ORLANDO, Fla. — A customer claims his car payment was just a month late when an Orange County dealership repossessed and sold his vehicle, then kept more than $4,000 in profit, which is not allowed in Florida.
Michael Self swears his 2008 BMW payment was only a month late and the dealer approved a late payment he never got a chance to make.
“My fiancée is sitting in the back seat and a tow truck's hooked up to it, picking up the back wheels,” said Self.
His car was repossessed by World Auto in Orange County.
Self claims he tried to pay extra that day.
“They didn't want my $1,000 cash. They wanted my car,” he said.
Ten days later, his car was sold for nearly $19,000.
With trade and deposit, Self had paid nearly $5,000 down a month before it was repossessed, so that late payment cost a fortune.
“They took my $4,500 and walked away with it and told me not to call them again,” said Self.
In Florida, lenders can't profit from repossessions. After losses, any balance is returned to the customer.
Self tried to contact World Auto about the issue.
“Every time I call, they hang up on me," he said.
The dealer is rated F at the Better Business Bureau.
Action 9's Todd Ulrich checked DMV records and found World Auto violated state regulations seven times since 2012, including false statements in sales documents.
Ulrich went to World Auto, where he was confronted by a manager.
“He said there was a profit from the repossession? Can he get his money back?” asked Ulrich.
“Get that (expletive) camera off my face. Do you want me to break the camera?” replied the manager.
“Can he get his money back?” Ulrich asked as the manager was closing the door.
Later, dealer president Amir Rauf denied making a profit, although he declined to show Ulrich invoices, and said the customer didn't give the whole story.
Since Action 9’s calls, Self said DMV is now investigating.
Ulrich asked the dealer to provide the invoice for the car's sale to see if there was a profit. So far, he's declined.
WFTV
