Minnesota may be getting a “Car Buyers' Bill of Rights” similar to one enacted in California.
Such a legislative proposal from Sen.-elect Ron Latz, and other potential consumer-protection bills under discussion, are evidence of a new Democratic majority in the Minnesota House and Senate.
Latz says his proposal would provide more customer safeguards in used-car deals and prevent people from getting “rolled by an aggressive sales person.”
But Scott Lambert of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association tells the Associated Press: “Whether or not it's actually protecting consumers or costing consumers money or making things harder on them all has to be played out.”
The plan would offer consumers a two-day option to return purchased cars, limit dealers' financing charges and better define a “certified” used car.
Lambert says car transactions are heavily regulated already in the state. He says Latz's plan could raise dealers' costs, which would be passed on to customers.
It could also lead to potential abuses, he says, such as someone “buying” a car, then returning it two days later, after “their prom date.”
