After over seven years of car ownership, one Volkswagen driver believes she may have been “scammed” by a dealership.
In a video with over 245,000 views, TikToker Reagan Baylee (@reaganbaylee) says she paid in full for a Volkswagen Beetle, dubbed “Penny,” at Volkswagen of Covina, Calif., in 2017.
“My hands are tied seven years later. I don’t know what to do,” she says.
She shows a handwritten, pink receipt for $13,800, the total amount she paid for the car.
“Because I paid for the vehicle in full, I should have received the title on the spot,” she says. But that’s not what happened.
When she traded in her Volkswagen Beetle for a Mini Cooper last month, she discovered that her name wasn’t on the title for the vehicle. A car title contains essential information like the vehicle’s identification number, ownership, and whether there is a lien on the car.
She claims that the Volkswagen dealership was never in possession of the title either.
“I learned that Volkswagen took it upon themselves to finance my car for one month, which is unusual because I paid for my car in full,” she says.
She asserts that a lien was placed on the car because Volkswagen didn’t have the title.
“It was never in Volkswagen’s name. It still has the original owner’s name on the title, even after all of these years of me driving it,” she claims.
The plot thickens. Because she traded in the vehicle to the Mini Cooper dealership without the title, that dealership can’t give her the Volkswagen back. However, the trade-in can’t be completed without the title.
“I would love to know if anybody here works for Volkswagen or has dealt with a similar situation,” she asks at the end of the clip.
Can a dealership sell a car without a title?
Technically, a car can be sold without a title, according to Rocket Money. But the process isn’t as straightforward as a typical sale.
For one, the seller must create a bill of sale that contains the same information that would appear on a title: Ownership, odometer reading, weight, make, model, lien status, and more.
In some cases, you may be able to get a bonded title from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Other drivers share their experiences
The TikToker isn’t alone in dealing with a missing title. In the comments, others share similar experiences.
“This happened to my wife via Carvana. They had to take back the car and give us all of the payments we had made for the previous year we had it. Turns out they never had the title either,” a viewer says.
“Volkswagen did this to me, too, in Ontario, Canada. Our version of the DMV was able to change that for me,” another writes.
“That happened to me with my old car from Carmax. Title was still in old owners name and Carmax was like well we need the car back and you won’t get you down payment,” a third adds.
Dealership workers weigh in
Other viewers who work at dealerships explain how the situation could be handled.
“Car salesman here, if the dealership you bought the car from has already done the deal and you traded it in getting the title is not your problem,” one writes.
“You actually shouldn’t have to do any of the work. My son works for AutoNation in Torrance buying cars. He has to chase down missing titles all the time,” another says.
Other viewers suggest potential workarounds.
“Sounds weird BUT if VW can’t get the original owner to sign a title app and a power of attorney so they can get a duplicate and sign it over to you, you may be able to get an abandoned vehicle title,” one says.
“If they never owned the car, they should return all of your money that you made for payments. They legally couldn’t sell the car; therefore, the finance agreement was fraudulent,” another suggests.
“File a complaint with DMV!! They’ll investigate the business for document fraud. If VW can’t assist, it could possibly be titled in another state, which makes it 10x harder to get ahold of,” a third adds.
@reaganbaylee 🫵 I’m looking at you @volkswagen @VW – feel free to email me hello@reaganbaylee.com to resolve this issue (immediately) 👍 If anyone has any information or contacts that could help, I would so so so appreciate it!! #fraud #scam #storytime #volkswagen #vw #vwbeetle #carinstagram ♬ original sound – Reagan Baylee
The Daily Dot reached out to Reagan Baylee via email and TikTok direct message. We also contacted Volkswagen via email for further information.
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