Modern Mazda of Burlington -- Very Disappointing Experience…read more
I would not recommend Modern Mazda of Burlington based on my experience trying to purchase a vehicle from them.
I spent a considerable amount of time negotiating the purchase of a vehicle with the dealership. We worked through the selling price, taxes, fees, financing, and delivery. My wife and I were both going to be on the loan and title, and I was actively working with my credit union to finalize everything.
There were some issues with the numbers along the way. The out-the-door price and non-tax fees changed, and I ended up contacting my local Kentucky county clerk myself to verify the correct taxes, title, registration, and lien fees. To the salesperson's credit, we eventually worked through those numbers and reached an agreement.
The dealership told me there was another customer scheduled to see the vehicle at 6:00 p.m. and that they needed my deposit by 4:45 p.m. to hold the vehicle. I agreed to move forward and provided my credit card information for the deposit. At that point, I considered the deal made, subject only to inspecting the vehicle when it was delivered. I specifically asked about that condition, and the salesperson confirmed that I would not be required to sign the paperwork if the vehicle arrived and I was not satisfied with it.
While we were waiting on the final paperwork, I asked for the Carfax.
That is when I discovered the vehicle had an accident history that had never been disclosed to me during our negotiations.
When you are preparing to spend approximately $34,000 on a vehicle, I think it is completely reasonable to take a few minutes to discuss newly discovered accident history with your spouse. Had the accident history been disclosed from the beginning, we could have considered it before spending all that time negotiating, arranging financing, providing personal information, and giving the dealership my credit card information for a deposit.
This was not a situation where I walked away from the deal or stopped communicating with the dealership. My credit card information had already been provided approximately 30 minutes before the Carfax issue came up. We were actively completing the transaction.
After discovering the accident history, there was only a matter of minutes involved while my wife and I discussed it and communicated with the salesperson. During that brief period, the dealership went back to the other customer. The salesperson later told me they had not charged my card because I had said the Carfax "may be an issue" and that I needed to speak with my wife.
The vehicle was ultimately sold to the other customer.
What bothers me most is that none of this needed to happen. If the accident history had been disclosed upfront, my wife and I could have made an informed decision before reaching the point of arranging financing and providing a credit card for the deposit.
I understand that dealerships are in business to sell vehicles, and I would not expect a dealership to hold a vehicle indefinitely for someone who had not committed to buying it. That is not what happened here. I had negotiated the deal, was actively arranging the financing, provided my credit card information for the deposit, and was waiting on paperwork. I simply wanted a few minutes to discuss important information about the vehicle that I had just discovered.
Based on the way this transaction was handled, I would not recommend Modern Mazda of Burlington to anyone looking to purchase a vehicle. In my opinion, customers should be given complete information about a vehicle's known history before they reach the final stages of a purchase, and once a customer has agreed to the deal and provided payment information to hold the vehicle, they should be treated accordingly.
If you are considering purchasing a used vehicle from this dealership, I strongly recommend obtaining and reviewing the Carfax yourself before negotiating, arranging financing, or providing a deposit, and getting in writing exactly what is required for the dealership to consider the vehicle held for you.
After this experience, I would take my business elsewhere.