All I can say is image is a hard thing to break! For years I have heard, "don't go to the auto mall, they will take you to the cleaners..." So I never even gave them a thought when it came time to purchase a vehicle. Recently I have been "looking" for a particular model, & saw many on Craig's list. Never giving a thought to check out a dealer, because I figured I could get a better deal going private party. Well it was coming down to going for a higher mileage one or get a salvage title? I didn't want a new one ($$$) & prices were too high on my taste for most of the other cars out there for sale.
About two years ago I actually went "fishing" to see if I could afford the new car of the newly designed model I wanted, the price is only thing that kept me from a purchase, but I wasn't heartbroken over it, I knew going in it would be beyond my reach financially. I received great treatment at Fallon Auto Mall even though Tim Mitchell knew I wasn't going to buy it, he wanted me to drive it for the weekend. Was it a trickery ploy? Maybe, but I still ended up returning the car Monday morning. What it did though was break down a wall that I have had up for years against them. I felt if they trusted me, maybe they aren't as bad as I have been hearing over the years.
About two months ago my wife & I had been talking at lunch & saw a few cars being unloaded at Auto Malls used car shop, that's when I saw my car. All it was missing was a sun roof, but I hadn't seen that color before, it was unique & I liked it. I kind of forgot about it & continued my search on Craig's list.... After a few weeks I saw the same car on Auto Malls used car lot. So of course my interests were high, but I didn't want to be "taken to the cleaners." I decided I needed to check it out, just to see if it was what I could afford, I ended up taking it for the weekend too. The sales man Jimmy Chicola was doing his job to see where we were price wise, we ended up talking to Milt Wallace & Spencer Johnson about the final price. They came within $600 of what I wanted to give for the car. We actually walked away without it that night. A few days later Jimmy contacted us, we researched some stuff & that was a really good deal. Went back & Milt gave us the deal.
We had a few things that needed fixed on the car, which were taken care of, the alignment was an issue though. After two alignments I went for a drive with Mike from the service department. He rotated the tires, & it pulled the opposite direction, as he said would probably happen if it was in the tires. Jimmy kept checking on us & wanted to make sure we were happy, & the owner, Chris Henning, had asked me about our car too. I got a text a day later from Jimmy telling me new tires had been ordered for us. How many dealers will put new tires on an "as is" car to take care of a customer? Yes, it is still covered under factory warranty but I'm pretty sure tires are not.
Car is running great & we are happy with our purchase from Fallon Auto Mall!
Thank you Chris, Tim, Milt, Spencer, Jimmy, Mike, & everyone else. read more