Garavel Subaru

by Ron V on 02/19/2021

I bought a Crosstrek here a few months ago. After my first visit, I did not find what I was looking for, but then my salesman called me when a car that matched what I was looking for came in. They have a much larger selection than I thought. The car I bought was certified and much more discounted than the price of a new one. So far the car has been perfect and the eyesight is really great. Subaru makes a quality car and this dealership is full of nice people. I plan on sending other family members here when they need cars! Thanks to Logan, Joe and everyone at Garavel Pre Owned. Also, Jose was very good with the financing. He worked with us on rate and the warranty seemed like a good buy to protect an investment we will have for years. We don't want any issues and having used their service department before, I have always been very happy with their excellent customer service.

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by Taken for a Ride at Garavel on 10/30/2019

After multiple dealings with Garavel we have concluded they are at best incompetent and at worst every vile thing you associate with a used car salesman. In 2013 we popped in to Garavel to ask a few questions, and wound up getting hard sold by Miles Shapiro with a "what do I have to do so you don't leave." We weren't ready to lease then but got the whole spiel about "end of model year clearance", "Subaru's a great car", etc. We wound up leasing an Impreza that day which we were to pick up the following week. Miles called a few days later saying the car we had leased had actually already been leased to someone else but Garavel would give us a similar car with a few extra bells and whistles for no extra charge (incompetence?). Not the end of the world, but my concern was our cost to buy out the car at the end of the lease would go up (Miles confirmed) and we didn't want that extra burden for bells and whistles we didn't need. I asked Miles to lower the down payment by $500 to factor that in and he refused. So I got another offer from a Subaru dealer in Manhattan for what I wanted to pay, called Miles, and forced him to give us the offer we wanted to take their other car. In 2016, when we went to lease our Forrester, Garavel was able to screw us not once, but twice. After five hours spent on back and forth on deal terms, trade in of old car, and test drive, we eventually settled on terms. However, when we went to move through financing, we were placed into yet another high pressure sales pitch with one Jose Marin who attempted to upsell us on service packages which would have tacked on hundreds of extra dollars per month to our just agreed upon lease terms. Unlike with our Impreza, where service was thrown in for free, standard, Garavel had since changed its policy but didn't bother to mention this until the very end. We walked out, and Miles needed to chase after us to convince us this was a mistake. Yet, again, we took the bait. Finally in 2019, while at CarMax trying to sell our end of lease Forester (near mint, <14k Miles), we were made aware that our buyout price from Chase would have put us underwater on that CarMax offer. Our official salesperson in 2016 was a guy named Gary Baumann who did the bulk of the paperwork as Miles was pulling the strings and leading the negotiations. While we were sitting face to face with Gary and he was writing us up, we distinctly remember asking the same critical question at least twice: "so Gary, the buyout price at the end of the lease is 57% of MSRP - like our Impreza?", to which Gary nodded and gave us a "yeah." You'd think an honest salesperson, if they weren't 100% sure, would stop and say: "great question, let me check that for you." Well, the answer we received turned out to be a "miscommunication" at best, and intentionally misleading at worst and that misrepresentation wound up amounting to a difference of ~$3,800, again, at our expense. The true buyout price (called "residual value", we didn't know that was the term until years later) on the lease document was actually 70% of MSRP, at the high end of the range for any 36-month lease for any car, according to subsequent research. We still don't see "% of MSRP" anywhere on that lease, even though those are the terms sales will use with you to discuss your lease buyout cost, if asked. After our recent discovery, I emailed everyone involved to explain the situation and demand remediation. Jeremy Garavel was responsive, showed us the 70% MSRP buyout wasn't incorrect, at least according to Chase and the standard terms for that model in that month, and offered us $500 to take a hike. However, he would not comment on the possibility of his salespeople making a mistake, or something more intentional. When we said we'd need $3k to walk away given the magnitude of the screw up and prior misdealings, Garavel withdrew his offer and told us to talk to their lawyer. As Jeremy claimed over email "we take our integrity and customer service record seriously." If you believe that, I've got some swampland in Florida to sell you.

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by Exceptional on 05/30/2019

Great service, great deal on my vehicle. These guys were thorough, honest, and patient. I would recommend this olace to anyone looking for a suburu. David Novil & Teddy Mochlas- informative and honest sales reps!

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by Ilovemysubaru1 on 05/12/2017

My husband and I have a 12 year history with Garavel Subaru and just purchased our fourth vehicle, a Forrester XT. We originally weren't looking to trade in our STI yet but after talking at lenght with Conroy Johnson we couldn't wait to drive away with our new car. Conroy was very knowledgeable and patient, helping us decide which car would be best for us, the premium or touring. And Tom from financing helped us finish up with the paper work. We have always been very happy with Subaru and look forward to a continued relationship, us and our brand new car! Thank you Garavel Subaru!!

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by Andyware on 04/01/2017

. Thank you Miles, Jason you are super! & Jose you have great patience. Everyone was terrific at Subaru! I would recommend you without a thought.

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by Superbanker on 12/11/2014

I had a terrible experience at this dealership when trying to lease my second Subaru for which the one star minimum is too high. Valentina Craig and managers David Taylor and Nik K. quoted me an attractive price on a car (in writing) but then told me they would have to raise it when I tried to make a deposit on the car four business hours later. Their dishonest tactics also included refusing to detail in writing the fees on the lease agreement prior to my putting down a deposit, handing me a brochure for their costly extended warranty brochure when I asked for a written description of their free lifetime warranty, telling me that leased cars that are subsequently purchased qualify for the dealership’s lifetime warranty and then retracting the statement when I asked to see it in the warranty description, lying about whether I could trade in my existing vehicle for its equity, and trying to trick us into test driving a higher trim than the one we had agreed to test drive. When I complained about this dishonesty to owner Paul Garavel he refused to rectify the matter. These tactics were likely violations of the CT Unfair Trade Practices Act and Section 5 of the Fair Trade Commission Act, and help explain why this dealership received the worst rating (an F) from the Better Business Bureau. Therefore, do yourself a favor and stay away from [non-permissible content removed]. If you do shop there, have a lawyer lined up to sue them after they defraud you, or at least file complaints against them with the CT Attorney General, Federal Trade Commission, Subaru of America, CT DMV Consumer Complaint Center, etc. If you transacted with them and believe you had a good experience, you may want to re-examine your sale/lease documents.

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by dontbuygaravel on 07/10/2013

STAY AWAY FROM GARAVEL! I was in the market to purchase my familys's fourth subaru. Love the cars, so no complaints there. Having said that, you should stay away from this dealership. There are better options in the area that sell and lease the same outstanding cars. My salesperson demonstrated a shocking lack of familiarity with the product. She told me that in order to get the radio controls on the steering wheel, I had to have a special package, which cost more than the base model I was looking at. When I did some more research and went to the dealership's own website, I found that not only was she wrong, but that they had two cars in inventory that met the exact specifications I was looking for. When I called this to her attention, she said there must be a mistake on the website. When I pressed her, she said I was right, and that she had misunderstood what I was looking for. When I told her I could get the same exact car for less at Stamford Subaru, she said they would pull a bait and switch and that I would end up paying more. She then said that unlike other dealers, if they can't locate the car with the features I wanted at the price agreed upon and deliver when promised, they would put me in an upgraded model so that they could meet the promised delivery date and they would eat the extra cost. She also pitched the 10 year drivetrain warranty they offer. In the end, they couldn't get the car to me when promised, the salesperson denied that she ever made the promises she had made and her manager threatened not to sell me the car. And the drivetrain warranty? What they don't tell you until after the sale is that it only applies if you service the car at their dealership. The salesperson knew this car was for an out of state college student, and therefore the car could not be serviced at Garavel (thus voiding the warranty. In other words, she knew the warranty would be worthless to me. This dealership exemplifies every bad stereotype you have heard about automobile sales people. Too bad, because it is a great car.

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by bkcl on 08/31/2012

I leased a car from Georgetown Subaru in 2009. In 3 months I will be returning it. At the time of the lease, my tax town was screwed up and now 2 1/2 years it is still not fixed. No one seems to want to fix this problem at Georgetown Subaru. I have an outstanding property tax on my bill for the whole time I have leased it. Georgetown Subaru put on the lease that they I live in Stamford and I live in Darien. Therefore the tax is more than double of what it should be. I spoke with Reid Ferris who continued to make excuses and after excuses as to why this happened. This year, I emailed the owner Paul Garavel who responded to 3 emails and the last time he responded was in February 2012. I have not heard from him or anyone else from Georgetown Subaru since then. It has been over 6 months with no response. I have called every month and he never returns my calls. I am very disappointed with the customer service at this dealership. I would never recommend buying or leasing a car from Georgetown Subaru. I have leased cars for more than 20 years and never have had a problem with Ford or Volvo.

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by magicman909 on 05/18/2012

When it comes to car salesmen, one does not generally expect a high level of honesty & integrity. Still, despite my low expectations, Georgetown Subaru managed to disappoint, using deceitful tactics to make the sale. Post sale, they virtually disappeared. If price was the same, I would purchase from any other dealership.

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by carwriter on 02/06/2011

As a journalist who sometimes reviews cars I'm no babe in the woods. I understand car dealers are not choir boys. Georgetown Subaru has no choirs, but it makes plenty of old fashioned bait and switch noise.I bought a Subaru Forester from Georgetown because it was convenient, but it wasn't easy. Starting with the declaration that the invoice price advertised didn't really apply because "New England invoice price is higher than every other invoice in the country", and continuing with the perfectly pleasant sales person who claimed (and maybe he wasn't kidding) not to know much about the cars he was selling or what they really cost, to the old rip-off gimmick of pre-printed add on (and unnecessary) charges, the experience of dealing with Georgetown was not only absurdly time-consuming as the sales person had to "check with the manager" at every turn, it required intense research and preparation to arrive at a fairly reasonable deal. So be warned. Do your homework. Stay alert. And bring a box lunch...you'll need it.

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by agb2011 on 10/11/2010

We are from NY (Long Island) and have been shopping for a Subaru on & off for the past 3 years. Georgetown Subaru had the most inventory and Reid Ferris gave us the best price. There is a processing fee of $279, which is significantly higher than NY. But even with that added to the price, it was still a much better deal than we found before. They take care of all the NY State registration, plates, title, etc. The entire experience, from speaking with Reid on the phone to taking delivery of the car was excellent and smooth. We purchased the car (over the phone) on a Friday and took delivery on Monday. Reid even gave us his cell phone number in case we had questions over the weekend (they are closed on Sunday). We arrived on Monday to pickup the car (which was ready for us) and sat with Reid almost immediately. The car was exactly what we were told it would be with only 15 miles on it (he said it would be between 14 - 16). We then sat with Tom & worked out the financial end of things - another great experience. The charge for NY State registration, title & plates were correct and there were no unexpected charges. Then Reid took us out and went over the car with us. We never felt rushed. We drove off very happy with a temporary plate and registration, expecting to receive our NY state registration and plates in 10 - 14 days. To our amazement, UPS delivered the plates & registration on Thursday - just 3 days after we took delivery of the car. I also have to say that the after care we have received has also been excellent. I have called Reid several times with questions that came up - things that I could have (and should have) just looked up in the manual, and he was very helpful over the phone. His customer service is unmatched - even after the sale was completed!!! We are very happy with our 2011 Outback with the excellent service we received from Reid Ferris and the staff at Georgetown Subaru. We would highly recommend Georgetown Subaru & Reid Ferris to anyone considering purchasing a Subaru. It is well worth the trip!

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by stevej_ct on 03/03/2010

I purchased a 2009 forester from georgetown in feb of 2009, it was a lease and had 11,000 miles on it. I was told it was checked out and I would get the new car warranty on it just as if I had bought it new. By the summer I got water in it twice, it took them 2 visits to fix it and I was told it was a manufacturers defect. The car started rattling and whistling on the highway,they couldn't find the problem, my son in law took the car and in 10 minutes found the windsheild seal was coming loose. I took it back to georgetown and they finally discovered the windsheild had been replaced with aftermarket glass and not very well. The service manager said it was not covered under the warranty as it was not subaru glass, and I would have to speak to my salesman max parker about fixing it. max told me he would look into it and see what he could do for me, nothing as it turns out. He won't return my calls and is not in when I drop by. max parker and the crew of georgtown subaru have taken the say of Let the buyer beware to a whole new level. I have been abandoned by him and the whole crew of georgetown subaru and literally thrown under the bus and left there.

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by bobd_nj on 08/31/2009

Sometimes it's really easy to figure out who you want to do business with. And other times it takes a series of events to point you one way or the other. This latter case is why I'm pointing away from Georgetown Subaru's front door if you're in the market for a car. Everything started easy in my recent Outback purchase: using Subaru's online inventory list, I found the configuration I wanted at Georgetown and after a few quick emails back and forth, agreed to buy the car although I live some 100 miles away in NJ. After arriving at the appointed time to pick up the car, I had to sit around for over an hour for no apparent reason. Not a huge deal, but in retrospect, strike one. When we went over the paperwork, Reid the internet salesperson couldn't explain the outsized charge for registration, and agreed to refund the difference between the charge and what NJ actually assessed (it ended up being about half of what they charged). He even volunteered to put it in writing - score one for Reid. Perhaps an honest mistake, or perhaps they figure people will just accept the "official" charge for registration. But the registration process took well beyond the 10-14 days Reid promised, and even with a few gentle reminders ahead of time, they let the registration expire so I had to park the car. Strike two. And the excuses began to fly: "we're very busy" and "it isn't my job and we don't have office staff available" were the ones that especially irritated. Having finally received the permanent registration, I sent back the NJ receipt and asked for the promised refund. A check came within a few days, with a handwritten notation that a $65 processing charge had been deducted. A big strike 3 - we never talked about an additional processing charge. And my request for a full refund per the written agreement is now a week old with no response. Georgetown has gone beyond careless and sloppy to something that approaches fraudulent, and I'll continue to pursue settlement of the deal we agreed to. In a chatty moment, Reid told me that cars sold in Subaru of New England territory (CT, RI, VT, MA, NH, ME) cost more than elsewhere because "Ernie gets $200 for every car sold." (Ernie presumably being the owner of Subaru of New England). I'm sure other dealers in other states have to pay distributors too, but seems like it'd be worth it for buyers near adjacent states to check prices carefully; folks in southern Connecticut, for example, might want to talk to one of the several Westchester, Putnam, or Rockland dealers. And beware Georgetown quotes, which do not include the "dealer conveyance" (i.e. profit) until you ask for it or until you sit down to sign. Good luck!

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