I bought a Geo Tracker from this dealer a few years ago. It was my very first new car and they totally took advantage of a young woman with no car buying experience. I will never buy a car from these guys again. Its been since 96 since I bought my car but this bad memory still stays with me.
I had walked into the dealership driving a car that was kind of beat up had alot of problems with it. I was 19, not making alot of $$ (typical starving student) I saw them advertising Geo Trackers, new for 9,999.00. I called and spoke to a salesperson named Bob and asked him specifically how many cars they had to choose from at that price, and if they had A/C. He said they had several for that price and to come out and pick out a color, he said they DID have A/C and he asked for my social security number so he can run credit. I gave it to him.
I get there and I meet Bob (i think that was his name he walked with a limp)and they only have a few colors to choose from so I test drove a blue one, liked it and immediately we started talking about price. My car was on its last leg and I had to get rid of it. Keep in mind this dealer was a 45 minute drive from my house so I drove a long way to get to this dealer. They only gave me 750.00 for the trade. It was an 87 nissan sentra that was pretty beat up.
I really love this blue Tracker and showed them the ad for 9,999.00 then I'm told this tracker would not be included for that price because it has A/C and the 9,999 is only for Trackers without A/C. I immediately was upset because I specifically asked over the phone if this price included A/C and was told it did. It was not stated in the ad. So if i wanted that blue tracker it would be 11,500-1500.00 more than I was quoted over the phone. And its 110 degrees in AZ in the summer you have to have A/C. They said I could take a tracker without A/C and if I wanted to get it installed at a later date it would be more expensive than just buying the tracker now that had it. So I reluctantly agreed on the purchase price of 11,500 plus the other fees assoc. with a new purchase. Keep in mind I was only making about 8.00 an hour at the time and was going to school and paying rent as well.
It was tough getting me approved for the loan because of my income and debt but I made a budget out and with working overtime and paying some bills off I could afford the car.
This is the catch: The contract I was signing said there was a 1500.00 rebate on the car. I wasn't told anything about this but was glad to see it because I could use that to pay some bills off that way I could afford the car. I flat out asked the salesman Bob when I would get the rebate check in the mail he said "I dont know maybe in a couple of weeks." I was NEVER getting the rebate...it was already included in the down payment. I found this out 2 weeks later when I called finance and inquired on the rebate. Again this was my first purchase, I was naive and alot of things on this contract made no sense.
In the finance office, I was pressured into buying a warranty. I NEVER knew the Tracker had a warranty already included-again I guess I was a little naive but the lady who was selling me the warranty made a selling point of what happens if the A/C breaks...you are screwed out here in the heat. Nobody bothered to tell me about the standard warranty so I spent 1000.00 I didn't need to on an extended power train. Again i didn't know that new cars come with warranties.
I was also then told the back seat wasnt even included and I would have to buy that-another 250.00.
So after all was said and done, I had spent almost 13,000 on a car before tax,fees,doc, that I thought I was going to get for 9,999,00 and never got the 1500.00 rebate the salesman told me I was getting.
I stupidly took the car home anyways, really feeling raped that these people totally took advantage of a young woman with no car buying experience.
But when I found out 2 weeks later I was not getting any rebate, I called my grandfather, upset who then called the dealer and wanted to know why the car salesman flat out told me to my face about this rebate I was not getting. The dealer apologized for some miscomunication and offered me some oil changes and a free dash mat! I did find out right after that the salesman was fired which I don't feel bad about becuase he lied to get the sale anyways, and standard warranties should be explained to people before you upsell them an extended one.
Stay away from Van Chevrolet.
Carly
Scottsdale, Arizona