Brattleboro Subaru
Dealership Sales Review
The dealership listed a 1980 MGB for sale. I submitted a bid via website and traded several e-mails with Marie Flack. Since this was an older car, I requested pictures of the engine and undercarriage (for rust). I am two hours away and hoped to get a deal done then go complete the purchase saving four hours round trip. Marie Flack refused to provide additional pics. Here's her e-mail: "I understand wanting more photos, however due to the high volume of online inquires, that's something delegated to our photographer only. The car is absolutely mint, and it is just as clean underneath as it is in visible areas. This is something you really need to see in person to appreciate!" I would have been satisfied with a few pics from a cell phone. Didn't think that was a big issue but apparently Marie did. Here is the transcript from the e-mails we traded: She started out nice but it went downhill from there: "Good morning and thank you for inquiring online for our MG! I saw your offer of $6,750.... We can't go that low, but we'll do better than $9,999. This car was originally priced at $11,990, and is being sold on consignment, so it's at the owners discretion what we can let it go for. Would you like to set up a time to come see it in person?" Me: "Even quick cell phone pics would be helpful. We're two hours away so the pics would save a trip. If everything looked good, I would try to work out a deal and then pick the MGB up." Her: " I'll be honest, my hesitation comes from your offer of $6,750 for this car as well as your lack of interest in coming to see it. We're far away distance-wise and deal-wise. If you're comfortable paying $9,999 for the car (plus our $396 documentation fee) and you're going to set an appointment with me for this weekend then I'd feel like we might be getting somewhere here. Hopefully you can understand that. We're here 8am-5pm tomorrow and 11am-3pm Sunday. Do either of those weekend days work for you?" My response: "They do not. I did tell you I was able to go up. A few pics didn't seem like a big deal to maybe get a deal moving forward. One trip up is more efficient. As an aside, I bought my '08 Toyota Sequoia via internet and phone negotiations for $35K(ish) with no issues and traveled to New Rochelle NY to pick it up. The $396 doc fee is not mentioned on the eBay listing so why would I even entertain buying for full price and doc fee? I will pass on this one." I placed two calls to their sales manager today but have yet to get a call back. Looked like a great car but due to their poor customer service, I would never buy from them nor recommend. Brattleboro missed out on a (seemingly) easy cash sale. Guess taking care of customers is not high on their list of priorities. I didn't think my requests were unreasonable but she did.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? No