Sergio P.
Yelp
I don't usually write reviews, but since buying a car is such a big milestone, I wanted to warn others so they don't get taken advantage of in finance.
I was in the market for a hatchback. After test-driving with Peter Boll, I decided on a used Fit. I did my research and got pre-approved for 48 month financing.
Peter was great! He knocked $400 off of the already competitive price, and answered all of my questions as a first-time buyer. He went over the vehicle's history with me, and was able to get me a copy of the maintenance performed on the vehicle even though the shop was closed.
I was, however, upset by the response to a broken foglight; when I asked Peter, he said that they wouldn't fix it prior to buying, and that "my $400 savings would cover it."
Joe, from the accessories department, was exceptionally friendly. He was very transparent with pricing and offered no pressure.
Jerry, from finance, was so aggressive that I almost walked away. Throughout the entire process, Jerry cycled through attempts at manipulation, fake empathy, intimidation, and other high pressure tactics. He was also misleading and glossed over important information at multiple points.
Jerry started off very friendly, but became INCREDIBLY pushy when offering me extended coverage. He presented it in a very misleading way, disguising the cost in a monthly rate for 60 months (when I had specifically requested 48 ). When I declined, he brought me for a walk through the garage where he attempted to fear monger me into buying the policy. He said "everyone thinks Hondas are reliable, but working here, I see that that's not the case. Look at all these cars waiting to be fixed." He then pulled a cable out of the trash and said "there are 200 miles of cables in your car, if any of them fail, it could be thousands of dollars of repairs" before telling me that there are "over 40 iPhones worth of computers in your car and they go out all the time."
At this point, I was feeling pressured so I excused myself to call a friend, who said that $2500 was laughable. I returned and told Jerry that I was sure I did not want to accept the coverage, which would have added 20% to my finance package. He became aggressive, and said "you called someone, didn't you?" Jerry then turned very belittling and paternalistic as he told me about how this could not be added later after I realized my friend "didn't have my best interests at heart."
I had to decline coverage FIVE TIMES until Jerry listened. There was not a line on the sheet to decline coverage, so he had to write a line in pen and write "declined all coverage" above it before I could sign.
Jerry then began preparing the final paperwork. At no point prior to this had he disclosed the interest rate I was approved for, or made any mention of finance besides again asking if I wanted to do 60 month. I asked if the rate on the wrap coverage sheet was the best rate, and he said yes. It was over 2% higher than my preapproved rate.
When I told Jerry that I was preapproved for a lower rate, he was incredulous and shocked. When I showed him my preapproval email, he seemed upset. He left the room and came back with a match from Capital One and asked for a third time if I wanted a 60 month plan.
I ultimately got the car at the agreed upon price, with the 48 month financing terms I was preapproved for, but not without intense pressure and repeated misleading practices. Had I not done my research and stood my ground, I absolutely would have got taken advantage of to the tune of 2% APR and $3500 of warranty.
When I finally got my keys, the gas tank was only 1/3 full.
Overall, I was underwhelmed by my experience at O'Daniel. The high-pressure manipulative and misleading tactics employed by the financial office extend far beyond what one would consider reasonable. Although inventory is nice, the lack of care for small details like broken foglights and filling up the tank don't make you feel valued as a customer.
