A car owner recently went viral when she shared that her dealership disabled her vehicle, stranding her in the Planet Fitness parking lot.
The video was posted on Tuesday by TikToker Legacyyy (@legacy.jai). It’s received over 260,000 views and mixed responses from commenters, with some being horrified and others believing the dealership had every right to remotely shutdown her vehicle.
Sitting in her car, Legacyyy explained her situation. “My car note isn’t even a week late,” she said. “It is due on the 4th of April. Today is the 9th. I told them I’m going to pay it this Friday. Not even a week late. They cut my car off.”
According to Legacyyy, the dealership remotely deactivated her vehicle while she was working out. Luckily, she said she was able to call them and get her car reactivated so she could go home; however, they reportedly informed her that they would deactivate it afterward.
Shocked and upset, Legacyyy questioned whether she wanted a car that could be cut off remotely without her knowledge.
“I don’t want to have a car that has the power to cut off my car, and it’s not even a week late, so I’m just—I’m finna give this car back, honestly,” she remarked.
CBS reports that lenders began to install these devices in the early 2010s. Known as starter interrupters (SID) and GPS trackers, these devices are hidden under the dash, hood, or trunk of the car. Gaining popularity during the subprime auto loan boom 10 years ago, dealers used these devices for loans given to a consumer with a credit score below 640. By 2015, approximately 2 million vehicles—a third of all auto loans—had payment assurance devices installed. Though proponents argued that these devices allow consumers access to vehicles they may not be able to obtain otherwise, there have been claims of vehicles being shut off while they were idling or driving on the freeway.
A starter interrupter, according to Shabana Motors, is hardware embedded into the circuitry of a vehicle. Connected to the engine, the switch is turned off when a code is entered either remotely or by the car owner. However, if a payment is missed, then the device turns on, disrupting electrical currents in the engine and stopping proper combustion. Usually, car owners receive warnings about their vehicles being turned off unless a payment is made. Shabana Motors also noted that a properly installed SID will never shut off when a car is in motion.
@legacy.jai ♬ original sound – Legacyyy
Viewers were divided over whether or not the dealership was in the right.
“I’ve heard of the electric company cutting your power off for no payment, but a car company…d*mn!!” a viewer exclaimed.
“They tell u that when u finance a car and have subpar credit. Unfortunately anything after the due date is considered late,” a second lamented.
“Yall gotta stop going to them kinda places,” another advised. “That would piss me clean tf off.”
“Car note always gets paid. Priorities are off,” a further noted.
Some shared their own experiences.
“I had a friend that used to leave her car running non stop until she paid them,” a viewer wrote.
“I had a car like that and I said never again,” a second shared.
Negotiating a car contract can be confusing for many people. One TikToker advised consumers to ask for the “out-the-door price” and to avoid discussing monthly budgets with a salesperson. This tactic allegedly keeps the salesperson from sticking to a script that can rope consumers into unneeded add-ons and expenses.
The Daily Dot reached out to Legacyyy via TikTok comments for further information.
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