DECEPTIVE PRICING PRACTICES FTC and Maryland Attorney General Secure Over $78 Million in Refunds and Penalties Against Maryland Dealership Group By Lauren Bailey, Vice President State Legal and Regulatory Affairs, ComplyAuto KEY TAKEAWAYS • The FTC and Maryland AG announced a landmark settlement exceeding $78 million in consumer refunds and civil penalties against a Maryland dealership group. • Several individual defendants — including senior executives and a former general manager — have been named personally, signaling continued aggressive enforcement against individuals. • The FTC Complaint includes a litany of alleged “illegal” advertising practices and F&I product sale practices that deceived consumers. The enumerated advertising practices closely tracked the issues outlined by the FTC recently in its letters to 97 dealer groups nationwide. • The proposed order imposes sweeping disclosure and consent obligations applicable to all consumer-facing pricing, financing and add-on practices. BACKGROUND On April 2, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Maryland Attorney General jointly announced a proposed settlement resolving allegations of systematic deceptive pricing and add-on practices at a Maryland-based dealership group. The joint complaint — originally filed in December 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia — charged the dealership group and several of its entities with years of conduct designed to lure consumers with falsely advertised low prices, only to charge substantially more at the point of sale. INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS NAMED PERSONALLY Notably, the complaint names several individual defendants personally, including the company’s part-owner and president, its chief operating officer and the dealership’s former general manager. This reflects a continuing enforcement trend in which regulators pursue individual officers and executives — not just corporate entities — for consumer protection 26 MONTANA AUTO DEALER
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