Buyer entered into an agreement with dealership Tustin Buick GMC to restore Buyer’s 2001 Hummer H1 because the dealership advertised that it specializes in restoring Hummers. When Buyer was in talks with the dealership, an employee named Mike Sabbarese repeatedly claimed to be an expert in the field. In a written proposal, Sabbrese initially promised the restoration would not cost at more than $54,000 and would be completed within 3 months. A few weeks later, Buyer was notified by another dealer employee, named Tim Golden, that the price now had to be over $57,000 and that Buyer would have to pay an initial deposit of $40,000 just for the dealer “to pre-order parts”. Buyer begrudgingly agreed.
The project ultimately took about 9 months to “complete,” yet in the end the Hummer was not properly restored and contained unapproved and improperly-installed accessories such as a “lift kit” which damaged the H1 in several respects. Further, when Buyer went to pick up the Hummer, Tustin Buick GMC now demanded $75,000 for the restoration, claiming that additional work had to be done. Yet, Buyer never approved the alleged “additional work” and the dealership was not even able to provide evidence of the work being done. Nothing explained the 35% price increase except perhaps the dealership’s realization that they needed to make more money off of this deal. Under protest, Plaintiff paid the full amount demanded because Tustin Buick GMC refused to release his vehicle without payment.
To make matters worse, the “restored” Hummer H1 broke down three separate times, requiring multiple tows back to the dealership, before Buyer was even able to drive the Hummer home.
Shortly thereafter, Buyer retained LemonLawAutoFraud’s attorneys for help. With over 20 years of experience and specializing in Dealer Fraud and Repair Fraud, our office was able to get the vehicle properly repaired and forced the dealership to pay $45,000.