Criswell Honda

Criswell Honda responded

It's fantastic to know that our team came together to deliver an exceptional car buying experience at Criswell. We value the opportunity to work with you and hope to be of service again in the future.

Criswell Honda responded

We are sorry to see that your visit to our dealership was anything less than excellent. We value all feedback as comments such as these help us to continually improve our process to provide a positive experience for all customers, and we welcome you to reach out if we can be of assistance with any future automotive needs.

Criswell Honda responded

We're elated to see that you were impressed with the noteworthy customer service John provided even after your initial car buying event at Criswell. It's wonderful to know that we could really help you out with this warranty and service to ensure your air conditioner is ready for the upcoming warm weather season. Don't hesitate to reach out if we can be of further assistance.

don responded

Update on this review, because yesterday I returned to Criswell to buy another car, and was deeply disappointed at how I was treated: Last week I reached out to John Hicks because I was in the market for a used AWD vehicle, and I'd had a positive experience with him previously. He sent me links to a few cars on Criswell’s lot, so I made an appointment to see him on the morning of Saturday, March 7. I test-drove a pre-certified CR-V that I really liked, and told John that I had one more dealer I needed to visit but that he’d be hearing from me one way or the other.
 After visiting the other dealer, I decided that I liked the CR-V — which had been sitting on Criswell’s lot for nearly 7 weeks — and that I wanted to buy it. Unfortunately I didn’t have my checkbook with me. I was planning on buying the car outright (not financing). So I drove home and called John and said I’d like to buy the CR-V “today.” He told me to return to the dealership and he’d sell me the car. Within an hour, I was sitting down with John, signing the purchase papers. He mentioned that someone else had also looked at the car that day, but that they had moved on. John walked in and out of the office several times as I was filling out paperwork, including a credit check authorization (because I would be writing a personal check for the purchase). At some point another guy — “Alex Ferguson,” I think — stepped in and introduced himself a sales manager. He said that “another couple” had looked at the car between my two visits to the dealership and that they were “back with the finance officer” buying the car at that moment. I asked why I wasn’t told this when I called John, who knew that I had to drive all the way down from Frederick County. John said he wasn’t aware that someone else was going to buy the car. Yet here I had been asked to fill out paperwork and give up my credit information for a car that I wouldn’t be able to purchase. Alex asked that I wait "15 or 20 minutes" before leaving because “these things often fall through.” So I waited alone in the room. Finally, after about 25 minutes, I walked out of the office and peeked into the next room. There sat Alex and another guy, staring at a computer screen. John was standing against the wall. He looked up at me and said, “Just a couple more minutes. Please wait.” So I returned to the contract room for a minute, then started thinking this whole thing smelled like a rotten scam. I walked back out and said, “Look: I’m either buying the car that I just signed all the paperwork on, or I’m walking.” Just then the other guy stood and said, “Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Benny Miranda.” He extended his hand. I told him I had no interest in shaking his hand because it appeared that I’d just wasted an entire day trying to buy a car that they had decided to sell to someone else. Clearly, I was not going to be allowed to buy the car that I had just made a 40-minute trip for. I’m guessing they were trying to find some other “consolation prize” car to sell me. So either:
1. This dealership has a “right hand/left hand” problem that cost me an unnecessary drive to Germantown and an entire afternoon of sitting in an office signing away all my personal information. 2. I was simply lied to, for one or both of these reasons: A. The dealership makes money when you finance a car rather than buying it outright. So if the other buyer was going to spend more money, the sales managers had no interest in dealing with a cash buyer. B. I’d told John earlier that day that the last time I’d bought a car from Criswell, in 2016, we’d settled on an “out the door” price, and then I was sent back to deal with the finance officer. I can’t remember his name, but this guy proceeded to try to sell me a number of things — pinstriping, wheel-well trim, etc. — that I had no interest in buying. He kept pushing and finally ended up selling me the warranty that I mentioned in my original post. As it turned out, a couple months AFTER Honda agreed to honor that warranty, I got a recall notice in the mail saying that cooling systems had been leaking on my model of Civic. So that warranty has been useless so far — assuming that Honda would have reimbursed me if I’d paid for the leaking AC out of pocket rather than digging up my warranty. I told all this to John by way of making clear that I wanted an “out the door” price on the CR-V, and that I was not intending to buy any of the finance manager’s “extras.” So again, they knew they would be getting $19k from me, and nothing more. I don’t think John Hicks was privy to all of the shenanigans that his bosses pulled on me. I’d bought a car from him 4 years earlier, and I told him we’d probably see him again in another 4 years when our youngest son is ready for a car. I’d first crossed paths with John at a nearby Honda dealership in 2013 when we bought a manual Civic that our daughter now drives. And back in 2009 we bought an Odyssey that we sold a couple years ago. This would have been my fourth Honda, but as I told John and his bosses, this experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I think I’m done with Honda. I'm certainly done with Criswell Honda.

Criswell Honda responded

Thank you for the positive feedback! We're happy to see that you were completely satisfied with your car buying experience at Criswell and hope you enjoy your new Honda.

Criswell Honda responded

It's wonderful to see that Dominique exceeded your expectations when it came to buying a new vehicle from Criswell Honda! Our impressive selection of vehicles is competitively priced and it's our pleasure to offer a first-class purchasing process from start to finish. We look forward to your next visit with us!

Criswell Honda responded

We really appreciate the opportunity to work with you and are happy to see that you were completely satisfied with your car buying experience at Criswell. Don't hesitate to reach out if we can be of further assistance!

Criswell Honda responded

It's great to see that Pei Pei provided the information you needed to find the vehicle that best suits you and your budget. We value your business and look forward to working with you again in the future. If you have any other questions about your vehicle, please give us a call or stop by and we'll be glad to help.

Criswell Honda responded

It's wonderful to see that we could really help you out and that you left our dealership in a vehicle that you were completely satisfied with. We really appreciate you taking the time to share these encouraging comments and hope to be of assistance with any future automotive needs.

Criswell Honda responded

We try our best to do everything possible to ensure a fantastic car buying experience at Criswell Honda! We value your continued patronage and truly appreciate the recommendations.