A woman who says Phil Long Ford of Denver charged her extra for unwanted products and insurance has filed suit against the dealership.
Amy Gooch, 33, of Centennial said she was pressured to buy a handful of extras that she either didn’t want – or thought she was required to buy – when she purchased a used 2002 Ford Explorer from Phil Long in January.
She said she was alerted to the fact that the extras were included in her contract when a 9News reporter contacted her several weeks ago.
“I was shocked that I wasn’t made more aware that these items were in there and that I was automatically paying for them and that my payments could have been much less without them,” Gooch said Monday. “I think they saw me as a woman coming in there and not knowing too much. I was taken advantage of.”
Phil Long Ford officials said Monday that they were not aware of the suit and could not comment.
The complaint, filed Friday in Denver District Court, seeks class-action status. It alleges that Phil Long routinely engaged in deceptive advertising and concealment of information from customers from May 1996 to the present.
The lawsuit does not specify the amount of purported overcharges paid by Gooch. The extras that Gooch said she was sold included life insurance and gap insurance, which provides added accident coverage. Gooch said she was led to believe she had to buy them.
She said she also paid $199 without her knowledge to have the car’s vehicle-identification number etched into the windshield. Still, the service was never performed, she said.
Acting on information provided by 9News, state regulators last week began investigating Phil Long and Don Massey Pontiac Buick GMC in Denver on allegations of deceptive sales practices and providing false information to lenders.
Phil Long said in a statement Monday that it has contacted seven of nine customers whose cases 9News reported on.
“Some have said we have not met their expectations,” according to the statement. “Our customers are important to us, and we strive daily to meet their expectations, as we are not infallible and we are doing everything we can to resolve any issue.”
Phil Long Ford officials said Saturday that state investigators informed them they had found no evidence of fraud, deceptive practices or illegal activity in the nine transactions. But a spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue could not confirm that Monday and said the investigation is ongoing.
Staff writer Greg Griffin can be reached at 303-820-1241 or ggriffin@denverpost.com.
