A Florida dealership is in sizzling water after failing to ship a automobile {that a} buyer bought for over $200,000.
The entire ordeal began when Alan Sue discovered a 2023 Mercedes-Benz G63 Brabus on the market at Dream Auto Assortment in Hollywood, Florida. Residing in Hawaii, there was no method for the 78-year-old Sue to see the G in particular person. He referred to as Dream Auto Assortment and spoke with a person named Viktor Stefurc and hashed out a deal, ABC Miami’s WPLG 10 experiences:
A G class is (the) final off-road Mercedes, and that’s what I wished,” mentioned Sue. “So I referred to as them up and so they instantly answered the cellphone. I spoke to somebody named Victor who informed me he was the proprietor of the corporate.
This invoice of sale is stamped and signed by somebody at Dream Auto Assortment with an agreed worth of $275,000.
In an e-mail, Victor gave Sue a routing quantity and financial institution data.
Financial institution information confirmed Sue wired $275,000 to Dream Auto on April 12. Sue says the deal was achieved with the understanding that the G-Wagen could be shipped from Florida to the Port of San Diego for cargo to Hawaii. That’s when issues spiraled. Sue informed ABC he tried contacting Deam Auto by way of calls and emails and received no response. Even ABC 10’s investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier couldn’t get solutions out of the seller after he confirmed up in particular person.
Weinsier went to Dream Auto to attempt to get some solutions.
He discovered Oleg Tyulenev. State information present he’s the president of Dream Auto.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m not going to speak to you,” Tyulenev mentioned.
“Why not?” requested Weinsier, displaying pictures of the G Wagon. “The place is that this automotive?”
“That’s it, finish of story,” Tyulenev replied.
“It’s not the tip of the story, it’s the start of the story,” Weinsier mentioned. “The man is suicidal. This occurred again in April. He hasn’t heard from you guys.”
Now, months after the incident amid no communication, guarantees of getting Sue’s a refund and Stefurc fleeing to Russia, the Florida Division of Freeway Security and Motor Autos issued an emergency suspension of Dream Auto’s seller license. Regardless of this, Sue continues to be with out his cash and G-Wagon. And the stress over the state of affairs has gotten to him, telling ABC 10 that at one level “I thought of killing myself.” Fortunately he’s a bit higher now.
The entire state of affairs is even worse as Sue isn’t the one sufferer. ABC 10 says a pair in 2023 despatched the seller $15,000 for a used Lexus they by no means obtained. Dream Auto’s sketchy doesn’t cease there both. Apparently a number of the Brabus Mercedes’ the seller was promoting aren’t actual, together with the one Sue bought.
Native 10 Information has discovered BRABUS is suing Dream Auto Assortment, claiming a number of G Wagons they had been promoting, together with the one Sue paid for, had been modified with counterfeit BRABUS branding.
“Apparently, unbeknownst to me, the automotive I purchased was not an actual BRABUS, it was a faux,” mentioned Sue.
We’ve had loads of automotive sellers behaving badly recently. Whether or not it’s sellers participating in release-and-recapture gross sales, sellers promoting buyer’s vehicles with out the shopper’s information or sellers including hundreds in bogus charges, it’s clearly extra necessary than ever that automotive consumers keep frosty. To get essentially the most strong car-buying recommendation round (in our humble opinion) take a look at our purchasing skilled Tom MacParland’s recommendation right here.
