JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Keys in hand, cash paid — but no title, no tags, and no car he can legally drive.
A Tesla purchase in Jacksonville has turned into a costly mess for Citrus County resident Lane Miller, with two businesses pointing fingers and Miller now stuck in the middle.
Miller thought he had found a unicorn — a rare Tesla Model X Plaid just two-and-a-half hours from home.
“It’s the Model X Plaid edition,” Miller said.
The high-end Tesla sent him driving from Citrus County to Jacksonville.
“It’s the highest edition for the car. They’re kind of hard to come by. There weren’t a ton of them made… Jacksonville was the closest I could find, so I drove 2.5 hours,” Miller said.
Miller traded in his Kia Telluride, put money down, and drove off believing the deal was done. But he never got a title, tags, or registration.
“Not only am I out a vehicle, I’m also out 10k invested in this,” he said.
Pictures show the Tesla sitting outside his house. He even bought a Tesla charger for it, but he still can’t legally drive it.
“I’ve been trying to negotiate with Wholesale 360 to get their car back to them, get my trade-in back. But I also need to recoup my 10k I’m out of pocket. At this time they’re unwilling to negotiate,” Miller said.
The complication comes from two connected businesses operating out of the same space: Wholesale 360 and Ignition Exotics. Each company appears locked in its own business battle.
“It seemed like a wise idea. They could handle some retail stuff, we would handle our wholesale, everything would be great. That lasted for about eight weeks,” said Benjamin Smith, general manager of Wholesale 360.
The general manager said white posts are the unofficial dividing line — Wholesale 360 on one side, Ignition Exotics on the other — meant to keep the peace.
Smith says Ignition Exotics sold the car to Miller. Wholesale 360 legally owns the Tesla.
Action News Jax took its questions across the lot to Ignition Exotics, the company Miller thought had sold him the car.
“Lane told me he went to the DMV and couldn’t legally tag and title the car. What do you have to say?” we asked.“As of mid December, we were not in the facility to operate. When you’re not there, it’s hard to do your job and operate,” Glen said.
The Better Business Bureau says shared spaces don’t mean shared accountability.
“You have to make sure you have vetted that company to make sure they’re worthy of your trust, but also that you trust and verify. Because at the end of the day, you’re the driver,” said Holly Salmons, CEO of the BBB.
Miller has now filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General. He says he just wants his money — and his life — back on track. And he simply wants a car he can legally drive.
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