Certified Benz & Beemer

Reviews 3

FR

Fred Jones

After 20 years of living in NYC, my partner and I planned to relocate to L.A. after taking the summer off for a “sabbatical” in AZ. Having been out of the car owning or buying market for two decades, it took a lot of reading, research, and test driving cars to figure out what we wanted. Finally settled on an Infiniti G37 Coupe, but we discovered that one unpleasant fact hasnt changed in 20 years: most car dealerships are not run in an honest, transparent, or helpful way for the customers. However, Certified Benz & Beemer is a stand out exception to the otherwise dismal car buying marketplace. In fact, CBB made the process COMFORTABLE and even FUN. On our 1st visit to the showroom, we met Alex Kankus (salesman) who showed us a few cars, including the Infiniti that we ended up buying a few weeks later. He patiently explained CBBs operating and pricing philosophy, the features of the cars, relative insurance and fuel costs of the different models, and the like. He remained HELPFUL, EVEN TEMPERED, and PLEASANT to work with, even after we told him the car we test drove was out of our $$ range. He was cool with that and even offered to keep his eye out to try and find something that would be in our range, all with no pushiness or aggression. I thought his attitude was very CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY and clearly showed that this dealership takes a more long-term, RELATIONSHIP approach to customer service, rather than the wham-bam, transactional approach of some that try to hurry up and sell you something, then get you out the door before you figure out what happened. After a near-miss transaction on a similar car with another (stereotypically crooked) dealership in another part of town, we returned to CBB to drive the G37 again. I tried to negotiate a lower price than CBB was asking, but Alex (again CALMLY and PROFESSIONALLY) explained to me that CBBs asking price was already below comps. So, I left the dealership and spent about 36 hours doing my own pricing research, and guess what......Alex was telling the TRUTH! At his price, I would be getting the car BELOW the Edmunds TMV value, the NADA Guides price estimate, and the KBB value. I dont know if other customers get such a good deal, but the point is that the pricing process is TRANSPARENT and HONEST. So, two days later after agreeing on their price, I went back to CBB and in less than 2 hours, they got me a GREAT RATE on financing and I was driving away with my dream car. Tracy in financing was EFFICIENT, HELPFUL, and SWEET. A gentleman named Ed (last name?) offered out of the blue to help me hook up the Bluetooth phone connection in my new car. On buying day, I also met the owner and another senior manager, both of whom were FRIENDLY and OPEN, and why not....they are working for a truly exceptional firm that does not rely on deception to make money. So, all of you at CBB, keep up the good work and please live up to this review for the next guy/gal. I definitely will be calling on you guys again next time I need a new ride!

KE

Kenneth Swisher

After going to a few "stealerships" around the valley (Im sure theyre not all bad, but I had bad luck) where I was given the old bait and switch tactic of getting me in the door to look at a couple of cars that had magically sold only to try and sell me something out of my price range, I was so frustrated and I went to Certified Benz & Beemer on my way home to check on a couple cars I saw online. I was helped by Jeff who immediately walked me right to the cars I was looking for and didnt try and upsell me to something I didnt need. He really listened to what I was looking for, and he listened to my frustration from other dealers around town. Long story short, I got the car I was looking for at the best price in town without needing to try and haggle the price even lower. I had explained to Jeff that at another dealership, they added in a $600 warranty that was NON-NEGOTIABLE, meaning I couldnt even opt out! Jeff walked me through the warranty options available to me, but in a way that was just presenting the options and facts and allowed me to make my own decision. When I declined the warranty, there was no undue pressure to push me into it which I really appreciated. During the test drive, Jeff noticed a couple of small details in the car that needed cleaning and made sure that when I came to pick it up, those items were fixed. He even ordered the car manual for me to pick up at a later date (or to send to me) as soon as it gets in, which saves me the headache of tracking one down. It was also easy to drive the car off the lot unaccompanied to my independent mechanic for a thorough inspection before purchasing. Oddly enough, while waiting to sign my paperwork, I struck up a conversation with another customer who started off by saying he wont be buying from them again. When I asked why, expecting a juicy story, he basically told me that he bought a car from them a year ago and it turned out to be a lemon (OBVIOUSLY not the dealers fault...) and he is currently on his 4th engine. When I remarked at how expensive that must be for him, he said, "Oh no, their service department is great, theyve really taken care of me here." meaning he didnt pay for a thing on this car. So after that, I wasnt really sure what his complaint was. Sounds to me like they backed up the vehicle when there is nothing they can do about it. Thank you for a great experience; when I need a car in the future, I would definitely come back to Jeff and see what they have in their inventory. Pros: -Not pushy at all, just listen to your needs. -Nothing hidden - what you see online is really the price. -They really had in stock what was advertised (they removed the car I bought by the next morning, so its up to date) -Quick and easy process, not stressful at all -Friendly and helpful staff, especially Jeff -Sounds to me like they back up their products Cons: -Really cant think of any right now.

ST

Steve Dworman

Q, Chris, Brian, and Tracey were outstanding! I had found a great vehicle on Autotrader and sent an email inquiring about the status. Within 5 minutes I received a call from Q who was super friendly and helpful. Before we even started going into details he took the time to verify the car was still available and asked if he could call back. I was pleasantly surprised. Q called back a few minutes later and we chatted details about the car I picked out and another potential vehicle. I drove over to the dealership that night to take a look at the car. Q met me outside (he already had the car pulled out front), and we went for a spin. Not once did he try to sell the car....we just chatted a bit and talked about our days. Another plus in my book. After the test drive we talked numbers...Q pulled the CARFAX and a list of all similar cars for sales within 300 miles so I could compare prices. I asked him about having my local shop inspect the car the following afternoon and he made it happen. The next day I went back to the dealership and Q had gone the extra yard to have his service department do a complete inspection. The good news is they found the car hadnt gone through the safety inspection and ended up doing an oil change, replacing air filters, and replacing the battery. I didnt have to take it to my shop after that. While I wasnt able to drive away with the car on Friday (because the inspection and service is so thorough), it was ready first thing Saturday morning. I sat with Chris Nall talking final pricing details and we met at a number satisfactory to both of us. How often does that really happen?! All through the buying process Q was a solid liaison. He made sure all issues were resolved quickly, and made the entire process painless. A couple of other call-outs...Tracey in finance was super nice and had the paperwork good to go in record time. While she did offer the extended warranty she didnt try to overly push the product after I declined. Additionally, Brian in service was extremely helpful and genuinely nice. He was the one who made sure the inspection and service were done thoroughly, and even made sure to get me a new cup holder to replace the broken one (also thanks to Q for helping facilitate the repair). I really dont see myself buying a car anywhere else as long as Im in Arizona. Certified Benz and Beemer is a top notch shop!