GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta area woman said after paying for a car, she’s waited months for the vehicle to arrive, but her thousands of dollars spent have left her with nothing to drive.
Felicia Clark says it’s due to false promises the owner of Bethel Auto & Shipping has made her.
“Right now, I want my money back,” Clark said.
She told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln she paid Bethel Auto and Shipping back in June after her previous car was totaled in a car accident.
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“You should be ashamed that you took my money,” said Clark.
Clark says the owner told her she would have the car within a week after her payment. However, more than two months later, Clark says she’s still waiting.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the owner of Bethel Auto & Shipping, John Abiowun, but he said Clark hasn’t received the car because the auction house won’t release the vehicle to him.
“They want me to pay the balance,” Abiowun said.
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Abiowun owns Bethel Auto told Channel 2 Action News he owes around $40,000 after already paying $29,000 on his account.
He said Clark’s vehicle isn’t the only one on hold.
“It’s not only her car that I have there, like 11, 15 cars with them,” Abiowun said.
Consumer advocate Lori Silverman says buyers should never buy a vehicle sight unseen.
“You want to be able to see it, drive it, you actually want to get as much information as you can about the car,” Silverman said.
Silverman says in most cases consumers can try to get their money back by taking the business to small claims court.
“It’s going to be very difficult, she could file a claim in small claims court, you can sue up to $15,000 but if the person doesn’t have the money the reality is she’s probably not going to get her money back,” Silverman said.
Clark said she’s filed a police report with Gwinnett County Police.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the police department for a comment and are waiting for their response.
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