FRIDLEY, Minn. – Although Midwest Car Search touts tons of testimonials from happy customers on its Facebook site, Keith Ellison isn’t one of them. The Minnesota attorney general has filed a consumer-protection lawsuit against the Fridley-based used-car dealer and owner Scott Spiczka. Ellison’s suit alleges:
> Misrepresenting cars as certified when they weren’t.
> Inserting service provisions, financed for $1,800, into purchases contracts without buyer consent.
> Refusing to provide warranties that are required by law.
> Conducting business with an unregistered name to exploit Spanish speakers.
> Failing to make accurate disclosures in Spanish.
None of 3,200-plus vehicles sold from 2017 to 2022 were certified, Ellison said. He called Spiczka “a bad player.”
Verbatim
Ellison: “Minnesotans should be able to shop for cars without having to worry about being deceived or defrauded. Equally appalling is that Midwest Car Search aggressively targeted Spanish speakers through widespread advertising campaigns in Spanish and conducted sales in Spanish, only to have those speakers sign documents in English that bore no relation to the promises.”