Drop-Ship Nightmare: Dealership Sells C8 Out From Under Actual Owner

C8 Corvette was ordered in California, delivered to a Texas dealer, and shockingly sold to someone else for a huge profit.

Far more people want a C8 Corvette than there are C8s available, which makes this a big-time seller’s market at the moment. That’s a good thing for owners looking to flip their cars for a profit, but also a bad time for buyers who just want to experience the mid-engine marvel at MSRP. We’ve come across some ridiculous markups on these cars as a result, but the C8’s profit potential is also causing another problem – greedy dealers are selling people’s cars to other buyers.

This phenomenon seems crazy and potentially illegal, but it has happened to more than one buyer at more than one dealership. The latest example comes to us from the Facebook group C8 Corvette Owners (And Friends), where James Laperouse posted that his friend had ordered a C8 from her brother in law’s dealership in California. The car was then delivered as a courtesy to Sterling McCall Chevrolet near her home in Houston.

Laperouse’s friend signed all of her paperwork for the California dealer after being told the car was shipped. Problem was, Sterling McCall never called to inform her that the car had arrived. Instead, they sold it to someone else, even though they had received the paperwork showing that the Corvette was her car that she had ordered. Making matters worse, the dealer’s management refused to speak with her. And since the California dealer still has the manufacturer’s title/certificate of origin, Laperouse wondered aloud if the new buyer could even get the car titled.

So far, hundreds of people have responded to the post, most of them recommending that Laperouse’s friend contact a lawyer or let the California dealer handle the situation. Some even suggested that she call the police and report that her car was stolen, which seems a bit extreme given the fact that the other buyer probably has no idea what’s going on.

After essentially being blown off by the Houston dealer, the buyer’s brother’s dealership in California has contacted their attorney. Meanwhile, one commenter did some digging and found out that the dealer was asking $100,000 for the car, which unsurprisingly meant that they presumably made a healthy profit selling someone else’s car.

Thankfully, this story seemingly has a happy ending. As of this writing, Lapenrouse’s friend was informed by the dealership that it has retrieved the C8 Corvette and that she can pick it up immediately. Perhaps the whole thing was an honest mistake, but as we’ve seen in other similar cases, that’s not a given.

Photos:Facebook

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