This was definitely one of the best car-buying - justin.hill.79
This was definitely one of the best car-buying experiences I've had in a long time. I knew what I was looking for (2010 Toyota Sienna) and knew what I wanted to pay, so one Saturday, I headed over to Beck. Took the van for a test drive, and it was exactly what I thought it would be, having had the same van previously; note that their test drive route doesn't allow you to get anything above 45 miles per hour, so just be aware. Afterwards, I had one other van I wanted to look at over in the St. Augustine area, and I was very clear on that point. The sales manager came out, asked the typical, "What would it take to get you into the van right now?" question, but after I told him my plan, there was no pressure. Very laid back and friendly about it all.
Went to the other dealership, and of course, the van I was told was still available actually wasn't, so I came back to Beck to buy the Sienna. The car was out getting detailed, so there was no rush on the paperwork. The finance side of the deal was very straightforward since I had my financing already set up. Wound up waiting a bit longer than expected for the car to get back from detailing, as the place it's done at is off-site a couple of miles away, and that particular weekend was a big crab festival.
As the van is pulling up, though, I hear a dreaded hissing sound. The previous owner had just put some caulk or sealant on a broken piece of the radiator, and it finally gave way due to the pressure. I was thankful I hadn't driven off yet! They offered to give me a loaner van while they worked on it, which my family of 7 was grateful to hear, especially my wife, as we had some travel plans coming up in a couple of days.
Well, they fixed the van, and I swapped out the loaner on a Wednesday. I noticed as I was driving it back to work that the thermostat was wobbly, but I figured that was just some air bubbles in the new radiator due to not bleeding the system completely. Boy, was I wrong. On my way home from work, I didn't get more than a mile down the road, and the thermostat started moving up quickly. Called the sales guy up, and they sent a tow truck to pick the van up and try again.
Well, the second time was the charm, and the van hasn't given me any problems since then. Overall, from the no-pressure sales experience to the great effort made to rectify the situation, I can't say enough good things about Beck Ford and the team there. I would recommend them to anyone, and I look forward to doing more business with them in the future.
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