Russell Carter | Page 28

Great experience. I have purchased several new vehicles from GM and feel that this dealership was my best experience. It's one of the few times I have felt good about b I have purchased several new vehicles from GM and feel that this dealership was my best experience. It's one of the few times I have felt good about buying a new vehicle. Thanks to Criswell Automotive. More

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Another Great Experience! Love my car! Last week I took advantage of a great Chevy incentive and leased another car from Criswell. A beautiful 2017 Camaro that I absolutely love! My experie Last week I took advantage of a great Chevy incentive and leased another car from Criswell. A beautiful 2017 Camaro that I absolutely love! My experience with Criswell was so good previously when I needed to lease a car for a family member, I knew that I was probably getting it from them once I decided on the specific trim level and if the price was within my budget. The only problem was that they are located about an hour away from me, and initially I wasn't sure which trim I wanted and whether the price would be even close to what I was aiming for. So, first I stopped by my local Koons dealership to take a look and run some numbers. I got a few quotes, but the lease price seemed much higher than what I expected based on my earlier calculations at home. I have leased two cars previously, so I knew something didn't quite add up. I took the quotes home and carefully reviewed everything trying to figure out how they arrived at their numbers. I discovered that on the quote of the car with a bonus tag, the Koons sales manager added $500 to the incentives/rebates, BUT also added $500 to the sale price! Looks like because I qualified for $3500 in rebates, the Koons sales manager thought that the price would already be low enough that I would be happy with it, even so the lease payments based just on their online advertised price were lower! I came back the next day and asked the Koons assistant manager, (the other guy wasn’t there that day) about this extra $500, he tried to "explain to me why this was the correct price" until I explained to him and he ran the calculations himself in front of me, twice, and then realized that I was right. The Koons assistant manager was not very apologetic about it, and he seemed annoyed that I discovered his supervisor's trick. To be fair, I can't prove that the Koons sales manager who gave me the quote didn't make a mistake, but I find it very suspicious that it was off by exactly $500, the same amount that was added to my rebates. Although the price was now what I was looking for, the whole thing left a bad impression on me, now I couldn't be sure that Koons wouldn't try to increase the APR or do something else to change this price. So, although the price was good, I didn't like the attitude of the Koons assistant manager, and decided that it was time to call Criswell.  As I mentioned earlier, I previously had a great experience with guys at Criswell, last time it all started with Russell sending me a detailed quote with everything itemized and easy to read so there were no surprises when I arrived, it was also the same transparency this time. When I leased the previous car, I wasn't sure exactly what car I wanted and ended up visiting 13-16 dealerships before I ended up at Criswell. So, I have been to MANY dealerships, and here is what I think separates Criswell, where I finally signed the lease, from all the other dealerships I visited and didn't. 1. The employee turnover is pretty high in the industry, so the majority of the salesmen at car dealerships I have visited don't seem know their cars very well because they don’t have enough experience. Granted, there are so many models and each model is different, so it's tough. But this is why I was so impressed with Joey at Criswell, he clearly knew everything about the car. It was past closing time on a Friday night, but Joey patiently walked me through everything in the car, and although I thought I already knew a lot about this model from my own research and watching YouTube reviews, I definitely learned a lot of useful things I didn't expect! The majority of salesmen I have dealt with before, didn’t seem to have an interest in cars and were just doing sales as their job. Joey is different. I can tell he has a passion for cars, so he really knows each car inside and out, both the mechanical and the performance aspect, as well as the onboard equipment. Although I have only dealt with Joey and Russell and don't know if all of the salesmen at Criswell are as knowledge as these two guys, one of the guys mentioned that many of them have been working there for years, so the turnover rate must be pretty low compared most places, which makes me think that all of the guys at Criswell know their stuff.  2. The second observation, at least in my specific case, was even more important. The guys at Criswell seem to have a great working relationship with GM Financial, which in some cases can make a difference when it comes to getting a better rate for your loan or lease. While there is not a whole lot of flexibility when it comes to getting a better interest rate because these are based on your credit score, it is usually in the interest of the dealership to charge a higher APR whenever possible, and many try to do this. I have even been told by a finance manager at another dealership that it was “within their right to mark up the money factor/APR.” From my understating, the dealerships do this to make up for the money they lose on a car they heavily discount. My experience at Criswell has been completely different. They went out of their way to get me the best possible APR I qualified for. For some reason when they ran my credit this time it came back with a lower tier APR than last time, even so it also showed that my credit score went up slightly compared to the last time I leased a car from them. This didn't make sense, but Russell at Criswell called the bank and resolved the issue, so I got the price he promised me! Most dealerships would have probably just told me there was nothing they could do, it’s a computer issue or something like that, but these guys are different! This last part really meant a lot to me, and I will unequivocally recommend them to any of my friends who are looking to buy or lease a car, because I know they would get the best deal! Well, this review turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, I guess I am just so happy with my new car I had to write an essay! More

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Didn't waste my time! I visited two other dealers (Rockville & Chantilly) because their online prices were the lowest. Only after visiting each did I find out I needed to q I visited two other dealers (Rockville & Chantilly) because their online prices were the lowest. Only after visiting each did I find out I needed to qualify for all sorts of stuff to get that price. They could have told me this before making me come in just to waste my time. That's when I reached out to Russell Carter at Criswell. He provided me a written quote via email which did NOT change once I arrived. Steve in finance handled my paperwork quickly and Alex showed me how to figure out my new Malibu. The staff was friendly and I had a great experience. Would definitely recommend anyone in the market to check them out. Thank you Criswell! More

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Car buying Made Great Again!! Criswell is Making car buying Great Again! Thank you so much to Russell Carter, Jason Witte, Mike Cohen, Sam Hicks, David Coggin and the entire team Criswell is Making car buying Great Again! Thank you so much to Russell Carter, Jason Witte, Mike Cohen, Sam Hicks, David Coggin and the entire team at Criswell Chevrolet. I didn't think I could lease a new Cruze as inexpensively as I did but the team made it happen. Now I don't have to worry about my daughter driving to school and breaking down. She gets to drive Brand new reliable Chevy Cruze LT with Bluetooth and a warranty! Russell and Mike worked hard to make the dream come true! I wont buy or lease a car anywhere else. This was a YUGE DEAL for my daughter. If Trump saw the art of this deal, he would approve! More

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Above and beyond I wanted to leave a separate review for Greg because it was thanks to his ingenuity I was able to great such a great lease deal. After I got my initia I wanted to leave a separate review for Greg because it was thanks to his ingenuity I was able to great such a great lease deal. After I got my initial qoute from the salesman, which was already an amazing deal on a Chevy Cruze LT, I was later told by the sales manager Russell Carter that "our finance guy Greg was able to get you an even better deal" which really surprised me because I was already getting such a great price, and did so much research on this specific lease, that I could not figure out how it was even possible. I thought that they made some sort of mistake in calculating my manufacturer incentives and rebates, why would they just give me a better price when I was already happy with my monthly payment? When I sat down with Greg to sign the lease, he told me he found a way to lower my interest rate slightly more by calling the bank and utilizing an insurance policy that would allow me to lower the interest rate, and it didn't cost me anything, but actually saved me $9 dollars per month on a monthly payment that was previously $104, that's almost 10 percent. Greg and Russell didn't have to do it, I was already happy with my payment, but what this tells me is that the guys at this dealership actually lookout for your interests, if they can give you a a better deal they will without you even asking. I still can't believe it happened, this experience really changed my preconceptions about car dealerships. More

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Amazing car buying expierence Everyone we spoke to was incredibly polite and professional. Sales manager Russle Carter provided us with extensive information about the sale and gav Everyone we spoke to was incredibly polite and professional. Sales manager Russle Carter provided us with extensive information about the sale and gave us a great deal. John our salesman gave us plenty of time to look at all our options and answered all our questions with patience More

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One of a Kind!!! This is the only place I would buy a car. The staff is excellent! They go above and beyond to meet your needs and get you where you need to be. I will This is the only place I would buy a car. The staff is excellent! They go above and beyond to meet your needs and get you where you need to be. I will NEVER go anywhere else. If you are looking for a dealership, this is the best one!!! More

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Will only come here!!!! I got the best service and treatment at Criswell in Gaithersburg, I went in to look around to see if i could find something with a little bit more of I got the best service and treatment at Criswell in Gaithersburg, I went in to look around to see if i could find something with a little bit more of a cheaper car payment and i was really thinking it would not be possible considering my car i was driving was only 2 years old. After they took my jeep down to see what i could get for it i was told it was possible! As Russell Carter was doing the needed paper work and finding prices i had Scott LeStrange going all over the lot bringing cars up front for me to see. We even walked the lot looking at different colors and models , trust me i had him working. He took his time to stop at the cars that i was interested in and compare them with other models and what he thought i would like and not like about them. After I went inside Russell had already wrote up what my payments would be on the first one i was going to get and i threw a curve ball on a different car, but with no problems at all he started writing up that one. After i had purchased the new car Scott was so helpful with making sure my jeep was next to the new car so i could switch things over, he made sure the new car went back got a full tank of gas and a wash. Even though they were busy he also made sure he took the time to come out to teach me the different controls and even paired my phone to my new car. He also made sure to put his business card in my glove box in case there was any other questions i may of had. I can say i have never been treated so well by a a salesman who isn't just worried about making a dollar off the sale but someone who truly takes the time to make sure their customer is completely happy and all questions are answered before i left. I will use Criswell Gaithersburg for future purchases and will be working with Russell Carter and/or Scott LeStrange from now on! More

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Great experience! This dealership was one of a kind! The staff was extraordinary and I couldn't be more grateful to have had them a part of my first car buying experien This dealership was one of a kind! The staff was extraordinary and I couldn't be more grateful to have had them a part of my first car buying experience. Russell was very personable and worked hard to make sure I was happy and getting the best deal. I've never purchased a car before so I had a lot of questions and Mike was very patient with me and answered all my questions with a smile! It felt like he truly cared about me and wanted to make sure I understood everything even if it meant he had to stay past closing on a Saturday night with my family and I. A lot of dealers don't take younger people serious and see them as a waste of time (as I've had this experience before at the Woodbridge Chevy just a week ago) but this was not the case here! I was treated with respect and I couldn't be happier with my new car! would recommend this dealership to everyone, you don't find dealers as kind and informed like them! Mike and Russell, I thank you!! More

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happy buyer I was looking for a 2017 Cruze with all of the safety features (e.g., lane-keep, plus forward, side, and rear alerts). The car is for my daughter, who I was looking for a 2017 Cruze with all of the safety features (e.g., lane-keep, plus forward, side, and rear alerts). The car is for my daughter, who is just beginning to drive. Criswell had several color options that met her requirements. Mike Holda was great explaining all of the new technology and Russell Carter provided a fantastic deal for the car; zero hassles with pricing or financing. A very easy purchase at a great price! By the way, my daughter loves the car! More

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