Dealership pulls bait and switch, customer leaves 1-star reviews and costs them $50k: 'Every time I have a few minutes to spare, I create a new account and leave a 1 star review for this dealership'

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Jun 1, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

It's pretty common knowledge that you shouldn't totally trust someone who is trying to sell you something. Even if they seem genuine and hold what they consider to be your best interests at heart, at the end of the day, they're still there to do the job of making sure you walk out with an item in your hand. Out of the sheer bias of the situation, they're not going to tell you to walk away empty-handed if they don't have the exact right product in stock.

Of course, this is in the best-intended interactions—and it only goes downhill from there. There are an untold number of shady practices that salespeople employ in order to ensure that your business stays with them and to separate you from your hard-earned cash; if you're lucky, you'll still walk away with what you thought you were getting, but all too often you'll fail victim to bait-and-switches or other deceit.

This dealership tried to pull a bait and switch when their customer traveled an incredibly inconvenient distance to pick up the car they thought they were getting. However, when they arrived, things weren't as they were told that they were, and the dealership was clearly relying on the inconvenience of the situation to strong-arm them into a sale. They weren't having it, and decided to walk out, making sure to hit them where it hurt: In the online reviews.