Penske Honda of Ontario

by MomOf3InRC on 02/28/2018

Penske was very dishonest and misleading in their tactics, which cost me over $7,000 in options I never asked for. I asked for an internet quote for the CR-V EX with NO additional options. Standard features only. I was provided with a quote and made an appointment to test drive the vehicle. When I showed up on the lot for my test drive, the saleswoman, Nima, whom I had an appointment with wasn’t even on the premises. A different sales woman, Shakiba, took me for my test drive. When I was done, I asked her again for the cost of THAT specific car I had just test driven. Again, she quoted me the same price I had been quoted over the Internet. She did NOT tell me this particular car already had $2,353 in options installed, or that the quote she gave me did not include those options, or that this was the only black car on the lot and therefore if I wanted this car I have to get it with all the options and pay extra for them. She should’ve given me a quote included all these options, and I should’ve been informed that the options were already installed on the car. Not knowing any of this, I said I’d take it. I was left in the waiting room for about half an hour and eventually taken to Dina’s office for financing. Dina already had a contract drawn up. Not only had she added in $2353 for a security system, mud guards, and wheel locks I hadn’t been told were on the car and weren’t included in the quote, she had also already added into the contract a $3,500 exdended warranty and $1,000 clearcoat protection. She didn’t ask me if I wanted any of these, she TOLD me I was getting them. She implied they were all included. What she meant was she had already included them in the contract (without asking me). At one point, she thought I had crossed something out on the contract, and she came unglued. I realize now, she was worried that I was going to start going down the itemize list of all the extra charges and start crossing them out, which would make her draw up a new contract. I should’ve done exactly that. Several times I did pick up the contract and started asking questions, but she kept reassuring me it was “all included.“ She went to great lengths to distract me and discourage me from reading the contract more thoroughly. But I didn’t figure this out until I got home. I know, shame on me for not reading all the fine print more carefully, but she was friendly and I trusted her. This is my first time financing a new car. I’m divorced my ex-husband always took care of all of this. I made the mistake of telling dinner this, and she took full advantage of me. I should’ve known better. But this is no way to do business. A customer shouldn’t have to be on the defensive. A customer shouldn’t have to be on high alert for deceptive practices. The customer should be asked whether they are interested in an extended warranty and explained how much extra this is going to cost them. A customer should we ask if they want to the clearcoat protection, and it should be explain to them how much extra that is going to cost. A customer should be explained the car they picked out comes with over $2000 in options that were included in the price they were quoted. You don’t include all the stuff in the contract before the customer even walks into the room and then choose play word play games that give the customer the impression they’re getting a whole bunch of wonderful things at no additional charge. But, at Penske Honda, you’re not a customer, you are prey. Dina was very misleading and described all the features in a manner that was implied they were standard features included. She would say things like “and you’ll be happy to know that it comes with a very good security system“ and “it comes with a clearcoat protection.“ I asked her several times, “Am I paying extra for that?“ and she’d say “Oh no no! It’s included.“ But I realize now “included“ was her misleading way of saying they’d already been “included” in the contract she’d drawn up before I walked in the room, NOT included as standard features or in the price I had been quoted. Every time I looked at the contract to try to decipher if and how much extra I was paying for these, she would distract me so that I was difficult for me to focus and on it more carefully. I didn’t realize until I got home and was able to review the contract in peace and quiet how many options I’d paid extra for. But it’s too late now. Penske also includes in the contract a provision where the buyer waives their right to a cooling off period. An honest dealership wouldn’t even need to have their customers waive their right to a cooling off period. Let me give you an analogy: It’s like going into a clothing store, picking out a pair of pants and a top and taking them up to the counter to pay for them. When the cashier rings up your picks, she throws in jewelry, belt, shoes etc in the bag. You ask, “Am I paying extra for those?“ And she says “Oh no! These are included.“ But what she really means is they are “included” in the bill she just printed and placed in front of you to sign after giving her your credit card, and every time you start looking over this bill, she tries to distract you by saying, “Don’t worry about all that other stuff, that’s just sales tax and other necessary fees.” But when you sign the credit card bill paying for these items, it includes a clause that says “no refunds, no exchanges.” I should’ve kept going down through the itemized list and found and crossed out all of the extras I hadn’t asked for. That would’ve forced her to write up a new contract. But, this was my first time buying a new car and I was too trusting and intimidated. Again, lesson learned, and I hope any inexperienced new car buyers reading this will learn from my mistake. Sit there for as long as you need to and go over all the paperwork with a fine tooth comb before you sign any of it. Don’t listen to anything they tell you because they can’t be trusted to be upfront and honest. You’ll be there for hours and they may get impatient with you, but the only thing that really matters is what’s in writing... not what they say. You can’t be afraid to be rude, forceful, and even tell him to shut up so you can focus on the contract VERY carefully before you sign it. Every time they see you pick it up and start reading, they’ll delve into their carefully crafted, rehearsed, misleading “explanations” of what the contract contains, and they’ll act like they’re being really helpful and doing you a huge favor by explaining it all to you so you don’t have to go through the tedious task of reading over everything yourself, but don’t trust them.

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by Isabella on 02/09/2017

Why did I choose to visit Penske Honda of Ontario when I have a vast selection of dealerships where I live and work? I was looking for a specific year/model and they had one of the two available for sale in the state of California. Why did I choose to buy from Penske Honda of Ontario? The brand speaks for itself, I fell in love with the car BUT it was the customer service that helped seal the deal. I have had my share of bad experiences and good experiences in car buying but this one was THE best especially considering the particularity of my financial health. After my credit took a blow from a recent economic hardship, I was apprehensive of stepping into a dealership or engaging any financial institution. I did not wish to be put in a bad light and judged merely because of my credit situation. At the same time, I didn't necessarily need the car so I was in a good position to decline any outrageous, high-interest offers. Well, it didn't take long for my unease to dissipate, or even form rather. From the moment I walked in, I was welcomed. Everyone had a smile and actually knew my name! Not only was I greeted by the sales staff, service manager and finance manager but the President and General Manager, Bill McGrath, himself. I must preface this by disclosing I did reach out to Mr. McGrath directly to inquire about the car and financing options. What I didn't expect was for him to personally respond, and so promptly! With that I knew, it would be worth a trip to Ontario (which by the way is right off the 15 freeway; and a couple of other things to note: they have a courtesy shuttle and service is open both Saturday and Sunday). I had the opportunity to test drive the vehicle and after an honest dialogue about my finances, I was met by their just as honest feedback -- and an offer. This took me by surprise, yet it was refreshing that they had taken me seriously and utilized previously provided information to generate numbers. And they weren't bad looking numbers! What eventually led me to sign papers that night was their responsiveness and willingness to help my situation. I didn't feel as though they were trying to take advantage of me or make a quick profitable sale on my account. In fact, I don't think they made much off my transaction! They listed a number of items on the due bill of pre-existing conditions with the car, which weren't exactly a deal breaker but I would have liked to see addressed. This they handled during my subsequent service visit, and more! There were a couple of items that went unnoticed during the signing but when I brought it to their attention, it was immediately handled. Now, why am I so excited about this whole experience? Because customer service is rare and theirs was exceptional (and I LOVE my car). On a number of occasions they went above and beyond - did I mention two porters worked overtime to deliver my new car home? Oh and the Special Finance manager Jaime (no, I did not spell his name wrong), he is very knowledgeable and was instrumental in pushing forth an efficient negotiation. And Mr. McGrath? He was there every step of the way! For top management to be ever so present and involved means a lot! Everyone worked so harmoniously together and provided for a seamless transaction. Even after the purchase, they remain attentive and consistent in their care and communication of my car needs. Just as with the Honda line of cars, the individuals that make up Penske Honda Ontario are quality and performance driven. You can't expect anything less of this team because they are the epitome of Helpful Honda.

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by Showtime22 on 06/16/2016

I recently bought a Honda Accord from here and had an easy time doing so.. The purchase and finance was really easy. Showed the vehicle off to family and about 2wks after a cousin of mine needed a cat.. Took him to Penske and he got one too ! Great experience.. I'll definitely be recommending fam and friends!!

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by DustResplandor on 04/29/2015

Horrible place to buy. Came in with an edmunds price that they said they can honor. After test driving and talking, I came to the decision to get the car and made a deal with the saleswoman MARIA or something that started with an M. WHILE SIGNING paperwork they completely pulled the chair from under us and said they can not honor the price anymore. A person is only as good as their word, and this place can not keep one. DO NOT DEAL! Read on for full story... Came for a Civic Si. When we walked up a lady greeted us and showed us what they had in stock. We showed them the edmunds price we found online and they said they can honor the price given. We test drove and came to a decision with the sales woman. After a couple of minutes of talking she said the manager can honor the edmunds price and throw in the security system for the agreed upon price. Once we started filling out paperwork we were deciding whether to pay in full or just finance the car. As soon as they heard we might pay in full they said they can not honor the price of edmunds anymore. The manager came to me to explain and had the audacity to say that it's because the thought it was a regular civic. Why would a regular civic even be close to a civic si price. The manager was [non-permissible content removed] who showed no respect to business ethics. Do not deal with the Maria or the manager. Do no deal with the whole business for a matter of fact.

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by Sbenn84 on 01/04/2015

Do not ask for an equote from these people. I contacted Internet sales and Fallon Richards emailed me a quote. The email included the year, make and model of the car, the original MSRP, and the discounted offer price. It also included an even lower offer if I met two other incentives for military and college grads . After receiving the quote I called and spoke to her personally to verify the price and the car make and model. She told me that the quote and car was correct. I asked if it was okay to buy the car the next day. She said it was fine. Before going to the dealership I called again to confirm the price and to make sure the car was still available. Fallon said yes everything was set to go. I printed the quote as instructed on the email and went to buy the car. Upon arrival I received the old bait and switch tactic. Fallon claimed that the price could not be honored because the incentives ran out yesterday. I would have bought the car yesterday if that was the case and the reason why I asked if I could buy the car the next day. I asked to speak to the manager to present the emailed quote. The manager said that the price was a mistake. I did not stay to negotiate a new price. [non-permissible content removed] This dealer completely lacks any and all business ethics. They epitomize what it means [non-permissible content removed]. No one should even consider to purchase a car from this dealer. One star is way too high of a rating.

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by South_Familia on 03/03/2014

We live 60 miles from this dealership and it was the only one that had the exact car we wanted. Before driving all that distance I called to inquire about the car, a new Honda Insight. Navaid assisted me, answered all my questions and did so with speed and friendliness. He was awesome! He gave me an out the door price, which was fair, but not low enough for my liking. I countered and didn't think my low offer would be accepted. He responded he could make the deal so we drove up the following morning. We were greeted by the manager, John, and another sales associate, Mike. They honored the deal and Jose (finance) got us out of there in 2 hours! The entire deal was done via text with Navaid and it was the easiest process ever. I highly recommend the dealership. Everyone was extremely friendly AND they had a nice area for our 2 year old to play. Thank you Navaid, John, Mike, Jose and Wendy for making our experience smooth and painless. We are so happy with our little Hybrid!

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