On Friday, August 18, 2017, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed action against the Momentum Group Inc., which is doing business as Gwinnett Suzuki and Gwinnett Mitsubishi. Carr alleges that the company has engaged in numerous unlawful and deceptive advertising and sales practices. Carr made a statement about the matter.
“The alleged deceptive acts committed by Gwinnett Mitsubishi and Gwinnett Suzuki placed a financial burden on consumers and left them without valid transportation.”
The two auto dealers are accused of lying to consumers and leaving them without proper documentation after their purchases had been finalized. Since at least January of 2015, The Momentum Group, which is owned and operated by Fawad Ahmad, had advertised and sold cars at two Gwinnett County locations.
At the time of a sale, the defendants promised that they would process and submit title and registration documents within a span of 30 to 45 days. The defendants are accused of failing to do so in many instances. When a customer made contact with the defendant, their call was either ignored or they were provided with falsified records, which supposedly allowed the consumer to drive the automobile.
In other cases, the defendants are accused of accepting trade-in vehicles, which are still subject to loan balances. The defendants promised to satisfy the loans in a timely manner, but they do not always do so. The complaint also alleges that the defendants tell consumers that some of the charges collected are taken by the government. This is not the case.
The complaint claims that many of the defendants’ vehicles are ineligible for registration. Nevertheless, Ahmad and The Momentum Group are accused of telling the defendants that they will be registered and collecting a fee for doing so. The defendants allegedly claim that the vehicles pass emissions checks when they do not and cannot be registered.
The Momentum Group sells and accepts payment for certain third-party products, including extended warranties. In some cases, they have failed to pay the third parties and ultimately allow the service contract to elapse. The Attorney General’s office also accuses The Momentum Group of making deceptive and misleading advertisements on their website.
For instance, Gwinnett Mitsubishi claims that consumers will receive a guaranteed value for a trade-in. In reality, it is highly unlikely that the consumer will actually receive the promised amount. The Momentum Group is a Georgia corporation that was initially organized on August 5, 1999.
The principal office and its registered agent are registered at 2960 Satellite Boulevard Duluth, Georgia 30096. Fawad Ahmad had executed three Assurances of Voluntary Compliance with the Administrator of the FBPA three times in the past. He committed himself and his company from engaging in the practices mentioned in the complaint. Ahmad, who is the owner of The Momentum Group, resides in Alpharetta, Georgia.
The Office of the Attorney General will seek a permanent injunction to prevent the defendants from future violations. They will also attempt to require the defendants to pay restitution to the victims and civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each violation.