A U.S. Army veteran living in North Carolina was shocked to learn the Maserati Levante he bought for more than $68,000 from Carvana was in fact stolen.
Jason Scott bought the car in November for his wife’s birthday, but he learned in February the Italian SUV not only was reported stolen, but also wasn’t even the model year he thought it was.
Everything unraveled when Scott took the Levante to a Maserati dealership for servicing. A technician discovered parts of the vehicle didn’t match the year displayed by the VIN, raising suspicions. Digging further, the technician uncovered the vehicle was a 2017---not a 2021 as stated on the title and Carvana purchase paperwork---when he checked the chassis VIN against the door and window tags.
After police arrived, they didn’t arrest Scott, since he showed proof he purchased the Maserati from Carvana. They impounded the Levante since it was stolen property, but that was only the beginning of Scott’s problems.
According to Scott, he got the runaround from Carvana, which asked him to return the vehicle. When he provided evidence the police had it and it was in fact stolen, he asked for his deposit and payments back. That’s when he claims Carvana cut off communication.
Carvana responded to a local news station with the following statement: "When Carvana acquired this vehicle, someone had taken sophisticated criminal steps to steal and alter the vehicle and we're taking all the necessary steps to make it right for our customer in this rare instance."
Now lawyers are involved and Scott is asking for $1 million in compensation for losses, plus a public apology. Whatever the outcome there, this case highlights how even car dealers might be duped by criminal organizations getting more sophisticated at selling stolen vehicles to unsuspecting victims.
