Wallingford Auto Park

Reviews 3

A

A Private User

I went to look at a BMW X3. Jim spoke to my fiancee over the phone and told us to come down. We headed to the dealer and went inside. A man asked us if we needed help and we replied by saying we were looking for "Jim." He gave us a blank stare then said Im "Jim" and didnt bother to introduce himself further. He was busy with another customer but pointed us toward the vehicle we were looking to purchase. Eventually Jim came out and asked if we wanted to test drive it. At this point I introduced myself to him and shook his hand, apparently hes doesnt really care about knowing his customers names. Jim left us alone to look a the car and test drive it, which was nice. But when we came back he was no where to be found. After a while we realized he was working with other people, which was fine, he has to make a his sales. But he could have at least told us he was bouncing back and forth between customers and we might have to wait a few minutes. So we finally got around to discussing the vehicle with Jim and tried to make a deal. He scoffed at my first offer and acted like me offering $1,995 less than the asking price was a ridiculous insult. Like it was the only X3 available, and it was an unbelievable price. Yeah. Right. Red stained carpet, no floor mats, touch-up paint all over the interior, missing plastic trim pieces, peeling plastic finishes around the window buttons, dirty seats, etc...far from the mint condition he implied it was in (it did drive nicely though). He argued that the vehicle would be cleaned and detailed and that they might be able to get some of the staining and blemishes out. But the vehicle was priced like the cleaning, detailing, and stain removal was already done and the other blemishes and missing items didnt exit. I figured my offer was fair considering the cosmetic blemishes and other issues the vehicle had. Apparently it was not. After asking if I was looking to make a purchase on the spot and me replying "yes" he offered to bring the price down by $995, claiming that was it" and implying I wouldnt find a better deal anywhere else. I then asked about the financing and monthly payment amounts. He said he couldnt run any numbers on payments figures for me without first filling out a credit app. and putting a $500 deposit down. He then acted like I was an idiot and hassling him for asking for maintenance records for the vehicle-the dealership did some work on it, I wanted to know what they did. He then acted like it was a hassle when I asked him again to at least give me an idea of what my payments would be so we could negotiate further. He all but refused, saying we had to do the credit app. and put down the deposit before anything else would be done and that the credit department handles it. So when I asked who I had to talk to in the credit department, he said no one, that I should keep talking to him...ok...keep talking to you even though you arent even attempting to do anything Ive asked... I then said I was trying to keep my payments around 300 per month, but I understood that interest rates and loan terms would play a factor. He looked at me like I was stupid, even though he couldnt figure out how to use his calculator to do some simple math. At that point we left. Long story short, the dealership is clean and it looks like they might have some nice cars. But dont be fooled by their *unbelievable internet prices* and stay away from Jim.

RO

Rob Webb

My experience started on a Friday. My girlfriend arrived at the dealership and were immediately greeted by a gentleman named Rick Miller. After introducing himself, he brought us to his desk and asked us what he could help us with. I had previously looked at their inventory online and told him about three cars that I was particularly interested in. After pulling the cars up on his computer, Rick printed the car fax reports out for all three cars and gave me a little extended knowledge on each of them. Once we had narrowed it down to two cars, Rick went and got the keys for both cars at the service desk. As we test drove one of them, he went through the list of features for both cars and did not push either one on me. Instead of pushing the higher priced vehicle on me, he allowed me to make the decision on my own without loading his opinion onto me. After the test drive we sat down and talked about financing. Instead of sounding unsure about my ability to qualify for a loan because of my non existent credit, (like what every single dealer did that I went to previous to Wallingford Auto Park) Rick sounded very confident that he could work some magic with the banks and help me out with my first car loan. When the loan application was finished, Rick told my girlfriend and I that he would get started on my approval first thing in the morning but since it was the weekend he said that he might not be able to get back to me until monday. The next morning (saturday) I woke up to a missed call from Rick and a voicemail asking me to call him back. Once I did, I was surprised to hear that he had already done what he said he was going to and got me approved for a sizable loan with no co-signer and at an interest rate that was under what I was pushing for. Instead of waiting till monday to get an answer of how my loan application went, Rick told me that I would be able to come pick my new car up on monday. Once monday came around I was worried that the paper signing process was going to be boring and time consuming. Although it took about an hour and a half to complete all the necessary steps to make the car legal to drive (transferred plates, insurance, registration etc.) and bank and warranty paperwork, I was impressed with how quick it felt because of how friendly and sociable the staff is (They also made sure that I understood everything and took the time to explain anything I had questions about). Before I knew it, my new keys to my new to me 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SE were in my hand and I was on my way. Rick Miller was amazing and I can guarantee that this will be my go to used car dealership for the entirety of my used car buying career.

ME

Megan Carroll

Easily and without a doubt the worst customer experience of my life. I had gone to Wallingford based on reviews, forgetting that for the most part only satisfied customers take the time to post reviews, skewing the ratings (I also found out that the service department will give a free oil change if someone writes them a 5-star review here, which is how they have so positive many ratings. Unethical and shady). I was saddled with a pushy salesman (Jim) who wouldnt answer my questions and said, "Look, I dont need this. You either want the car or you dont" (first red flag). I had just moved to CT and my job was starting in a few days so I went with the Rogue I test drove. About a month later, I brought it to an outside mechanic for a thorough check to make sure I could fix any problems while in the 60 day warranty period. The mechanic reported that my transmission was faulty and drive belt was cracked and in need of replacement (second red flag). I brought the car back to Wallingford and told the mechanic to check the transmission because there was clearly something wrong. The mechanic at Wallingford, Steve, told me there was probably nothing wrong and sent me on my way, only replacing the drive belt (third red flag). One month later, the transmission COMPLETELY failed. It BROKE. The car was totally out of commission, and could not even be driven to a mechanic for repair. It cost $4,000 to tow and replace. I contacted Wallingford because I had written proof that a mechanic told me the transmission needed work while I was under warranty, and Wallingford refused to admit fault. The manager, Marcello, did not return my calls or emails, and cursed on the phone that he wanted to "get this file off his f***ing desk" so that I would stop calling. To this date, I am still seeking further action. AVOID THIS BUSINESS ALL COSTS. Save yourself the trouble and go elsewhere. This company does not value honesty or customer care, let alone respect. I deeply regret the day I came to Wallingford Auto Park for a car, and I am still paying off FOUR THOUSAND dollars for the transmission that should have been covered before sale.