Madison Kwiecinski 

News Editor 

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced early in February that his office is taking legal action against two separate Pennsylvania dealerships. Cars R Us Erie in Erie County and Martino Motors in Allegheny County are both being accused of allegedly violating consumer protection laws. 

A large portion of the cars being sold were used cars, which have gone up tremendously in price in the last few years. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average American consumer purchasing a used car today is expected to pay 42 percent more for the car than they would have in 2019. 

“We’ve seen an increase in demand for used cars here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said Shapiro. “And with that comes an increase in scammers. Scammers are shifting into high gear to try and take advantage of Pennsylvanians looking to buy a used car and it’s my job as the people’s lawyer to stop them.”

On January 27, 2022, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General asserted in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas that Cars R Us Erie sold 173 cars without having a licensed salesperson on the businesses staff. The owner of the Erie company, Ryan Lariccia, is also involved in the case. The Attorney General’s Office alleged that Lariccia’s motor vehicle sales license had expired on May 31, 2019, and had not been renewed again until March 8, 2021. The business failed to have an employee who was a licensed salesperson from June 1, 2019 up until October 25, 2020. 

Additionally, Cars R Us Erie was misleading consumers by misrepresenting extended service contracts by portraying them as warranties on the cars. 

In order for the appearance in court to take place an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance, or AVC, was filed. The terms of the AVC has resulted in the Erie car company and Lariccia agreeing to pay the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a thousand dollars in the form of civil penalties, as well as covering the cost of filing the AVC. 

Another result of the appearance in court included Cars R Us Erie and Ryan Lariccia agreeing to comply with several laws, which were the Consumer Protection Law, the Board of Vehicles Act and the Automotive Industry Trade Practices. The company also agreed to not misrepresent extended services as warranties any longer. They also must disclose a vehicle’s prior usage before the sale and utilize language during sales agreements that meet the automobile regulatory standards. 

If an individual believes they have been taken advantage of while attempting to purchase a used car, they can file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection online at www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint