Gateway Kia in Warrington is quite possibly the worst dealership in the area. They advertise the "triple play," in which they offer $5k over your trade, or $5k off the dealer listed price, or another option for $5k off (I forget the exact "deal," if you can call it that). This "deal" is only to get you in their showroom...it has nothing to do with reality.
Once you arrive, you will realize (sooner or later) that the $5k off the dealer listed price basically takes it down to the MSRP value of the car. They jack up the prices on the car for things like, "hand printed" pinstripes, mudflaps, a year of general maintenance and lifetime inspections -- things that probably cost them $200 total, which they attempt to trick you into believing are worth $4k!
They will insist on "appraising" your trade-in (don't do it!) as soon as you arrive to "save time", which they will factor in to their bloated pricing scheme (and they will hold onto your keys, making you track them down at the end of the wasted time session). In addition, they will ask what you're looking to spend per month (don't tell them!), and put you in a car to test drive that is well above this amount. I was looking to stay under $300/mo, and they put me in a hybrid which they priced at $450/mo! This was before I knew the $5k off was from the garbage price that their "deal" is based on. I was expecting the $5k off MSRP, plus the value of my trade since their "dealer price" is on a tiny sticker to the right of the window tag.
Factoring in all their "deals" they end up giving you, at most, $1k off the MSRP for the car...which is still way above their invoice. They overvalue your trade-in and, after you get to the point of possibly buying, they say, "you know your car's not really worth that much." And, "you should be happy we're giving you this amount for your trade." Hey...guess what? If you offer me $5k for my trade, that is ONLY for my trade. It has nothing to do with our agreement for the price of the actual automobile I am about to purchase.
After the dog and pony show (and attempted bait and switch), when you go to call someone to verify if their final offer is a good deal (by the deal, I mean the final price, when they say...I can get it down to x price -- in my case it was $18k (total amount financed after trade, incentives, etc.)) you will come back in and say, "yes, I will take the car if you can get it to $18k." They will then proceed to tell you that, "we just found out your car has a bad Carfax and we cannot give you this price," like they didn't know this right off the bat. And this amount (about $1k over what they said they could do), which is still above their invoice mind you, "is all we can offer."
The salesmen and managers at Gateway Kia are scummy and their business practice and business model is to trick buyers who don't know any better into thinking they're getting a deal.
Eventually people around will find out this practice is unethical and the short term gains they enjoy now will turn into a long term loss.
I will never visit any Gateway Kia...and have been turned off completely from the Kia brand due to these people. read more