Marques Rice

Review of Herb Chambers Lexus of Hingham

Dishonest bait-and-switch business practices. Avo...

Dishonest bait-and-switch business practices. Avoid if you are wise.

I called Wednesday to inquire about a used vehicle on the website. A rep named Carly answered the call, then placed me on hold so she could physically see if the car was still at the dealership. After being on hold for about one minute, Carly picks up and says "Great news! That car is still here and available." She then asks if I would visit the dealership that day or the next to purchase. Here is where I started to sniff a bait-and-switch.

I informed Carly that I was an out-of-stater and needed to, first, purchase an independent inspection for the vehicle. Her response was to "tentatively schedule" my inspector to arrive on Monday --- 5 days in the future. Five days can be an eternity in car sales. There was no way I was waiting that long when I was ready to purchase pending the outcome of an inspection. So, I told her I would coordinate it for Thursday or Friday.

My next question concerned a ballpark out-the-door price on the car. Carly said she did not have the number, but a sales manager could provide it. Fair enough. I expected that she would put me on hold again and get a sales manager. Nope. Carly said she could have a sales manager call me with the information...on Monday. I can believe that a customer service rep might not have pricing information. I can also believe a sales manager was not on site an hour before the dealership closes. What I did not believe was that no sales managers would be available for five days to begin ironing out the details of a car sale.

I did not press the absurdity at that point though. Carly and I exchanged information so I could coordinate the inspection and eventually get a sale price. Fifteen minutes later, I received a text message from Carly saying she went to physically check on the vehicle and found out it was not available. This was followed with a gauge of my interest in a different car that was "the nicest one in the similar style and price range." Do not forget, fifteen minutes earlier, she physically checked for that car, said she saw it, said it was available, and wanted me to come see it.

No, I do not for one second believe she confused the vehicle. It was used, a hybrid, and bright red...in other words, a unicorn. I also do not believe someone else --- in a 15 minute window --- spotted that same car, expressed interest to a sales representative, completed sales paperwork, waited for the car to be cleaned/prepped, and drove it off the lot. No one was available that night to quote a sale price, remember? This car magically disappeared because Carly knew I was about to spend money inspecting something the dealership did not have.

Avoid this place. They will say/do anything to get you in the building and sell you the inventory they actually have available to move.