PHOENIX — A $1.85 million verdict has been reached against Dennis N. Saban and his companies, Phoenix Car Rental and Saban's Rent-A-Car, for violating the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act. This is one of the largest consumer fraud trial verdicts ever obtained by the state's Attorney General's Office.
After a five-week trial, the court ruled Saban will pay the $1.85 million with nearly $1 million going to consumers who were charged unlawful fees during their car rentals from 2009 through 2016.
An undercover investigation found Saban's Phoenix Car Rental and Rent-A-Car had charged improper fees such as a fake "county tax" and also found odometer readings had been falsified.
"Our priority was to get consumers their money back and the defendant continued to fight us," state Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a news release. "We refused to back down and ended up with a great victory for consumers. After an intensive five-week trial, the judge's ruling sends a message that consumer fraud won't be tolerated in Arizona."
The ruling also requires Saban to provide consumers with a good faith estimate and prohibits the defendant from advertising the condition or rental rates of vehicles inaccurately. The defendant is also prohibited from renting a vehicle without regularly scheduled maintenance and from altering odometers or a vehicle's warning light.