Case Description
Florida settled for damages and injunctive relief against defendant automobile dealers and credit unions. The states contended that dealers and credit unions combined or conspired to restrain trade and competition for automobile financing, pricing, or stabilizing prices for protection packages offered in conjunction with automobile sales at off-site locations in Duval and Escambia Counties. Specifically, the state alleged that car dealers met in connection with the credit union sale and agreed upon common prices to be charged at the tent sales for dealer protection packages. Further, the state alleged that the dealers entered Participation Agreements with the credit unions to allocate all automobile financing offered at the tent sales to defendant credit unions, thus reducing competition for financing offered by dealers themselves. The dealers agreed to the injunction against the alleged practices and further complied with a monetary settlement totaling $66,000.
