Woman Claims She Was Overcharged to Get Car Fixed Because She Wore the ‘Wrong Outfit’ (Exclusive)

The way a person dresses can often speak volumes about them. But what if the perception is the complete opposite of that which was meant to be given?

That is the dilemma that 26-year-old Bethany faced when she took her car for an inspection and oil change in Charlotte, N.C., in August.

Bethany got over 60,000 views on TikTok when she shared that she had been “victimized by a mechanic” due to her clothing.

“Chat, I think I wore the wrong outfit,” she wrote over the video, adding, “all sudden my bill was $400.”

Another video shows that she went to the autocenter wearing jean overalls over a white muscle tee, paired with black loafers.

She accessorized with a colorful scarf wrapped around her neck, a purse and black sunglasses.

Bethany tells PEOPLE that as soon as she got to the mechanic, an employee “took one look at my windshield wipers and said, ‘You’re going to need new windshield wipers.’ ”

Although she was aware she needed some new wipers after not replacing hers for a long time, she wishes she “would’ve asked if that was needed to pass the inspection, so it seemed like I was less easily persuaded.”

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However, in addition to that, she was told to get a new air filter and a radiator flush, bringing her bill to “over $400” when she had initially just gone in for an inspection and oil change.

“I definitely don’t think my outfit helped. I do think I looked a little too fashionable for [the mechanic] and that may have made me look gullible,” she says, referring to herself as a “target.”

“I hate that wanting to dress fun or just a little more elevated than leggings and a T-shirt basically makes you a target. That goes along with anywhere, not just a local mechanic,” says Bethany.

“Even at Target, I feel like I get stares if I’m wearing a semi-cute outfit. I can get how wearing a girly, frilly dress to a mechanic can make you seem gullible, but I don’t think overalls and a neck scarf are groundbreaking. In today’s casual/athlesiure world, it makes you stick out,” she adds. “I love dressing up, and I wish more people had fun with outfits and style again.”

Bethany tells PEOPLE that she was “not surprised at all” by the reaction she got from women in her comments section on TikTok.

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“It’s kind of a running joke on TikTok for women to have to call their dads or husbands when they take their cars to a mechanic,” she says. “I hate that so many women end up paying a lot more than they probably should, but I’d honestly rather pay more than potentially have my car break down because I didn’t get something done.”

She continues: “I love that one girl commented that she has learned how to do basic maintenance on her car herself. I definitely will be doing research on [the] average price for services and how often I need them on my car before I say yes.”