Topic: Suburban Mazda

[Timmy!]

As for these guys, I had a horrific experience throughout the whole process of purchasing my Mazdaspeed 3.  The thing that really put me over the edge was when my salesperson chewed me out for giving him and the rest of the dealer a poor survey!  Shortly after, I called the Sales Manager and got the same unprofessional treatment!!!  What's up with that??  I have never had a more horrific retail experience ever!!  If a customer has an issues with how I handled things, generally I would try to rectify the issue.  I would never take it into my own hands and chew my customer out for giving me a poor survey on things that I may not agree with!  I called back and immediately demanded to talk to Mr. Fisher, the owner, but got the general manager.  He had tried to make things right, so we shall see.  Even if he does come through, I still doubt I could do business with these people again!!  Sorry Suburban Collection, but I will be sure to take my business elsewhere!!!  Figured you all should know, especially if you're in  the market to buy a Mazda.  I have heard some negative feedback about their dealers and I can see why!  I will definitely "make the choice" and find a slew of different dealers willing to sell me a car!

[needforsleep]

Thanks for the headsup.  I was planning on buying a Speed 3 next Spring, and from those guys.   May go elsewhere.

[Timmy!]

I certainly wasn't impressed!!  That was the straw that broke the camel's back!  I highly recommend another place!  Especially when the other salespeople overheard what my salesperson and I were talking about, they started to go off too and get pissed!  They are the most UNPROFESSIONAL bunch!

[Rocket3004]

This was @ troy or Cook Imports?

When we were getting my mom's Mazda 6 from Cook, quite literally AS my parents were signing the paper for the lease the salesman comes up (as the pen is nanometers from the paper) and goes "Uhhh Hold on! We somehow miscalculated the lease and your payment is actually 45 (or so - dont remember) more than that paper" and strikes off the number on the paper and writes the new number... my parents were SHOCKED and I was pissed!  They were sitting there with a total blank expression like "WTF just happened??" 

I was furious! I called Thayer right from their show room, asked if they had the same car in stock... told them if they can do XXX/month to get the car ready for delivery.  After a bit of fluff to deal with at that dealer too, we finally signed the paper and left. 

BUT I would def. talk to Carlos (Bushido) if I were you (or anyone else here for that matter).  Before I got my current car, I was thinking of getting a 3 also and he set me up w/ a guy @ Cook who pulled some very good numbers for me.  It didn't work out (drive too many miles to even think of a lease) but I certainly appreciated the straight forwardness of the deal... assuming the numbers stuck through to the end!

[Timmy!]

This was @ troy or Cook Imports?

When we were getting my mom's Mazda 6 from Cook, quite literally AS my parents were signing the paper for the lease the salesman comes up (as the pen is nanometers from the paper) and goes "Uhhh Hold on! We somehow miscalculated the lease and your payment is actually 40 (or so - dont remember) more than that paper" and strikes off the number on the paper and writes the new number... my parents were SHOCKED and I was pissed!  They were sitting there with a total blank expression like "WTF just happened??" 

I was furious! I called Thayer right from the show room, asked if they had the same car in stock... told them if they can do XXX/month to get the car ready for delivery.  After a bit of fluff to deal w/ at that dealer too we finally signed the paper and left. 

BUT I would def. talk to Carlos (Bushido) if I were you (or anyone else here for that matter).  Before I got my current car, I was thinking of getting a 3 also and he set me up w/ a guy @ Cook who pulled some very good number for me.  It didn't work out (drive too many miles to even think of a lease) but I certainly appreciated the straight forwardness of the deal... assuming the numbers stuck through to the end!

Carlos did help me and referred me to this person!  I put no blame on Carlos whatsoever!  Yes, this happened in Troy.  I wish I could have dealt with Carlos all the way through the transaction.  Regardless, I will never deal with them again or any SC dealer for that matter.  Even if I could get a better deal, I would pay more at another dealer just to be treated with professionalism and respect!

[Legato]

I'm suprised Bushido hasn't jumped into this one...

[Timmy!]

He probably wouldn't have known until now.  I didn't want to bother him with this issue and things are already in the works.  I figured I would take it to the top.  There are 2 sides to every story and Suburban Mazda "doesn't agree" with some of the information contained in my survey!  So, in my opinion, its a dead issue.  I got a kick out of that!  It's  ok to disagree, but to jump down the customer's throat is just unprofessional and uncalled for.  The bottom line is that I raised hell for my poor treatment and they are trying to figure something out.

[Rishi]

Sorry to hear about your plight Timmy.  I was going to purchase from Suburban, but was wary of some of the horror stories I have heard about before.  If anyone is in the market for a Mazda, I suggeest either Ferndale or Ralph Thayer as I have nothing but a pleasant experience with both of them.

[bushido]

I'm all over this... I will look into this issue today:-[

Tim -  I regretfully apologize for your experience.  I will see what I can do on my end.

[SportquattroS1]

I go out of my way to buy cars from non Suburban dealers and I live almost as close as you Tim.  I think that not all the dealers in the motor mall are Suburban dealers.  Subaru in Ferndale, Toyota in Cheboygan, and do not get me started with Fred Lavery.  I to have filled out surveys for dealer that are not all 10s and never have they treated me badly.  I would demand that they take the car back and give me a full refund or get ready for my Lawyer for that kind of treatment.  I have been involved in the Auto dealership world all of my life family owned ( no longer), worked in, and worked with salesman from all over the country and there are some great people selling cars but they are are the minority so it is hard to find a really great dealer.  

If I were you I would look to make a friendship at one of the other Mazda dealers.  Try to find a local Mazda club to help you get a name of a good service guy and go and make him your new friend.  You should only need basic service since it should be a very reliable car but you should still be treated with respect and they should be accommodating.  Good luck

[-vinny-]

I'm all over this... I will look into this issue today:-[

Tim -  I regretfully apologize for your experience.  I will see what I can do on my end.

One good man, so many bad others at that place...

[Ingostamus Maximus]

Timmy!  Really sorry about your plight.  I had no idea.  Unprofessionalism is uncalled for.  

If you want to know how childish and clickish some of these places can be, remember that I was doing pretty well at Fred Lavery's back in '90 when my father was in the market for a new audi and Fred's didn't have one equiped the way he wanted it.  The salesman actually had the gaul to misread my father and tell him to wait for the newer model when it came out.  

So my dad bought the car the way he wanted at Bill Cooks (which had a great reputation at the time), just as he had bought his previous 2 audis from them.  Two weeks later our sales manager (George Davis) confronts me and I tell him, hey, my dad wanted to buy a car and you didn't want to sell him one -- I'm not his keeper.  One week later and "Merry Xmas, we need to let you go, cutbacks, you know"... Yeah, right.  

[Legato]

Yeah, that sounds like Fred alright.

[Avantge]

yeah............ a number of suburban dealers are trippin.........thayer i hear is getting better, but i'm still not sure.

last time i was at thayer, the guy that talked with me (they had a blue 2000 S4/6spd) was new....been there a week.   we drove a touareg V6 on test-drive and he told me he came from Suburb Infiniti (Novi).   last straw was the sale of a $50K car and his commission was something like 100 bucks or less.  maybe $152 at most.

how the heck you do that??   i sold a 911 once, and made like $960 commission on the car.  he got it for a steal!!!!

[auto_union]

bought my car from suburban vw and had a nice expierance, no issues here