[Review #503]
2020 Yelp 100 Challenge (4/100)
We haven't been happy or successful with our new car buying experience, mainly because the finance manager screws you over in the end. I had reviewed a local dealership near my house & basically said we know what we want & wondered if there's any dealership that can skip the silly finance dance. Obviously, we like a good deal & the dealer also wants as much profit as he can get. Why can't we just meet in the middle? Is that so hard? Apparently it was.
I was contacted by Jeff R. who did us a solid & directed to his contact, Ramon, at Carson Honda. He had Serge Colocho bring out the vehicle but it was the Aegean Blue (really bright in comparison to the website), not the Cosmic Blue that I wanted. Last year's model & this year's should be the same except for pricing but I took it for a quick spin, just to be sure. Everything was like I experienced... I was hoping the Aegean Blue would grow in me. Nope. I switched back to my fav car color & inquired if Lunar Silver was available. Yep! Done... sold! At least that's what I would hope.
We waited for Serge to show us the final/out-of-door price. It was the price that Jeff provided, but for some reason, it took a lot of additional & unnecessary time thereafter, especially when we weren't financing the car. :-X For instance, we needed to provide insurance but we had to go find Serge to get the VIN, then he had to run back & go back the mileage. Apparently, you can't charge the purchase on your cc; you're limited to a $6,500 cap. Since I wasn't aware of this fine print or prepared, I would need to go home for a check. We spent another 90-mins. just waiting for the car to be washed & detailed. We informed Serge that we would leave & either come back tonight when the car's ready or tomorrow morning, but he insisted that they were nearly done when they weren't.
When they were finally ready with the purchase agreement & paperwork, the finance manager again screws us over by a $500 typo on the deposit we made with a haphazard apology. My husband was angry & ready to walk, & I would have except Jeff saved us a lot of trouble so I manage to calm him enough to complete the paperwork after I had doubled-checked the purchase agreement again. By the time everything was signed, the car still wasn't done after 2-1/2 hrs. Aaaugh! I could have been home, had the kids fed, & get my checkbook for the remaining balance; it was past 6:30 PM & they last ate at 12:30 PM when we're at Knott's Berry Farm. =(
I took Serge aside to speak quietly about the finance ordeal & the extensive/unnecessary wait, & asked if he could comp an oil change or detail; he made up for it with a complimentary oil change & arranged an appointment in May 2020, but I didn't get the certificate so I'm waiting for a confirmation e-mail. We went home, had a quickie dinner & returned to Carson Honda just before 8:00 PM.
In hindsight, we should have just waited for Jeff to be available the next day (12/31/19), the paperwork & car would have been delivered to our home, saving us from the hassle & time. Or left Carson Honda, waited at home while the car is being fully cleaned/detailed (which was a bit sloppy because I found streaks on the back window & dirt on the driver's & back passenger's side) & the paperwork already printed for signature. We have another vehicle that we'll be replacing within the year so we're taking the direct route with Jeff.
As mentioned in my Clawson Honda review, the new car was imminent & the location was unknown. It was a matter of finding the right contact who is straightforward & we found that with Jeff R. (his association with this dealership is unknown). If you decide to shop here, I highly recommend Serge as your guy, friendly & helpful, he can find the right car for you. Just be mindful to review your paperwork thoroughly to ensure the numbers are correct, especially if you're financing.
Recommended: Serge Colocho. read more