Vermont Business MagazineThe Vermont Attorney General’s Office entered into anAssurance of Discontinuancewith Aspen Marketing Services, LLC after the attorney general’s investigation revealed that over 81,000 letters Aspen sent on behalf of five GM motor vehicle dealers misrepresented that the consumers had been specially selected to participate in an exclusive motor vehicle buyback program.The letters sent to consumers misrepresented that certain car dealers had been selected as a “host location” for a “unique Buyback Event,” and that the dealers were in “desperate need” of their particular vehicles to “fulfill special used vehicle requests.” Consumers were told that “due to the nature of the event,” they must bring the letter to be admitted because the Buyback event would “not be advertised to the general public.”
“Vermont consumers were lured to dealerships in the mistaken belief that they were among a select group of people who were getting a special deal when that was not the case,” said Attorney General Bill Sorrell. “This type of advertising runs afoul of Vermont’s law against deception and will not be tolerated. This case is intended to serve as a warning to any motor vehicle dealer or advertiser who uses such tactics in the future.”
Based on information obtained by the attorney general, the mailing list for the letters was compiled using the names and addresses of actual or prospective customers provided to Aspen by the motor vehicle dealers, and mailing lists of Vermont motor vehicle customers purchased by Aspen on behalf of the dealers. Aspen has agreed to pay the State $109,000 and to stop sending, preparing or assisting anyone else in preparing similar marketing pieces in the future.
Vermont AG: Dec 9, 2015