Attorney General sues to close Las Vegas tire store for deceptive trade

By Mary Manning

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | 8:09 a.m.

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said her office is suing a Las Vegas company known as Tire Works for deceptive trade practices, seeking to close it down this week.

The attorney general's office launched an investigation into Tire Works after receiving complaints of unfair and deceptive trade practices, Masto said. Investigators found cause at 11 or 13 Tire Works operations in automotive repair and maintenance, including:

• Misrepresenting a link or association with a national automotive repair chain, misrepresenting that parts or services met a standard or quality or grade when they did not,

• Advertising goods or services with intent not to sell them as advertised,

• Making false or misleading statements of fact concerning the price of goods for sale,

• Fraud by altering a written statement of charges or other documents in connection with selling goods or services,

• Making false representations in sales, telling customers that services, replacement parts or repairs were needed when they were not,

• Failing to deliver goods or services within a reasonable time or to offer refunds,

• Failing to restore payments made for transactions subsequently rescinded,

• Failing to disclose material facts in connection with a sale,

• Failing to repair vehicles to manufacturers' specifications,

• Failing to deliver all parts and accessories replaced, improperly keeping a vehicle for payment,

• Adding charges to a bill for services that were not authorized or completed,

• Engaging in false and deceptive advertising,

• Failing to register with the Department of Motor Vehicles for permission to operate a garage

• And failing to post a bond with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The lawsuit was part of an undercover investigation done by the Nevada Consumer Affairs Division, which accuses Morpheus Investment Inc., doing business as Tire Works Total Car Care, or Tire Works, of multiple violations of Nevada's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Masto said.

As part of its investigation, the consumer division investigators had an automotive repair expert examine their undercover vehicle while they documented any legitimate automotive repairs needed. After the expert's documented inspection, a decoy driver was sent to three different Tire Works shops for an overall inspection of the automobile. At each of those locations it is alleged in the lawsuit than unnecessary service repairs were recommended following an inspection which was not on par with industry standards required to give a professionally recognized estimate, Masto said.

"Businesses who use deceptive trade practices to scam the public should be on notice that the state will investigate and prosecute them to the full extent of the law," Masto said. "We will work to suspend their privilege to do business in Nevada."

The Nevada Consumer Affairs Division is seeking a court order to dissolve the corporation and suspend its privilege to conduct business in the state, to pay restitution to injured customers, and seeks payment of $5,000 for each violation as well as additional penalties of $12,500 for each violation directed toward an elderly person or a person with a disability.

Consumers who wish to file complaints concerning their business with a Tire Works service location may contact the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection in Las Vegas at 486-3194 to get a complaint form.

Consumers with access to the Internet may get a consumer complaint form, as well as other consumer protection and contact information on the attorney general's Web site at: http://www.ag.state.nv.us.