Alexis Keith
1/5
False information, misleading photos, and we are considering filing a report with the Washington BBB from this encounter.
We went to look at a 2003 Subaru Baja that was advertised on CraigsList. We spent a while going over the ad and studying the pictures as we live in the Valley and would have to take time off of work to see it before the lot closed. In the "flattering" photos some light damage to the rear of the car could be seen as well as some light chipping of clear coat on the front fender and a missing gas cap door. The Vehicle Features showed a fully loaded vehicle with keyless entry, anti theft system, and power sunroof just to name a few. We later found out that according to the salesman "the computer auto fills all the advertised features and we can't change it" so none of the selling features that we liked were actually features this car had including the keyless entry.
Visually, one look at the car made us both CRINGE. Beyond the pricetag of just barely under 10K, which is Perfect Condition KBB value for the make and model of that particular vehicle, there were quite a few cosmetic issues that were not originally disclosed. The oxidized and faded hood, MULTIPLE cracked and broken body panels (that are ever so conveniently hidden or not discernable in the online photos), dents and scratches again not quite visible in the photos, including damage to interior, instantly gave off a "Bait and Switch" feel to the entire situation. When we pointed out the distinct differences between IRL and photographs, the salesman assisting us assured us the photos that we had looked at did indeed show ALL this damage "if you look closely" (and zoom in while using a high definition screen apparently). We tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, saying that maybe the pictures on CL weren't all the photos present on their website and so on. He continued to defend his claim that the damage was clearly visible in the CL photos since all the website photos were added to CL.
While my husband, a certified mechanic and 2 year veteran technician for Subaru was looking over the engine bay assessing any mechanical issues, a second salesman (lot mechanic?) showed up and proceeded to "explain" how the motor worked and where the oil leaks my husband found probably originated from. He did so while talking to him like he was a high school dropout. During our inspection, they were continually trying to reassure us that the oil leaks were not a serious issue and since we were also concerned about the timing belt needing changed soon (the ad said all drive belts had been changed at the 120K mark, but there was no documentation on the work actually being done to the timing belt/water pump and those should be changed around 150K miles), that could be fixed at their shop across the street costing "anywhere from $800-$1K" additionally.
After the way we were talked down to and disregarded, we decided the car was not worth our time and energy and we left. This encounter left the worst "Used car salesman/ crooked business" taste in our mouths. We were expecting a "Clean Inside and Out" car. The only thing clean about the car was that it was detailed (and we're almost positive that they will be cleaning the oil-soaked skidplate before another customer notices it). We've uploaded a few photos that "clearly shows the damage of the side swiped and broken rear silver panels" as well as the scratched up rear center console to let others judge for themselves.
*We regret that we did not take any photos while we were there for comparison sake*
