[VIDEO] California Man Loses Thousands on the Sale of his C5 Corvette And Warns Others About this Scam

Mar 12, 2025

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[VIDEO] California Man Loses Thousands on the Sale of his C5 Corvette And Warns Others About this Scam

When a California man wanted to sell his beloved ride, it turns out four potential buyers were the ones who took him for a ride instead.

David Meljie of Sacramento County tells a KCRA TV reporter that he advertised his 2004 Corvette on Facebook Marketplace, not really wanting to sell the car but in need of the cash.

So a few days later, when a man contacted him about the Corvette and offered him $14,500 – well below the asking price of $18,700, Meljie decided a bird in the hand…

On Feb. 28, the man and three companions came to see the car, but when they came back from a test drive, it was smoking badly.

[VIDEO] California Man Loses Thousands on the Sale of his C6 Corvette And Warns Others About this Scam

Meljie had described the car as being in immaculate condition before that test drive, even having new tires and rims.

“It passed smog two days earlier. And then now all of a sudden, there’s something wrong with the car?” he said. “I babied the car. The car was like immaculate, always serviced.”

But a look under the hood revealed the “problem” – oil everywhere, so when they convinced him that his car needed thousands of dollars in repairs, a desperate Meljie agreed to sell his car to them at an even bigger discount, going all the way down to a shocking $3,000!

He later discovered through surveillance video at his shop that one of the scammers had spilled oil all over the engine bay while he was distracted by another.

“I have them pouring the oil over the motor, into my radiator, and holding tank of the antifreeze,” he said. “After the hood went up and I saw the oil, my brain short circuited and you go into shock.”

Though he filed a report with the local sheriff’s office, authorities told him there’s not much they can do about the scam.

“It’s very easy to want some punitive action taken, but it really, by and large, is a civil matter,” Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said. “We just urge people to take caution if this is not something that’s in your wheelhouse of expertise, pay that little bit of extra money, employ the use of an expert in that field.

“If something doesn’t feel right, back out. You have that right. And that’s one of the best parts about this country. You have that freedom of choice. You don’t have to go through with the transaction because someone’s making you. You have that choice to back out or you have a choice to proceed,” Gandhi said.

Now, Meljie hopes his bad experience might prevent someone else from doing the same thing.

Source:
kcra.com

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6 COMMENTS

billeeG Mar 12, 2025 At 11:47 am

Once a smoker always a smoker , you should help it be a permeant smoker , so everyone can enjoy the scam
Raylan Benzl Mar 12, 2025 At 3:43 pm

When selling your Corvette online to the general public, “Out of abundance of caution,” always make sure your initial contact location with the potential buyer is your local City Hall and/or Police station.

Thanks,
Ray
Stephen Grizzle Mar 12, 2025 At 6:56 pm

Total bullchit story. The story begins, a man and his three companions… go ahead and try to get four grown men in a C5 corvette.
Vetteman Mar 12, 2025 At 7:33 pm

You just can’t fix stupid. I wouldn’t let anyone “test drive” my Corvette without me sitting shotgun!
Ronnie Mar 13, 2025 At 3:50 pm

Did this dude actually let two strangers take his car for a test drive? His IQ must be close to his shoe size.
Art Brunwasser Mar 14, 2025 At 3:22 pm

Not adding up. 1) long term owner, 2) always well-maintained car, 3) no previous problems, 4) owners has a shop so he is likely mechanically savvy. He should have caught the scam off the bat. Even if he didn’t, smoking should not drop the price from $18,700 to $3,000. I feel bad for him but it just doesn’t add up.