Select Auto Imports

We found Select Auto Imports through the internet -- they had the car we wanted (a low mileage Mercedes Benz C300) in the colors we wanted at an attractive price. I was a little nervous going to a firm that isn't an MB dealership. Indeed, I'd never bought a car from anyone but a franchised dealership. I needn't have worried. Naser -- and everyone else we dealt with at SAI -- was professional, knowledgeable, and straight. The price was right. The paperwork was handled quickly, courteously and flawlessly. We were presented with upgrade options -- Lojack, an extended warranty -- but there was no pressure to buy them, which was unexpected and very pleasant. All in all, it was a smooth experience. My only caveat concerns the so-called “processing fee”. As we all know from dealing with airlines, banks, and phone companies, the easiest way to inflate prices without seeming to do so is by loading on extra fees/surcharges for checked bags, overdrafts, “property tax recovery”, etc. In the retail auto industry this takes the form of a processing fee, which in the DC area is usually $300. At Select Auto Imports it is $600, which erodes (but does not eliminate) the dealer’s otherwise excellent value proposition. I can't complain too loudly because I didn't push back very hard on this, but others coming to the dealership should be aware of it.