I purchased several very inexpensive used cars from small dealers over the years as there are great…read moredeals to be had. I was interested in a car on this lot that dropped to half the original price in 3 months and couldn't get a response from two websites (Carfax, their own), phone or text, so my gf and I showed up on a Saturday morning.
I was informed by the attendant that the car was stored off-site and he could not drive it as it had a manual transmission. The manager would bring the car from storage in a couple of hours. My gf and I drove almost an hour to get there, so we found ways to kill time (Oakland flea market, Crown Beach and a coffee shop across the street). Four hours later, the car finally arrived.
I knew the vehicle was crashed from the photos posted, but the attendant did not share that it had been broken into. It not only had the absolute dirtiest interior I have ever seen in a car at a lot, there was broken glass everywhere, the stereo was gone, wires were hanging out of the dash and most of the HVAC controls were missing. I was surprised they would even show it in this sad state. Despite all that, I test drove it, without my gf who couldn't get in because of the glass all over the passenger seat. It drove well and I was assured they would fix the window and clean up the glass.
When I followed up with the attendant a few days later via text, he shared photos of the repaired window and gave me an out-the-door price that was significantly more than expected. Remember, I have experience with these transactions, so I asked for an itemized list of the fees. That's when I balked.
The last three cars I purchased, all from similar small dealers, were in the same price range and included the typical additional fees (document processing, smog, smog certificate, etc.). The total percentage of the tax, title and license, plus fees relative to the purchase price for those cars was 23%, 24% and 25%. Reasonable.
When I calculated the total percentage Axum was charging over and above the purchase price, it was 39%. I shared a screenshot from the DMV website with the attendant that illustrated the estimated sales tax and registration fees at less than $400, yet he was quoting me $450 before their additional charges (for a total of nearly $600 on a car that wasn't even $1500).
At this point, the attendant stopped being polite and curtly informed me that was the price and if I could not pay it, they could not sell the car. It was easy for me to walk away because I don't need a vehicle. Had I been in a different situation, I might have paid the inflated price.
I checked the out-the-door cost for a different car on another lot yesterday. The percentage of the purchase price for TT&L, even with higher doc fees: 18%.
I received a sincere apology from the owner for my less-than-ideal experience. Added a star for the follow-up/accountability and improved customer service.
