Honda of Fife

Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Honda of Fife:
The price was not the best, but it was okay. The service, however, was horrible; this, not the price, was the dealbreaker for me.

The internet sales person bad-mouthed other dealerships, saying that the prices that they were quoting me were inaccurate and that they would not honor them, and he gave the very distinct impression that new customers were NOT a priority for Honda of Fife. In his words, the car I wanted "will sell before it get here, just as all of them do." Not only is this a bullying tactic (ie: "buy this car now or you'll lose it"), but it also says to me, as a person looking for a dealership that I can do business with long-term, that Honda of Fife do not need new customers.

I know that, ultimately, it is all about the sale to these guys; however, there are plenty of other dealerships out there who at least try to give the impression that the customer is priority. If Honda of Fife will so blatantly put the sale before the customer this early in the game...I'd hate to think of how they treat you once they've reeled you in.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Honda of Fife:
I've bought nearly 10 cars over my life, with most of last ones being european luxury name plates. I was ready for a reliable car that would drive nice, look good, have most of the comforts I have been used to and wouldn't kill me down the road with maintenance $$$ as the Volvo, Mercedes and BMWs do once your over 60K miles.

Anyway, my dad and uncle have operated dealerships and I learened a lot about the business as I grew up around it. The old school way of doing things was too frustrating for me to deal with (especially because I really understand the dealership part of this business), so most of my last cars I've bought through fleet sales since "cars are cars".

I went to the dealership with no intention of buying. I spent about an hour and half with David E., a senior salesperson. I quizzed him about various Hondas and what were the minute changes between model years. I'm kind of a car head, and it's fairly hard to b.s. me without me knowing it.

Anyway, he was very knowledgeable and as luck would have it a barley used trade of a top line Accord V6 (certified) had just come in. I drived the car, it was as good as the new one, even still had that new leather smell.

I made an offer, there was a little back and forth, I got a fair price and the deal was done. Sales Manager was very respectful. F&I lady (Kate, I think) was nice and knowledgeable. Overall, experience with Honda of Fife was outstanding. These folks were fair, ethical and respectful.

I read a couple of the 2004 reviews here and would tell you things have significantly changed at this dealership. They have brought in new people and are operating the way Honda expects it's dealers to perform. I think they have won President's Award 2 years running.

If your in the market for a Honda, ask for Dave E. He treated me right and am sure he'd do right by you also.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Honda of Fife:
Becareful with this sales team. They asked for more than 1000$ compare with other dealers

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Honda of Fife:
Is there a rating LESS than zero?! To make a long story short:<br><br>The sales person Jin Kwon promised to show me the invoice for the vehicle and proceeded to stall and tell me lie after lie. Among the blatant lies I was told was that, I HAD to complete a credit application in order for them to collect Washington sales taxes. I had informed them earlier that I had financing approved from my credit union and was not interested in financing through Honda. He made several trips to the little office with the mirrored window to speak to Mike Oswald, the sales manager, and another to bring out Gary Shriver from the finance department. Mr. Shriver proceeded to try to corroborate the &#8220;credit application must be completed for us to sell you a car&#8221; lie. I stated that I knew of no such code on the books in Washington State. (I had managed businesses in several states and knew there was no such law.) They pulled every trick out of the unscrupulous car dealer book. When I was finally shown (about 45 minutes later and after many requests) an &quot;invoice&quot; - it was one sheet of computer paper that looked as if it had just been Photo-shopped in the back office. There were a total of about 5 lines on it and the amount shown was WAY off (in their favor) from what a reliable source says is the invoice price of a Honda Accord EX V-6. I indicated that I was not comfortable with the integrity of this paperwork and asked if this indeed was the correct invoice for the vehicle as there was no signature showing delivery. The negotiations came to an abrupt end when Jin Kwon stood up from the table, snatched his sales paperwork and YELLED loud enough for the entire dealership to hear &quot;I CAN'T DEAL WITH YOU! YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME!&quot; as he walked away. Everyone in the dealership within earshot, including Mike, snapped their heads in our direction. I told Jin Kwon it was unfortunate that we were unable to come to agreement and to have a nice day. I proceeded to the front desk to get the customer service number for Honda Corporation, as well as the name, address, and phone number of the owner of this particular dealership. Finally, I asked to speak with the highest-ranking manager on the premises. Out comes Mike Oswald, who when I told him one of his sales personnel had verbally abused me, did not in anyway appear shocked, and needless to say, I received no apology. I informed him that I was going to be taking my money to another dealership. Jin Kwon is one of their top sales people - a scary indication that my treatment by Honda of Fife, Washington is not unique. He apparently lies and bullies his way into sales. <br>

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Honda of Fife:
I am not new to the car business. I purchase a new car once every 3 years. I have already forgotten the sales person that greeted me on the lot but the finance person was pretty sensational. Not to mention while sitting down and hearing my name announced over the PA and balloons. Would be a &quot;STAMP&quot; if a pictured calender were offered sometime in the near future? Business was reasonable and everyone was pleasant. Good experience for me. Now how about some more sportiness Honda production??? Gotta ask...

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Honda of Fife:
The sales agents were excellent and the deal offered was very competitive. However, the sales manager was extremely rude and unprofessional. I've never had a worse experience in purchasing a veichle prior to my visit to Honda Fife in Washington. I was prepared to purchase, but walked out on a great offer because of the Sales Manager's unacceptable behavior. Unless they decide to find a new Sales Manager, I would not recommend this dealership.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Honda of Fife:
Please see complaints .com:<br><br>http://www.complaints.com/directory/2004/may/25/10.htm <br><br>I'm not surprised it took Tim Bryant more than 6 months to respond to my complaint. I have yet to receive a personal reply to my letter to the owner of the dealership. Perhaps they were starting to feel the pinch of lost sales after I notified:<br><br>&#183; My credit union<br>&#183; Honda Corporation Customer Relations<br>&#183; The Washington State Attorney General<br>&#183; Better Business Bureau<br>&#183; My local newspaper<br>&#183; My local television station<br><br>For the record, I am a successful manager with 2 degrees in business management. My expertise is in the areas of customer service, human relations, and finance.<br>At no time was I aggressive nor did I raise my voice.. I stand by my account of the event as true and accurate. I have a question for Mr. Bryant: If I was &quot;disruptive&quot; why did your sales people continue to call my home, work, and cellular phone for over two months begging me to come back in and &#8220;give them a chance to make it right&#8221;? The very first voice mail I received (approximately a week after the event) the salesperson stated &quot;please come back in and we will show you the invoice&quot;. Needless to say, I did not return their calls. <br>Since my experience I have heard from no fewer than 4 other customers who were treated the same way, ALL were women who are knowledgeable in business and finance. ALL were &quot;helped&quot; by the same sales person. I suppose Honda of Fife believes that politely telling a salesperson that a $55.00 installation fee for floor mats(especially when they come STANDARD) is excessive, constitutes rudeness. And NO, you do not need my complete credit history to sell me car if I pay you cash. The only verification needed is a five-line application and phone call to my credit union, which I offered to do. The reason they wanted my complete credit history was so they could ascertain my financial situation and determine how much I COULD pay for the vehicle. I offered the dealer a very generous $500.00 over invoice and was turned down. <br>See here what the Washington State Insurance Commissioner thought of Honda of Fife and Gary Shriver <br><br>http://www.insurance.wa.gov/oicfiles/orders/2003orders/D03-286.pdf <br><br>And see how other customers rated this dealer: <br><br>http://www.dealerrater.com/dealer/dealer.asp?dealerid=6709 <br><br>I DID take my business across town to South Tacoma Honda and had the single best car buying experience of my life. They were completely honest, showed me a real and true invoice. I offered the dealership $500.00 over invoice and the salesperson literally jumped at the offer. It was the easiest sale he'd had all week.<br>If you want to buy a vehicle in the Tacoma or South Puget Sound area, please see Don at South Tacoma Honda. And before you buy any car from anyone, do your research. A good place to start is Edmunds.com. Good luck!<br>

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