‘The dealership should not allow this’: Mazda owner drops off car for service. She discovers it parked 30 miles away after hours

In a series of compelling TikTok videos with over 4 million views, Mazda owner Paige (@rawr_its_paige) recounts a distressing ordeal involving her car that she believes dealership staff used without her permission overnight. The narrative captured in these videos paints a troubling picture of dealership practices and has sparked widespread conversation among viewers regarding automotive service integrity.

The incident began when Paige detailed her initial suspicions on her TikTok account. After dropping her car off at a Mazda dealership for a routine service to fix a windshield crack and update some software, she noticed unusual activity reported by her My Mazda app. "I got a notification that the doors were unlocked, and my gas gauge was only at 81%," Paige explains in the video. These alerts were alarming since she had filled the tank before service.

Diving deeper, Paige used the app's map feature, which she had just needed to use now, and discovered her car was parked 30 miles from the dealership at a residential address. "This is 11:30 at night… So I'm trying to decide: Do I call the police? Do I report it stolen?" she narrates the unfolding drama. The car was returned to the dealership early the following day, but the incident left Paige shaken and questioning the legality and ethics of the dealership's actions.

"Yes, you should be concerned," said one commenter. "No, the dealership should not allow this. I recommend you call Mazda corporate and tell them what happened. Your app should have saved the trip, so you can show them where it went and when. I would also contact the police and your insurance. Also, you should have received a paper with a date/ time stamp showing you left the car in the dealership for repairs."

"I found my car at a Target before," claimed one person. "I started taking pictures when a guy approached me. He smirked and said 'you like the car, huh!'" One woman had a prescient message: "Oh, just buckle up. This is just the beginning of how bad Mazda dealers are. I regret buying one because of them alone."

Confronting the dealership the next day, Paige's interactions were fraught with frustration. The service manager's explanation—that a new employee took her car home to diagnose a check engine light issue—did not align with her service requests. Paige's skepticism grew as she was shuffled around without clear answers, "He was trying to get the check engine light to come on…There was nothing wrong with the engine," she recounts one of the exchanges.

The situation escalated as Paige realized sensitive personal information was at risk. The paperwork inside her glove box contained enough details for identity theft, and her vehicle's insurance would not cover incidents once the car was off dealership property. Her subsequent videos detail her demands for accountability, interactions with various dealership employees, and growing concern that her situation was not isolated.

"This whole situation is bizarre," Paige states as she documents her multiple visits to the dealership to resolve the issue. She discusses how the dealership repeatedly failed to secure her vehicle correctly, even leaving it unlocked overnight with the keys inside after promising it would be safely stored. This negligence compounded her distrust and frustration, fueling her determination to seek justice and prevent similar incidents from happening to others.

@rawr_its_paige What should I do? #stolen #cartok #dealership #mazda #wtf ♬ original sound - ???? Rawr It’s Paige ????

However, many intrigued viewers sensed a "180" change in her energy and demeanor from the fifth to the sixth video, suggesting something in the story had possibly changed.

Paige's ordeal resonated with many viewers, some of whom shared their experiences of dealerships misusing customer cars. This collective outcry highlighted a potential industry-wide issue that technology like vehicle tracking apps is now bringing to light. Paige's story underscored the importance of transparency and customer service, which her Mazda dealership severely lacked.

In one of her final updates, Paige noted that she had been in contact with Mazda corporate. However, she remained cautious about the authenticity of the interactions and the potential outcomes. "Do we think that this is the real Mazda USA?" she questioned, reflecting on the ongoing challenges of dealing with large corporations and the often impersonal nature of such disputes.

Paige's TikTok saga is a cautionary tale about automotive dealerships' responsibilities toward their customers and the lengths individuals may have to go to ensure their rights are respected. It also calls into question the practices of using customer vehicles for purposes other than authorized services, a practice that, while not unique to this Mazda dealership, is undoubtedly under scrutiny thanks to the power of social media and digital tracking tools. As Paige's story unfolds, it offers a stark reminder of the vigilance consumers must maintain and the potential power of community support in confronting corporate negligence.

The Daily Dot contacted Paige via TikTok comment and Mazda via email.

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