As discussed here and here, in October 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a $3.38 million settlement with Passport Automotive Group (Passport) and two of its officers over allegations that the automotive group violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the FTC Act by adding “junk fees” onto the cost of its vehicles and discriminating against Black and Latino consumers by charging them higher financing costs and fees than non-Latino white consumers. Specifically, the FTC alleged Passport violated the law in three areas: Passport had a practice of marking up fees from the advertised price; Passport had a discretionary markup practice that caused Black and Latino customers to pay higher fees; and it charged Black and Latino customers additional fees for markups for extra services.

On May 16, 2023, the FTC announced that it has mailed more than 18,000 checks to affected consumers totaling more than $3.3 million. The FTC’s interactive database provides an up-to-date look into the refund progress.