Not Recommended – Beware if You’re a First-Time Buyer! - G
Not Recommended – Beware if You’re a First-Time Buyer!
I went to Mitsubishi Hawthorne on Aug. 6 to buy my first car. Pace, the salesman, was friendly and great to work with — but the finance process was a nightmare.
They first told me I was approved at 8%, then tried to aggressively upsell me expensive add-ons I didn’t want. Matt, the finance manager, was pushy, disrespectful, and passive-aggressive when I declined — even comparing it to buying a phone case.
Without telling me, they changed my rate to 11.99% and put me with their in-house lender instead of a credit union. Later, the GM claimed the rate was “temporary,” but said I’d been denied by three credit unions. The very next day, I got approved on my own at 6.99% by the same credit union they said had denied me.
When I went back for my refund, they stalled, tried to resell me the car with false claims about higher down payments, and even asked me not to leave an honest review because it would “make the dealership look bad.”
A few hours later, I got a call from Pace accusing me of lying about my income, telling me I “don’t know how it’s done” because I’m not from here, and then hanging up. I have screenshots of the passive-aggressive text that followed.
Pace — you’re great at customer service, but you can’t fix a dealership’s credibility issues by gaslighting customers.
Tip: Always bring a friend, read every paper before signing, and be prepared for hard-sell tactics. I highly recommend avoiding Southowne Mitsubishi altogether.
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