes the time to carefully trace your signature, and the forgery looks very similar to the original, there are ways to determine which is real. If a fake signature is put on financing paperwork, it could cost you thousands of extra dollars over the time of that you own the vehicle. Your best option is to take action against the dealership as soon as you find out about the crime.
Contact an Attorney That Knows the Laws
There are plenty of contract lawyers that know the ins-and-outs of the laws about forging someones signature, but they probably aren’t your best option when the crime is committed by a dealership. Often times, when we find that a dealership has forged the signature of a client, we also find out that several other violations were committed during the sales process.
This could include the previously mentioned example of failing to disclose frame damage, or other misrepresentations regarding the vehicles history, sticker price or financing. In many cases, if an auto dealer is willing to commit fraud in one way, they’ll actually commit fraud in several ways.
Sue the Dealership and Get Your Money Back
If the dealership forged your signature on documents, you may be able to sue them for Auto Fraud and get your money back. Our Auto Fraud Attorneys offer free consultations and complete document review for consumers that may have a claim against a car dealer. Call today to speak with a legal expert that can help you get the results you deserve.