We drove two hours on a Saturday to look at a vehicle - ck44883
We drove two hours on a Saturday to look at a vehicle after specifically asking about its condition. Before our visit, the dealership sent photos showing a hole in the bumper and told us the bumper would be replaced. However, the photos did not show the numerous paint chips on the vehicle, including at least one spot that was already beginning to rust. When I pointed them out, I was told that a touch-up paint pen could be used. Needless to say, I wasn't interested in trading in my well-maintained vehicle for one that was in noticeably worse cosmetic condition than advertised.
Since we had already made the drive, we looked at a few other vehicles and found one on the Ford lot that had just arrived from a Canadian auction the day before. We began discussing a deal, but ultimately couldn't agree on price. I won't comment on whose bottom-line number was better, but there were several aspects of the process that raised concerns for us.
First, the document fee was added to the listed price. However, when reviewing the "price details" on their used vehicles, that fee appeared to already be included in the advertised price.
Second, part of their offer involved purchasing the vehicle with "no service." This was confusing because we're told all vehicles go through service. If that's true, I would expect that cost to already be reflected in the advertised price. More importantly, why would any customer want to buy a vehicle that had not been serviced and inspected?
Third, when we asked what the total would be if the service was included, we were quoted $277.50. While that may be the retail price charged to service customers, it is difficult to believe that's the dealership's actual cost for performing the inspection. We were still considering the deal at that point, but things went downhill from there.
When we asked whether any issues found during the service inspection would be covered, we were told, "It depends on the issue." That answer did not inspire much confidence. Additionally, even though it was close to closing time, we were told they could still complete the service inspection within 45 minutes to an hour. That seemed questionable given the importance of a thorough inspection.
Finally, the salesman repeatedly told us that at his "final offer" he would only make $100 on the sale, and that he had sold another vehicle earlier in the week and also only made $100 on that deal. Whether that's true or not, that's not information that should influence a customer's purchasing decision. It felt more like a sales tactic than a meaningful part of the negotiation.
After a couple more comments along those lines, my husband stood up and walked out, and I followed. We don't mind negotiating, but transparency and honesty are important when making a major purchase. Unfortunately, this experience left us with more questions than confidence.
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