Online used car retailer Carvana has refunded a customer who unwittingly purchased a used 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE, only to have the car seized by law enforcement.
According to a report by NBC News affiliate WFLA-TV, Tampa, Florida resident Roger Johnston purchased the 2018 Camaro through Carvana in July of 2022 for $74,000. However, roughly a year and a half later, it was discovered that the car was previously reported stolen.
According to the report, Johnston discovered the Camaro was stolen after attempting to sell it to another dealer. The Camaro apparently had mismatched vehicle identification numbers, with the VIN on the windshield and door jamb differing from the VIN under the hood. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office confiscated the vehicle, leaving Johnston with a car payment, but no car.
Johnston reached out to WFLA-TV, saying that Carvana wasn’t “making things right”. However, since WFLA-TV’s original report, Carvana says it has issued Johnston a full refund, including the original down payment and all monthly payments, while the remaining loan balance has been paid off. In addition, Johnston has received additional compensation for his time and trouble.
According to the report, the car was originally purchased from a dealership in Texas in early 2022 using a fake ID and fraudulent payment information. The VIN was altered, and the Chevy Camaro was then sold on Carvana.
An investigation is ongoing, but a suspect has yet to be identified.
As GM Authority reported previously, muscle cars are now a prime target for theft rings around the nation. In Los Angeles, Chevy Camaro theft has surged more than 1,000 percent in the last few months, with 90 vehicles stolen in just the first few months of 2024. Notably, the surge in thefts coincides with more muscle cars appearing at street takeovers, illegal car gatherings where participants do donuts and burnouts in front of a crowd.
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Comments
So does the Camaro go back to the dealership in Texas that it was stolen from? That being said dealership’s should conduct better due diligence.
I really don’t see how this could end any other way. Carvanna sold the car to the guy, so must bear the responsibility of making him whole. And as you say, due diligence? Did carvanna, a major reseller of cars, not bother to check for matching VIN’s? I don’t think I would, but then I’m not in the biz of buying/selling cars.
Story states the VIN was altered.
That said, Carvana has had multiple instances of this where they are prime targets for fraud
From the story, ” with the VIN on the windshield and door jamb differing from the VIN under the hood. ” Carvanna should have checked this like the dealer he tried to sell it to did. It is wholly on them for selling stolen goods.
When you read the reviews for Carvana, you find that there are many, many unhappy customers who report never being able to get a title for the vehicle they purchased or experiencing a very loooong delay before finally receiving a title. They do a lot of advertising, but do not seem to be a very reliable company.
Criminal Enterprise always finds a way to steal. The proverbial one bad apple.
They are responsible for chaos and disaster on every format, platform, system and level possible. They are the corrosion and rust on the metal of civilization. And rust never sleeps. We get something good or to the betterment of society and there is always some entity to screw it up for the rest of all hard working folks. Their work ethic is the only thing admirable….
If the original owner was compensated by his insurance company for the vehicle being stolen from him then the vehicle becomes property of the insurance company.
Brandon just said last night that crime is down on his watch .
Brandon just said last night that crime is down on his watch.
Bunch of crooks. Beware!
brandon said a lot of things last nite, the truth not be told on most.
“Brandon said a lot of things last night” is hella sus
They claim it’s a 2018 ZLE. Anyone else notice they show the 19+ refreshed bumper and tail lights?
With all the tracking Devices they have on cars, How can they not find the car?
Brandon doesn’t know where he is🤣.Carvana hopefully fired the person who vetted the Camaro!!
I never liked Carvana, right from the start their first commercial showing a Red 5th gen Camaro calling it a 2016. anyone who knows anything about Camaros knew that was wrong. 2016 was the start of the 6th gen.