WILKINSBURG, Pa. — Customers who say they were scammed by a Pittsburgh-area car dealer are left wondering if they’ll ever be compensated for the money they lost now that the man has died.
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“I spent a year without a vehicle. I spent my last bit of savings to purchase this vehicle, and he assured me the paperwork would come back,” said one woman who wished to remain anonymous. “I never heard from him after October.”
The woman is one of numerous customers who claim that they were scammed by Philip Vixman, the former owner of Penn Avenue Auto Sales, located in Wilkinsburg.
“It's sad and unfortunate that he passed away, but it's sad that there are 40-plus victims who he left without answers,” said the mother of three.
At the time of his death, Vixman, 39, was at the center of an ongoing state investigation accused of taking money and then failing to file the proper transfer paperwork with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Now, dozens of customers have been left with expired stickers and plates.
“Every time I get pulled over, it's for the same thing: stolen plates,” the unidentified woman said.
Since trading in a PT Cruiser for a newer Ford Explorer, the woman told Channel 11 that she’s had seven encounters with police.
“Every time I call the state troopers office, every time I call PennDOT, I keep getting the same answer: ‘It could take up to three years to resolve the situation,’” she said.
The woman keeps a victim’s letter and temporary title with her at all times.
“I don't know what's going to happen when it's due for inspection, but I need my vehicle for what I do for a living,” she said.
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