Deceptive Pricing and Unprofessional Treatment at Mazda Brickell
I recently found a Mazda CX-30 listed for $22,519 on Carfax and decided to purchase it from Mazda Brickell. I initially spoke with Jennifer, who was very helpful, and I arrived at the dealership on 02/12/25 at 12:45 PM to proceed with the purchase. From the start, I was transparent with both the salesperson and her manager, Ray (who mentioned he previously worked at Toyota), about my uncertainty regarding financing or paying the full amount in cash.
After spending over three hours at the dealership, I was in the final stages of signing the paperwork when the salesperson called someone from the financing team to go over the loan terms. At this point, I was told that the dealership would not sell the car at the advertised price if I was paying in cash.
Ray, the manager, then insinuated that I was being "cheap" for expecting them to honor the price they themselves had published on Carfax and their website. He stated that unless I financed the vehicle, they would increase the price by over $3,000 to cover expenses the dealership had incurred to "fix the car"--something that was never disclosed before.
At this point, it became clear that their goal was not just to sell the car, but to pressure me into financing in order to make more money off the deal. The way Ray and the finance team pushed hard for financing felt incredibly dishonest--almost like a bait-and-switch scam. If they had disclosed this pricing difference upfront, I would have had no issue making an informed decision. Instead, they waited until I was ready to close the deal, wasting my entire afternoon.
To make matters worse, Ray's behavior was shockingly unprofessional. After refusing to honor their own advertised price, he sent me home to "re-think" their terms--as if I was the one being unreasonable for expecting transparency.
I'm unsure if it's even legal to charge a different price based on whether a customer finances or pays in cash, but it certainly feels unethical.
My experience at Mazda Brickell was frustrating, disappointing, and completely unprofessional. Buyers should be warned: this dealership does not honor its advertised prices and will pressure you into financing, even if you are prepared to pay in full. If you value honesty, transparency, and professional treatment, I strongly recommend avoiding this dealership. read more