“It’s deceitful and dishonest.”
Car dealerships have long been plagued by a reputation for dishonesty, and many people remain deeply distrustful of them. In fact, a 2024 poll revealed that approximately 76% of respondents don’t trust car dealerships to be upfront or honest about their pricing. This widespread skepticism is reinforced by the abundance of stories shared online about questionable and unethical practices in the car sales industry.
For instance, two women recently reported that a dealership attempted to overcharge them by thousands of dollars, despite their clear understanding of the vehicle’s market value. In another case, a car shopper claimed that a dealership tried to increase their monthly payments by several hundred dollars without justification, hoping the change would go unnoticed. Others have exposed deceptive pricing practices, such as dealerships advertising vehicles online at prices far lower than what customers actually encounter when they visit in person. These stories, along with countless others, highlight a pattern of shady behavior that leaves car buyers feeling frustrated and cheated.
Now, an independent car broker is taking a stand and calling out a Kia dealership for what they describe as unethical and “shady” practices. This latest incident underscores the ongoing need for transparency and accountability in the car sales industry—a demand that continues to grow louder as consumers share their experiences and seek fair treatment when making such significant purchases.
What tactic did this Kia dealership attempt to use on their customer?
TikTok user Katie (@katiethecarladyllc), well-known for sharing stories and exposing issues within the car industry, recently revealed a troubling situation she’s currently helping one of her customers resolve. Katie, who frequently advocates for consumer rights in car buying and trade-ins, has shed light on what she describes as shady and unethical behavior by a Kia dealership.
According to Katie, her customer traded in their car two months ago and upgraded to another vehicle of the same make, a Kia. Despite having already made two payments on the new car, the customer is now entangled in a series of frustrating problems with the dealership.
The first issue Katie highlights is the dealership’s refusal to respect her role as the customer’s intermediary. Instead of communicating with Katie, as was explicitly requested, the dealership has repeatedly attempted to bypass her and contact the customer directly.
“This is a manager [who] kept trying to be shady and go around me to my customer. That’s the first thing,” Katie explains in her video. “When my customer trusts me and has dealt with me for years, not gonna happen.”
Beyond this, Katie alleges the dealership is pressuring her customer to sign documents that differ from the original agreement. These new documents reportedly include unnecessary add-ons and charges that were not part of the initial deal. To make matters worse, Katie claims the dealership has failed to pay off the customer’s previous car as promised. Instead, they’re now attempting to charge the customer an additional $2,000—a cost that was never agreed upon during the trade-in process.
This prolonged ordeal has caused the customer to lose out financially. Katie estimates that her client has already lost approximately $1,200 in equity due to the delays and complications created by the dealership.
“This is the whole reason that dealers are just anchoring themselves into a casket,” Katie states, expressing her frustration. “They keep assuming that consumers are just gonna do what they say out of fear or that they’re stuck. It’s shady, it’s dishonest, and it’s really [expletive].”
Katie’s video serves as yet another reminder of the persistent issues within the car sales industry and highlights why so many consumers remain distrustful of dealerships. Her advocacy underscores the importance of holding dealerships accountable and empowering buyers to stand up against dishonest practices.
What happened next?
In an update video, Katie (@katiethecarladyllc) provided new details about the ongoing dispute with the dealership, claiming they are still pressuring her customer to re-sign documents due to mistakes the dealership made in the original paperwork.
According to Katie, the dealership is now taking drastic measures to force compliance. She alleges that they are effectively “holding the title ransom” until her customer agrees to re-sign the documents the dealership botched two months ago.
Neither Katie nor her customer is willing to comply with the dealership’s demands, which has placed the dealership in an increasingly precarious position.
“What they don’t realize is that they’re going to own that car,” Katie states confidently. “That trade-in is going to get kicked back because, in the state of Ohio, if you don’t produce the title within a certain amount of time, it can be returned. Then they’ll be stuck with it.”
Katie goes on to explain how this delay could backfire on the dealership in a significant way. “If this wholesale deal unravels, they’re going to find themselves in a really bad spot. They’ll be stuck with a car that isn’t worth what we wholesaled it for because we’re now three months down the line,” she explains.
With a tone of finality, Katie adds, “Not my problem.”
Her update highlights not only the dealership’s questionable tactics but also the potential legal and financial consequences of their mismanagement. Katie’s video serves as another example of how she continues to advocate for consumers while holding dealerships accountable for their actions.
