Randall Durham thought he had just bought the Corvette he wanted. Instead, he says he wired nearly $40,000, traveled to Florida to collect the car and found nothing waiting for him.
The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, man had won an online auction for a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with a $38,800 bid. He received a pickup code after sending the money and headed to the storage facility where he had been told the Corvette would be available.
There was no Corvette when he arrived, Durham told FOX17 News. But his story soon took another turn: He said the same Corvette, carrying the same vehicle identification number, showed up on the auction website again and was sold a second time.
The company later sent an email promising Durham a $39,320 refund within 14 business days, according to the station. More than a month later, Durham said he still had neither the car nor his money.
Empty Pickup
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Durham told FOX17 that he was drawn to the Corvette’s price and reassured by what appeared to be overwhelmingly positive online reviews for Cars-Auction.
After winning the auction, he wired the money and received instructions for collecting the vehicle in Florida. When the car was not there, he contacted law enforcement before returning home and reporting the matter to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.
Durham said Cars-Auction subsequently stopped taking his calls and eventually blocked his number.
FOX17 reported that the company later emailed Durham and acknowledged that the vehicle had not arrived. In the email, Cars-Auction blamed problems involving the vendor and transportation company and said it would issue the $39,320 refund.
The station said Durham was still waiting more than a month later. FOX17 also sent Cars-Auction questions about the missing refund and the Corvette being placed back up for auction but reported receiving no response before publication.
Same Name, More Questions
Cars-Auction’s current website identifies its operator as CAR AUCTION USA LLC and lists an office at 50 Broad Street in New York City.
That name is not merely something appearing on the website. An official New York Department of Motor Vehicles dataset of licensed vehicle dealerships includes a business named CAR AUCTION USA LLC under facility number 7130751.
The matching business name makes an important distinction necessary: The available records do not establish that Cars-Auction is a fictitious company, and Durham’s allegations have not been proven in court.
The website itself continues to advertise active vehicle auctions and describes a fairly detailed post-auction process. Its buying guide says winning bidders receive confirmation, an agent contacts them about payment and shipping, and a vehicle can then be released for pickup or delivery after payment and title processing.
Its payment instructions are particularly relevant to what Durham says happened.
According to the company’s payment page, winners are expected to pay within 48 hours. It accepts wire transfers, ACH payments and personal checks, while rejecting credit and debit cards, PayPal, Venmo and Zelle. The company describes a wire transfer as the best option for most winning bidders and says vehicles are released after funds clear.
Not The Only Report
Durham also does not appear to be the only consumer recently raising concerns involving Cars-Auction.
A consumer in North Carolina filed a BBB Scam Tracker report on Sept. 11 naming cars-auction.com. The person reported wiring $23,307 for a vehicle and said nearly a month had passed without delivery.
The consumer described continued communication after the transfer and reported being told at one point that the truck transporting the vehicle had broken down.
Another BBB Scam Tracker submission, filed Aug. 25, came from an Oregon consumer who said he stopped before sending $39,427.55.
That consumer reported winning an auction and receiving a purchase agreement identifying Car Auction USA LLC. He said he became concerned after trying to verify information associated with the seller and the requested wire transfer. According to his account, communications stopped after he began asking questions.
BBB warns that Scam Tracker reports are based on accounts submitted by consumers and potential victims. The reports do not independently establish that a business committed fraud.
Still, the two recent reports are notable because both name the same website and describe high-dollar vehicle purchases involving bank wires.
A Familiar Playbook
The broader problem has become significant enough that the Federal Trade Commission issued a fresh warning this month about fraudulent online vehicle websites.
The FTC warned that scammers can create convincing dealership websites containing vehicle listings, photos, detailed purchasing procedures and customer testimonials.
In the version described by the FTC, buyers pay for vehicles up front and later discover that no car is waiting for them.
The agency specifically advises buyers to independently research the seller and, when distance prevents an in-person visit, arrange for an independent mobile inspection of the vehicle. It also says consumers should walk away when a purported dealer insists on payment up front by wire transfer only.
Cars-Auction’s published payment policy differs from that last scenario because its website currently lists ACH and personal checks in addition to wire transfers. Durham, however, told FOX17 that he paid for his Corvette by wire.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has issued similar guidance for online vehicle purchases. It recommends obtaining the VIN and registration information, independently checking a seller’s identity, and preserving payment records, emails, and other communications if fraud is suspected.
Still Waiting
Durham said he reported the matter after returning to Tennessee and has also contacted the FBI.
FOX17 said it was forwarding information from its reporting to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. No criminal charge or court finding establishing fraud against Cars-Auction was identified in the reporting reviewed for this story.
Cars-Auction’s website remained active as of Sept. 20, displaying current vehicle listings and recently completed auctions.
Durham, meanwhile, told FOX17 he no longer expects to recover the money. His promised refund had passed the company’s stated 14-business-day window, and the Corvette that started the dispute was no longer simply the car he thought he had bought once — according to Durham, he watched it get auctioned again.