Restitution available for those who purchased from Anchorage Auto Mart

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A settlement has been reached between Attorney General Treg Taylor and Anchorage Auto Mart, LLC in a consumer protection case brought against the used car dealership, according to a release from the Alaska Department of Law.

The release says that the court-approved settlement requires the dealership to pay civil penalties of $35,000, to pay $60,000 toward a restitution fund that will be administered by the court, and to cease engaging in “unfair and deceptive trade practices.”

The suit was filed by the attorney general on Sept. 24, 2020, against the dealership alleging they engaged in numerous unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The release listed those practices as follows:

• Selling vehicles that lacked a valid title without informing customers of this fact
• Failing to disclose that vehicles had reconstructed titles
• Misrepresenting the accident history of vehicles
• Posting false or misleading advertisements

Taylor said that Tuesday’s settlement “sends a message that car dealerships must provide accurate information to their consumers.”

The Anchorage Auto Mart has denied that it committed unfair and deceptive trade practices alleged by the attorney general. However, the dealership agreed that a resolution of the dispute was in the best interests of both the dealership and eligible claimants.

According to the release, people who purchased a vehicle from the Anchorage Auto Mart between Sept. 24, 2014, and Oct. 25, 2021, “and were harmed by Anchorage Auto Mart’s unfair or deceptive trade practices are eligible to receive a distribution from the restitution fund.”

To qualify to receive a distribution from the restitution fund, people must file a claim by June 17.

Those affected can request a claim form by contacting the Alaska Department of Law’s consumer protection unit by mail at 1031 W. 4th Ave., Suite 200, Anchorage, Alaska 99501, by email at consumerprotection@alaska.gov, or by phone at 907-269-5200.

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