Shopping for a new car can be a daunting experience, especially if you aren’t familiar with how the process works and the kind of tricks the dealership might pull to get you to spend more money than you planned. One woman recently shared her own car buying experience in a 9-minute TikTok clip, with the hope that it will help others navigate potentially treacherous waters.
Lola (@thelolafabiolaa) did her research before hitting up a dealership to buy a new car after her Mercedes was totaled in a recent accident. The first one was a bust. Despite being clear with the salesman from the start that she had no interest in putting money down, she says he offered her the option of a $4000 down payment, then dropped it to $2000—then mysteriously raised it up to $6000.
And there was another issue. The TikToker says the dealership’s finance manager was lying to her about her credit report, which she closely monitors via accounts with Experian, TransUnion, and EquiFax.
“So the stuff he was saying was on my credit report, I had never seen before,” she explains int he clip. “Never seen, never heard of. And not to mention, the stuff that he was saying, I knew was completely false. Like, there was no possible way that that could have happened.”
Between these issues and hearing that another customer was being told she had to purchase a pricey maintenance package for her loan to be approved, Lola decided to walk out and try her luck elsewhere.
“I am very strict and stern when I go to places, because you’re not going to try to sell me into anything,” she tells viewers. “You’re not going to try to upsell me. Like, I know what I want. I know this is your job, I know you make commission, but like, respectfully, I want to get in, and get the f*ck out.”
The next dealership tried to say her Mercedes wasn’t on her credit report, despite her driving it for four years, and the accident being so recent that she didn’t believe the account would have already been closed and wiped from her history.
“They did not work that fast—not in 36 hours they didn’t,” Lola says. “So I’m telling them it is still up there, and make sure that you are talking to the banks and you’re telling them what is going on. Now, all of a sudden, the numbers change.”
To make a long story slightly shorter, the TikToker was able to drive off the lot with the car she wanted in under two hours.
@thelolafabiolaa Yes i got the car, but i got it my way and on my terms🤭
♬ original sound – Lola
Although her video sparked some debate about the specific function of down payments and how dealerships come up with the amount, the overall message of “do your research” came through loud and clear. In addition to knowing what you’re looking for in a car, how much you want to spend, and what’s on your credit report, viewers had some additional tips and warnings for navigating such a large purchase.
“And they’ll also try to mess with your interest rates,” wrote one commenter. “Ask to see the actual ‘approval’ from bank and watch them get squeamish.”
“When I go to buy cars I come in with a check ready from my credit union and the dealerships be LIVID!” another admitted, referring to securing a loan ahead of time.
“This is why I come with a check from my bank,” a further user agreed. “No you can’t get me a better rate, no you can’t run my credit, no I don’t want anything extra. Taxes, tags, and car will all need to be included.”
According to a recent report from Cars.com, buyers currently pay an average of 32.7% higher than a vehicle’s sticker price when purchasing new, much of which they attribute to “elevated financing costs.” Some of this is just the unfortunate reality of the current market, but being well-informed and refusing to simply take whatever the dealership says as fact can go a long way towards making sure you get the best deal available, instead of getting screwed over.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Lola via TikTok comment.
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