Chippewa Valley Mazda

The "Buy Happy" Marketing Ploy Is Simply Lipstick On A Pig If you are considering a used car from Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda, in Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, please read of our experience. Morrie’s Chippewa If you are considering a used car from Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda, in Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, please read of our experience. Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda labels their philosophy of selling cars as “Buy Happy.” On their website they describe it this way: To understand Buy Happy®, you need to understand the principles behind it. There’s a stigma attached to car buying, and it’s one we don’t much care for – so at Morrie’s, we do things a little differently. Buy Happy® is car shopping the way it should be; zero pressure, hassle-free, and transparent.... At Morrie’s, it’s all about the experience. Whether that’s buying, selling, or servicing, we’re committed to providing the Twin Cities with the best automotive experience possible. Ultimately, that’s what a dealership’s reputation is based upon – and that’s what has set Morrie’s Automotive Group apart. Buy Happy® is car buying the way it should be. Fun. Informative. Honest. Easy. Rewarding. Affordable. The facts that follow indicate that Morrie’s “Buy Happy” marketing is simply lipstick on a pig. The stigma attached to car buying, the one they don’t much care for, is well deserved. I live in Kansas City and have been helping my son shop for a used Saab. We have become partial to that make and located on-line what appeared to be a nice, one owner, low mileage candidate. I initially contacted the dealership on June 15, 2017 and spoke by phone with a “BDC Manager,” who agreed to scan and send me a copy of the required Wisconsin Buyer’s Guide/Inspection report. Shortly thereafter, I received an email with an ebrochure on the car indicating that she would send a separate email with the inspection report. Shortly after that, I received a copy of the Buyer’s Guide/inspection report. The ebrochure provided information about the car including the following language: “Additionally, every Buy Happy® Basic vehicle undergoes a thorough vehicle inspection and is reconditioned to our Buy Happy® standard. We place a copy of the inspection on the window of every car on the lot so you get extra peace of mind purchasing a pre-owned vehicle from Morrie’s.” The Buyer’s Guide/inspection report indicated that the brakes were legal and in working condition as required by the Wisconsin law. It additionally reflected that there were no observable problems with the air conditioning system. The report was completed on May 30, 2017. After some negotiation, a tentative deal was struck pending our traveling from Kansas City to Chippewa Falls, WI, an 8 hour trip, to view and drive the car. Morrie’s was fully aware of where we were coming from. They also knew we were bringing a cashier’s check to pay for the car if it was as represented. At no time prior to our travel to Wisconsin did Morrie’s indicate there was any existing mechanical problem with the car. As planned, my son and I traveled from Kansas City to Chippewa Falls on June 24th and arrived a little after 2:00 p.m. We looked at the car and then took it for a test drive with the Sales Associate. During the drive, we discovered that the air conditioner did not work. Additionally, when the brakes were applied at speed, there was a significant shimmy and vibration in the steering wheel. This suggested to us the possibility of a problem with the brakes. Obviously, after driving for 8 hours we were not happy with these new issues, neither of which were noted on the inspection report provided or in the one in the window of the car. Once the drive was completed, the Sales Associate said, “So what do you think?” I’m not sure exactly what he wanted us to say but I took it as if he wanted to move forward to finalize the sale. We told him that there were clearly issues with the air conditioner and the front brakes/front wheels and that we were not interested in the car in that condition. We were stunned by his response: “Guys, let me be honest with you. We discovered these issues yesterday but I felt it was better to get you up here to see the car rather than cancel our appointment. If you don’t take the car, my Sales Manager has put together a couple of options.” After meeting with the Sales Manager and Sales Associate, it was clear that this was not the work of a clueless sales person. Management clearly knew of the issues prior to our trip. Instead of letting us know of the mechanical problems and having us postpone our trip while they were repaired, management hoped that we would drive 8 hours to Chippewa Falls in anticipation of purchasing the car, would not discover the problems when driving it or, if we did discover them, would simply go through with the purchase in order to avoid a wasted weekend trip. Who does that? Is that supposed to be a “Buy Happy” experience? The “options” presented by the Sales Manager were untenable due to the uncertainty of the repairs and the requirement that we trust a dealership that had already knowingly misrepresented the condition of the vehicle in hopes that we would not discover the defects and finalize the sale. In addition to the mechanical problems noted above, we found some additional issues that were put into the negative column regarding this “Buy Happy” buying experience: We learned in our meeting with the Sales Manager that contrary to the Buyer’s Guide/inspection report provided, Morrie’s had had to also replace the disc brake pads on the rear of the car. There was a sticker on the windshield indicating that Morrie’s had recently changed the oil in the car. I checked the oil to observe the condition of the dip stick and dip stick tube and found it to be at least a quart low. There was a large scratch on the roof, running from the sunroof to the rear of the car, as if someone may have put something on the roof to haul it. In person, this scratch is quite obvious. Anyone looking at the car can see it. It does not require specific focus. There were no photos of the roof online and the video of the car sent to me by one of the Sales Associates did not show the roof. Similarly, there were many fingernail scratches on the recessed area under the front door handle pulls. These could not be seen in the online photos and again were not pictured in the video. The photos online and the video did show what appeared to be a lot of light brown dust on the wheels. The Sales Associate I spoke with on Friday, indicated this was due to the car being driven on an unpaved area of their lot after being photographed and detailed. I asked that that be taken care of for our arrival. It was not and the substance was not dust. A detail man was called and found that it could be removed with some type of spray, but nothing was said or done about cleaning the wheels in connection with our proposed purchase. As for the “Buy Happy” marketing ploy, I would say this: Yes, they were friendly and appeared nice. People held the door for us and we even got some bottled water. In the end, however, contrary to their proclamations, there wasn’t honesty or transparency in the sale of this used car and those niceties were just lipstick on the pig that is Morrie’s sales philosophy. The stigma associated with buying a used car that they ostensibly “…don’t care for….” is justly deserved. There are many glowing reviews about Morrie’s. I was sucked in. I should have paid more attention to the negative ones. Although some of those may be dismissed as sour grapes, others clearly document similar sales issues that are anything but honest and transparent. Buyer beware! More