The dealer must pay almost them $300,000 for practices that included adding unwanted aftermarket items and pressuring customers into signing blank contracts.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says the victims were left with ruined credit reports, or car options they never chose.
In a statement released Sunday, the prosecutor says customers were duped into buying vehicles after terms of the sales and financing were misrepresented.
A Brooklyn state Supreme Court judge ordered Brooklyn dealer John Giuffre (JOO'-fray) and his dealerships Giuffre Hyundai, Giuffre Kia, Giuffre Mitsubishi and Giuffre Mazda to pay $294,500 in restitution to 46 consumers, plus more than $200,000 in civil penalties and costs.
The dealer did not immediately return a call for comment.
The action was brought against the Giuffre dealerships after the Attorney General's office received complaints from numerous consumers and conducted an investigation into the dealership's practices.
"This order is a victory for consumers who were ripped off by Giuffre car dealerships," said Schneiderman. "My office will continue to aggressively monitor business practices of dealerships around the state to ensure they comply with the laws designed to keep the auto market honest and maintain a level playing field for consumers."
---
