MIAMI — A South Florida man has received a full refund after a Local 10 News investigation into questionable car dealership business practices.
Local 10 aired a story on Dec. 29, detailing what 21-year-old Christian Mobley said he went through after purchasing a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT from Miami Auto Mall.
A week after the broadcast, Local 10 News was contacted through a text message thread by Carlos Rodriguez, who identified himself as the owner of Miami Auto Mall.
Rodriguez told Local 10 News, “Deal has been canceled and refund was paid in full. Please update sir.” He added, “Miami Auto Mall are good people always aiming to do the right thing.”
Rodriguez also provided wire transfer documents showing that $29,730 was refunded to Mobley on Jan. 2. The documents indicate the funds have been returned.
Mobley confirmed the funds are back in his account.
“I’m glad I got the money back, but there is still work to do. At the end of the day, my time was wasted, I was tricked and I put money into that car. I can’t let this happen to anyone else,” Mobley added.
The story on Local 10 News Reporter Jeff Weinsier’s Instagram page has gotten over 1 million views and others have come forward claiming to have had problems with the same dealership.
While the money has now been refunded, significant questions remain about how and why the situation occurred in the first place.
Mobley originally told Local 10 News that he bought the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, drove it off the lot, and believed the deal was complete. Two weeks later, he said the dealership contacted him and asked him to bring the vehicle back, claiming it needed a rebuild inspection. Mobley said he was told to remove all of his belongings from the SUV.
Suspicious, Mobley placed a tracking device inside the vehicle. He later discovered the Jeep was not at an inspection facility, but instead was being driven around and ultimately taken to a home in Miramar. Mobley contacted police, who explained that the vehicle had been returned to its original owner because Miami Auto Mall had allegedly never paid that owner for the Jeep.
At the time, Mobley said he was left without the vehicle and was still responsible for a nearly $30,000 loan.
Weinsier went to Miami Auto Mall to seek answers but was told there would be no comment. The dealership called police on the Local 10 News crew while they were attempting to ask questions.
Neither Miami Auto Mall nor Rodriguez has explained why Mobley was allegedly misled into bringing the vehicle back under the claim of an inspection, or why the dealership proceeded with a sale before resolving ownership and payment issues tied to the vehicle.
Miami police confirm the matter has been forwarded to detectives in the department’s Economic Crimes Unit. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which licenses dealerships in the state, has also confirmed the situation remains under investigation.
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