Horrible Experience- Buyer BEWARE - jonponti
Horrible experience to say the least. Let’s start by calling on a car on the website we were told was there and later in the day were told it was being loaned to a client. Fast forward 3+ days later and the sales rep advised the client still had the vehicle, but wasn’t able to purchase it because they weren’t approved for a loan and couldn’t get a co-signer. Red flag as to why you are loaning a vehicle to someone who isn’t even approved for financing and somehow can’t get the car back? They didn’t even allow us to take the vehicle for a test drive without the sales man at first, but you’re loaning a vehicle to someone for several days that isn’t even approved for the vehicle? Call back and sales rep was out for the day, so manager answered. Very nice guy, told us the car was at Mazda getting a recall fixed. Fine, honesty for once. When the car came back we were called to come take a look and test drive the vehicle. We arrived later that evening and were greeted nicely, and everyone apologized for the inconvenience. Sales rep advised us car came back and had to go to their body shop because it came back with a scratch on the door. Another lie as the mirror was also busted, and the trim had a scratch on it. Clearly the previous owner hit something. Carfax was clean, and seemed to be minor, but enough damage to the mirror it had to be taped on with black tape, and the door fixed. I didn’t notice the mirror until the test drive, so asked them to fix it. Which they agreed upon. We did some paperwork that night to get things prepped, car was listed at one price, which we wrote the initial paperwork up on. They low balled us on the trade, average at auction was $900 more than what they offered. We agreed because it was the car my wife wanted, and she wanted to get rid of her current car. So we took a little loss, no big deal. Fast forward a day or two, no call on the mirror. I called, sales man said “I was just about to call you” mind you this was his response every time we called. Advised “they” had to go to Bridgeport to pick up the mirror and would be ready once painted and installed. Latest the following day. Next day, no call from sales rep, (Manager did leave a message that morning, but we didn’t get the message) so we arrived that morning to see what was going on. Saturday morning. Were advised they got the wrong mirror, and were waiting on the new mirror to come in. Were told it would be done Monday morning and they were nice enough to say they would deliver it. However we did not want to do the paperwork that day because the car wasn’t finished. We were promised car would be done Monday by 4:30, and finally it was. We arrived before 5pm and finalized the paperwork. Unfortunately we didn’t review the paperwork as good as we should have, but with a name like Harte I was under the impression they weren’t there to get one over on people. Initially looking at the paperwork the trade was some reason priced $1,500 over what we had discussed. Which was more than fair, so we were excited and happy. Thought they had adjusted it due to the mess of a process and all of the inconveniences there were. First page had trade info, so again, were excited, and didn’t ask why. Why would we? Finished the paperwork, and drove home. The interest rate was HORRIBLE for a 707 credit score, I mean HORRIBLE, but we had planned to refinance with our credit union. Didn’t initially go to the credit union because they were running a special for a refinance. However due to the horrible financing received we would’ve been better off going to our credit union to start. Would’ve been cheaper for sure, and less of a hassle. In addition Harte probably wouldn’t have been able to up the price of the car BY $1500 from what we originally discussed and signed for. So the increase in the trade simply increased the price of the car. Interesting, everything ended up being the same as we originally discussed, BUT WHY increase the trade? Why increase the car price? Makes no sense unless you are trying to make it seem like you are doing something for the clients? I don’t understand how a listed car price on your website could be increased prior to closing? Our fault for not looking at the exact price of the vehicle on the paperwork, but we had already done initial paperwork on the price of the car, and was listed for one price on the website. We ended up paying OVER NADA because of this adjustment. Screw me on the trade, I was aware of that, But don’t act like you’re doing us a favor on the trade, and at the same time increase the car price by nearly 9%! Car was already high priced, and didn’t argue it because my wife wanted the vehicle. But you are a shady dealership, and I would never recommend anyone to come to your dealership. I will never be back to any Harte dealership. Very shady and sketchy company. Horrible experience, no idea how the reviews online are even close to as good as they are after what we went through. Credit union laughed when they saw the interest rate they gave on a 707 credit score, and laughed at the price of the vehicle. Lucky enough they are a great credit union and got us out of the interest rate mess, but still changing the price of a vehicle to over NADA, and 9% more than what was listed on the website? That’s not shady then what is. Another FUNNY thing, sales rep said due to the inconvenience and not returning calls, or calling us, that he would throw in a year of free oil changes to make up for it. COME To find out, Hartes website provides a year of free oil changes FOR ANY USED Car they sell. Waste of my time, money and will never go back to Harte. Sales rep said they don’t work on commission, maybe they should, maybe they would care more about their clients then they do.
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