Action 9 confronts used car dealer over deposits

ORLANDO, Fla. — Action 9 exposed a local car dealership that collected car deposits, but never delivered the vehicle.

Customer Bettly Kirkland claims a dealer refused a refund even after the state got involved.

Kirkland said she found a used Chrysler Sebring at his lot and made a $700 down payment.

She said the dealer, Hassan Khan, sold the car to someone else and then refused to give her a refund.

"How in the world can a person keep the money and I get no car at all?" said Kirkland.

Action 9's Todd Ulrich confronted Khan, the manager of H & R Auto Sales.

"Why should you keep this woman's money?" asked Channel 9's Todd Ulrich.

"I don't keep anybody's money," Khan said.

"I have records of the deposits she made," Ulrich said.

"Go get the records and get the hell out," Khan said.

Khan said he blamed the customer, Action 9 and the state for making him a villain.

Kirkland contacted the state motor vehicle department that regulates dealerships. Its investigation found H & R violated state statutes by taking Kirkland's money without a contract.

One year later, Kirkland still did not get her money back.

"I never got a call from him, nothing from no one," Kirkland said.

Other consumers have told Action 9 a car dealer ignored state regulations without real consequences.

"The state told you to give her the money back," Ulrich said.

"Oh, go to hell," Khan said.

"Told you to give it back," Ulrich said.

"The police, the state, they are helping all these guys who are robbing us blind," Khan said.

Khan said Kirkland got what she wanted, although he didn't explain. He claimed the state and Action 9 harass small businesses.

DMV investigators said Hassan was fined $1,800.00 for 13 violations last year, including Kirkland's case.

"She's an older woman, that's a lot of money to her, give it back," Ulrich said.

"Why don't you help her?" Khan said.

The DMV said it can help Kirkland file against the dealer's performance bond to get her money back. If there's a pattern of ignoring regulations, it can act against the company's license.

Since the Action 9 story on H & R Auto Sales first ran, Khan has provided a written response, which he says was sent to state motor vehicles officials.

The letter states Kirkland put down a $500 deposit on the Chrysler and was supposed to return in two weeks. Instead, she returned more than a month later and put down another $200 on the car, according to Khan’s letter.

“Once again we held the vehicle for her, when she did not return or contact us to keep her arrangement, we sold the vehicle and her deposit was relinquished,” Khan wrote in the statement to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Khan’s letter goes on to say Kirkland did not again contact H & R Auto Sales until soon before contacting state motor vehicles officials with her complaint.

WFTV