California teen spent $58,000 on a Mercedes, then the car vanished overnight, now the DMV is being blamed for the apparent scam, ‘I’ve lost all hope’

A California teen who spent $58,000 of his college fund on a Mercedes-Benz, believing the vehicle had a clean title, later had his car repossessed after falling victim to an apparent scam and an alleged error on the part of the DMV.

Arrod Berjis, 17, bought the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG for $58,000 after finding it listed on Autotrader. The high-schooler planned to repair the vehicle, enjoy driving it, and eventually sell it for a profit. He also claimed that the purchase had appeared legitimate.

“I get this car at under market value and I get to enjoy it while I also get to fix it and then I can sell it for a profit and add that to my college fund. So that was very, you know, it was a win-win,” Berjis told ABC 7. The teen spent three months working on the car before finding a buyer who was willing to pay $75,000 for the vehicle.

However, the night before the sale was due to take place, the Mercedes vanished. Berjis believed that the car had been stolen and so contacted Los Angeles police and was directed to a towing company that informed him the car had been repossessed. “They basically told me that ‘we were ordered to take this car by Carvana,” Berjis claimed.

Berjis sought answers from the DMV

Before buying the Mercedes, Berjis said that he went to the Department of Motor Vehicles with the seller to verify that the vehicle title was legitimate. He claimed that there was no lienholder listed on the title he received. Berjis also said that the DMV clerk told him multiple times that there was no lien on the car and that everything was allegedly clean before he made the purchase.

The teen returned to the DMV to seek answers but claimed the original title was taken when he went back. “He told me that sometimes when a title is transferred, the previous paperwork can be overlooked, and a lien can be released, and a DMV title can be issued to you. But it’s void and invalid now because of that mistake. Mistake or potentially fraud,” Berjis speculated.

The DMV was unable to comment on the situation as it is currently investigating the matter. The LAPD is also investigating the alleged fraud, but Berjis claimed that the identity and documents provided by the seller turned out to be fake. 

The teen is hopeful that Carvana will either return the vehicle or compensate him for the $58,000 that he lost. He said that the money came from years of saving for college and without it, his plans for higher education could be delayed. “I feel like I’ve lost all hope,” he said. “I did everything right and bought this car as you’re told, go to the DMV and followed all the correct procedures, and I’m still a victim of this fraud.”