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Vol. 7, Issue 11
November 1, 2016

Be on the Look Out for
New Scam in Service Department

Scams directed at dealerships are nothing new.  But if your staff gets lazy or fails to take the proper steps to verify a customer's identity you can end up on the wrong end of an insurance claim and find yourself with one very unhappy customer.  

For example a dealer recently reported the theft of a customer's vehicle from the service  department which could have easily been avoided. T he scammer  somehow found out the identity of a customer with a car in for service. The thief then walked into the service department after-hours and told an employee that he was Mr. X and was there to pick up his car.  The impostor  paid the bill and the employee gave the "customer" the keys and the thief drove off.  The dealer is very surprised when the real customer comes in the next day and finds his vehicle is missing.     

It is imperative that dealers establish an identification procedure in the service department.  This is especially true after-hours when the employees are not likely to know the identity of the customer coming in to pay a bill.  Recommended practices include the checking of driver's licenses and asking the customer to verify the address noted on the repair order.  Some dealers are even using a claim ticket system, similar to valet parking, when customers drop off a vehicle for service.  The customer is required to produce the claim ticket when picking up the vehicle.  

Additional procedures need to be established for customers who want a third person to pick up their vehicle.  These customers should provide the third person's name and contact info at the time the vehicle is dropped off for service so you can verify the person's identity at time of pick up.          

Do I have to Give Employees
Time Off to Vote???

 With Election Day around the corner it is important to remember the rules on providing employees with sufficient time to vote.  

New York State requires employers to provide some employees with paid time off in order to vote on Election Day.  Employees who do not have sufficient time to vote prior to or after his or her work shift must be given up to two (2) hours of paid leave at the beginning or end of a work shift in order to vote.  However, the length of time provided to the employee should only be for as long as it is necessary for the employee to vote (while not to exceed two hours).    
 
An employee is not eligible for paid leave if he or she has four consecutive hours before a work shift begins or after a work shift ends.  In New York the polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Therefore, if a work shift starts after 10:00 a.m. OR ends by 5:00 p.m., the employee is deemed to have sufficient "time to vote" and is not eligible for paid leave.
 
Employers are required to post a notice disclosing the Voting Leave Law at least ten (10) days prior to Election Day.  A copy of the required notice can be found at:
 
 
Employees who require time off to vote must notify the employer not more than ten working days or less than two before the election. 

For more information on voting rules contact Stevan LaBonte at 516-280-8580.
Should you have any questions or need advice on anything related to dealership operations please do not hesitate to give me a call at 516-280-8580 or send me an e-mail to slabonte@labontelawgroup.com.  Your questions will be answered promptly.
Sincerely,

Stevan H. LaBonte, Esq.
LaBonte Law Group, PLLC
1461 Franklin Avenue, Suite LL-S
Garden City, NY 11530

516.280.8580 (Phone) 
631.794.2434 (Fax) 

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