DD#1 and husband finally gave up waiting for the used car market to improve and went car shopping today. They found a 2020 Camry at a slightly better than sky-high "market" price at the local Avis car sales lot. Avis claims these cars are at wholesale prices, and they do appear to me to be priced at the trade-in value of the car rather than full retail. Avis posts the prices of all vehicles and does not negotiate.
While they were doing the paperwork to purchase the car, an employee drove it to a state inspection station (an annual requirement in TX) so they could complete the registration. Before the papers were all signed, the finance lady got a call from the driver saying he'd been rear-ended and the damage to the car was serious.
DD and SIL were immediately suspicious this was some sort of scam but said the finance lady (who was actually the location manager) was very apologetic and said she wanted to make things right. She asked if there was another car they would consider as a replacement. There was another 2020 Camry that was a different color and was priced higher, apparently because it had fewer miles and was in better condition. They had not seen this particular car on the lot prior to deciding to purchase the now wrecked vehicle. The manager said if they wanted it she would sell it to them for the same price. Turns out they actually liked this more expensive car better than the one they first chose and, after a test drive, agreed to buy it.
DD still wonders if there was something fishy about the whole deal, maybe because they never saw the wrecked car. If there was something going on I can't figure it out, and told her to stop worrying about it and enjoy her "new" car.
Whenever I've purchased a car I've had a concern about having an accident driving it off the lot. Glad it didn't happen to DD - but it was close!