Wichita dealership barred from selling vehicles, license revoked

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett announced Thursday that Midwest Wholesale, LLC, a local car dealership, had its license revoked and has been permanently banned from selling motor vehicles in Kansas.

An $86,996.87 default judgment was entered against Midwest Wholesale for violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division investigated the dealership doing business as Kansas Motor Company after receiving consumer complaints about the dealership formerly located at 6717 W. Kellogg. The Consumer Protection Division said it received two separate consumer complaints after the dealership failed to provide a title to buyers.

During the investigation, the Consumer Protection Division discovered in one transaction the dealership failed to deliver a title to someone who purchased a vehicle and traded in another. The dealership also failed to pay off the outstanding loan balance on the trade-in, resulting in the consumer having two car payments and no title. In the second transaction, Midwest Wholesale sold the same trade-in from the first transaction to a protected consumer without paying off the trade-in.

In both transactions, the dealership failed to deliver the title within 60 days in violation of Kansas law resulting in both consumers being unable to register and legally drive their purchased vehicles. The default judgment calls for the dealership to pay over $54,000 in restitution to the consumers and $30,000 in civil penalties for the KCPA violations in addition to other costs and expenses.