With most shopping experiences, the price you see on the label is the price you’re going to pay.
This is not the case with cars. Buying a car can involve considerable negotiation on your side, and from the dealer’s side, they may try to add on additional fees that you as a buyer don’t want to pay.
Numerous stories about this phenomenon have gone viral over the years. For example, some car-buying experts have offered advice on how to negotiate a good price. Another internet user told a story about how he tried to buy a car, only to learn it came with a non-negotiable $2,500 fee.
Now, another car buyer has revealed a trick that he says “80% of dealers pull with used cars.”
What tricks do dealers pull with used car prices?
In a video with over 59,000 views, TikTok user Deshone (@deshonetheautoadvisor) explains why seeing a price for a car online doesn’t necessarily mean that the dealership is willing to let you pay that price.
As an example, he shows a 2020 Honda Pilot listed online for $32,900.
“They are not going to let you buy the car for this price,” he states. “They’re going to charge fees because they know most people are not going to verify it online.”
If one does try to verify the price, he says, “they’re going to make it very hard.”
Using this specific example, he says that he called the dealership and learned that this price did not include the $2,000 down payment and that to buy the vehicle at this price, financing must be done through the dealership.
“So until y’all learn to shop online like pros, they’re going to keep doing this because people keep falling for it,” he concludes.
Can dealerships list fake car prices online?
In general, dealerships are required to honor advertised prices, though the listed price does not have to include certain fees like tax, title, and license.
The Federal Trade Commission has a web page devoted to helping car buyers avoid scams and overpayments. Additionally, if one feels that a car dealership is dishonest in their advertised pricing, they can report the dealership to their state’s DMV.
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, many users said that deceptive practices like these were common.
“I learned that the hard way and I told the sales rep to F off and I walked out,” wrote a user.
“Pricing with an assumed down payment should be illegal enough to shut the dealership down for a month,” added another.
“If they won’t tell me the OTD price via text, negotiations are done,” stated a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Deshone via TikTok and Instagram DM.
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♬ original sound – Deshone The Auto Advisor
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