SHELBY, N.C. — Eleven employees at a Cleveland County car dealership are facing more than 400 charges for allegedly taking advantage of customers, but some customers say they’re still dealing with the fallout after a bait and switch.
Ten of those 11 employees had court dates on Friday; all but one sent attorneys in their place. They’re facing charges ranging from failure to disclose damage to lying about the date of a sale.
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One customer told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon that he wants to talk to the judge in the case.
Sam Karzan, the former general manager of Shelby Nissan, is one of the defendants in the case. He’s also the man that Mike Herms says sold him a lemon last year at the same dealership.
The business is now under new management, but Herms is left with the keys to a car that he can’t trade without taking a loss.
“It’s definitely been frustrating,” Herms told Ken Lemon.
He said he thought he had a good deal on a used Ford Mustang until he got home and learned the actual loan agreement was thousands more.
“The paperwork said they had charged us $44 [thousand] for the car; we had agreed to 33,” Herms said.
Herms said the former GM claimed he initially undervalued their trade-in. Then Herms and his wife started asking more questions about the car.
“She pulled the Carfax and found out that it had been wrecked twice,” Herms said.
[ SEE MORE: Family sues, claiming car dealer added roughly $40,000 to price, forged their names ]
He says the dealership never disclosed that before the sale.
Karzan is facing 110 counts of failure to inspect a vehicle before sale.
Herms says the adjustment on his loan agreement has hurt his chances of getting a new home. He also says he’s paying too much for the car, and he can’t trade it in without taking a loss.
“Trying to buy a house right now is completely out of the question because when they run your credit, they say you are over-obligated because of this car,” Herms said.
Karzan’s trial is scheduled for Nov. 2. Herms says he’s hopeful for the outcome.
“I hope the judge sets an example and shows the state of North Carolina is not going to tolerate that.”
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