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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Calls from upset customers continue to fill the News4Jax newsroom, a day after the state announced it launched an investigation into Riverside Chevrolet.

It follows a News4Jax I-TEAM investigation looking into dozens of complaints from customers who accuse the dealership of not paying off the loans owed on their trade-ins. It caused their credit scores to drop as much as 70 points.

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State regulators said the dealership could receive fines up to $1,000 per violation and have its license to sell cars suspended. Several customers said they've gotten lawyers to pursue legal action.

Jim Kowalski, the president and CEO of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, said for situations like these, paper trails are the best ammunition.

"[It's] always about the paperwork and the documentation," Kowalski said. "Don't be afraid to send a confirming email or confirming texts."

There are times, however, when paperwork could be a problem.

Many dealer contracts, including Riverside Chevrolet’s, come with an arbitration clause. That means when signed, it gives up a customer's right to sue. That includes a class-action lawsuit.

Instead, it must be settled through a mediator, Kowalski said.

Upset customers can still hire a consumer attorney, and if they are below a certain income they can use legal aid. But Kowalski said consumers can also file complaints to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Kowalski also does not recommend trading-in a car that's not paid off to the dealership.

"Before you go to a car dealership and look for financing, go to your local credit union. We have excellent local credit unions," Kowalski said, mentioning Vystar, Community First and 121 Financial.

Customers can contact legal aid by calling (904) 356-8371 or by going to Jacksonville Legal Aid's website.

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we all don't have money to buy cars for cash


Kowalski also does not recommend trading-in a car that's not paid off to the dealership.

The Rabbi

I used to run dealerships and have watched the owner destroy a good business.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - One month after the I-TEAM began exposing problems customers had financing cars at Riverside Chevrolet, management of the dealership was taken over to a known name in the Jacksonville market: Beaver Toyota.

"You've heard it in the news; you've seen it on TV. A dealership near you was failing to 'WOW' its customers. Are you ready for the takeover of the year?" a post on Riverside Chevrolet's Facebook page Wednesday read. "We've done it before and we're doing it again. We're taking the worst dealership and making it best in town."

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News4Jax began looking into complaints against the dealership on Philips Highway a month ago, documenting that customers were taking trade-ins and not paying off their customers' loans.

For the last 10 days, we've heard reports that the dealership was being sold. Wednesday came the announcement that Beaver Toyota, which owns dealerships in St. Augustine and Santa Fe, New Mexico, had taken over management of the Jacksonville Chevrolet dealership.

After logging 43 complaints against Riverside Chevrolet, the Better Business Bureau not only gave it an "F" rating, but sent out an alert urging people to avoid the dealership.

"It is a big win for the community ... because this dealership was doing some pretty awful things with their customers’ money," BBB of Northeast Florida President Tom Stephens said. "We did the job that needed to be done to alert the community, and I am happy about that."

The Florida Office of Financial Regulation has confirmed it opened an investigation into the dealership on May 9. That was one week after the I-TEAM first reported on dozens of complaints against the dealership, many of them regarding trade-ins which had loans that were not paid off as promised.

Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Department of Revenue and Attorney General have also been investigating the dealership. All those cases are ongoing.

Beaver hopes to buy the dealership, that must be approved by state regulators and General Motors. For the moment, Beaver will manage the operation.

The Ferguson family, the current owner of Riverside Chevrolet, has stopped returning messages left by News4Jax.





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