- A former car salesman claimed he charged a single mom $10k above MSRP on TikTok.
- The clip went viral, sparking backlash and negative reviews for the Wisconsin dealership.
- Zeigler Honda denied the claim and fired the salesman after suspending him first.
People post all kinds of things online in hopes of getting noticed, but sometimes the effort to stand out goes too far. A car salesman in Wisconsin learned that lesson the hard way after he was fired for posting a short TikTok video claiming he sold a car to a single mother for $10,000 above sticker price. He later said it was meant as a joke, but the backlash quickly pushed the dealership to act.
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The video, uploaded by the account @kennyselllss, racked up thousands of views before it was taken down. In the clip, the salesman appears smiling while a caption reads: “You Look Happier…Thanks, I just sold a single mom a car $10,000 over sticker.” The post played into a popular TikTok trend where users explain what has put them in a good mood.
Swift Public Reaction
The reaction online was overwhelmingly negative. Many viewers expressed outrage at the video, and some went as far as leaving critical reviews of the dealership. When contacted by CBS 58, Zeigler Honda of Racine confirmed that no such sale had ever taken place. In response to the backlash, the dealership posted the following statement on Facebook:
“We are very disappointed in the recent comments made by a salesperson on his personal social media account regarding the amount of money he sold a vehicle over MSRP. His claim is false, and regardless of his intent as a joke, it is in no way representative of Zeigler Honda of Racine’s values or those of Zeiger Auto Group. Although we value freedom of speech, we do hold our team members to a high standard of decency, truthfulness and service – these values were not displayed in this situation.”
The salesman was first suspended but, just two days later, the Honda dealer confirmed he would no longer be employed there.
An Attempt at Apology
Kennysells shared the following apology on his TikTok account: “It was an insensitive joke, I want to apologize to the single mothers and women in general. I’m a single parent myself, I know what that struggle is like, going to work, having to take care of the kids, trying to get everything done on a daily basis…”.
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The now-former salesman said he found the intended joke funny because it was “unrealistic.” He also asked viewers to stop attacking the dealership. In a separate video, he explained, “My account is based on satire, and everything I post is meant as a joke. I would never share actual true events.”
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