HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – An Acworth, Georgia couple who told Local 10 News they were ripped off by a Hollywood car dealership has gotten all of their money back days after their story aired.
Jeanne Clark and her husband Steve Hawes paid Dream Auto Collection, located at 3837 Pembroke Road, $15,900 for a hard-to-find 2003 Lexus, but said they never got the car.
They dealt with a man named Sebastian and sent him the money for the car. Unknowingly, however, Sebastian had already sold and was delivering the car to someone else while they were negotiating the deal.
Sebastian told them the car had mechanical problems and was no longer available, but the vehicle’s current owner said that wasn’t true. Sebastian was pushing other cars the couple didn’t want.
“We felt like it was a bait-and-switch situation, to be honest,” Hawes said.
When the couple demanded a refund, they claimed they got no response for weeks.
But after Local 10 News confronted the dealership and aired their story on Friday, the $15,900 is now back in their bank account, they said Tuesday.
“It had cleared this morning so all of the funds are now in their account,” Hawes said.
Hawes said it taught him and his wife a lesson to not be so trusting.
“We are trusting people. We are people of faith. We have done transactions via the internet and never had a problem,” Hawes said. “I don’t think this could have been accomplished without you and channel 10.”
The owner of Dream Auto, Alex, claimed he was medical leave and wasn’t aware of what happened and said Sebastian, his manager, has been suspended.