People who bought cars from certain dealerships in Bloomington and Peoria might be eligible for a settlement payment.
The Attorney General’s office announced that Leader Automotive Group and its parent company, AutoCanada, have to pay $20 million after they were found to have defrauded customers across Illinois.
This settlement follows an investigation by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Federal Trade Commission FTC. The lawsuit accused Leader Automotive of tricking customers into paying more for cars by misleading them about prices, availability, and adding unnecessary fees.
They also charged customers for unwanted add-ons, posted fake reviews, and failed to inform them that the cars were imported from Canada, among other illegal actions.
The Attorney General stated that the dealerships used bait-and-switch tactics, luring buyers with low prices, then either forcing them to buy extra products or charging for them without consent.
As part of the settlement, all Leader dealerships in Illinois must clearly display the actual price of cars, and they must get customers’ approval before adding extra charges.