Car sales consultant Yusuf Benallal (@ridewithyusuf) was left stunned after hearing a proposal from an inquiring caller. One he said incessantly messaged him with a peculiar request.
Their dialogue became the subject of a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 1.6 million views as of Saturday.
The buyback
Yusuf explains the situation with the customer in a text overlay of his video: “Customer wants me to buy her repossessed Mercedes from auction and sell it back to her to get a job!”
In his video, the car salesman plays snippets of the conversation he recorded with the car owner. At the top of their discussion, she stated that she wasn’t interested in paying his call consultation fee. Not if she wasn’t sure she was going to get what she wanted out of the call, that is. Yusuf simply says “OK” to this comment before the caller gets into what she’s hoping he can do for her.
She tells Yusuf that she’s familiar with his content and has seen him mention he purchases cars at auction. Which is pertinent to her needs, since she had her vehicle repossessed. She tells Yusuf she wants him to go to an auction and buy her car. Following this, she wants to strike a deal with the salesman to then finance the car through his dealership.
The first question he asks her is why her car was repossessed, and it’s understandable why this is his primary concern. If a buyer was unable to make payments on a car, why would a company then want to engage in a business relationship with that consumer?
Behind on payments
Her explanation causes a visible, immediate grimace on Yusuf’s face. The caller says she lost her job, which caused her to miss seven months of car payments. Furthermore, the cost of living she incurred living in Miami compounded her financial problems. However, she says after she moved back to Atlanta to live with her mother, she attained economic stability.
“Seven months is not some payments,” he explained to her. His follow-up question was if she currently has a job, which the caller said she doesn’t. Naturally, this prompted Yusuf to inquire how she intended to make payments on the buyback Benz.
The source of her finances, she says, was an insurance check she received from an accident payout. She then went on to explain that getting her car back is part of her plan for getting a job.
‘A little bit absurd’
Yusuf bluntly tells the caller that her plan doesn’t really make any sense.
She doesn’t seem phased by his assessment of her plan, stating that she’s just “trying to get [her] car back.” He learned she was paying $1,300 a month for the vehicle. Next, she informed him that there was a 22% interest rate attached to the vehicle as well. Upon asking her if she has any money to put down, she initially tells him “zero.” However, she then quickly offers to give $1,300 upfront.
He then offers her better advice: Buy a “cheap cash car” until she gets her “money up.” Additionally, he says that she could “take advantage” of the fact she’s living with her mom for free. While she’s in this situation she could also take the time to get a job. Then, down the line, she can come to him to shop for a more desirable vehicle.
‘Not really’
The woman tells him all she wants is her car back. Yusuf’s response? “I think your priorities are all wrong,” he tells her.
“If I buy it back, there’s no chance you’ll get approved for it,” he says. This is more than likely attributed to the 590 credit score she told Yusuf she currently has.
After more back and forth, the woman eventually hangs up on him after realizing he won’t budge.
Cars can be wealth killers
Numerous financial analysts have attributed high monthly car payments as the number one detractor from accruing savings. Forbes posted a lengthy article sharing how pricey car notes are virtually always awful investments. The piece’s author, Jeff Rose, believes that consumers have been conditioned into thinking expensive monthly car payments are normal.
And the amount he quotes in his piece is less than half of what the caller in Yusuf’s video was paying. “According to a recent State of the Automotive Finance Study from Experian, the average new car payment reached $523 per month last quarter.” Going on Rose writes that this line of thinking is an “epidemic.” And one that is “killing our wealth.”
He said that settling for a $ 523-a-month car payment over 30 years amounts to $179,640. However, if one opts for a used car in good condition, they might be on the hook for half that amount. Moreover, if they opt for a car brand known for reliability, like Toyota, they can squeeze more value out of their ride. Instead, one can set aside a fraction of those monthly car note costs for regular maintenance. The other money can be invested in a high-interest savings account, or an investment portfolio.
TikTokers agree with Yusuf
Commenters seemed stunned by the caller’s stubbornness in refusing Yusuf’s advice. “Lights are on, no one is home,” one penned.
Another person with a much better credit score said they would never take on such a large monthly car payment. “Wild AF. I have a 830 score and wouldn’t touch $1300 monthly payment,” they said.
Someone else hoped that the caller would chime in online. “I want her to come in the comments & try to defend that whole conversation,” one said.
One individual echoed Yusuf’s recommendation. “Just buy a reliable Toyota. $1300/mo is insanity that’s almost rent.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Yusuf via email for further comment.
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