Return-Path: Received: from IUS5.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa10309; 25 Apr 96 10:10:34 EDT Received: from AHS-3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU by IUS5.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU id aa06898; 25 Apr 96 10:10:02 EDT Message-Id: <2.2.32.19960425170744.0067a874@ius5.ius.cs.cmu.edu> X-Sender: mbayouth@ius5.ius.cs.cmu.edu X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 10:07:44 -0700 To: bovik@cs.cmu.edu From: Michelle Bayouth Subject: Car dealer recommendations Dear Dr. Bovik, After having a horrific experience with Don Allen, I sent a request to cmu.cs.general for car dealership recommendations. The following are the responses that I have received. Would you please include them with the other postings? Thanks! Michelle Bayouth -------------------------------- Return-Path: Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 16:44-EDT From: Joseph.Kownacki@K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU To: Michelle Bayouth Subject: Re: Wanted Recommendations for Car Dealerships Michelle, you're making a good decision to avoid Don Allen. If you're in the market for a Honda, my dealer is Francis Dean in the South Hills. When I purchased my car (10 years ago), I experienced both dealerships and the difference was astounding. Dean has been great on repairs in the meantime. joe -------------------------------- Return-Path: Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 17:24:58 -0400 From: mikew@pyrrhus.cimds.ri.cmu.edu (Mike Williamson) To: Michelle Bayouth Subject: Wanted Recommendations for Car Dealerships References: <316C2F4E.6ED5@ri.cmu.edu> I had a great experience with Bianchi Subaru out in Monroeville. They are still a car dealership, so you have to be prepared to negotiate, but I felt like I got a fair deal in the end... -Mike -------------------------------- Return-Path: Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 18:10:16 -0400 From: "James H. Morris" Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Department of CS To: Michelle Bayouth Subject: Re: Wanted Recommendations for Car Dealerships References: <316C2F4E.6ED5@ri.cmu.edu> I really like Rorich Toyota. -------------------------------- Return-Path: To: mbayouth+@ri.cmu.edu Subject: Re: Wanted Recommendations for Car Dealerships Newsgroups: cmu.cs.general Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Cc: Bcc: Date: Thu, 11 Apr 96 1:15:21 GMT From: baraff+@TURNOVER.GRAPHICS.CS.CMU.EDU Sender: baraff+@TURNOVER.GRAPHICS.CS.CMU.EDU I was told out and out lies by someone there (Don Allen). In their defense, the person had been fired the next day when I called back!! I was shopping for a Geo Prizm, but I ended up buying it as a Toyota Corolla from Ted McWilliams Toyota in Monroeville (about 1.5 miles from exit 14 on 376). I had to bargain pretty hard, but I got a very good price. I would have to say their sales people are fairly typical of car people, negotatingw-sie. But after we settled on a price (about 1/2 hour to 1 hour of negotating) everything was business like and in order -- no surprises, no problems. Past that however, I have been EXTREMELY happy with the service. Never any problems, and they are always quick. (The car itself I really like.) I would buy another car there just because of the service department in and of itself. -------------------------------- Return-Path: To: mbayouth@ri.cmu.edu Subject: car dealerships Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 22:32:18 -0400 From: Cam Miller Saturn of Monroeville! I've owned a Saturn for 3 years -- and it really is like the ads say. I wouldn't buy any other car, nor would I want to go anywhere else to have it serviced. I am treated with respect at Saturn. Their idea of not bargaining for the selling price was a stroke of genius as far as I'm concerned. Maaayyyybe I pay just a little more than I would for a comparable vehicle that I could bargain for, but I figure I'm buying the knowledge tthat I will always be treated like a human being-- not just on the sales floor, but, even more importantly, at the service desk! -------------------------------- Return-Path: Date: Thu, 11 Apr 96 08:53:38 EDT From: Maxine.Eskenazi@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU To: mbayouth+@ri.cmu.edu Subject: dealerships I had the same experience with Don Allen (going there with my uncle who has bought cars from them for the last 40 years!!). Try Saturn of West Liberty on West Liberty Avenue in the South Hills. I assure you you will find something different. You can ask for Shawn Frasier and tell him I sent you. Maxine Eskenazi ---------------------------------- Return-Path: Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 12:11:26 -0400 (EDT) From: "Kenneth E. Mohnkern" To: Michelle Bayouth Subject: Re: Wanted Recommendations for Car Dealerships Cc: References: <316C2F4E.6ED5@ri.cmu.edu> > I've recently had a horrific experience in dealing with Don Allen on > Baum Blvd, and would like to get recommendations on where to and not to > shop for a new vehicle. Any responses will be posted to Bovik. Hi, Michelle, Here's my story. Six years ago Honda Village in Greensburg (a Smail Bros. dealership) was recommended to us. The guy we were specifically told about was busy when we got there, so we got a new guy to help us. We looked, and drove, and decided we liked a car. We sat down with him to talk about what it would cost us. Before he would give us a price, he said he had to talk to his supervisor and he needed my credit card to show I was serious about the 'offer'. He was clearly uncomfortable about doing it. Soon a more seasoned salesman came along and began to put the pressure on. After several negotiations and "checking with the boss," I just wanted my credit card back so we could leave. My wife was negotiating like a bandit. We were ready to leave without my card when they came back again and we finally settled on a price. I got my card back, we told them thanks we'll think about it, and fled. The price really was good, so inspite of my misgivings about the place and its people, we went back and bought the car. Since then I've found them to seem less than honest when it came to service as well. (I can't prove anything - it's just my gut speaking.) I'm never going back, and will never do business with a Smail dealership again. It's been 6 years, but it's still good to get that off my chest. Ha. ken