Sullivan Motors is a second generation used car dealership on the border of Whitman, MA. This review pertains to the the car dealership portion of this business.
I will give Sullivan Motors credit for offering fairly competitive pricing on their used vehicle inventory. You can find some fairly good deals from this dealership if you pay attention to their ads. In a day and age where new car prices have skyrocketed, slightly used car dealerships are sometimes a better alternative than buying new.
Now, my concerns with the experience I had with this dealership.
I bought a used vehicle from Sullivan Motors in September 2014. I met John, the salesman, after setting up an appointment to look at the vehicle. Before test driving the vehicle, I checked out the physical condition, cosmetics, and everything under the hood. John hovered over my shoulder for most of the time, which made the experience uncomfortable and almost pressured. I noted some mechanical and cosmetic concerns of the vehicle between this time and the test drive, but liked what I had seen and was willing to buy the vehicle if some of these issues were addressed.
We went into the office to discuss the vehicle after the test drive. Both offices were cluttered and dirty, and did not promote good salesmanship or a welcome atmosphere. I asked to see a comprehensive vehicle history such as CARFAX, but John insisted that vehicle histories often get butchered, and dealerships should not be responsible for providing them due to the price the dealer has to pay and supposed alterations. This was extremely concerning, but I decided to still make an offer as the vehicle appeared to be clean of damage. John and the dealership owner laughed at my offer (within $600 of asking price), and would not work with me at all in making a deal. They pulled out a very dated paper copy of KBB appraisals, and told me 'I was already getting a good deal'. Although I was offended that they treated their customers in this manner, I made another counter offer which was within $100 of the asking price. At this point, I had pointed out several mechanical concerns of the vehicle which I expected would be fixed before the vehicle was sold. They told me 'the vehicle went though a comprehensive safety check so there is nothing wrong with it', and refused my offer. They also pointed out that they do not charge paperwork fees, which I should consider when making my offer. Seller fees in micro dealerships are extremely dated, and almost unheard of in this day and age. At this point, I realized that John and his partner were willing to make any excuse and bend any word to make a sale in their favor. I eventually convinced John to fix the mechanical issues the vehicle had if I paid the full sticker price. John agreed to this deal, only because the his partner had left for the day. After finding this out, I got the impression that this dealership did not have much pride in standing behind their sales. I felt as though I was walked upon by John and his partner, but needed a vehicle quickly and the one that was listed best fit the bill. I picked up the vehicle several days later.
Within three days of having the vehicle, the rear brake drums began to smoke violently whenever I was stopping. Because the vehicle was covered under the lemon law, I called John and requested that the vehicle be repaired. John was very unhelpful in scheduling a timely repair date, and made me wait roughly five days before I could drop the vehicle off. At this point, I was out of a vehicle and needed take time off of work to make the 90 minute drive from the North Shore of MA to drop the truck off for repair. During this time, when attempting to stop at a stoplight, the brake system in the vehicle completely failed and almost caused a serious accident.
John brought the vehicle to the company he used to inspect the vehicle prior to sale. He pointed the finger at the inspection company as a way of alleviating the blame, much in the same style as his previous excuses to execute poor salesmanship. Although I was grateful that no accidents happened as a result of this overlook, I was extremely disappointed in Sullivan Motors for the way they handled and justified the situation. The methods of sale that John and his partner use are extremely questionable, and not courteous to the customer in the least bit.
The bottom line: Sullivan Motors does have some good deals, but the lack of structure and honesty that this dealership exhibits should make buyers very wary of making a deal with John. Should you choose to go through with a purchase from this dealer, do not expect John and/or his partner to work with you on the sale of a vehicle, and be ready to have a third party inspect the vehicle if you are not mechanically inclined. Although buying used may sometimes be more economically sensible than buying new, this dealership is a shining example of why it is important to cover all bases when purchasing a used vehicle. read more