In a viral TikTok, car expert Billy (@billythecarkid) details types of dealerships he would never buy a car from.
“I’m a car-buying expert, and I absolutely love saving you money at the dealership,” Billy says in the video.
First, he says to be wary of car dealerships that don’t negotiate prices. “NO HAGGLE, NO WAY!!” he writes in an on-screen caption. Billy says that even though the prices at no-haggle can be “really attractive,” the existence of these dealerships teaches the auto industry that customers “are OK with them screwing us and us having no say in it.” He says it’s better to go to a traditional dealership offering the car at a similar price and negotiate below the no-haggle dealership’s cost.
Secondly, Billy mentions that you should also be wary of dealerships that can’t offer you prices over the phone or via email and instead insist you visit in person to know more about pricing.
“That is a red flag,” Billy says. “The dealership is trying to isolate you [and] get you there so they can take advantage of you, and you can’t see what’s out there. … The one that will give you numbers [over the phone] is the reputable place.”
The video has over 172,700 views and 2,900 likes as of this writing.
@billythecarkid Car dealerships often prefer not to give prices over email or the phone because they want to encourage potential buyers to visit the dealership in person. This allows them to pressure customers, create confusion, and potentially upsell additional dealership crap! #carbuyingtips #carbuyer #carbuyingsecrets #dealership #carbuyinghelp #carbuyersguide #carbuyingmadeeasy #nohaggle ♬ original sound – Billythecarkid
Some folks in the comments section agree with Billy, while others say they actually don’t mind these dealership tactics too much.
“I walked away as soon the the salesman told me I’m losing money at the price it’s listed at,” one viewer says.
“I don’t have any issues with the no haggle guys,” a second contradicts. “If the price is fair to me, I don’t want to fight about it.”
“Carvana was the easiest, fastest, and least stressful car purchase I ever made, no REGERTS,” another commenter says.
Many viewers mentioned Carvana as one of those “no-haggle” places that Billy is referring to. An article on the Roper Honda blog details some of Carvana’s pros and cons. The main pro it lists is “Zero Haggling,” confirming that some folks hate the back-and-forth at other dealerships. However, the cons include that you typically don’t save as much, can’t test drive the car before you buy it (though Carvana does have a seven-day window for returns), and that delivery time for cars tends to be longer.
While Billy might be right that the “no haggling” aspect of some dealerships may lead to fewer savings, it seems that some people prefer dealerships like these for their ease.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Billy via website contact form and Instagram direct message and to Carvana via email for more information.
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