Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox announced the 50-plus-store Swickard auto group will pay a civil penalty of $800,000 — and face the threat of $200,000 in future penalties — to settle charges of unfair and deceptive advertising practices and violations of state laws governing used car sales.

The $200,000 suspended penalty will only be levied if the group, which owns nine dealerships in Anchorage and nearby Palmer, is found to be in violation of Alaska’s consumer protection laws in the next three years. Swickard also owns stores in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.

In a release, Cox says the consent decree follows an undercover investigation spurred by a series of customer complaints. Among the addressed charges are failing to honor advertised prices, advertising vehicles not in inventory, and requiring the purchase of voluntary protection products.

“Car dealers don’t get to advertise one price and charge another — or advertise cars that aren’t really there,” Cox writes. “That’s a bait-and-switch, and it’s unlawful. Alaskans already face higher costs than most — this settlement holds Swickard accountable and reinforces that the price you see should be the price you pay.”

Swickard did not admit to wrongdoing and, in a statement, blamed the complaints on the state’s outdated reporting processes and documentation requirements.

“We remain committed to working constructively with regulators while advocating for fair, modern standards that reflect how consumers actually shop today,” the statement reads, in part.

Read more at State of Alaska Department of Law