‘He Doesn’t Work. He’s Ex-Military’: Man Goes To Hyundai Dealer. Then The Salesman Saves Him From A Costly Mistake—Just To Be Kind

"I didn’t just try to sell him a car."

Man goes to Hyundai dealership. Then a salesman stops him from making a costly mistake—just to be kind

Photo by: dealandelivers & David

Alexandra Samuels

By: Alexandra Samuels

Mar 24, at 6:00pm ET

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A Dallas-area car salesman is warming hearts after sharing how he handled a deal he says didn’t end in a sale—but still felt like the right call.

Dealan Blake (@dealandelivers), a salesman at Huffines Hyundai McKinney, says he recently worked with a customer who had a "newer" Subaru WRX and still owed about $32,000 on it.

According to Blake, the man was in a tough financial spot. "It sounds like he was in a situation where he doesn’t work. He’s ex-military, gets disability," Blake says, adding that the customer "couldn’t afford" the car and didn’t fully understand how negative equity works.

Blake says he could tell the customer was overwhelmed, so he walked him through the numbers instead of trying to close a deal. Based on the car’s value, which he says was around $27,000, and what was still owed, Blake says the man was roughly $6,000 to $7,000 "upside down."

"Instead of me trying to sell him a car," Blake says, "when I explained it to him, he was a lot more understanding and appreciative that I didn’t just try to sell him a car."

In the end, Blake says there wasn’t a way to lower the man’s payments. The customer ultimately sold the car to CarMax and decided to pay off the remaining balance. "Some people think all car salesmen are super scummy people," Blake says. "But in that situation, I would’ve felt horrible if I tried to sell this guy a car and his payments went up."

Blake says the customer left satisfied, even though he didn’t buy a vehicle, and encouraged others to come to him for straightforward advice. "I saved this guy from making a bad decision on a car," he writes in the text overlay of the video.

Why Do Car Salesmen Get A Bad Rep?

Car salesmen have long had a reputation for being pushy or untrustworthy, and much of that stems from how the industry is structured.

According to SimpSocial, most salespeople work on commission, meaning they are paid only when they close a deal. That can create pressure to move cars quickly, sometimes before a buyer has had time to think things through or compare options.

The process itself can also feel confusing to buyers. Pricing isn’t always straightforward, and there are often add-ons, fees, and financing terms layered into the deal. For someone who doesn’t buy cars often, it can be hard to tell what they’re actually paying.

That gap in knowledge matters, too. Salespeople usually have a much clearer sense of pricing and how deals come together than the average person, which can leave buyers feeling like they’re a step behind.

Over time, those dynamics have led to long-running complaints that have helped feed the stereotype that most car dealers can’t be trusted. Buyers have described aggressive sales tactics, unclear pricing, or feeling rushed into decisions.

That said, not every experience fits the stereotype. Some salespeople, like Blake, say they’re focused on building trust and keeping customers coming back.

Even so, the reputation hasn’t really gone away. It’s been shaped over time by mixed experiences and an industry that can still put a premium on closing the deal above everything else.

What Do I Do If My Car Loan Is ‘Upside Down’?

According to PNC Insights, if your car is upside down, it means you owe more on the loan than the car is actually worth.

One option is to keep the car and keep paying it down to build equity. Over time, the loan balance will shrink and eventually catch up to the car’s value. Making extra payments when you can, especially toward the principal, can speed up the process.

Refinancing your loan is another route if your credit allows it. A lower interest rate can reduce your monthly payment and help more of your money go toward what you owe.

If you need to get out of the car, selling it yourself usually brings in more money than trading it in. That can help close the gap, though you may still have to cover some of the remaining balance out of pocket.

Trading it in is still an option, but it comes with a catch. Dealers often roll the remaining balance into your next loan, leaving you in the same position—or even worse off.

What do you think?

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For many, the simplest move is to wait it out. The longer you hold onto the car and pay it down, the closer you get to breaking even.

Motor1 has reached out to Blake via a direct message on TikTok. We’ll update this article if he responds.

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