Wayne Mazda

High pressure sales tactics, dirty number games, and an all around experience plagued my trip to Wayne Mazda when I went to look at a new car last week. I walked in the door prepared, having done research on the exact car, trim, color, etc. I wanted and was ready to make a deal based on the local "true" car value (though most sites still inflate this number higher than you can get on negotiations). As I came in with a car I was seeking to trade-in to put towards the down-payment of this new car, the salesman I was working with asked for my car keys. I didn't think this would be a problem, but I asked FIVE TIMES for my car keys back throughout negotiations before outright demanding them when I was walking out the door. I felt trapped, uncomfortable, and the victim of high pressure sales tactics. There is no reason for a dealer to hold onto your car keys for "an appraisal" for more than an hour while the car sat locked in a parking spot. In my research on the car I was looking into, I saw many "True" car value sites showing a final sale price of $26,000 on a national level and $27,000 on a local level, with MSRP of $29,900. I let the sales guy know right off the bat that $26k was the price he had to make to sell me on the car that day; Especially considering they did not have the car in the color I wanted and refused to even respond to my suggestion of "Well can you ask around and see if another local dealer has one?" A strong forward pitch, but it felt fair to ask that for a car that is effectively now a year old in Jan. 2017, especially since now I was being sold on a Red car instead of Grey. After some back and forth with his sales manager, the salesman I was working with "settled" on a final price of $27.5k, under the condition they actually find the color of the car I want. Of course, they would only start searching for the color of the car I wanted if I put down a deposit first. Nope, wasn't having any of that and I said I would like my car keys and to walk out. Well, here comes the sales manager running over to let me know that no, he DEFINITELY has a friend at another dealer who DEFINITELY has the car I want in grey, just please give me your deposit tonight. Well, I go back to the desk and consider it, looking over the paperwork and updated terms/list price after negotiations and what do I see here? $400 charge for VIN Etching and $400 for a "Protection plan" (Also known as an extended warranty) both thrown on the price without nary a mention? I bring it up to the salesman I'm working with and he says he may be able to "remove" the protection plan cost but the VIN Etching is mandatory for all cars sold at Wayne Mazda and there's nothing they can do about it and it MUST be on there. That's right folks, for $400 Wayne Mazda can provide and charge you for a service you never asked for and can do yourself with an $18 kit off Amazon. The sales manager will try to sway you with arguments about how if your car is ever stolen and parted out the VIN Etching will somehow protect you and Wayne Mazda will pay the insurance cost (if your car is stolen) and oh, how ((SOME)) insurance companies will give you discounts for having VIN Etching. At this point? It didn't matter. I was through with the nonsense and being told I NEED to pay for these extraneous charges. I was through with not having my own car's key in my hands after asking for it 5 times. I walked out the door and continue to look elsewhere to do my business. Lo and behold, searching around some more for "True" car prices and apparently these 2016 MX-5's are being sold even in the highest trim for $24k in some places. They're losing value quickly and right now, it's January. I can wait a few more months for these cars to lose value before needing to buy one; And to think, I really would've been fine at 26 or even 26.5k list price for the car, deposit down that day, but I felt they HEAVILY tried to take advantage of what they thought was "easy prey" with me being a mid-20's car buyer.