| rev:text
| - What a duplicitous sales team, full of tricks and shady behavior. Here's my long story of how I tried my hardest to buy a car from them, and how even with USAA's fixed price program the deal fell through.
Day 1 - The salesmen are hovering around the customer parking, and the guy who I parked next to ended up being very nice, and we went on a test drive with no pressure to go inside afterwards.
Day 2 - The Ford was the only car out of 5 worth returning to, so it was time for my wife to drive it and get some numbers. I'm nearly tackled when I get out of my car and I immediately ask for our salesman. I'm told he's "on a pickup" and "might be a while" but this guy is glad to help me. Knowing this means it affects my salesman's commission, I find my guy's cell number in my call history, and lo and behold, he's in the back room! The guy out front was trying to poach the sale completely!
Day 2 con't - After another test drive, my wife likes it, I'm still not sure, but we go in for numbers anyway so our salesman doesn't get in trouble. First off, they want me to fill out a credit app, which just isn't happening. They even tried to say they couldn't appraise my trade-in without one! This turned out to be a lie, by the way.
The numbers on the sheet were pretty good, but I have to sleep on it because they aren't great, and I am not ready to make a deal. Right in front of us, the sales manager berates the salesman for not doing a good enough job and says "What if I offer you $2000 more on your trade?" I know that's above KBB but I still need to sleep on it.
Day 3 - That extra $2k is going to seal the deal so I call the salesman and it's his day off, but he'll meet us at the dealership. I return with USAA financing pre-approved and a blank check in hand, ready to leave with a new car. Unfortunately, the offer has COMPLETELY changed. They try three more times to get me to fill out a credit app, even after I told them I've arranged financing. Suddenly, the trade-in is back to the book value, and the quoted price on the sheet isn't "with taxes tags license" but rather "PLUS taxes tags license". That comes to $3000 more, and even after hard negotiating he's $1800 more than I wanted to pay (almost the price of the trade, notice), so we walked.
Day 3 con't - I decided to draft this review but not submit it yet. I sleep on everything, even negative Yelp reviews!
Day 4 - Luckily for me, USAA works with San Tan Ford with fixed pricing, so I applied for the USAA car buying price program. Before my laser printer finished printing the documentation, my phone was ringing, and I am now offered invoice on the car, plus I get all eligible incentives. Also, San Tan Ford's $995 "desert protection package" of tint and nitrogen filled tires is $251 for USAA members. Net result -- almost exactly what I was trying to negotiate on my own, and zero hassle.
Day 4 con't - I call right before leaving to make sure things are ready, but suddenly my trade in, which was $16000 and then $18000 on day 2, then was back to $16000 on day 3, is now down to only $13500. This, despite a written offer for $16k from Carmax next door. And While could sell my car to Carmax, I'd lose $1250 in sales tax credit, so I'm back at the price from day 3 - just more to the state and not to the dealership. So I had to walk once again. This last one feels like spite for going behind the sales manager's back with USAA, because if a place like Carmax can offer me $16k for the car with no commitment to buy, how can Ford, with over 4000 dealerships nationwide, not figure it out?
So let's recap for the skimmers:
1) Salesmen are like vultures circling the parking lot, hoping you pull into a spot next to them. If my windows were down I wouldn't be surprised to hear them calling "Dibs!"
2) USAA / TrueCar can get you awesome deals, otherwise the pressure is on and the hard sell begins.
3) San Tan Ford will make promises they have no intention to keep, just in an attempt to keep you from walking out the door - they hope to wear you down and get you to agree after taking away the carrot and giving you the stick.
4) Every car on the lot had a $995 "desert protection package" installed, which is tint, VIN etching the windows, and putting nitrogen in the tires. This is on top of the sticker price of the car, but can be negotiated as low as $251.
5) I didn't get this far, but their Doc fee is an atrocious $499.
Stay away!!!
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