After a month of owning a new car, a woman says she was contacted by the dealership and told they had accidentally sold her the "wrong" one.
Texas-based TikTok creator Ella (@its_ellas_universe) says she was surprised to receive a call from the dealership. She thought it had to do with her new ride’s registration card, which she had yet to pick up. Instead, the salesman told her he had some bad news.
"I sold you the wrong car," she says the sales rep told her.
At first, Ella thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. He told Ella that the car she received financing for was red, and the one she took home was black.
Then he said she had to return the vehicle to the dealership and take the red one instead.
To make up for the error, he told her that the dealership would put new rims on the red model and tint the windows. He also offered to have the car brought to her—with a full tank of gas.
Ella says she asked why she couldn’t just keep the black car. The seller said that she could, but she’d have to go through the financing process all over again. He also purportedly said that she could face legal troubles if she was pulled over. The red car was registered in her name; the black one wasn't. This also meant her insurance wasn't valid, as she'd insured the red one.
"If I get pulled over, next storytime might be from jail," Ella captions her video.
Initially, Ella was afraid they'd try to force her into a totally different make and model than the Mitsubishi she'd purchased and been driving around for a month.
Then they got on FaceTime. That's when she realized the red one was the same make and model as the black Mitsubishi.
This detail was a game-changer.
"I was honestly regretting buying a black car because of how hot it gets. I was like, sure, give it to me," she says.
"So I'm gonna get a cuter color for my car, same make and model, with less miles and a full tank of gas—with tinted windows and brand new rims," she says in an update. "Why am I gonna complain? I'm okay with that."
She agreed to the swap.
What If A Dealership Sells Me The Wrong Car?
Other car buyers have been in situations similar to the one Ella experienced.
In a since-deleted post, a Reddit user said they were sold the wrong vehicle. Several people offered suggestions on how best to remedy the situation.
One person said they could "rewrite the deal" to include the updated VIN. They also suggested it was a bad idea to drive the vehicle because it wasn’t technically insured.
The same commenter said that if they could also "unwind the deal," requiring the dealership to take the car back with no financial obligation to the buyer.
A person wrote on Just Answer that they were sold the wrong car and got a call from the dealership to return it. In that case, the car was the wrong make and model.
Someone who identified themselves as an attorney opined that the deal was still in force. "A contract is generally considered binding once both parties have signed it, including the dealership," they wrote.
They also wrote that, since the dealership had given them the car, it could be found in breach of contract, and suggested that the buyer attempt to reach a deal. They further urged them to call the police if the dealership showed up to tow away the vehicle without their consent, which they opined could result in the dealership being liable for an unlawful repossession.
People who commented on Ella's post agreed that she had a case, should she choose to pursue one.
"As a former cars salesman. Get. A. Lawyer. NOW," wrote one.
Several people echoed this. "As a ex sales consultant for a dealership please get a lawyer like nowwwww!" another said.
In a follow-up video, Ella reassured people that all was okay. "It was fixed for me," she says. "My car dealer, he felt so terrible."
Motor1 has reached out to Ella via TikTok direct message for further comment. We'll update this if she responds.
@its_ellas_universe if i get pulled over, next storytime might be from jail 😝 LOLLL #car #justmyluck #wtf #thisissofunny ♬ original sound - ella
