CANOGA PARK : Dealer, Used Car Manager Are Fined

A Canoga Park auto dealership and its used car sales manager were ordered to pay $6,750 in fines Thursday after pleading no contest to charges of making false and misleading statements to customers.

The charges accused World Nissan of using a bait-and-switch scheme in which customers were told by phone and newspaper advertisement that a certain car was for sale at an attractive price, but found only higher-priced models when they arrived later the same day, the Los Angeles city attorney’s office said.

World Nissan, 21535 Roscoe Blvd., and used car sales manager Oscar Gongora, 63, of Simi Valley, were sentenced by Los Angles Municipal Judge Veronica Simmons McBeth.

World Nissan was fined $5,400 on two counts of making false and misleading statements and two counts of advertising a vehicle without listing its identification or license number, Deputy City Atty. Ruth Kwan said.

Gongora was fined $1,350 on one charge of making false and misleading statements.