Danny Sandoval of Wantagh, NY got into the car lease business after owning his own massage therapy practice in Freeport. After repeatedly hearing horror stories from Hispanic and African American clients who were being treated for auto-accident injuries about how they were being taken advantage of in the car business, he knew he had to do something.

He opened My Own Car Guy on Merrick Road in Wantagh in June 2017. “It would always bother me to hear what these folks are paying for their cars, knowing their socio-economic status or just from hearing their stories about their struggles, I knew that they were paying more than they should be for cars.” As a man of Spanish heritage himself, Sandoval’s family immigrated from Guatemala, and knowing he could save people money, he knew he had to do something to affect change.

Sandoval’s company receives discounts from dealerships in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. He helps his clients get the best price possible despite their circumstances, “but I didn’t like the fact that people struggling because of credit issues or income, or whatever the case was, they were paying more than the average educated person,” he said. “That’s what struck me the most.”

Sandoval’s company My Own Car Guy not only saves clients money, it also saves them the hassle of shopping around and bartering with dealerships. He can set up test drives and gets cars of any make and model from the dealers he chooses that are offering the best deals every month. After the client fills out an application, Sandoval and his team finds the car with wholesale discounts and offers clients the car at a lower rate while still offering all the incentives, rebates and warranties that are available, without the hassle of “haggling and aggravation associated with a new-car purchase.”

My Own Car Guy’s business, which depends on referrals, has only positive reviews on Yelp and Facebook. According to Sandoval, he has a good relationship with police officers, teachers and Facebook mother groups. Eliminating the headaches, the haggling and the games is “something that makes me feel good every day,” Sandoval says.