Carvana offers a “hassle-free” car buying experience and that’s what every customer expects when they purchase a car from the online used car retailer. However, one Denver, Colo., resident recently reported that Carvana allegedly sold him a stolen and damaged car, which is anything but “hassle-free.” This is not good news considering Carvana’s plans to expand to the Denver area soon.

Carvana allegedly sold a Denver man a stolen car

If you log onto Carvana’s website, you’re promptly greeted with a statement that reads, “Whatever your budget, we’ll drive you happy.” That’s a pretty promising statement, however, one Colorado resident, Dennis Atencio, wasn’t happy with his purchase as he watched it being repossessed months after he bought it.

“At first, I thought it was the most enjoyable car buying experience that I’ve ever had,” Atencio told Denver7. But after watching the car being towed away, he felt differently about the car-buying experience. “It’s very embarrassing, just the humiliation has been extremely painful.”

To add insult to injury, Atencio eventually found out the car had been stolen in Memphis months before he purchased it from Carvana. According to Matt Osborne, a consumer protection attorney, the vehicle was a Hertz rental car that was stolen at the Memphis Airport. Somehow, the car was titled in California and it was discovered that were multiple open titles on the car.

The car was also considerably damaged

Atencio was able to save the car from getting repossessed, but upon receiving it, he found out that it had been damaged considerably. “This thing is a death trap,” Osborne told Denver 7. According to the report, the car had been in a severe accident at one point and was titled a “total loss” by an inspection company. There was damage to the radiator support, missing bolts, and wrinkled sheet metal found in various spots of the car.

Carvana touts the 150-point inspection that it does on every car that it receives. But it’s clear that Atencio’s car slipped through the cracks. “My theory of the case is that they discovered this during the inspection and they decided to sell anyway without disclosing it,” Osborne said. Atencio is reportedly in arbitration with Carvana at this time.

Carvana plans to build a vending machine in Denver

Atencio’s story isn’t the first of its kind in the Denver area. Denver 7 also recently reported another Denver resident that had issues with buying a car from Carvana. In that scenario, the car that he bought was obviously in a wreck at some point, and to make matters worse, Carvana didn’t send him the paperwork or title to the car he bought.

Fortunately, he was able to return the car to Carvana, which then reposted the car for sale with the wrong mileage. This type of business is concerning for all prospective Carvana buyers and Denver residents in particular as the retailer plans to build one of its vending machines in the Denver area soon.

Case in point, if you plan to buy a car from Carvana, or any other online used car retailer, we suggest doing as much research as possible on it and having it inspected by a qualified mechanic when you receive it.