‘I just want my money back’: Knoxville woman sent her car in for minor repairs — when she returned for it, the dealership had sold it. Here’s how you could be at risk too

What happened

Thompson and Cole bought the car from Knoxville’s Cherokee Auto Sales on June 21, 2023. They paid $6,000 for the car “as is” (without a warranty) and another $955 for a service contract, which would cover repairs for the first 12 months, or the first 12,000 miles, whichever came first.

When the transmission went out five months later (in November), Cole immediately called Cherokee Auto Sales to fix it, as it was covered by the service contract. A tow truck came to pick up the car to take it back to the dealership for repairs.

Ten days later, on Nov. 27, Cole and Thompson went to retrieve their car, only to discover it was “already gone and sold.”

Cherokee Auto Sales didn’t give the couple much of an answer as to why they did it. They said something vague about there being “too many miles on the warranty,” despite Thompson having shown them the service contract.

ABC’s WATE 6 tried to find out exactly what happened, but the dealership called the Knoxville Police Department when they came to ask about the strange situation.

Even Officer Josh Seder, the cop who showed up after Cherokee Auto Sales called the police on the news outlet, thought the situation seemed fishy.

“It sounds like you have the resources to make a pretty good civil case out of it,” Seder said to the couple.

As of May 2024, the State Department of Tennnassee still has Thompson listed as the owner of the Ford Taurus. However, she’s doing everything she can to get her name removed — and off their credit. They are speaking with a legal aid attorney to see if there’s any recourse.

According to the bill of sale from Cherokee Auto Sales and bank records, Thompson had already invested $2,700 into the car.

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How to avoid this happening to you

Thompson and Cole aren’t the only car owners getting scammed. Pennsylvania-based truck-parts reseller AmericanTrucks discovered that 35% of Americans have been scammed by a mechanic — with car owners paying an average of $832 on scams, according to their 2023 survey.

Those surveyed reported that upselling unnecessary repairs (50%), falsely diagnosing problems (39%) and overcharging for parts and/or labor (35%) were among the most common scams they'd encountered.

However, there are ways to protect yourself from these con artists.

Although Thompson held onto her services contract paperwork, she could have also requested paperwork from when the tow truck came to bring her car to the dealership. Keeping a paper (or email) thread is essential to protecting yourself from a scam.

“Definitely get an estimate in writing before you agree to any work,” said Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network. “And if you’re not comfortable, it’s OK to walk away.”

Nofziger also recommended checking the reviews of your dealership or mechanic ahead of doing business with them, especially via the Better Business Bureau website. That way, you can see if other people have reported unsavory behavior before trusting them with your property.

If you aren’t exactly a car aficionado or get anxiety at the thought of taking your car in for repairs, Nofziger recommended that you bring a knowledgeable person with you in order to spot any possible scams.