Indian Man Denied New Mercedes; Dealership Fears He Could "Sell it to the Taliban."

50-year old Surjeet Bassi walked into the Prestige Motors dealership in Bergen County, New Jersey on June 3, 2016 thinking that he would be able to trade in his for a What happened next ended with Bassi filing a lawsuit against the dealership for what his lawyer claims as “blatant racial discrimination.”

According to The Times Herald-Record, the dealership refused to sell him the over fears that he might ship the to the Taliban. The report adds that the transaction was going smoothly as Bassi passed a credit check, showed his personal bank statements, paid a $1,000 downpayment, and switched the new GLS into his new policy with his insurance company. Then things took a turn for the bizarre when the dealership’s manager told him that he can’t sell the car because Bassi was from a “high-risk area” where people buy cars and export them to the Islamic fundamentalist and terrorist organization.

The manager wouldn’t budge on his stance despite Bassi arguing that he had lived in the area for 30 years, runs a medical transport company, and has no connection whatsoever with the Taliban. The Indian national even offered to sign a waiver, something he had done before, promising that was not going to export the car for three years. All his pleas ended up being for naught as the dealership’s manager refused to budge on his stance.

Needless to say, Bassi wasn’t going to take the case of discrimination lightly. His attorney, Michael Susan, immediately filed a lawsuit against Prestige Motors in the in the Southern District of New York on the basis of racial discrimination and a refusal to extend credit under the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Prestige Motors has yet to issue a response on the matter.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Indian Man Denied New Mercedes; Dealership Fears He Could "Sell it to the Taliban."

50-year old Surjeet Bassi walked into the Prestige Motors dealership in Bergen County, New Jersey on June 3, 2016 thinking that he would be able to trade in his for a What happened next ended with Bassi filing a lawsuit against the dealership for what his lawyer claims as “blatant racial discrimination.”

According to The Times Herald-Record, the dealership refused to sell him the over fears that he might ship the to the Taliban. The report adds that the transaction was going smoothly as Bassi passed a credit check, showed his personal bank statements, paid a $1,000 downpayment, and switched the new GLS into his new policy with his insurance company. Then things took a turn for the bizarre when the dealership’s manager told him that he can’t sell the car because Bassi was from a “high-risk area” where people buy cars and export them to the Islamic fundamentalist and terrorist organization.

The manager wouldn’t budge on his stance despite Bassi arguing that he had lived in the area for 30 years, runs a medical transport company, and has no connection whatsoever with the Taliban. The Indian national even offered to sign a waiver, something he had done before, promising that was not going to export the car for three years. All his pleas ended up being for naught as the dealership’s manager refused to budge on his stance.

Needless to say, Bassi wasn’t going to take the case of discrimination lightly. His attorney, Michael Susan, immediately filed a lawsuit against Prestige Motors in the in the Southern District of New York on the basis of racial discrimination and a refusal to extend credit under the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Prestige Motors has yet to issue a response on the matter.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

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Indian Man Denied New Mercedes; Dealership Fears He Could "Sell it to the Taliban."