A car-buying expert on TikTok released a short video listing five types of dealerships to avoid at all costs.
In video that has been viewed over 185,000 times as of publication, Billy the Car Kid (@billythecarkid) lays out five behaviors that are warning signs everyone should look out for.
Billy’s top five behaviors to avoid
The first behavior the car-buying expert lists is pushing add-ons. Be it lo-jack, etch, tint or wheel locks, if a dealership pushes extra add-ons to jack up the price, Billy suggests customers avoid dealing with them. He says this behavior reeks of double dealing.
“They try to grease in the final numbers and overcharge you with. I don’t think any dealership that does this is worth our time,” Billy says.
Second on the list is any dealership that won’t let customers bring their outside checks or outside financing.
“Any dealership that won’t let us bring our own check or our own financing and they insist that we use theirs is a dealership that has something shady up their sleeve,” the expert adds.
Third, Billy says, is to avoid any dealership that promotes itself as no haggle or haggle-free, has one price only for each car, and won’t negotiate at all.
“All I think we’re doing shopping there is reinforcing bad behavior,” he says.
Next is any dealer who insists that customers can only look at their numbers at the dealership. According to Billy, dealerships don’t provide numbers via email or text when they are trying to bring customers onto their own turf and take advantage of their unpreparedness.
Lastly, Billy says if you mention his name and the dealership gets upset then they are absolutely someone to avoid.
Other behaviors to avoid at dealerships
Auto Fraud Legal Center lists a few additional behaviors to look out for at car dealerships. These include lumping in license and registration fees along with transfer and titling fees, backdating contracts, and trade-in overestimations. They also suggest avoiding dealers who fail to disclose material facts about any vehicle.
The Zebra, which helps customers compare insurance policies, also recommends avoiding dealerships that adjust the odometer, and any dealer who requests keys for a trade-in ahead of finding a car to purchase.
The Zebra suggests having a trusted mechanic look over any vehicle before finalizing the sale, doing additional research by checking the VIN, and sticking to the out-the-door-price instead of a monthly payment plan. They also recommend prearranging any needed financing as a way to ward off shady practices.
Viewers shared their thought
Multiple viewers in the comments added advice about other behaviors to avoid at dealerships.
“Asking to check credit before a deal is even started if ridiculous too,” one said.
“Car business 27 years in Vermont and I agree with everything you’ve said. I’ll add stay away from any that won’t let you take the car to another service facility for mechanical inspection,” another added.
“One you forgot – if they offer a lower price by financing, walk away. Happens often in Canada,” a third remarked.
@billythecarkid Shopping at dealerships that prioritize transparency and are willing to provide pricing and negotiate over the phone greatly benefits consumers. This approach not only helps save money but also offers a wider range of options. It’s advisable to avoid dealerships that require in-person visits for assistance, as they may not prioritize customer convenience or satisfaction. #carbuyingtips #carbuyinghelp #carbuyingsecrets #carbuyer #dealership #negotiate #car #carbuyingadvice #bestdeal ♬ The Champion – Lux-Inspira
One person had a follow-up question.
They wrote, “Hey Billy. I’m still in the market to buy a car, I’m looking at Toyotas and Hondas. Is it a goo deal to purchase one or the other if they have over 100,000 miles on them?”
The creator responded that he would make another video to answer this specific question, but as of now has not release it.
The Daily Dot reached out to Billy the Car Kid via TikTok messages and Instagram messages.
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