We’ve heard of buyer’s remorse, but this is ridiculous: On Monday, a Utah man drove a brand-new car through the glass front of a Sandy, UT car dealership when the dealership refused to let him return the vehicle he had purchased earlier that day. The building was badly damaged, but luckily no one was injured.
According to Salt Lake news ABC 4, Michael Lee Murray, 35, asked whether he could return the car, but the dealership told him it was sold as-is and that all sales were final. Murray warned the dealership he’d drive the car through the building if they refused to let him return it, and around 4 p.m. Monday, he did just that. It’s unclear why Murray wanted a refund.
Footage of the incident shared online shows Murray plowing the car through the doors of the dealership, straight into a desk as papers and computer equipment fly everywhere. Murray then exits the vehicle and says, “Call the cops,” while removing his coat as if he’s preparing to fight. Reports say everyone inside the building kept a safe distance — that’s one way to handle a tense customer service situation.
The dealership sold him a “lemon,” Murray said
KSL News says Murray was arrested at the scene and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and economic interruption. He reportedly told the police, “[the dealers] sold him a lemon, and they would not give him his money back,” and it’s estimated he caused around $10,000 in damage to the building.
According to Murray’s arrest affidavit, “Murray’s vehicle was completely inside the building. The front doors were now inside the building, there was glass shattered all around where Murray’s vehicle was and some pieces of the door and door frame had hit another vehicle that was in the showroom, causing damage to the side of that vehicle as well” — based on that description, $10 grand seems like not that much.
Murray was released from custody before his pretrial hearing on the condition he makes his required court appearances, doesn’t break any other laws, and fulfills weekly phone check-ins with the authorities.
Murray’s issue with the vehicle has not been reported, but some online comments proposed theories. “I can almost guarantee that the dealership told him everything was fine on the car and it’s in great shape with nothing wrong with it,” one comment said, “and a few hours later a check engine came on or he found a big problem and they told him to pound sand IF that’s what happened this guy’s a hero.”
Another comment added, “Obviously he was upset the cup holder doesn’t accommodate a Big Gulp…” And elsewhere, an astute observer noticed the airbags didn’t deploy when he hit the glass. “Car was clearly defective. No airbag deployment?” the comment pointed out.
All joking aside, we’re glad nobody got hurt. And in so far as social media comments are any indication, some people sympathized with Murray’s decision. “How many people have longed to do this? Inappropriate, but then again, dealers are a predatory business model,” one such comment said.
Published: Dec 10, 2024 03:57 pm