‘You just magically raise the price?’: Woman inquires about a 2021 Cadillac ESV. Then the dealership changes the price by $6,000
If you were to ask folks which jobs embody dishonest business dealings, many would probably mention car sales.
There's no shortage of anecdotes from both customers and dealership workers detailing nightmare transactions. Ones that end up with customers paying way more than they thought they would for a vehicle. Or ones that leave them without features and bonuses that they were duped into believing would come with their car. In some instances, folks ended up with clunkers that they are barely able to drive off the lot.
TikToker Brittan Mackenzie (@brittanmackenzie) recently had an unsavory car-buying experience herself.
She explains her unfortunate Cadillac purchase in a viral TikTok that's garnered over 142,000 views. In the preview text for her video, she tells fellow users on the app that she'd "pass on buying from" the Bayway dealership she refers to in her clip.
Several commenters also voiced their frustrations with dishonest dealership pricing.
Does showing interest at a car dealership lead to a price hike?
A text overlay at the start of Mackenzie's clip indicates the source of her grievances with the car dealership.
"When a dealership tries to raise the price of a car just because you're interested," she writes.
Mackenzie says that she "found a car on the interwebs that [she liked]" so she "reached out" to the business.
"I got some pictures of the interior and then I asked about the price. Which, I already know the price, the price is posted on their website," she says. "Because I showed some interest in the vehicle, this is the message I got back."
At this point in the video, the TikToker moves out of the way of the screenshot she placed in her clip via the app's green screen feature. It reads: "We have priced our vehicle very aggressively and we have been getting a lot of inquiries just today, [due] to this price may go up. Our selling price with dealer adds is $69,278.00 + TT&L fees."
Mackenzie let the car salesperson know that she wasn't too keen on seeing the cost of the car spike.
"So you just magically raise the price 6k cause someone is interested?" she asks, flabbergasted. "Seems like a solid way to do business."
How did the dealer explain the price hike?
In their conversation, the salesperson attempted to explain why the cost was kicked up another $6,000.
"The internet price is $63,977 the $2995 is our deal add an recondition. We charge this to all our customer who purchase with us," the dealership wrote in response. "All dealerships have their own cost."
Mackenzie let the salesperson know that she wasn't interested in discussing the purchase of the vehicle any further. "Not the ones I work with. Have a great day," she responded.
She read through the message and immediately pointed out a flaw in the salesperson's argument. Mackenzie says she has been keeping an eye on the car for three weeks and it was still available. In another on-screen caption, she claims that the car had been on the dealer's lot since Oct. 16.
What did the listing say?
Mackenzie then cuts to a screenshot of the company's website which clearly details the cost of the vehicle. "Pre-owned 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. Bayway Price $63,977," it reads. She urges other not to shop at the Houston, Texas dealership.
Next, the TikToker also pointed out that the company's math was incorrect for the total cost of the vehicle. That's because the "Bayway Price" listed for the car online, plus $2,995, actually comes out to $66,972, a whole $3,005 less than the figure quoted via text.
Moreover, Mackenzie was dubious of the "reconditioning" charge appended to the vehicle. "Either way, the math not be matching," she concludes. "And don't buy from this place. Cause the only thing they're looking out for is their coin. Not their customer."
Further researching the duration of the time the vehicle's been on the lot, Mackenzie headed over to Carfax. "
Since Oct. 19 ...today is Dec. 16. It just keeps getting better," she says, laughing. "So they've had it for two plus months, or two months. It's two months. All of a sudden, today on Dec. 16 when...myself decides to inquire, the whole world is inquiring and they're gonna raise the price because of it."
Do dealerships lie about advertised pricing?
Unfortunately, others have reported car dealerships aren't honoring advertised online prices for inventory.
13 News wrote about the "predatory pricing" protocol, citing several instances where consumers paid more than the vehicle's marketed cost. One used Volkswagen Jetta customer said their car was advertised for $10,980. However, they ended up shelling out $15,000 for the ride. Another thought they were getting a Nissan Rogue for $21,000. Instead, they coughed up $3,000 more and were charged $24,000.
The website states that an attorney was representing at least three separate clients they said were duped by dishonest dealership pricing. The New York State Attorney General's Office also wrote about advertising guidelines for auto sales businesses: "All automobile advertising by dealers, whether printed or broadcast, should be in plain language, clear and conspicuous, and nondeceptive."
How to avoid "Auto Retail Scams"
The Federal Trade Commission has published a CARS Rule "to add truth and transparency to the car buying and leasing process." The acronym stands for "Combating Auto Retail Scams" and is composed of 4 overlying principles.
The first "prohibits misrepresentations about material information." This includes "deceptive claims about price, financing, or add-ons are a few examples."
Furthermore, the FTC writes that dealerships must disclose the final price of a vehicle. The only charges that can be excluded from its advertised price are "required government charges."
Additionally, the agency issued a rule on add-ons. CARS "makes it illegal for dealers to charge consumers for add-ons that don't provide a benefit. Under the CARS rule, if the consumer won't benefit from an add-on product or service, the dealer can't charge for it," the site reads.
The last ruling of CARS "requires dealers to get consumers' express, informed consent before charging them for anything."
@brittanmackenzie #greenscreen for informational purposes only #baywaycadillacsouthwest #baywaycadillac @Bayway Cadillac SW … fail! #carbuying #scammers #buyerbeware ♬ original sound - Brittan Mackenzie
TikTokers had similar experiences
One person who responded to Mackenzie's video wrote: "Girl I had the same issue with central Houston Cadillac."
Another commenter replied that they would have retorted to the dealer with. "I would say as the price goes up, my interest goes down," they said.
Someone else shared their car-buying anecdote. "We agreed on a price, we're waiting for the finance dude to show up," they recalled. "He walks in after 45 mins waiting. Says 'Oh we've made a market adjustment of 6,350 bringing us up to...' and I stood & walked."
One TikToker also spoke of this "market adjustment" tactic. "This is why they can't sell any vehicles," the user commented. "They can't be switching prices on folks that's like seeing the sticker on the side of the car at 45k. And the windshield says mrket adjusted price is 53k."
Another penned, "Had that happen when I was a teenager. Dealer had a truck in the paper for 7k, did all the paperwork. And my loan magically jumped to 12k. That salesman and finance guy no longer work there."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Bayway via email and Mackenize via TikTok comment for further information.
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