Quebec auto dealers lose class action over hidden fees, buyers entitled to credits
Almost half-a-million Quebecers could be eligible for a credit after a class action lawsuit settlement was approved by a Quebec judge over car dealerships that charged hidden fees.
In the suit, 220 Quebec new and used car dealers were accused of charging their customers nearly $300 million in hidden fees.
A settlement agreement involving 150 of those dealerships was approved by the Superior Court of Quebec on Oct. 8.
"They had bought vehicles, and they ended up paying more than had been announced to them prior to purchasing the vehicles in question," said lawyer Philippe Brault of Lambert Avocats.
The Automobile Protection Association's George Iny said the hidden costs were bogus.
"Definitely illegal retailing practices," he said. "[You] can call it a scam. It's definitely illegal retailing practices that should be punished. And it got out of hand. The regulators really weren't able to do it. And it created this opportunity for a law firm to take a suit."
Brault said the law firm was contacted by several buyers who were hit with sticker shock when they bought a car.
"At the end of the transaction they actually ended up paying hundreds or thousands more for the vehicle than what was announced previously," he said.
Brault added that some dealerships named in the suit claim they charged the fees because their competitors did, but Lambert Avocats argue that that doesn't make it legal.
The law firm's website has the long list of car dealers to see if you might be eligible for a $75 credit.
Iny said that the credit per client isn't much, but the dealerships also have to pay legal fees and he estimates that to total around $5 million.
"They probably each have anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000," said Iny.
Brault estimates that up to 500,000 Quebecers may be eligible for a credit.
There is also the condition in the settlement that hidden fees are eliminated.
"Every dealership that's part of this agrees to stop charging such fees without exposing them to people before," said Brault.
Those looking to find out if they are entitled to a credit can visit the law firm's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Thousands of miles from home, Trudeau learns of dissension in his caucus
The free trade agreement with ASEAN is expected to be signed at the end of 2025. If Trudeau is pressured to step down, or if his government falls and loses the next election, Trudeau will not, as prime minister, be there to see the fruits of his labour.
Trump suggests a protester may get 'the hell knocked out of her' by her parents
Former U.S. president Donald Trump called for a protester at one of his rallies to 'go back home to Mommy' to 'get the hell knocked out of her,' his latest instance of using violent language when confronted by demonstrators.
Here's the dirt on the germiest items in your day-to-day life
Your home – considered to be one of the safest havens from all the external stresses – is filthy.
Court untangles 'bizarre mess' that allowed Vancouver duplex owner to pay off mortgage after foreclosure, sale
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled on a case she describes as a "bizarre mess" in a decision issued earlier this week.
Man, 37, stabbed and killed on Montreal metro platform
A man died of his injuries after an altercation that escalated on a platform at Guy-Concordia station on Saturday night.
Liberals announce new campaign director amid new push to oust Trudeau
The Liberal Party has named Andrew Bevan as its new national campaign director for the next federal election. The announcement comes as party continues to face lagging polls and as party leader Justin Trudeau is facing new pressure to step aside.
Ottawa bylaw officer struck by driver after altercation in ByWard Market
The woman was taken to hospital and is said to be in stable condition, paramedics say.
Drone strike in Israel wounds more than 60 as Hezbollah claims responsibility
A drone strike hit central Israel on Sunday, wounding more than 60 people, some of them critically, rescue services said, in one of the bloodiest attacks in Israel in a year of war. The Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group claimed responsibility, saying it targeted a military camp.
Severe weather has some snowbirds leaving Florida, others battening down the hatches
When Julie Riddell and her husband, Gerry, bought their Fort Myers, Fla., vacation property in 2009, it didn't cross their mind that they might be buying in a hurricane-prone area.