How Africa News
Jason Scott bought a $68,000 Maserati SUV from Carvana for his wife’s birthday last November. But, the automobile, which was promoted as a 2021 model, was declared stolen in February after the North Carolina army veteran took it to a Maserati dealership for maintenance. According to ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, the stolen SUV was also not the supposed year model.
During the service, the technician noted that the year of the vehicle’s VIN did not match the year of its parts. A subsequent inquiry revealed that the vehicle was a 2017 Maserati, not a 2021 model.
“When they checked the VIN number on the chassis, that’s when they saw that it was a stolen vehicle. VIN on the car on the window and the car door was different,” Scott said, adding that he was questioned by police after they were ultimately contacted.
Though he did not face any repercussions after proving he purchased the Maserati from Carvana, police impounded the car because it was stolen. Scott then swiftly got in touch with the car dealership.
“She said well, we can’t trade the vehicle back in until you bring the vehicle back,” he said. “I said I can’t bring the vehicle back. I said the police have the vehicle.”
Scott also said he gave Carvana the police report to prove the stolen vehicle was in the possession of law enforcement authorities. He also demanded a refund of the downpayment he made as well as two other payments for the car.
“They wasn’t responding back to anything at all,” he said. But in a statement to ABC11 Raleigh-Durham after the story was aired, Carvana said it was addressing the issue.
“When Carvana acquired this vehicle, someone had taken sophisticated criminal steps to steal and alter the vehicle and we’re taking all the necessary steps to make it right for our customer in this rare instance,” the car dealership said in the statement.
Scott, on the other hand, demands that Carvana pay him $1 million in restitution for financial and reputational losses. He also wants the car dealership to publicly apologize. Carvana did the latter in a letter to Scott’s attorney, but the dealership claimed it had no idea the Maserati was stolen when it was sold to them.
According to the letter, a corporate representative informed Scott that the money he paid on the vehicle will be refunded, and he was also offered an additional $1,000. Scott, on the other hand, wants the company to go above and beyond to avoid such negative customer experiences.
“I know they say they have 150-point inspections. I want them to have 151. Check to see if the vehicle is stolen,” he said. “The last thing I want anybody to do is to get caught late at night on some strange road in the backcountry and they can’t verify it and they look at that person as a criminal.”
Carvana is currently being investigated by the North Carolina Attorney General’s office after 130 complaints were filed against the company. However, the Attorney General’s office said they do not know if the complaints involve the sale of stolen cars.
