Autobarn Of Mt. Prospect

Tom _{on Google}

Apr 3rd, 2024

The experience was good- not high pressure - a lot of the discussions were via text and email. We discussed what I wanted they found it, we discussed the economics and the deal was done. Delivery was fast and easy

JaNielle Walker _{on Google}

Apr 1st, 2024

Maryann and Mike were great!

B. Schubert _{on Google}

Apr 6th, 2024

If you're reading this, brace yourself, because I think I've found an alternate universe, hiding in plain sight - right before our very eyes in Palatine, Il, where trade in values are significantly less than anywhere within a 30 minute drive and the condition of your car magically deteriorates as you enter this dimension. Here's the story, in bullet point form, of how I discovered this geographical anomaly.
My wife and I have a Jeep thats paid off and has less than 5,000 miles on it so it doesnt make sense for me, a person who works from home and rarely leaves, to make a car payment.
I received three offers to buy my car Carvana, Carmax, and City VW of Chicago all for $19k. This leaves me with about $9k in equity that I can put toward a cash payment for a higher mileage car thats in good condition.
VW of Palatine has a Honda Pilot, which ended up being a total dog, but on paper met the criteria for what I was looking for. So, I went to take a look.
Test drove the car it had obvious issues right out of the gate. Should have walked away but I thought I was dealing with reasonable people. Not true.
The insanity started when they appraised my car. Took my keys, and kept them (this was a tactic, for sure), only to come back with an offer that was thousands lower than the $19k offers that I had already received. They defended their lowball by saying that my car would require significant reconditioning to be sellable but just the day before, VW of Chicago inspected the car, complimented me on how Ive cared for it, and said that they would just need to wash it and put it on the lot. Needless to say, I rejected their lowball offer.
Salesman brought in a new negotiator the finance manager. He went straight to defending the offer. I stood firm, telling him I wouldnt accept a penny less than $19k. Then, he kept leaving and repeatedly coming back to say Im working for you I was able to find another $500 in your car, very slowly bringing up the trade value. I kept rejecting.
I finally said if youre not willing to match the $19k, then I would expect the difference to be taken out of the purchase price. They flatly rejected, saying that the price was non-negotiable.
Then, I told them that even if I were to buy the car, it would need to pass an inspection by an independent mechanic. This is where they finally grew frustrated with me.
A new character was then brought in the dreaded sales manager. He said in order to have it inspected, I would need to sign a purchase agreement, prior to the inspection, that would lock me into buying the car, barring any major mechanical or safety issues that are found. He made it clear that minor defects, regardless of how many were found, would not get me out of buying the car. They also required a $1000 deposit, prior to inspection, because having a mechanic work on their vehicle poses a significant risk to them.
Two things here Im sure this purchase agreement was extremely one sided and it would surely lock me into buying the car. Ive done enough business contract reviews to know that there was no way I was going to sign that thing. The deposit was another tactic to lock me in. Theres minimal risk in having a qualified mechanic do a visual inspection of that car. Theres way more risk in allowing me to do a test drive. This is why the dealership, the mechanic, and I all have insurance.
I said no and they finally gave me my keys back and told me they were done negotiating.
The best part is that after wasting over 3 hours of my time, I got two follow up emails within hours after leaving. These guys are clowns. If youre looking for a new VW, dont go here. If youre looking for an easy or respectful buying experience, dont go here. If youre not good at standing up for yourself, dont go here. If you work at VW of Palatine and youre reading this, dont contact me. I wont take the review down and I wont be coming back into your dealership ever.