Woman Signs for a Ford at the Dealership. Then They Call Her Back and Say They Miscalculated the Price and She Owes $3,800 More
TikTok user Agoodz (@agoodz), whose channel has the tagline 'Allyson | Business Owner & Mom,' shared her ordeal in a video that has garnered over 26,000 views since being posted on Thursday.
Her experience reveals the outline of a known danger for consumers looking to trade in a financed car, and how an expensive car transaction isn't over 'til it's over.
The Perfect Purchase Goes Wrong
The story began positively enough. Agoodz says in the video that she purchased a
2025 Ford Bronco Outer Banks
from her local Ford dealership, trading in a 2024 Grand Highlander with equity.
'Everything was fine. I got the DRS [Dealer Report of Sale] in the mail, started the registration process,' she explained in her video, filmed from the driver's seat of her new vehicle.
But exactly one month after the purchase, her problems began. 'I got a text message last week from a finance guy at the dealership, and he says I owe them $3,800 because my car was actually upside-down,' she recounts.
An upside-down car loan
means
you owe more than your car is currently worth.
Her response was immediate: 'I said, 'No, it wasn't. Here's Kelly Blue Book on my value. Here's what you guys gave me, which is much lower.''
The Runaround Begins
What followed was a Kafkaesque series of contradictory communications that would frustrate any car buyer. After arguing with the finance manager, Agoodz received what seemed like a resolution.
'The sales manager ended up calling me,' she said in the recording.
'It was like, 'No, we're going to eat that money. We're so sorry. You're right. You already got the DRS. Everything's fine. We're good,'' agoodz added.
Wisely, she requested written confirmation, which she said she received.
The Credit Crisis
The dealership's antics were just beginning, according to Agoodz.
She next received an alarming call from Toyota Financial. According to her, their message was, 'Mrs. Goodman, you missed your payment last month, and the next one's due. This is going to report to your credit.'
Her confusion was understandable, and she says she shot back, 'I sold that car a month ago, and it was supposed to be paid off.'
This prompted her to investigate further, leading to more disturbing discoveries.
The Missing Loan Mystery
When Agoodz called the bank listed as her lender, things got even worse. 'Hi, when's my first payment due on my car?' she questioned. After Agoodz provided identifying information, the worker said, 'We don't have a loan for you.'
Her attempts to reach Ford proved equally fruitless. 'Call up Ford, no one answers; leave voicemails, no one calls back,' she said.
The Fired Finance Manager
The situation's complexity became clearer when she finally reached someone in Ford's business department. The representative revealed that 'the check they overnighted last week never showed up to Toyota.'
But the most telling detail came at the end of the conversation. 'She goes, 'Well, the finance guy that you were talking to last week got fired,'' Agoodz said.
Reflecting on the call, she concluded, 'Oh, I bet he did because he talked to me like [expletive].'
A Known Scam Tactic
Unfortunately, Agoodz's experience follows a well-documented pattern of dealership fraud. Consumer protection experts have identified the 'forgot to pay off your trade-in' scam as a common tactic used by unethical dealers.
According to automotive fraud specialist Carlton Wolf, this scam typically works by dealers either deliberately failing to pay off trade-in loans or using 'clerical errors' and delays to extract additional money from customers. 'Unethical car dealers use this dealer scam to pay you less for your trade than agreed or try to steal it from you by leaving your trade-in out of the transaction altogether,' Wolf explains on his Auto Cheat Sheet
website
.
The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division
warns
that even when dealerships agree in writing to pay off existing loans, 'there is no guarantee that it will do so.' It notes that customers can end up responsible for both their old and new car payments if dealers fail to fulfill their obligations.
Legal Vulnerability for Customers
Legal experts emphasize that customers remain legally responsible for their original loans regardless of dealership promises.
LawInfo
explains that 'your car loan is a contract between you and your bank, credit union, or finance company. So, the lender will hold you – not the dealership – responsible for any payments until the loan is completely repaid.'
This means that even when dealers take possession of trade-in vehicles, customers face continued liability. If payments are missed due to dealer failures, the consequences include credit score damage, potential repossession, and ongoing financial obligations.
Consumer protection attorney Nareissa Smith notes for LawInfo that 'one late payment can lower your credit score by up to 100 points,' and that missed payments will be reported to credit bureaus regardless of the dealership's role in causing them.
Red Flags and Prevention
The situation Agoodz describes contains several warning signs that consumer advocates from the
Georgia Attorney-General's Office
and
MoneyNing
point to:
Dealers requesting additional money after contracts are signed
Claims that trade-in values were 'miscalculated'
Delayed or missing payoff checks to previous lenders
Finance managers being terminated amid customer complaints
Loan documentation that doesn't exist with the supposed lenders
Experts recommend several protective measures:
Getting all trade-in payoff promises in writing
Following up directly with previous lenders within 30 days
Verifying loan documentation with new lenders immediately after purchase
The Frustrating Conclusion
Despite loving her Bronco, Agoodz's experience has soured her on Ford dealerships entirely.
Her video caption pleading with Ford Motor Company—'@Ford Motor Company someone help explain wtf is happening'—highlights the frustration customers feel when dealership problems escalate beyond local resolution.
Her experience also serves as a cautionary tale. Even if her situation arose from poor communication or mismanagement, it matches the pattern of known scams that others might fall prey to.
Some consumer advocates
recommend
avoiding trade-ins and maximizing your return with private sales, or at a minimum, to pay off the car completely before you trade it.
For customers already caught in similar situations, some government agencies
recommend
consulting an attorney able to navigate consumer law.
Motor1
direct-messaged Agoodz for comment. We'll update this article if we hear back.
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