INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Attorney General Curtis Hill is warning Hoosiers to beware of advertising pitches that mislead consumers into thinking they have won significant prizes. Recently, the Office of the Indiana Attorney General filed two complaints against auto prize mailing promoters engaging in this conduct.
Budget Direct Mail Promotions LLC (BDM) and Heritage Automotive Sales LLC in Bartholomew County, reportedly designed and ran a promotion for Heritage Automotive. BDM and Heritage Automotive have the same owner.
The Attorney General’s complaint alleges BDM sent mailings to 40,000 Indiana households that included game pieces indicating that each recipient had won one of six specified prizes: $10,000, $5,000, $1,000, $500, a 55-inch flat-screen TV, or a Yamaha ATV.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, when residents took their mailings to Heritage Automotive to claim their prizes, each recipient was instead subjected to a sales pitch soliciting the purchase of a vehicle. Allegedly, they were then informed they had not won any of the six prizes prominently represented on the mailing, but instead, they received a $5 gift card to either Kroger or Walmart.
“Most car dealers are honest, hard-working professionals,” Attorney General Hill said. “Unfortunately, every industry has its share of individuals who seem bent on skirting the law to maximize profits.”