I have a new friend in the UK and his name is Martin.

 

While we were talking about a thing, he gave me great counsel, “Don’t borrow trouble.”

 

I had not heard the expression before, but it sure does make sense. Don’t sit idly in vapor lock and do nothing. If you know there are problems out there, which you haven’t worked on, then dive right in, make a plan, and move forward. Martin’s my kind of guy.

Why Ignoring Compliance Invites Unnecessary Risk

Here’s the latest news for you to be able to act on:

 

“The Federal Trade Commission has received a $14.6 million Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) grant that will enable the agency to enhance its in-house data processing capabilities and improve the way it analyzes data used in its investigations, saving both time and money.”[1]

 

“The FTC will use the grant to develop a comprehensive cloud-based analytics platform that leverages AI tools and train staff to handle complex data analysis in-house. These new tools will enable the agency to reduce the amount of time it takes to sift through data from weeks to hours. And doing this work in-house will save millions of dollars by reducing the agency’s reliance on more costly outside contractors.

 

The TMF provides grants to federal agencies to modernize IT projects that have a high likelihood of success and generate savings and other benefits for taxpayers.”[2]

How FTC Tools Increase Exposure for Non-Compliant Dealerships

So, what does this mean for dealerships? It means the FTC will have new tools to crawl your website and look for potential deceptive advertising. That’s one example.

 

Compliance is a critical component of an overall risk mitigation program at the dealership. From a more global perspective, it’s worth considering what can potentially happen if you leave your compliance efforts adrift. Here’s what I found in the Practical Law Commercial Transactions journal:

 

Prevent Violations of Law and Resulting Consequences

  • Criminal Penalties
  • Criminal Indictment and Liability for Owners, Directors, Officers, and Management
  • Civil Damages
  • Shareholder Lawsuits
  • Other Private Plaintiff Lawsuits
  • Business Disruption
  • Legal Expense
  • Heightened Government Scrutiny
  • Reputational Harm
  • Damage to Employee Morale[3]

 

Any of these big problems can occur when we stray from our compliance obligations or simply ignore them. Any of these potential consequences – as a result of an action by lawyers or regulators – will take their toll on the dealership which easily exceeds tens of thousands of dollars in actual damages and even more in soft costs.

 

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) does not need actual customer complaints in order to investigate your business. The FTC simply need “a reason to believe” that a law has been or is about to be violated in order to open an investigation.

 

Martin was right – don’t borrow trouble. If you ignore compliance, you’re not borrowing it, you are inviting trouble for dinner. So, be proactive, make a plan, get your house in order, and get ahead of the curve. You’ll sleep better at night. I promise.

[1] Federal Trade Commission Press Release, July 28, 2025 https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/07/ftc-awarded-grant-upgrade-its-data-processing-capabilities-needed-analyze-data-used-investigations
[2] Federal Trade Commission Press Release, July 28, 2025 https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/07/ftc-awarded-grant-upgrade-its-data-processing-capabilities-needed-analyze-data-used-investigations
[3] Practice Note in Practical Law, Thomson Reuters, February, 2025