AFTER OUTAGE, AG
HEALEY REMINDS PUBLIC OF ADDITIONAL TIME TO GET VEHICLE INSPECTIONS AND RIGHTS
UNDER LEMON AID LAW
With
Reopening of Vehicle Inspection Stations after Outage, AG Urges Consumers to
Get Inspections as Soon as Possible
BOSTON – Now that the RMV’s
vehicle inspection stations are back online after an outage caused by a malware
attack, Attorney General Maura Healey is encouraging affected
consumers to obtain their inspections as soon as possible and reminding them
they have additional time to exercise their vehicle return and refund rights under
the state’s Lemon Aid Law. The AG’s advisory reminds
consumers that the extension applies to consumers who purchased cars between
March 23, 2021, and April 16, 2021, and impacted consumers have until April 30,
2021, to get their inspection stickers.
“In light of this unexpected
complication at the RMV, we want to make sure that consumers have the
information they need to fully exercise their rights when buying a car, and to
put auto dealerships on notice about their legal obligations in this
unprecedented situation,” said AG Healey. “We don’t want consumers to be stuck
with a defective vehicle through no fault of their own, and we encourage them
to contact our office if they have questions.”
The Massachusetts Lemon Aid Law
allows consumers to return a purchased vehicle and obtain a refund if it fails
inspection within seven days from the date of sale, and the cost of repairs is
more than 10 percent of the purchase price. Consumers then have 14 days from
the date of sale to return the vehicle and provide the seller with a statement
detailing why the vehicle failed inspection, as well as include an estimate of
the cost of repairs.
However, because of the inspection
station outage, some consumers were left unable to meet the seven-day
inspection deadline articulated in the Lemon Aid Law, which then impacts their
ability to return a vehicle that fails inspection within 14 days of purchase.
Around March 30, 2021, the RMV’s vehicle inspection stations
went offline following a malware attack on their vendor’s system. As a result,
consumers who purchased a vehicle between March 23, 2021, and April 16, 2021,
had inspection stickers expiring in March or April 2021, or were in a 60-day
retest period following a failed inspection, were unable to obtain inspections
or reinspection in accordance to Massachusetts law. Most public vehicle
inspection stations went back online beginning on April 17, 2021.
To accommodate
consumers impacted by the vehicle inspection stations going offline, the RMV
has allowed for the following grace periods:
- If you purchased a vehicle
between March 23, 2021 and April 16, 2021: You have until April 30,
2021, to obtain an inspection sticker.
- If your inspection
sticker expired in March or April 2021: You have until May 31, 2021, to obtain an inspection
sticker
- If you are in a 60-day
retest period:
You will receive one extra day for each day the system was offline.
AG Healey advises
consumers who purchased cars and were impacted by the inspection station outage
to get their inspection as soon as they can, and on or before April 30, 2021.
If needed, consumers should exercise their rights under the Lemon Aid Law as
quickly as possible.
The AG’s Office also wants to
remind auto dealerships of their legal obligations in sales transactions under
the Lemon Aid Law and the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. Accordingly,
auto dealerships should use the RMV’s grace period for affected consumers and
allow consumers 14 days from the date of their inspection to exercise their
rights under the Lemon Aid Law, should a consumer’s vehicle fail inspection
within the RMV’s grace period.
For more information about the
outage and the RMV’s grace periods for vehicle inspections please see the RMV’s
press
release and vehicle check webpage.
The AG’s Office urges those
with concerns about their Lemon Aid Law rights to contact the office’s consumer
hotline at (617) 727-8400 or
file a complaint
online.
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