AutoMax Ocala

Reviews 4

JE

Jeffrey Hawthorne Goines

It is very sincerely that I can recommend Automax Ocala very highly. My experience has been extremely positive. First of all, it is true that my car was very affordable to begin with, a 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible, and that I was able to pay cash for it, which certainly simplified the transaction to begin with. I have been, in the past, in the excruciating position of waiting for a loan which might, or might not be approved, which is a very different situation from the one I was in with this transaction in Ocala. The job of the salesperson then, and of the finance team, is extremely difficult, stuck between wanting to sell the car and please their customer on the one hand, and the necessities of the banks which find themselves having to consider every modality in a general economy which, despite finally some recent improvements, remains still fragile, after decades of millions of disappearing jobs. Here, nothing of the sort! I paid cash, for a modestly priced car. However I was able to fully appreciate the integrity, and the high and sincere respect towards the customer in rhe course of this transaction. I noticed a pulling to the left of the car at a certain moment of the test drive. I asked Ryan, my salesperson, to be so kind as to have the front end checked professionally. Ryan, and Dan, the finance person, immediately and graciously agreed. My car was checked professionally very swiftly within, of course, the reasonable, and the possible, a couple of hours in this case. My car was fine, the roads surface, obviously, had caused this pulling to the left. But had there been a mechanical repair to be done, I knew that it would be fixed well and fully. This also gave me great confidence. Ryan is an excellent salesman. His honesty and integrity are absolutely genuine, and his natural open and friendly manner are a reflection of a fair, and kind, person, respectful and friendly to everybody whom I saw him interact with. I quickly took confidence in him. I also found Dan, who handles finances, to be kind and open and well meaning to all, despite the difficulty inherent to his position as finance manager, in the middle of the interest of the customer, that of Automax, and the demands of the financial institutions which he has to deal with: Dan handles this orchestra as a good, and fair, conductor. Dan is a good and fair person. Miss Carole, at the reception desk, is very open and friendly. Her simple, gracious manner, reflect very positively on Ocala Automax, and at the same time, the ladys presence there is also a reflection of the nature of this Automax branch: honesty, integrity, and friendliness, has been my experience there. Thank you all, and, above all, thank you Ryan, for a sincerely excellent experience. Jeffrey Goines

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ME

Meggie LaPeer

My review about AutoMax of Ocala is a mixed one. James Cohen was the salesman that helped us throughout the whole thing and he was great. As was the general manager Tony LaPuma. BUT... they did pull something completely shady with us the day of purchase... as I was honestly expecting, because, lets face it, car salesmen do not have the best reputations. That is why I can only give it 3 stars. Let me start with the good first. James was a great salesman, very helpful, knowledgeable, and gave me great recommendations on cars based on his personal knowledge. Tony LaPuma was also great, worked with us any way he could, helped us out a lot, and got us a great deal. Unfortunately, the day we were to purchase the car, part of the deal was pulled off the table last minute by Daniel Collins. I had a trade in that Tony was going to give us a set amount for. We came back the next day thinking we were going to purchase the new car, unfortunately to only be told that I needed insurance for the new car and that they wanted to see the trade in car "to make sure it exists" were the exact words used. We asked them that evening if we bring in the car is the same deal still on the table. We were told "YES." Next day, we come back, with new insurance, bring the trade in vehicle, sit down to start the paperwork, and Daniel Collins walks up and says, "Oh, by the way, were giving you $900 less for your trade, than initially promised because its not as good as we originally thought." Apparently integrity means nothing to him and only the matter of making a fleeting dime is more important. If it werent for the fact that we have always had positive experiences with them in the past, for James Cohen being an outstanding sales person, we would have completely walked out on them. I love the car I did end up purchasing, its wonderful, and I did good a good deal, despite part of the deal being reneged last minute, but unfortunately I do not think I or my family will do business with AutoMax of Ocala again. This is sad and unfortunate since we have had a positive history with them in the past.

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KE

Keenan Kelly

Let them go to work for you. I was extremely pleased with the way i was treated when i stepped on the lot. Not to pushy, willing to work with me the on a price, will put you in the car you want and then work out the price from there. James was my sales man and he did a great job and was willing to do anything to help get me in a new car that fitted my needs and my price range. This is the first car i have ever bought on my own and automax of Ocala was my first stop. I told James i wanted to go explore a other options before making any decisions and he was completely respectful of that. I tried the used Accura dealership and was laughed at, then I headed to the honda dealership and was basically shooed off the lot, and at the Chevy dealership i spent 45 minutes on the lot and no one even approached me. I went to 4 other local used car dealerships to find a better deal and not one of them could beat Automaxs original sticker price or would even willing to negotiate. All of the other dealerships were trying tell me what to buy instead of letting me give them an idea of what i want before they tried to sell me something. When i returned to automax James recognized me from a distance, remembered my name, what cars i liked, my financial situation and even made a good impression on my friend i brought and my mother the previous time i was on their lot. James told me to pick out 3 cars i have my eye on, test drive them and then he would go to work for me on a price and monthly payment range that would help me get the car THAT I WANT. I ended up with a 2012 VW CC lux with more bells and whistles than a 22 year old kid fresh out college even needs. Im paying a price for the vehicle i wanted and didnt even know was possible. Ill definitely going back for my next car purchase. I had a great first car buying experience at Automax of ocala.

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LI

Lindsay Embick

Has to be the worst experience Ive had buying a car. The salesman was good but the financing aspect is still a nightmare. They dont want to go over any rough payment what so ever until after you do a credit application. Then they start wanting you to sign papers before you even know your monthly payment or interest rate. I didnt appreciate not knowing any information on monthly payment until we were already in the finance office signing for the car. Big struggle at that point to get us all the way back to where we needed to be on monthly payment because we already "agreed" to the final price on the car. They wanted to first give me a 6.99 percent on a 2015 car with tier 1 credit. Wasnt having that at all! Fought over that as well and finally got him to get an approval for 2.5 percent. Finally got home with the car. Two weeks later the monthly payment for my trade in came out of my account. Seriously? I went in and they said I needed to give them at that point proof of income for the bank. What?! I was driving around for 2 weeks in a car that wasnt even funded !? So I gave them what they needed and the next day I finally got "approved" through the bank on that car. The one finance guy acted shady through the whole ordeal. So now 2 more weeks go by. My envelope for my next car payment on my trade in came in the mail stating that I owe my next payment in two weeks. What?! Almost a month later and they havent paid off my trade in so that loan is still active?! I confirmed that the trade in still has an active loan today by calling that bank and I cant get a hold of a finance manager from auto Max on the phone to save my life. Yes they have nice cars but I felt swept under the rug and almost taken advantage of through the buying ordeal and am still dealing with it all! Would not recommend.

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