I've never purchased a car from a dealership before. I'd always been pretty skeptical- you hear horror stories about pushy salesmen, hidden fees, and cars that break down within a month. So, prior to heading out to buy my first 'official from a dealership' vehicle, I did some research online. Red, White, and Blue Auto was continually highly reviewed for their great customer service. Knowing that I wanted something used and affordable, this dealership seemed perfect for me. The lot is small, carrying (I'm guestimating here) only about 60 to 70 vehicles, but worth viewing nonetheless.
I walked straight up to their sales rep, Ky, and told him exactly what I wanted. They have a decent selection of trucks, SUVs, and cars- but 100% of their vehicles are used and relatively old (I'd say 90% of the cars on their lot are 8 years or older). Ky took me straight to a vehicle that I'd already viewed on their website online (and yes- all of the vehicles on their lot are also listed online- so you can view, review, and research prior to walking onto their property) that was listed $1000 under the price that I'd said I was willing to pay. Seeing as though most used car salesman want to make money, I was pleasantly surprised that he chose to show me a vehicle that was not only in my budget- but well under my budget. Shortly after he handed me the keys and allowed me to test drive.
I took a quick test drive and thought I smelled gas. I arrived back and the dealership and let Ky know. He then drove the SUV with me and we discovered that the gas smell was probably from the car ahead of me (welcome to dealing with my blond idiocies). We arrived back at the dealership and Ky showed me the car facts, talked me through the history of the vehicle, pointed out all repairs that had been done, and showed me information regarding issues in the past with the vehicle (one wreck). He then, just sat back and let me look over the papers. He never once asked me if I was going to purchase the vehicle. Straight from the start all he did was allow me to view, test drive, and look over the information regarding the SUV. I arrived on their lot at around 5:00 PM, and had the car picked out that I wanted to purchase by 6:30. Unfortunately by that point mechanics had closed for the day and I let Ky know that I did want it to get checked first. He welcomed me to come back the following day and have the car looked at by a mechanic at that time. He didn't try to sell me the car without it being looked at first. He was very patient and was more than willing to wait for the following business day.
11:00 AM sharp I arrived back at the dealership and took the car to the mechanic. The mechanic found a few small issues and gave me a $1,500 estimate for the repairs. Everything on the car checked out, and all of the repairs were very small (nothing major)- some were merely cosmetic. Even so, I went back to the dealership and discussed the issues with Ky. I told him that I wanted the issues fixed if I purchased the vehicle and he let me know that I could have them fixed for a discounted price through the dealership. I asked if they would accept 13% less than their asking price (which would essentially cover the price of the repairs) and get the vehicle repaired prior to me driving off of the lot with it. They already had the car listed about 10% under the Blue Book price, so I assumed they'd have room to haggle with me a bit. Ky discussed my offer with his manager and within about 15 minutes let me know that the offer I made was accepted (no haggling, no hidden fees, no BS- although I was very clearly a young female who had no clue about cars and could have easily been taken advantage of). They then called the repair shop, got an estimated quote of $500 for all of the repairs.
From that point, Ky dealt directly with my loan officer for me, letting them know all of the information and doing all of the necessary paperwork. I signed my purchase agreement. I paid my down payment with a debit card, and also paid for my repairs at the same time. Easy.
Not ONCE did Ky ever ask me if I wanted to buy the vehicle, make some obnoxious sales pitch, or push me into purchasing anything extra or unnecessary. No hidden fees. No lies. No extravagant stories explaining why I needed to buy my SUV right at that moment. He was so relaxed and chill, that I was actually excited, happy, and felt as though I'd gotten a very good deal. I've heard awful stories about used car salesman, but this place defies every stereotype. Imagine walking into a department store where you are greeted, have your questions answered, and are never forced to purchase anything before walking out of the store. That is the EXACT experience that I had at this dealership. Above and beyond my expectations in terms of customer service. If I could give them 6 stars, I would. read more