It can be frustrating if the service you receive is suboptimal, but does it warrant writing a one-star review? For Kenny Martin (@kennycompcars), owner of used car dealership Competition Cars and Classics, it definitely doesn’t, as he explained in a TikTok “what not to do” if you want your car dealer to help you with vehicle issues.
“I sell all cars ‘as is,’” he said. “And what this means is that after the customer purchases the vehicle from me, I have no responsibility for fixing anything with that car. It is their car. However, … we, as a dealership, want happy customers. I cannot tell you how many repairs I have made on cars after they’d been bought, even though they were ‘as is’ is, to make customers happy. That is called a ‘goodwill repair.’”
“And I’m gonna tell you what not to do if you want that dealer to help you out,” he continued.
He then went on to give an example, saying a man bought a Buick Lucerne but quickly started having issues with the vehicle. However, instead of contacting the dealer about it, Martin said they left a one-star review on Google and threatened legal action.
@kennycompcars If you buy a used car from a dealership and immediately start having issues, here is what not to do, if you want the dealer to help you with repairs. #carbuyingtips #usedcardealership #usedcardealer #carbusiness #usedcarsalesman #carlot #usedcars #carsalesman ♬ original sound – Competition Cars and Classics
“I never heard of the problem. No phone call; no email; no stopping by; no message; no nothing,” Martin added. “I get a one-star review, and I get a threat of legal action. Guess who’s not getting helped? I will not help them at all. Yes, it was sold ‘as is,’ but like I said, happy customers are important to us. But if you threaten me with legal action, you better be willing to back it up because I sold the car ‘as is,’ and when it goes to court, I will win.”
He then went on to explain what customers should do if they find themselves in that situation.
“Don’t go straight to the reviews,” he advised. “Don’t threaten legal action. Don’t go in with an attitude. Be nice to the dealer, explain the issue, and ask them for help. They may help you out. They may tell you to kick rocks, too, and go on. If so, then OK. Go ahead and leave your bad review if you must … but threatening legal action [and] leaving a bad review is not a way to get a dealer to help you. I promise you that.”
Martin didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
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