I was in the market for a 4x4 pickup in order to combat the RI winters, and did research online for local dealerships that would work within my meager budget to get me on the road. B&B was one of the few dealerships I found on Yelp with such a high rating but, much to my disappointment, I didn't see any trucks on their site that were automatics.
After failing to have any luck at other local dealerships, my father actually mentioned B&B and I told him I didn't see any automatics on their site, but that we should head there anyway. On the way I applied for financing and received a phone call from Christal a few minutes later. She asked a few standard questions and I told her I was headed there that moment, just as we happened to turn into the parking lot.
Upon arriving, I met with Paul, the owner. I've worked in sales before and had just gotten done with an obnoxious negotiation at a previous dealership, so I was already very wary of being lied to or talked to like I knew nothing. Paul, however, is not the stereotypical used car salesman and holds true to his Christian beliefs: he's honest, caring, and trustworthy, and within minutes I felt entirely comfortable possibly proceeding on a purchase.
Sometime within the space of ten minutes of talking to Paul, he handed me the keys to test drive an automatic 4x4 '02 Dodge Dakota that was slightly higher than my budget but met all my other requirements. I took off down the road and fell in love with the truck, telling my dad, "I'm ready to drive it home right now." We parked in a Cumberland Farms parking lot and popped the hood and everything looked beautiful inside. The truck, too, drove perfectly and sounded clean.
I headed back to B&B and told Paul I was ready to go ahead with making the purchase. Without asking, he handed me the Carfax and went over all the work the dealership had done on the truck, as well as its previous history and the few things to pay attention to if I were to buy it. He told me to feel free to take it to a mechanic of my choosing and what would be covered by B&B if they found anything.
I decided to purchase the truck but was sadly unable to take it home that night. The next day, Christal called me about loan information and to tell me their mechanic was checking over the truck again to finalize its condition, and I proceeded to blow up her inbox with questions and concerns any first-time vehicle purchaser would have. Christal replied to me within minutes despite being off for half the day and processed my paperwork and loan details quickly.
I came back a day or two later and talked to Chris while I signed the paperwork. Chris made sure to explain all of the warranty details to me, as well as what all of the documents entailed and covered. Perhaps the most nerve-wracking part of the entire purchasing process was one of the simplest thanks to him, and I went out to my truck to drive home.
As I was headed home, Christal called me to ask to return because I accidentally took their copies of the paperwork, so I stopped home (as I was pulling into my driveway when she called), grabbed my brother and dog so they could go on the truck's maiden voyage, and headed back to B&B. I dropped off the paperwork, went into the parking lot and...the shift wouldn't work. It kept clanging and refused to shift out of park so, after a few more attempts, I went inside to explain the situation.
Within seconds, Dave, Paul's brother and the dealership's technician, came out to my truck to troubleshoot. He was unphased by the giant Alaskan Malamute loving him up while he tried shifting over and over until he eventually got it working and pulled the truck into the garage. While I walked towards the garage, Paul brought over a car and presented me with the keys, telling me I could use it as a loaner until they fixed the truck. This act alone was way beyond what I expected and testament to just how much B&B cares about its customers.
I told Paul I'd wait around and see what the issue was at first, and was invited into the garage while Dave continued to test the shifter. We were allowed to hang around the garage while Dave told me what he believed the issue to be (lack of lubricant between the shifter and the inside of the steering wheel) and how he could fix it, and I gave him space while he disassembled the steering wheel to see if that was the actual issue.
Dave tested his work and made sure that, indeed, that was the issue, trying for a long while to replicate the problem and only telling me it was all set after being absolutely sure the issue was resolved.
It was, and since then the truck was run incredibly well. I'd recommend B&B to anyone, as it's staffed by people who actually care about their prospective customers, and hold true to their Christian faith and the values of integrity and honesty. read more
