Let me tell you a story:My brother's car died. Not... - Wolff
Let me tell you a story:
My brother's car died. Not important, but this is why I was looking at a truck- he can't afford to buy one due to COVID layoffs, so I was helping him out.
He and I saw the ad one night last week for a truck that would be perfect and affordable, so that he could get back to work immediately. It was at Brooks Biddle Automotive in Bothell, near where I lived.
The next morning, I get up and head straight down there. I meet with a salesman, go through the truck and was offered a test drive. I hop in and take it for a drive for about 10-15 minutes. I get back, call my brother, tell him this is perfect and we agree to buy it.
I head inside and talk with the salesman some more to arrange a purchase. As per standard, I make a cash offer on the truck and he disappears in back to review it with his manager.
5 minutes later he comes back and tells me he can't sell it to me. Seems that the owner's son sold it while I was out on my test drive. The salesman apologize for this, as he said he was wasting my time, and I leave. My only comment was that this whole event was exceptionally unprofessional and disrespectful.
As I am pulling out, Ian Biddle, the owner's son, comes out to my vehicle and tells me how he sold it to his friend, and how he and his friend do favors for each other, and that he should have told everyone on the floor and on the internet (it was still posted for sale on-line when I got there) and so on- lots of canned justifications... I tell him that it doesn't matter; I've still been treated badly and that he has poor ethics and no professionalism.
He then offers to "make things right"- he'll find me at least as good of vehicle, offer me a more than fair price on it and make his errors good. I say that would be appropriate and give him my phone number and email address.
That was about a week ago. He's contacted me a couple of times and offered me trucks. None were as good of condition, all had at least 3 times more miles, none had as good of accessories, and all were more money (when miles, condition and options all factored in). A couple of them actually sounded good when he sent me the specs, but when I asked back what the price was (he didn't send price) he responded that they were already sold, so it didn't matter.
Ian has shown his true colors- He has none of the ethics and community responsibility of his father, but I guess that's what happens when you inherit the family business. He has shown that he has no remorse for selling a vehicle out from underneath a local customer, screwing his own salesman out of a well-earned commission, and then only going through the motions to make it right (simply because he only wants to give the impression, but not actually go through the full actions).
As a life-long resident of Bothell/Kenmore I have always wanted to see local businesses succeed and grow. Now I see why Brooks Biddle lost their Chevrolet dealership and why they are trying so hard to sell their land to Sound Transit.
If Ian is the future face of this auto dealer, I weep for his father and grandfather as their legacy is doomed to die a slow, miserable death.
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