ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – A trip to a local car dealer turned into a nightmare for one woman. When the deal for the SUV she thought she was buying fell through, she said she never thought she would see her $3500 down payment again. It has been almost a year since Liz Shafer and her husband Jerry moved from Michigan to Florida. With a new job, Liz wanted a new ride, one with air-conditioning. Liz said she went to Lee Automotive in Fort Myers and though she said she had no plans to purchase that same day, the owner gave her a deal she could not resist. “[The owner] said, ‘what can I do to make you buy a car today?’ And I said I need to think about it because $9500 was more than I wanted to spend…He was like, ‘well how much do you want to spend?’ I said $8000. He looked at Jeff the salesman and says write her up.” It was a problem with the financing paperwork that ultimately caused a problem. “[The salesman] was asking me at that point how much I make a week. I said at least $500. He said do you have paperwork to back this up and I said no, not at this time.” Liz had just started a new job and said she did not have a pay stub showing she was going to make $500 a week. But Liz said the dealership told her it would not be a problem. She signed the loan papers and put down her $3500 payment. Two days later when she went to pick up the car, she said she got a surprise. “We transferred the insurance to the [new] car. I was walking out the door, a lady from the office says, ‘I need a $500– I need a check stub saying she makes $500,’ and I told them I said, I told you that was not going to happen.” According to Liz, the dealership wasn’t going to hand over her new car, without that pay stub. Even worse, she said they refused to refund her down payment. “I was upset because $3500 is a lot of money.” Liz said she was told she could either come up with the rest of the cash to buy the car she wanted, or find a car on the lot for $3500, the amount she had put down as a down payment. Instead, Liz filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which overseas dealers. She also called WINK News Call for Action. We reached out Kyle, the owner of Lee Auto Group. Over the phone, he told us he would give back Liz’s money if that is what it comes down to, but he was not ready to do so yet. After our call, however, Liz got the news she had been waiting for: a call from Kyle saying she would get her money back. Consumer lawyer Carmen Dellutri with Dellutri Law Group does not represent Liz, but he said if you ever have to make a deposit when buying a car, make sure the dealer signs a form that says you will be refunded if the deal falls through. A few other tips he offered: –Do not take a car off the lot, unless the financing has officially gone through and you actually own it –Make sure you review everything in a contract before you sign –Try to get preapproval from your bank for a loan before you start shopping for a car The Florida DHSMV tells us that they are still in the process of reviewing the complaint Liz filed. If you have an issue with a dealership, you can print and fill out a complaint with their office here. We reached out to Kyle Lee with Lee Auto Group and he sent us this statement: “I don’t know what kind of story you are trying to write but here are the facts: Ms. Elizabeth Schafer came in to purchase a vehicle and obtain financing. We got her approved but she couldn’t prove her income that she stated. She had put $3,500 down and it was refunded in full after we couldn’t get her financed.”