N.Y. woman says dealership on Long Island sold her a car that she never received. Then came the loan payments.
An Upstate New York woman says she paid $3,300 for a car she never received.
Then the loan payments came due.
When Tiffany Searight refused to pay off the loan for a car she said she didn't have, she says her credit started taking a hit.
Out of options, she turned to CBS News New York.
"I was trying to get the vehicle as a gift"
"I work two jobs," Searight said. "I'm a recently divorced mother. Single parent. Just got my oldest son through college."
Searight's youngest son had just graduated high school.
"I was trying to get the vehicle as a gift, a graduation gift for him," Searight said.
Her son found the exact car he wanted online at Regal Autohaus, a dealership on Long Island. On Dec. 26, Searight made the more-than-six hour drive to Long Island, some 400 miles from her home near Rochester.
Records show she put down a $3,300 deposit, and signed a contract with Regal Autohaus. The financing was through a third-party lender, Westlake Financial.
She left, however, without the car.
"They let us know at that point we wouldn't be getting the vehicle that day, that he needed to do an oil change," Searight said. "They were gonna check the car over, and he would call me when the car was ready to be picked up."
Two weeks without the car, multiple different reasons
More than two weeks went by. At first, Searight said she was in constant contact with the salesman.
In a January email to the dealership, Searight laid out what she said she'd been told - a running list of reasons the car wasn't ready. First it was an oil change, then it was a weak pulley, and then a malfunctioning sensor.
On Jan. 12, Searight drove to Long Island again, but when she showed up to the dealership, she said the car wasn't on the lot. She called the police.
According to the police report, the salesman told officers Searight had been "advised of maintenance that the vehicle needed," and that he would contact her once it was ready.
"I'm not paying for a loan on a car that I don't have"
The loan payments came due the following month, in February.
"I'm not paying for a loan on a car that I don't have," Searight said.
In March, there was still no refund, and no resolution. Searight made a third trip from Rochester to Long Island, this time with her father.
"I lost a lot of sleep and it's frustrating for what I do as a job, having to give myself to people," Searight said. "You know, at any job, you're told to leave what you have going on outside at the door ... tell me how you can [do] that when disappointed, and let your son down when he was expecting a vehicle."
"I never had my son hug me so tight, when we left that dealership, be so happy," Searight added.
She says she turned to the lender and contacted Westlake Financial to ask to have the loan canceled. Emails show Westlake Financial told Searight a "fraud review" had been filed, but the loan was active and would remain open "until the dealership returns the applicable finance charge."
"I'm stressed because I work very hard to keep my credit where it is, and not only that, I have people harassing me and holding me responsible for a loan on a vehicle that I don't have," Searight said.
Regal Autohaus responds
Regal Autohaus declined an on-camera interview.
"We wanted to respond promptly given the urgency of the matter and to ensure the information regarding this situation is accurate. The customer referenced, TIFFANY SEARIGHT, ultimately chose to abandon the transaction. As a result, her finance loan application was cancelled and her down payment refund of $3300 is being processed. Because the transaction was not completed and the matter is being resolved, we do not wish to participate in an on-camera interview," Regal Autohaus wrote in a March 11 email.
But two months before, Searight had emailed the dealership requesting a refund and that "the loan be rescinded." She said they did not give her a refund.
Another trip to the dealership, with CBS News New York
CBS News New York's Mahsa Saeidi went to Regal Autohaus with Searight and her father. A man Searight said sold her the car declined to make any comment when CBS News New York asked him about her allegations.
"This is Tiffany, you recall she gave you guys $3,300 and signed a financing agreement on December 26. The car was never delivered, and she just would like her refund right now," Saeidi said.
"Guys, no comments, just two things. You can't be in the lot, okay? She's taken care of, and that's it," the man replied.
"I'm really, really pissed off, this is totally crazy," Searight said.
Searight and her father then went inside. When they came out, there was an update. The dealership gave her a shipping label, and said that a check for $3,300 was sent via FedEx that day. Searight was also given $400 to cover her travel expenses, and a document was drafted on the spot, canceling the purchase.
"I have no idea until I'm actually able to physically cash that check to know that there's money in the account," Searight said.
Several weeks later, Searight told CBS News New York the check "did clear."
"I'm feeling a lot better"
"It's off of both of our credit reports. My son was finally able to get a car," Searight said. "I'm feeling a lot better. Like the cloud, the weight has moved it."
Searight thanked CBS News New York's investigative reporter Mahsa Saeidi.
"You are amazing. Like, so amazing," Searight said.
The New York state Department of Motor Vehicles said there's an open investigation into the facility, and they can't comment while it's ongoing.
Westlake Financial declined to comment, saying they will direct their response to their customer only.
