Garavel Subaru

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!