Short story:
Yes, I…read more recommend these guys and it was well worth going to East County for my "new" used vehicle, and most noteworthy, the salesperson Dina, who made the process smooth, friendly, and efficient and did not trigger me at all!
Long story:
What do I mean trigger me? Lemme tell you--I hate high-pressure sales! Most people just find it annoying, but I have some kind of allergic reaction to it when it strikes me as overly manipulative or even like some form of bullying. Maybe because a couple of my first jobs were in sketchy sales (Cutco Knives anyone?--I lasted a whole week!). So yeah, I have kinda gone-off on sales people in the past. I'm not proud of this, it isn't comfortable for anyone, me, the salesperson, or my spouse, hehe... And with the old trope about the used-car salesman, I did a good job just avoiding the dealerships completely. But, with no current hand-me-down vehicles from family available, and my old car deemed a total loss-- I guess it was finally time to get on with what everyone else does as competent adults and just go and buy a car already!
My strategy in dealing with myself and the car-buying process was to research online first. This actually worked out better than I would have thought. I used the truecar website link my insurance (Hartford) sent. It had a solid search function, and I was able to get a good sense of what was available in my area, the history and price of different vehicles, and a general sense of how much the taxes and fees would be (and therefore what could be a reasonable amount to negotiate/expect to pay out the door). In this way I was able to pre-shop around for cars, and educate myself on what would be a fair price. None of this is probably new to you experienced car buyers out there, but I think it could be very helpful to some of you, if you are a young or older newbie like myself.
Anyway, the car I was interested in was at East County Pre-Owned Car Superstore, and so I arranged to go out there, meet Dina, and go for a test drive. Like anyone practicing new "adulting" skills, I brought my mom along! Well, she drove me, then played a quietly supportive wingman as I got on with the car-buying process.
Dina, the salesperson, was easygoing and personable, and I thought she struck a nice balance of being helpful and leading the process forward without pressure.
Um, as a side note about salespeople... yes, I tend to avoid them if that is an option, but I also have a dear friend who happens to be a very successful salesperson, and I have had positive experiences with salespeople too. What I've come to realize is that sales, at it's best, is a win-win situation, one in which the price is fair for both parties, and the salesperson helps you find and purchase a quality product that they believe in, you want, and that will serve you well.
I feel like Dina is this kind of salesperson.
Car shopping/buying takes time and energy to figure out, and I if you're like me you will need to do your homework online first. And if the car you want is in their lot, Dina is someone I wholeheartedly recommend to help you through the process.
I came back to the dealership a few days after buying my car so they could replace a small piece of trim that was missing and they had ordered. Dina cheerfully snapped the new part on, and when I told her that the day before, my husband had already put a scratch on the car (he was so bummed and I was just happy it was him and not me:) she called her husband and asked him to come by and buff it out. He did, and made it look so much better! That was very nice, and very much in the spirit of wanting a happy customer even after the sale was made.
Thanks to everyone who made it a positive experience for me, most especially you Dina, I'm digging my new car!