What Others Say
This car dealer used to be very good and reliable with people who really helped you, but now everything is overpriced and if you want to make an exchange, what they offer you for your vehicle is a mockery even if you have been a customer with them for years. apart from a short list of lies that the sellers tell you who are supposedly helping you, it is unfortunate how this dealer fell so low and his prestige also because of some employees
I'm an increasingly unhappy/dissatisfied customer.
Neutral review:
This is your average decent dealership. They do sell over MSRP on popular models in this current car market but not exuberantly so. Nice location. Decent folk work there; Louis P. specifically is excellent to work with & I hope to always work with a car salesman like him. I recommend them with a "but." If you don't want Stargard on your new car or deal with the hassle of it, purchase elsewhere. Hansel Toyota does not disclose that Toyota Safety Sense offers the same benefit as Stargard.
Personal review:
I purchased a new car on 2/11 after much research. Hansel Toyota had the exterior & interior colors, trim, and additional package/accessories I wanted as per SmartPath. I reached out on Friday, 2/10, received a quick communication back, & was able to visit the dealership on 2/11.
I worked with Louis and Andy. Louis was a great communicator, almost too patient with my car problems & trouble getting to the dealership in a timely manner, was personable and made a stressful purchase easier to stomach. He also took the time to explain things & go over all the upgraded functions in today's cars (e.g. locations of trunk release, how to navigate touchscreen, explaining advanced cruise control, etc.)
Andy handled the financing, was efficient, and didn't push for any additional optional add ins such as prepaid maintenance plan, etc. He asked if I wanted them, showed me my options, accepted my decline. No pressure, great at his job.
There was a small hiccup when both Louis and I forgot to make sure I had all my paperwork after leaving. I texted that evening as soon as I realized. He was quick to respond, quicker to scan/email me all my paperwork, & has mailed me the hard copies.
Unfortunately, I ran into one issue that is making the experience much more of the stereotypical dealership experience and has colored the whole personal experience.
All vehicles here are pre-installed (either at the dealership or directly prior to delivery) with Stargard, an "optional" vehicle deterrent system. They do not list this accessory upfront on their website and SmartPath vehicle description unlike all other included accessories/packages. They will inform you of this at some point during your purchase; it adds an additional $999.00 to the purchase price.
Taken off guard, hating to haggle, & caught up in the excitement/nervous energy, I didn't attempt to decline this service. Plus it sounded like a good service based on the sales' pitch.
I had doubts on the drive home & overnight, so researched Starhard and user's experiences as soon as I could after work the next day. I learned quickly that it wasn't service I wanted. Toyota already provides the car a similar service to GPS track a stolen vehicle with their Toyota Safety Connect system, rendering StarGard unnecessary and redundant. Hansel Toyota does not disclose this information either.
I reached out to Louis on 2/13 to inform him that I would like a possible refund/device removal. Louis was in a meeting at the time of my call but reached out quickly when he was available. He told me that he would talk to the sales director and call me back with more information.
He reached out to me that afternoon. He informed me that Stargard, once installed and purchased by/activated for the customer, wasn't able to be refunded/removed.
Currently, my experience and satisfaction with Hansel Toyota/my purchase has been reduced by this StarGard experience. it is hard to shake the feeling that this is unjust, that I wasted $1k, and my trust/ignorance was taken advantage of. Based on this part of the experience I don't recommend Hansel Toyota.
Point of this review? Mostly venting. Also to summarize my experience with Hansel Toyota and to provide information that isn't readily available for people like me who like going into situations with all the research done beforehand.
Words can't describe how Ayman treated my wife and I. If you wrote a service book, his name would be the title. The Man!
Fantastic service. Very attentive staff. Thank you for taking great care of our Tacoma. Jaime was diligent and detail oriented with great follow up. Awesome work!
Wait was a bit longer than suggested and the wait to check-in was a lot longer than previously. But everyone was very friendly and helpful.
Ayman is awesome! He does a great job without a lot of hype. It was very pleasant to work with him and he has great follow thru. Also, Logan and Martin did great jobs too. An excellent team all around! I would recommend Hansel to anyone I know.