‘Thought I could just swipe my card and dip’: Woman goes to dealership to buy a car. Then they tell her she can’t take it home
If you think you can just drive off a car lot with a new car, think again.
At least, that's the message creator Sydney Michael (@itzmehsydney) shared in a Feb. 22 TikTok. It has now drawn more than 602,000 views as of Sunday.
In the six-second video, where she exhibits a decidedly sour expression, the on-screen caption tells the tale.
"I thought when you bought a car you could get it the same day. I have to wait until Monday," with a "tf" added on to illustrate her discontent further.
The caption accompanying the video gets into a little more of the backstory.
"Wtf and I need to get insurance to even drive it off the lot," she adds. "I am excited to show y’all what is looks like."
In a comment to that video, she explains a little bit further.
"It’s a used car and im getting new tires so im having them get it all set up for me," she wrote. "My papers dont upload til Monday either so I can't You typically do get it the same day. If you went near closing I may understand especially if they need to inspect the car/ file paperworkdrive off the lot. Still excited!"
She has a Part 2 video showing her at the dealership, which clarifies via caption, "My lender opens back up Monday to send the check as well."
She does not, however, in that video or in subsequent videos on her page, reveal what dealership she's at—or what the car looks like.
Do you need insurance before you buy a car?
Car and Driver advises getting car insurance before you make your car purchase official. However, if you're already carrying car insurance for a car—perhaps one you're trading in for a new car—you might be OK for a short period.
"If you already have car insurance for another vehicle, you may not yet have to buy another plan," the article says. "Most insurance companies offer a short grace period in which your new car is covered. Depending on the dealership and if you are buying your new car with a loan, however, you may have to have proof of insurance before taking your new car home."
The article adds that you can likely get insurance within 24 hours, making it relatively easy to fulfill the requirement.
If you're going with a private seller, you're likely not looking at the same level of stringency. However, that doesn't mean you should forego insurance. As the article points out, "You must keep in mind that driving without insurance is illegal and could end up costing you a lot in legal fees and even more if you are in an accident."
Viewers shared their own car-buying experiences
If you're going to complain online about a car dealership, you're probably going to get a sympathetic ear from commenters.
"The whole car buying experience is unnecessarily awful," one opined.
"You typically do get it the same day," someone else contributed. "If you went near closing I may understand especially if they need to inspect the car/ file paperwork."
Someone else advised, "You should have got insurance on the car before purchasing it. I did that then bought my car and got it registered and inspected same day."
The creator was moved to respond to that, saying, "I wasn’t sure what used car I would stumble upon so I’m not sure how I would do that."
@itzmehsydney Wtf and I need to get insurance to even drive it off the lot. I am excited to show y’all what is looks like #firstcar #fyp #fk ♬ diet mtn dew demo
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via email and TikTok direct message.
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