
Nicholas Zinniel
General Manager
Russ Darrow Mazda of Madison
2302 W. Beltline Hwy.
Madison, WI 53718

3 Reviews
Write a ReviewDealership Experience
5 yrs, 11 mos
3 Reviews of Nicholas Zinniel
July 11, 2025
I am writing to share my recent and disappointing experience at Russ Darrow Mazda on the Beltline in Madison. On July 10th around 11:50 AM, my father-in-law—who is a senior citizen and a disabled experience at Russ Darrow Mazda on the Beltline in Madison. On July 10th around 11:50 AM, my father-in-law—who is a senior citizen and a disabled veteran—and I visited the dealership to look at a car. After a test drive and some initial discussions with the salesperson, Tony, we began the paperwork and negotiations. During the process, a female staff member mentioned that another customer was scheduled to come see the same car in about an hour and a half. Despite this, we continued with the negotiations, working closely with both her and another manager named Dan. After some back and forth, we made the decision to purchase the vehicle. At the very last minute, however, the manager returned and told us that the car had been sold to someone else. We were shocked and deeply disappointed. We had been at the dealership for over three hours and were the first ones to show interest in the car. If someone else had already placed a hold or was in line ahead of us, why waste our time? And if we were first, why sell the car to someone else? This experience was especially upsetting given that my father-in-law, a disabled veteran who served this country, was treated with such disrespect by the staff. The actions of the team at Russ Darrow Mazda were not only unprofessional but unethical. At one point, when we asked for an explanation, the general manager simply said it was a "miscommunication." If there was truly a miscommunication, then that speaks to a larger issue of poor internal coordination and customer service. In reality, it felt more like we were manipulated and played. Creating a high-pressure, chaotic environment and pitting customers against one another is unacceptable. If the staff at Russ Darrow Mazda cannot communicate with each other, they should not be in a position to serve the public—especially when dealing with vulnerable individuals like elderly veterans. This was my experience, and I plan to file a formal complaint. I also intend to share this story with others to prevent similar situations. I strongly advise against buying a car from Russ Darrow Mazda in Madison. No one—especially someone who served this country—deserves to be treated this way. More
Other Employees Tagged: Kyle Dorfler, Dan Healey, Dan Smith
February 15, 2025
Great work! I really appreciate the awesome customer service and overall experience. Thank you so much! I really appreciate the awesome customer service and overall experience. Thank you so much! More
Other Employees Tagged: Andy Bustos
February 09, 2025
Easy to deal with, and great community! The process felt smooth and definitely a better experience purchasing a vehicle than my previous one. Thank you! The process felt smooth and definitely a better experience purchasing a vehicle than my previous one. Thank you! More
Other Employees Tagged: Dylan Marshall, Tim Faber, Brandon Trierweiler
