Can you return a car to a buy here pay here lot?

There is no cooling-off period on a car purchase in South Carolina. The three-day right to cancel that people have heard of applies to door-to-door sales, not to a vehicle you bought at a dealership. Once you sign and drive off, the car is yours.

Some lots offer their own return window as a policy — a few days or a short mileage limit. That's a business decision, not a legal right, so it only exists if it's written in your paperwork. Ask before you sign, and if they say yes, get it on the contract rather than as a handshake.

Handing the keys back voluntarily is not a way out. That's a voluntary repossession, and it's treated much like any other: the lot sells the car and can still bill you for whatever the sale didn't cover. It looks marginally better than being chased, but it does not clear the debt.

The real protection happens before you buy. Take the car to your own mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection — a used-car sale in South Carolina is generally as-is, so a problem you drive away with is your problem. Any lot that won't allow an inspection has told you something useful.