Pennsylvania couple claims Ohio dealership preyed upon disabilities to sell faulty van

PITTSBURGH — A Butler County family is looking for answers after they say they were preyed upon by an Ohio car dealership.

News affiliate KDKA spoke with Lisa and Scott Geibel, who are now out $11,000 for a transport van they describe as “essentially a paperweight.”

According to KDKA, the Geibels were searching for a wheelchair transport van to be able to transport their daughter Catie, 33, who is in stage 4 renal failure.

Catie is a candidate for a kidney transplant, and for that to happen, Lisa tells KDKA she needs the transport van because, after the surgery, Catie will not be able to lift herself.

A new van can cost upwards of $90,000, so the Geibels tell the news outlet that they looked for cheaper alternatives, which led them to 1st Quality Auto Mall in Tallmadge, Ohio.

Lisa tells KDKA that a salesman, Ranko Veslinovic, told the couple he could get them in a 2010 Chrysler van, sold as is, for $11,000.

Lisa reported that the inside and outside of the vehicle looked great, but when they asked to put the van on a lift to inspect under it, the dealership could not accommodate it because there was already a vehicle on the lift.

According to KDKA, the Geibels didn’t even make it home before breaking down, and once they got it inspected in Pennsylvania, major issues were found.

Lisa reported a hole in the frame that was filled with Puddy, holes in the floor, rust covered with black spray paint and tar, and what looked like spray foam installation.

When the Geibels called the dealership asking them to fix the issues, KDKA said Veslinovic told them all sales were final.

The family then contacted the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, who told them they had to call Ohio because the Buckeye State has different legislation from Pennsylvania.

Ohio does offer a lemon law, but according to legal aid in Ohio , it does not apply to used vehicles. Ohio’s lemon law applies to first-year vehicles with less than 18,000 miles. They say when buying a used car “as is,” be prepared to pay for anything wrong with it.

KDKA reportedly contacted Veslinovic, who told the station that the Geibels had signed the paperwork and knew what they were buying. He said the business did not guarantee anything. He also reportedly said the dealership is not Walmart. They do not accept returns.

While Veslinovic says he’s just trying to run a business, KDKA says Lisa disagrees. She tells the news outlet that Veslinovic is a predator of people with disabilities.

Lisa tells KDKA that even though they are out $11,000 and don’t have the van Catie needs for her transplant, they just need to keep their head down and keep going.

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