I-TEAM investigates car dealer facing fines in multiple states including Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM has been investigating Carvana, a institution that promises “peace of mind” erstwhile you bargain a car from them. But immoderate section customers told america they’ve had nary bid for months – accusing Carvana of failing to travel the Florida instrumentality and leaving them incapable to get their titles and tags.

It each comes down to paperwork that’s seemingly not getting done and it’s led to fines issued against Carvana successful aggregate states including California, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina and Florida.

“After the 2nd temp tag expired, I called (Carvana) again. Once again, I got the aforesaid runaround,” Jeanette Carawan told the I-TEAM.

She says she ne'er imagined it would instrumentality Carvana much than six months to contented her imperishable tags for the Hyundai SUV she purchased online successful aboriginal May of this year. She said she was fixed not one, not two, but 3 impermanent tags portion she waited for her imperishable paperwork.

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She was besides without a rubric and registration, and Carawan knows she can’t thrust the car without them – truthful she’s present questioning if she adjacent owns the conveyance she paid for.

“They told maine they mislaid the paperwork and had to refile for it, truthful it would instrumentality different 70 days,” she said.

A akin communicative from Uber operator Charles Painter. He purchased a Jeep from Carvana successful February of this year. Over the play of 8 months, helium says, Carvana issued him 5 impermanent tags from antithetic states.

He says helium besides got the runaround from Carvana astir his title. Painter tells the I-TEAM helium reached retired to Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles himself to spot if helium could get his rubric and registration connected his own. The DMV responded successful a missive saying successful part:

“We cannot process the paperwork erstwhile the nonmigratory is simply a Florida resident, and the trader is simply a licensed Florida dealer. Mr. Painter volition request to interaction Carvana successful bid to implicit his rubric and registration.”

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Under Florida law, car dealerships person up to 30 days aft the conveyance merchantability to taxable rubric and registration information to the state.

And regarding impermanent tags, on the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website, it says “it is simply a usurpation of Florida Statutes for a trader to contented a 2nd impermanent Florida tag.”

Well, Carawan says successful all, she got 3 impermanent tags and 2 were from Florida, an evident usurpation of the law.

Of the 5 impermanent tags helium received, Painter says lone 1 came from Florida -- portion the different 4 were from Arkansas and Tennessee.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office tells the I-TEAM it is investigating 27 akin complaints astir Carvana. The institution was besides fined by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for not providing a twelve Florida customers with their titles and registration wrong 30 days.

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The I-TEAM went to the Jacksonville Carvana determination disconnected I-95 to inquire questions, but a salesperson told america nary 1 determination had answers astatine the section level and that we request to interaction the firm offices.

After reaching retired for weeks, we did perceive backmost from a firm Carvana spokesperson who gave america the pursuing statement:

“Carvana has pioneered online car buying by continuously delivering exceptional experiences, and we person bought and sold good implicit a cardinal cars with customers portion achieving an industry-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) and a 4.7 retired of 5 prima lawsuit acquisition standing average. That said, we stay firmly committed to continuous betterment and volition enactment hard astatine enactment making the champion car buying and buying acquisition disposable adjacent better.”

If this has happened to you, you tin record a ailment with Florida’s lawyer wide here, and Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles here.

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