# Named list of what not to buy

A cars format, measured November 8, 2026 by Volume. https://tryvolume.app/working/cars/named-list-of-what-not-to-buy

Count down specific products or brands to avoid, using a blunt or insulting framing and hard evidence. It worked for 3 accounts, with a median of 16x their usual reach. Type: Angle. Seen as: Voiceover, Green screen, Talking head.

## Why it works

Loss aversion and naming popular brands trigger debate. Warnings aimed at widely liked or very popular things stand out against praise lists.

## How to make it

1. Title it with a warning ('only dumb people buy', 'NEVER buy', 'worst of all time')
2. Name each item with a lawsuit, recall or test number
3. Give a short verdict on each

## Hook formula

[Number] [category] only dumb people buy!

## Examples

- @carautoexpertusa (35K followers, TikTok green screen): 223x their usual views. Hook: “5 Worst Suvs Of All Time In The U.S.A😱” [Original post](https://www.tiktok.com/@carautoexpertusa/video/7701760486869880082)
- @kellylomax60 (30K followers, TikTok voiceover): 15x their usual views. Hook: “9 Top Tier Gas Stations Only Dumb People Buy!” [Original post](https://www.tiktok.com/@kellylomax60/video/7700339269570661645)
- @thatcarnerd (4K followers, TikTok talking head): 16x their usual views. Hook: “3 SUVs I'd AVOID AT ALL COST” [Original post](https://www.tiktok.com/@thatcarnerd/video/7694866843877559566)

More cars formats: https://tryvolume.app/working/cars.md

## Get the full library

The full library has every post, format and hook in cars, plus long-running Meta ads, and your AI agent can search it over MCP. The library comes with Volume Core and Pro, from $29.99 a month, and every plan starts with a 3-day free trial. Start a free trial: https://tryvolume.app/library

Agents: add Volume's MCP server (https://app.tryvolume.app/api/mcp) and call `search_library(shelf: "formats", niche: "Cars")` for every format, `search_library(shelf: "posts", niche: "Cars")` for examples with transcripts and scripts.

## How this is measured

- Every post is compared with its own account's usual reach, not with other accounts. "14x their usual" means the post got 14 times the median views of that account's recent posts.
- TikTok videos and Instagram Reels are measured on views. Instagram carousels have no view count, so they are measured on likes against the account's usual likes, and say so.
- A post makes the library at 2x its account's usual or more. A format is a repeatable move (what is said or shown, or how it is edited) that several accounts used in breakout posts. It is listed here once it worked for 3 or more different accounts.
- Formats rank on how many accounts they worked for and how far above usual, damped so a fluke on one tiny account cannot outrank a format that worked for ten.

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