Maryland honda dealer charged for deceptive sales practices

BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced charges against DARCARS of Bowie, Inc. d/b/a DARCARS Honda, its parent company Mariam, Inc., and owners John Rahmangholi Darvish and Jamshyd Darvish. The charges allege violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act through unfair or deceptive trade practices in vehicle sales at their Bowie dealership.

The Statement of Charges outlines multiple violations, including deceptively charging consumers a fee labeled as a “sales commission,” which is not a commission and is presented as optional without informing consumers of their right to decline it. Consumers were also charged more than the advertised vehicle price, with significant charges for pre-installed equipment and dealer markup.

“Over the last two years, Honda of Bowie has cooperated fully with the Maryland Attorney General to respond to its request for information and address its concerns. This is an instance where the premise of the case is not supported by the record or the facts,” a Honda of Bowie Spokesperson said in response to the allegations. “We feel confident about our level of disclosure on this matter and proactively sought to partner with the Attorney General to establish new industry best practices that could benefit all Maryland consumers. We are prepared to defend our company and our lawful practices in court against these baseless claims, while continuing to provide our customers with the industry’s best service in every market we serve.”

Additionally, the dealership allegedly financed the sale of added products like “DARCARS Assurance” and “DARCARS Protection Plan” unlawfully. Consumers were misled into purchasing unwanted equipment and products, and the dealership failed to disclose and itemize all goods and services included in the vehicle purchase, as required by Maryland law.

The Consumer Protection Division is seeking an injunction to stop these practices, along with restitution, economic damages, penalties, and costs. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for October 16 through October 25, at the Office of Administrative Hearings in Hunt Valley, MD.

For further information, consumers can contact the Consumer Protection hotline at (410) 528-8662 or toll-free at (888) 743-0023.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.