Scott Volkswagen

I rarely write online reviews, but felt I had to in this exceptionally wonderful case. Last weekend I purchased a 2010 Jetta TDI, (manual transmission, Black with sunroof) from Scott VW. It was being sold as a VW Certified Pre-owned vehicle, 3 years old, with 38K miles. I live in NY State and had been searching for exactly this vehicle for almost a month without any luck. (apparently black, manual, sunroof is a rare combination for used TDI's.) That is how I ended up expanding my search to include Rhode Island. The car was originally listed as Not having a sunroof, but I called just to make sure. Chris, the business development manager, said he would check the car and let me know ASAP. He emailed back in 20 minutes with a photo he just took from his phone, confirming that it did indeed have a sunroof. In a total of just two emails each, plus two phone calls, we were able to negotiate a great price ( almost $1000 lower than the original listed price), arrange all the financial details, worked out the logistics for the out-of-state sale (tax, transit plates, etc), secure the vehicle with a small deposit, and arrange for a test drive. They understood the concerns that are faced by someone buying a car from a distance, and did everything ppossible to make me feel confident to make the 5.5 hour drive to Providence. Chris did not hesitate to put, In Writing, the actual final negotiated price, all guarantees concerning the VW CPO program, the guaranteed hold for three days, an statement that the deposit is fully refundable if I decided not to purchase, etc. He was candid, professional, and very forthcoming with all information. I never felt as if I had to drag action or information from him, as I have felt in the past from other car dealers. Rather he seemed to pre-empt all of my concerns and fully address them, in writing, even before I asked. I am a good judge of character, and can say that he is a man of highest integrity. Having secured the car with a deposit, I was then assigned to a salesman, named Dennis. At the dealership, I found the car to be in even better condition than had been described; and looking much better than the photos could capture. There was literally not a scratch on the vehicle, the paint looked like new, engine purred, handling was flawless, brakes and tires were more than 80%, interior condition was like new. The paperwork did take quite a while, but that was because I ultimately decided to finance through the VW dealership as they were able to offer me 1.9% financing on a CPO special that was taking place. In the end the dealership, through Dennis's help, also through in several nice 'extras' such as trunk cargo mat, full set of rubber monster mats, ipod audio accessory cord, fill-up of diesel fuel, and extended the vehicle's subscription to Sirius radio. They also offered to get me a free valet key, which is absent from the vehicle, but which is not required under the terms of VW's CPO program. All of this was thrown in after the fact, and was not part of the original negotiation. When was the last time anyone reading this had that kind of experience shopping for a used car? I've had the vehicle for a week, and so far I am extremely happy with it. It's my first time owning a diesel, and some aspects of this are new to me. I have been in contact with the Dennis three times this past week, and he has happily answered all of my questions, and sought the advise of the relevant person to address all of my questions expertly. He also informed me that since my car had 38K miles on it, they had already performed the 40K service maintenance on at the time of certification. That means a lot, because the 40K service is 'the big one' that usually costs like $500. And it is also nice to know when my next one is due, and what should be done to continue with the normal recommended maintenance schedule. Plus, they are going to send me all of the vehicle's maintenance records of what was done to the vehicle as part of the certification process, when they send me the valet key. I have no reason to doubt that they will hold true on this, given all of the other extras they threw in with this deal. I do have to stress here that for me it is not the 'extras', but rather the honesty and integrity that make me feel so good about this deal with Scott VW. I have bought 9 used cars in my life, most from certified dealers, but a couple from snake-oil-salesmen (especially in the early days), and this was by far the best experience that I've had to date. They did not over-represent the condition of the vehicle, they facilitated a smooth long-distance price negotiation and purchase, at a great price, they stood by their word on every detail, there were absolutely no hidden charges or surprise last-minute fees, they threw in a bunch of perks, and they have followed up to make see how my car is working out and continue to be there to take care of all my questions and concerns. Is there anything more than one could ask from a car-buying experience? I sure can't think of any. Their showroom was very clean and neat, and decorated in a cool 'old-timey', 'fun-in-the-sun' VW theme...complete with classic bugs/busses, wooden surf-boards, and antique gas pumps. We were offered coffee and free iPads/wifi while waiting. If I had to think hard to find a single criticism during the whole experience, it is that the person who detailed the vehicle while we were finalizing the deal probably should not have put Armor-all on the clutch pedal. Quite slippery, even for this seasoned MT driver, but at least it was shiny!