PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A Butler County family has asked for help after spending thousands of dollars to help their daughter, who uses a wheelchair.
The family’s problem: Their car is sitting in the driveway and won’t move. They claim they have a bill for $11,000 and a vehicle that’s basically a paperweight.
Lisa and Scott Geibel needed a wheelchair dolly to help their 33-year-old daughter Catie, who is suffering from stage four kidney failure.
Lisa Geibel says Catie needed a special cart for her kidney transplant.
“After the transplant, she will no longer be able to lift herself because there is a fear that the viable organ they will give her will be damaged by the way the surgery is performed,” said Lisa Geibel.
Since the family didn’t have a van, they looked for alternatives. A new van can cost up to $90,000. They looked for the cheapest alternative.
So the family came to the 1st Quality Auto Mall in Tallmadge, Ohio, and to a man named Ranko Veslinovic, who deals in used vans.
Lisa Geibel says Veslinovic told the family he could put them in a 2010 Chrysler van for $11,000.
“It looked great on the outside and it looked great on the inside,” Lisa said.
The family says the dealership could have put the vehicle on a lift to inspect it from underneath, but they were told there was already a vehicle there and they couldn’t do that.
The Geibels hadn’t even made it home when the car broke down. When they drove to Pennsylvania for an inspection, they discovered more problems.
“There’s a hole in the frame that’s filled with putty. There are holes in the floor. There’s rust, it’s covered in black spray paint and tar and looks like spray foam insulation,” said Lisa Geibel.
The Geibels called 1st Quality Auto Mall and asked the dealership to fix the problems. The Geibels say their salesman, Veslinovic, told them all sales were final.
“It is what it is, and basically he does nothing,” said Lisa Geibel.
The family contacted the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, who said it was an Ohio matter and they should call them. They told the Geibels they would be happy to help, but Ohio law is different than Pennsylvania law.
“Ohio has an actual law that protects the merchant, not the consumer,” said Lisa Geibel.
KDKA-TV contacted Veslinovic. He told KDKA-TV over the phone that the Geibels signed the papers, knew what they were buying, and that the company did not provide any guarantees.
He continued, “I was just here to sell the vehicle. We are not Walmart. We do not accept returns.”
Veslinovic says he is just a man trying to run a business. Lisa Geibel disagrees.
“He has pretty much become a predator towards people with disabilities,” said Lisa Geibel.
Right now, the Geibels are down $11,000 and don’t have the van Catie needs for her transplant.
“Keep your head down and just carry on,” Lisa said.
Ross Guidotti
