A woman is calling out a car dealership that she said attempted to overcharge her.
In a viral TikTok, Jax (@fromscratchbyjax) says she took her Jeep to Carl Burger Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM World, a California-based dealership. While she initially came for an oil change, she says she also wanted to get the bulb in her car’s taillight fixed.
But after she was quoted more than $200 for the fix, Jax says she decided to take matters into her own hands. On Sunday, her video calling out the dealership had amassed more than 409,600 views.
What’s wrong with the content creator’s car?
Jax says she asked a mechanic whether they could replace the bulb in her taillight. She suggested she was content to install the replacement herself.
Upon looking at her car, however, she says the mechanic suggested that Jax’s blinker might be out too. If that were the case, the mechanic said, according to Jax, she had a deeper “electrical issue” on her hands.
And that electrical issue wouldn’t be cheap to fix, either. Jax says the mechanic quoted her $241 to fix the taillight bulb.
Then, Jax says she noticed the blinker and taillight came from the same bulb. As a result, she says she bought a $5 bulb and fixed the light herself.
“If you’re from [San Diego] and you have a Jeep, Dodge, Ram, or Chrysler, please avoid Carl Burger in La Mesa. They are swindlers,” Jax warns Californians.
She added in her video’s accompanying caption, “I can’t stand people who take advantage of others. Did they think I was stupid?”
Others accuse car dealerships of ‘scamming’ customers
While this may not be true of all dealerships, some are surely guilty of attempting to deceive customers into spending more money than they necessarily need to.
Customers shared horror stories with the Zebra. And, they range from having a car they thought was theirs getting sold to another customer to having their vehicle flagged as having incorrect mileage.
The outlet offered several tips for avoiding shady car salesmen, however. Those include having a trusted mechanic work on your car, bringing someone with you to the dealership/mechanic, and getting everything in writing.
Still, many customers have complained that mechanics have tried to overcharge them. Occasionally, these workers will take advantage of drivers’ ignorance toward car issues to upsell them on unnecessary repairs and add-ons. Some mechanics do this to boost their profit margins or maximize profits, though this is widely considered unethical. In some cases, these scams are illegal.
Viewers share mechanic horror stories
In the comments section of Jax’s video, several users said they’ve been in similarly frustrating scenarios.
“I was quoted $200 by the dealership [where] I bought my SUV to investigate why my window spray wasn’t working (mind you I only wanted an oil change). I declined, got home, and looked… it was a leaf blocking,” one woman shared.
“Had a dealer try to charge me $140 for a cabin air filter,” another added. “It doesn’t even require a single tool to do.”
“My internal lock popped on my wrangler and they told me it was $200 to fix since the wires malfunctioned,” a third viewer wrote. “I ordered the part on Amazon for $7 and fixed it myself lol. Dealerships are a joke.”
Others shared tips to avoid getting scammed.
“That’s why I never go to the dealership to get work done unless it’s covered under warranty,” one woman said.
“I’ve called out a few dealerships now for trying to take advantage,” another wrote.
“One of the main reasons I have my own shop now,” a third user added.
“First mistake was taking it to a dealership,” a fourth viewer commented. “Sadly, I’ve never seen one good review for any. Look for local shops.”
Meanwhile, many viewers applauded Jax for standing up for herself.
“Good for you. For those who can’t stand being taken advantage of, best to avoid dealerships in general,” one viewer advised.
“Yes, go off, girl,” another wrote.
@emilypowser17 What’s the need for this? #greatvalue #walmart #soda #mtndew #drpepper #vegetableoil ♬ original sound – Kardashian clips 🎬
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jax via TikTok comment and to Carl Burger through its online contact form.
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