Buying a car can be overwhelming and, if you’re not careful, it’s easy to get taken advantage of. Even after you’ve done the research, looked at online quotes and price comparisons, dealerships still find ways to make the process confusing.
Couple Catches Car Salesman In a Lie
TikTok user Olivia (@sylver.witch) shared her recent experience trying to buy a Toyota Sienna, and according to her, things got suspicious.
“This morning, three things are true,” she says in her video. “Car salesmen are liars, they don’t like being caught, and watching an Italian man get mad is hilarious.”
Olivia explains that she and her husband had been shopping for a Sienna for a while. They’d already gathered multiple quotes, including one from the same dealership’s online team. But when they showed up in person to meet with different salespeople, they were told something different.
“He’s like, ‘There’s no negotiating. The Toyota Siennas are MSRP,’” she says, referring to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
“We pride ourselves on honesty, integrity. This is just the price you’re gonna get,” she recalls him saying.
But Olivia’s husband, Justin, wasn’t convinced. “He’s like, ‘Well, this is starting off on a really bad note,’” she says. When the salesperson looked confused, Justin pulled up the dealership’s own online quote, one that offered a lower price.
“He goes, ‘You told me when we first started that you value integrity and honesty. That’s not what I’m seeing right now,” she says.
‘We Weren’t Supposed to Give That Discount’
Things escalated when the dealership’s manager came over. “He’s like, ‘Yeah, sorry, that was a mistake. Our sales development rep wasn’t supposed to discount the Sienna,’” Olivia says.
Still, the manager decided to honor the quote. “He goes, ‘We weren’t supposed to give you this $500 off, but we’re gonna honor it — and to show good faith, I’ll give you another $200.’”
Olivia says she appreciated the small price drop but wasn’t sure she believed the “mistake” explanation. “I think they got caught,” she says. “If they really weren’t allowed to give that discount, then I feel bad for that poor rep.”
She ends the video asking her viewers: “What do you think?”
Commenters Side With the Buyer
In the comments, many users backed Olivia up, saying the salesman’s excuse didn’t sound convincing.
“They act like the market is booming right now,” one person wrote. “Sounds sketchy.”
Another shared insider knowledge: “As an ex-salesperson, if you worked with someone on the Internet, you should have worked with the person on the Internet. It’s all a game, but with Toyotas, they don’t usually drop much on prices.”
Others said they’ve seen similar tactics. “A lot of dealerships have gone to no-haggle pricing, but the internet side sometimes has better deals. It’s all about who gets credit for the sale,” one user explained.
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Source: Jeff Perez / Motor1
What Buyers Should Know
According to CarEdge, tactics like the one Olivia described aren’t exactly rare. Some dealerships try to create a sense of urgency, telling customers that the price they’re offering is “only good today.” In reality, that same deal will likely still be there tomorrow, or even next week.
Another common line is that the dealership is “losing money” on the sale. That’s almost never true. Between manufacturer rebates, financing commissions, and warranties, there’s always profit baked in somewhere.
Then there’s the classic “someone else is about to buy it” move, designed to make you commit before you’re ready. Dealers also love inflating trade-in values to make you feel like you’re getting a great deal, when really they’ve just added that money back somewhere else.
And if they say the car has a “clean history,” CarEdge suggests to not assume that means it’s flawless. They warn that even cars with perfect reports can have hidden issues, which is why getting your own inspection is always worth it.
The bottom line is that if a deal feels rushed or too good to be true, it probably is.
Motor1 has reached out to Olivia via instagram messages for more information, and will update this article upon her response.
