COLUMBUS, Ind. — A seven-count civil lawsuit against an auto dealership and its affiliated promotions firm, both in Columbus, has been filed by the Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill.
In the complaint for injunction, restitution, civil penalties and costs, the defendants are identified as Heritage Automotive Sales LLC, 5150 N. Indianapolis Road and Budget Direct Mail Promotions LLC, 1970 St. James Place.
Both businesses, owned by Loren White, are accused of making misrepresentations and actions early last year that are “unfair, abusive and deceptive” by violating Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and Promotional Gifts and Contests Act, the complaint states.
In his filing, Deputy Attorney General Mark M. Snodgrass states the civil suit concerns a “Giving Back Sales Event” held at Heritage Automotive from March 8 through March 16, 2019.
The promotions company sent mailings to 40,000 Indiana households that included scratch-off game pieces that indicated each recipient had won one of six specified prizes: $10,000, $5,000, $1,000, $500, a 55-inch flat-screen TV, or a Yamaha ATV, Snodgrass wrote in the complaint.
When 142 Hoosiers arrived at Heritage Automotive to claim their prizes, each was subjected to a sales pitch soliciting the purchase of a vehicle, according to the complaint.
After the pitch was over, residents were informed they had not won any of the six high-value prizes. Instead, they were given a $5 gift card to either Kroger or Walmart, Snodgrass stated.
The promotional mailings only list the high-end prizes, declaring that “everyone’s a winner,” but make no mention regarding the lower-valued gift cards, Snodgrass wrote.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
