I’ve bought numerous cars outside of my city before, - KAM1
I’ve bought numerous cars outside of my city before, including in Montreal and even Toronto, and I’ve never had issues completing a deal. I’m always very upfront when I’m either selling or trading a vehicle and I’ve had many seamless transactions over the years. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about Mercedes-Benz West Island.
I reached out on a Friday morning about a Mercedes they had listed and told them I wanted to trade my Lexus toward the vehicle. I was completely transparent from the start. I disclosed minor damage on the front grille which by the way is about a $300–$400 part for the upper portion. I sent them the VIN, photos and the exact mileage.
From there the process became ridiculous.
It was like pulling teeth trying to get a simple appraisal. It took five full days just to get an answer on what they would offer for my trade and during that entire time I was the one constantly following up. It honestly felt like their sales team does not like money or does not want to do their job.
I am in sales myself and one of the most basic things you can do is be responsive when a customer is clearly interested in buying.
When I finally got an offer it was a complete lowball. I even showed them two better offers from other places and their response was that what I wanted was too high. I completely understand that a dealership needs to make money on a trade. That is normal. But the going rate for my car online is about five to seven thousand dollars more than what I was asking.
Their response was that they do not want to pay market value. That makes absolutely no sense. If comparable cars are selling for five to seven thousand more than what I was asking plus tax, then what I asked for was already below market. And the tax portion does not even come out of their pocket.
Between the slow communication, the lack of urgency and the unrealistic trade offer this was one of the most frustrating dealership experiences I have had. Buying a car should not feel like chasing someone down just to give them business. I would recommend looking elsewhere if you expect responsiveness and a fair evaluation of your trade.
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