logo
Dealership Worker Is Oh-So-Close To Closing Car Sale. Then a Receptionist Ruins It In 1 Minute

Dealership Worker Is Oh-So-Close To Closing Car Sale. Then a Receptionist Ruins It In 1 Minute

Motor 122-06-2025
After a potential deal was purportedly ruined by a coworker, a car salesman shared what he describes as 'the number one golden rule' for all dealership employees: 'Zip it and go on about your business' when it comes to other salespeople's customers.
Salesman Costa (@costacreatescardeals) is clearly peeved in his TikTok. He starts the video by saying, 'When someone is working a deal with a customer, do not ever, and I mean ever, go talk to that customer.'
Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily.
back
Sign up
For more information, read our
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use
.
Costa says that a receptionist essentially snatched a sale from the dealership at the last minute.
'We had a receptionist today go up to a customer—after they signed at the desk, ready to go into finance—telling the customer that she was able to lower her payment when trading out of her vehicle with $12,000 of negative equity,' he alleges.
Anyone who's rolled a car loan with negative equity into another car loan knows that the outcome of that is usually, but not always, a higher monthly payment.
This was apparently the case with Costa's customer. 'Her payment went up,' he says. 'Not down. And then the customer decided not to do the deal and left while waiting for finance.'
He notes that the new payment after trading in a car with negative equity will be determined by multiple factors.
'Every case is different,' he says. 'And it also depends on credit. It depends on many factors.'
His bottom line is that if it isn't your sale, you need to butt out.
'Don't ever go and talk to another customer while another salesperson is working a deal with that customer,' Costa says.
His advice has people coming for him specifically and car salespersons generally.
America's Most Loathed Profession?
It's no secret that car salespeople—perhaps especially
used car salesmen
—are widely reviled. A
list
of the most hated professions describes used car salesmen as ' fast-talking liars who do it all with smiles on their faces.'
While this is just a stereotype and, as with any profession, there are good and bad actors throughout, Costa's TikTok put the taste of scummy car salesmen in many viewers' mouths.
Trending Now
'I'm Not [an] Expert:' Man Gets in a Honda Civic. Then It Starts Making This Mystery Noise When He Puts It in Reverse
Man Fills Up His Truck. Then He Pulls Out a Trick for When the Handle Clicks and Stops Pumping
"Seems like the receptionist was honest with the customer," wrote one user. "Who in their right mind is going to roll $12k negative equity into another loan at probably 10-12%. She did them a favor."
"Man, car sales people really do get on here and tell the world how shady they are," wrote a second user.
"Wow, an ethical employee working at a dealership! Good for her! She is probably too good to work there," a third user said.
Why Would a Newer Model Have Negative Equity?
In response to the commenter who claimed that the receptionist was simply being honest with his customer, Costa explained why his colleague may have led the potential buyer astray. It's actually inflation.
As he explains in a follow-up
TikTok
, the increased cost of living due to inflation is making it harder for people to make ends meet on one income. This, he alleges in a text overlay on the post, is 'indirectly' wrecking the car market.
Many people, he explains, are using their vehicles for a second source of income, often in the gig economy. While gigging for a
rideshare
or delivery service can be a flexible way to make ends meet, it also typically puts a lot of miles on your car. This often translates into negative equity.
'They're stacking over 200,000 miles on a car that they bought in 2020,' he explains. 'And now we're in 2025, the depreciation is through the roof.'
This is why he cautions, 'you should never use a personal vehicle as a commercial vehicle.'
He says that the customer the receptionist talked out of the sale was trading in their vehicle for just this reason. Their vehicle, Costa claims, had become utterly unreliable due to high mileage and the wear and tear this causes.
'It was costing them way too much money,' he says.
Costa frames the role of people in his line of work as helping people like his lost customer get a reliable vehicle, 'rather than screwing them.'
'What we're doing is actually losing money on some deals just to trade a customer out of the vehicle so we maintain a long-term relationship with them,' he says.
If the business maintains that relationship, he says dealerships realize that the customer is likely to keep coming back for maintenance and repairs. So ultimately, taking a loss on a sale can translate into a profit in the long term.
'It's actually a very smart decision to sell them a car,' he says. "And if you can make money, hey, that's what we're in it for. But sometimes you'll actually lose money and sell them a car."
Motor1
reached out to Costa via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We'll be sure to update this if he responds.
More From Motor1
Toyota Salesman Finds Thousands of Dollars of 'Missing' Keys. Now He's Exposing Dealerships for Failing to Give Buyers the Spare
'We Paid...to Get It Fixed': Woman Says Her 2020 Ram's Steering Wheel 'Randomly' Locks Up. The Dealership Says It's Fine
'Lawyer Up': Woman Drops Off Mercedes At Dealership For Oil Change. Then She's Told It's Totaled, Costs $27K To 'Fix 5 Wires'
Woman Visits Toyota Dealership. Then a Salesman Refuses to Give Her a Pricing Breakdown When She's Quoted $27,500
Share this Story
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Reddit
WhatsApp
E-Mail
Got a tip for us? Email:
tips@motor1.com
Join the conversation
(
)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Why Starbucks (SBUX) is Gaining Attention Among Food Dividend Investors
Why Starbucks (SBUX) is Gaining Attention Among Food Dividend Investors

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Why Starbucks (SBUX) is Gaining Attention Among Food Dividend Investors

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is included among the 10 Best Food Stocks with Dividends. A close-up of a freshly roasted coffee bean, accompanied by a vintage aluminum scoop. The company seems to be reaching a key turning point with Brian Niccol stepping in as CEO, drawing comparisons to the company's 2008 revival under Howard Schultz. A major focus under his leadership is improving the mobile ordering system, which now accounts for roughly 30% of US sales but has negatively impacted service quality and the in-store experience. To tackle this issue, Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) brought in Meredith Sandland— former Taco Bell executive and founder of Empower Delivery— to enhance order sequencing through machine learning. The move highlights Niccol's strategic focus on assembling strong, capable teams. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is a strong dividend payer, having paid regular dividends to shareholders for 60 consecutive quarters. During this time, the company's dividend has grown at an average annual rate of 20%, with increases sustained for 14 straight years. It offers a quarterly dividend of $0.61 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.58%, as of July 27. While we acknowledge the potential of SBUX as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

What Makes The Hershey Company (HSY) a Stable Food Dividend Stock?
What Makes The Hershey Company (HSY) a Stable Food Dividend Stock?

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

What Makes The Hershey Company (HSY) a Stable Food Dividend Stock?

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is included among the 10 Best Food Stocks with Dividends. A close-up of hands deftly moulding a bar of chocolate. The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is a well-known consumer staples company primarily recognized for its confections and snacks. While the company has broadened its product range to include items like popcorn and pretzels, chocolate remains one of its core offerings. Seen as an affordable indulgence, Hershey's chocolate continues to be highly popular, driving steadily increasing sales over time. The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) recently revealed it will increase prices for the second time in just over a year, attributing the hike to ongoing high cocoa costs that will lead to a double-digit rise in candy prices. While cocoa prices have dropped from their record high of $12,000 per metric ton, they still trade above $8,000 per metric ton. Many analysts expect these elevated prices to persist in the near term, largely due to last year's adverse weather conditions in Western Africa. The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is also a strong dividend payer, having raised its payouts for 15 consecutive years. The company offers a quarterly dividend of $1.37 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.93%, as of July 27. While we acknowledge the potential of HSY as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

General Mills (GIS): A Food Dividend Stock Worth Watching
General Mills (GIS): A Food Dividend Stock Worth Watching

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

General Mills (GIS): A Food Dividend Stock Worth Watching

General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is included among the 10 Best Food Stocks with Dividends. A worker in a production facility packaging arbitrary food products, reflecting the company's commitment to comprehensive production standards. The company's top priority for fiscal 2026 is to revive organic sales growth driven by volume. To achieve this, it plans to increase investments in consumer value, product innovation, brand building, and new offerings— all guided by its established experience framework. A key highlight includes the national rollout of Blue Buffalo's fresh pet food line, expected in late 2025. In addition, the company aims to deliver strong cost savings through its Holistic Margin Management program and enhance efficiency through a global transformation initiative, freeing up more resources to support growth. General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) reported mixed earnings in fiscal Q4 2025, with revenues of $4.56 billion, down 3.3% from the same period last year. However, the company's cash position remained strong. The company generated $2.9 billion in operating cash flow, which amounted to 126% of after-tax earnings, while free cash flow represented 97% of adjusted after-tax earnings. Dividend payments declined by 2% to $1.3 billion, primarily due to a reduced average number of shares outstanding. On June 25, General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) declared a 1.7% hike in its quarterly dividend to $0.61 per share. This was the company's fourth consecutive year of dividend growth. In addition, it has paid regular dividends to shareholders for 126 years in a row. The stock has a dividend yield of 4.78%, as of July 27. While we acknowledge the potential of GIS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store