“I got leveled.”
A Texas man claims he was nearly scammed by not one, but two car dealerships while shopping for a vehicle in the Dallas area.
Nick (@nicksrightpod) posted a video saying he felt compelled to share what he called “breaking” news about buying a car in Texas. In the clip, he tells viewers there’s “more car-buying fraudulent activity out there” than he realized.
Nick says his frustration started with a trip to a Toyota dealership, which he describes as “the worst car-buying experience I’ve ever had.” He adds that others later reached out claiming they’d had similar experiences at the same location, Toyota of Richardson, and he promises his nearly 5,000 followers that he’d share more details.
After walking away, Nick says he continued his search and eventually ended up at another dealership, Grubbs Volvo in Grapevine, Texas. While he says the staff there were initially more pleasant, he claims the deal quickly took a turn.
“They were a little bit nicer, but they ultimately tried to basically get me to pay almost $4,000 more than what the asking price was,” Nick says.
According to Nick, the pitch was convincing enough that he signed several documents, but he decided not to return for the car until the next day. Overnight, he says, doubts crept in. When he called to back out, he confronted the dealership about the numbers.
“I don’t know if they were just not happy about it, but I told them, ‘The car you’re trying to sell me is market valued at $27,500, and you’re trying to sell it to me for $29,900 and then up-price it to $33,000,” Nick says.
He suggests both dealerships tried to take advantage of him—and likely others, too.
As of this writing, the video has been viewed more than 102,500 times. His previous video about the experience has over 2 million views.
According to Law Info, car dealerships are typically allowed to charge more than the sticker price until demand for a car decreases—but lawyers there say they can do so only if the new price is clearly disclosed to the customer. In fact, “inflated pricing” or price increases are typically legal as long as the dealership isn’t engaging in deceptive practices.
So-called market adjustments—or optional add-ons, such as offering a customer items like extended warranties or protection packages, and standard fees such as sales tax, vehicle registration, and documentation costs are not technically illegal on their own.
Where things become a problem is when pricing turns deceptive. Lawyers for Whitney, LPP, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., suggest that advertising a car at one price and then refusing to sell it unless the buyer agrees to pay more is not allowed. The same goes for piling on hidden junk fees, charging for services already included in the advertised price, or adding costs without clear consent.
Notably, dealers cannot force buyers to purchase optional extras or cosmetic upgrades, such as nitrogen-filled tires, as a condition of buying the car. (Consumer Reports notes, too, that there’s no evidence proving that nitrogen-filled tires work better than those that use regular air.)
Financing is another common pressure point. LawInfo reports that misrepresenting interest rates or using tactics that allow a buyer to drive off before a loan is finalized, only to be told later that the rate has changed, is another common dealership scam.
If something feels off, you’re not in the wrong to take a page from Nick’s playbook and ask to sleep on the deal before making a final decision. And remember, don’t be afraid to walk away or get an auto fraud attorney involved if something doesn’t add up. If you really want to go the distance, you can also file a complaint with federal regulators or your state attorney general.
Nick’s video clearly resonated with other would-be buyers, especially in the Dallas area, where several commenters said they’d run into similar problems at local dealerships.
One man didn’t mince words, declaring, “Toyota of Dallas is worse.”
Another viewer said her experience mirrored Nick’s, claiming, “Toyota of Richardson refused to accept financing from my credit union, too!”
“I got leveled by Toyota of Richardson,” another commenter shared.
A third frustrated customer described a more serious dispute, adding, “Toyota of Richardson threatened to void my warranty when I refused additional service in their service department!!!”
Elsewhere online, people have heaped praise on Toyota of Richardson. The dealership has 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google, with over 11,600 reviews. Those who gave the business high ratings praise the team’s professionalism, transparency, and the ease of the car-buying experience. Those who rated it poorly had some similar complaints to Nick’s.
Not all of the responses were negative, though. Some commenters, including a few who said they work in the industry or live nearby, offered suggestions for where Nick might look next.
“Sewell is the best,” one woman advised.
One commenter offered direct help. “I work at Toyota of McKinney. I can help, brother,” he wrote. “I’m a salesman there. 7+ years at this location. I won’t make you pay any markup over online price whatsoever.”
Others chimed in with their own recommendations.
“Family Toyota is #1 in DFW,” one person said, while another added, “Went to Family Toyota in Burleson and had a great experience.”
Motor1 has contacted Nick via a direct message on TikTok, as well as Toyota of Richardson and Grubbs Volvo through their respective online contact forms. We also contacted Toyota of Richardson via email and Grubbs Volvo via phone. We’ll update this article if any replies.
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