So I saw a new car - a Nisaan NV200SV advertised for $16,994. It was a great price!! Its a small van for my business. I emailed the dealer and their Internet Specialist Christina Anello emailed me back with a happy, bouncy that the car was available and when did I want to see the car? This was around 2:30pm. I said 7:00pm and she emailed me back and said the appointment is confirmed.
So I drove an hour north, on a night of heavy winds, and heavy rains, in the opposite directions of my home, to get this done. 7:20pm I get there. It's raining crazy. I'd rather be at home, but I need to get this done.
When I got there, there was no Christina. Instead, I was greeted by Omar. I had to explain why I was there. He took 30 mins but eventually "found" the van after he confirmed the price, model and email exchanges between myself and Christina.
After that we went to the look at the van. It was lodged behind another car. I had to ask him to do a test drive. So that took another 15 mins while he found the keys for the other car. We did the test drive, we came back to the office. That is when the bait-and-switch began.
He walked back and forth once we were back in the showroom, and i was sitting across from him at his desk. Then he said to me that "there is a problem". Problem? What problem could there be, I was wondering. I had confirmed everything before coming here. Omar had looked it up again, when I came in an hour ago. What problem? I am thinking. Anyway, any problem there is, I am sure they will rectify. I was prepared to write a check and pay for the van right there.
He said he could not offer me the car as discussed because someone "that morning" had placed a deposit on the van by phone, van unseen. I told him that Christina had confirmed the van was available that afternoon. But Omar was insistent that the only van actually available was the same van, in a different color.
Ok, I thought. That's OK. I did not care about the color. Its a business van. Then Omar told me that the different color van was going to be $4,000 more.
So there it was. The old bait-and-switch. Put a fabulous price on the internet. But once the customer comes in, give them a million excuses and charge them $4,000 for a different car.
OK, I am no longer 21 and I know a scam when I see one. Too busy with life to sit and argue, I walked out totally disgusted angry at them, but also myself for allowing myself to be so trusting of a car dealer.
Two days later, the van is still listed for sale. Perhaps there was a sincere error on the part of the dealership? If so, why did Omar not tell me upfront when I got there? Why waste an hour of my time and a test drive? Curious, I emailed the dealership again, using a fake name, and a different email.
Sure enough, the same happy, bouncy email from Christina Anello comes in saying the van is indeed available and when would I like to come in?
Finally I look on Yelp, and not surprising, they have a 1-star rating and there are reviews galore stating basically what I am saying.
In further researching this, this seems to be a common tactic among many Nisaan dealers. Lesson learned: In the future, I will read reviews before engaging any dealer.
No one called to apologies. No manager called me. No email apologizing. No nothing. Just business-as-usual at Nisaan of Hawthorne. Let them be. I would recommend you not reward them for these slimy business practices.
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