The bottom line is that I would NOT recommend Red McCombs Ford to anyone. On 3 March, I went to CarMax first and got an appraisal for my 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Offroad's value. I was given a quote for $29k, $30865 if I bought one of their cars. I had a nice used car at a... different site that I was going to look at. Since my searching started out online, I noted a 2017 Ford Fusion with low miles are Red McCombs for $16,000. I wanted to kick the tires since McCombs was just on the other side of the highway. I was greated in the parking lot by sales agent who was friendly and I have no issue with him. We looked at some used Fusions and they were ok but seemed a bit dingy for not being very old. The sales agent suggested we look at new since it was just a little more $$ and we could get manufacturer rebates and 0% APR. I was interested in at least hearing what he had to say.
Before starting on this new car venture, I laid out my concerns...The only reason I got rid of a great truck in the first place was to get ready for a high dollar loan for IVF and was trying to "trim the fat" from revolving bills. I had a nice truck that I only owed $24,500 and represented roughly $5,000 of buying power to reduce my car loan size. I explained that I am a USAA member and the car buying service lists the 2018 fusion hybrid SE at just under $23,000. Somehow, between the four trips back and forth with the manipulation/finance office, I lost sight of my finance bearings and can look at this in two ways.... 1) I did not get my USAA member pricing on the vehicle and I had come to the WRONG dealership... or my $5,000 equity in my truck got swallowed up in the back and forth BS "deal" and McComb’s absorbed all my positive equity in my truck with nothing in return. I now look at the vague numbers and still wonder how it was made to feel like a good deal at the time.
I will admit that it was a "pressure cooker" of a sales pitch as well. "What can we do to get your business today".... and a few other lines that should have played out as trigger words to make me more cautious. I came back 3 days later on 6 March dissatisfied with the deal and sought return of my vehicle, trade to a different vehicle and a few other options, all with very disappointing outcomes. Getting my truck back was out of the question they said. Getting into a car that presented a different driving experience since I did not like the Fusion after driving to and from work all resulted in an immediate $4000 - $4,500 loss which was more icing on the proverbial loss already sustained.
What angered me even more was that the "Exchange Policy" was a complete farce despite “3-Day Exchange Policy” placards adorned on every table. I made up my mind that this car will go away within 1.5 - 2 years at whatever loss it presents and it WILL NOT be at McCombs. I canceled my warranty which is meaningless for the duration of ownership I intend to have. I still suspect I have more shocks in store when they hit me with some expensive surcharge for cancellation which will absorb most of the money from being returned to the loan principle. Here is a quick summarization of the numbers as I know them: 2016 Tacoma value: $29,000 ($30,865 CarMax cash) Loan balance: -$24,500 (net difference $4,500 - $6365) 2018 Fusion Hybrid SE $23,000 (USAA member pricing) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $29,000 – $24,500 = $4,500 $23,000 – $4,500 = $18,500 (+ title, reg, tax on principle difference) All the numbers reflect a much better outcome for this vehicle vice the $25,900 I am paying.
Now let’s introduce my new situation. I have a car that is now worth $15,890 according to NADA ($15,000, according to McCombs). So, not only did I lose the positive equity in my Tacoma but I am now very much negative $7,000 - $10,000 just in vehicle value alone! So, I was learning to live with this horrible car buying experience after sending an adapted version of the words above to Red McCombs on 14 March in a survey response. Two weeks after completing my survey, I get a call from my sales agent saying the GM wants to make it right. Perhaps he did not mean to but he said that they were hitting “reset” on the transaction and wanted to know what kind of vehicle would make me happy. A little skeptical, I casually researched possible used and new cars that I thought would appeal to me more. I forwarded my research to my sales agent and awaited feedback.
On Saturday, 31 March, I came to Red McCombs to look at cars and see what would be mutually beneficial. I said hi to my sales agent then proceeded to look at used cars while my agent finished with customers. A sales rep from used cars interacted with me and said, "oh yeah, I know who you are" which I believe he meant in a neutral way and that only he heard of this customer who wrote a letter. He had a new sales rep escort me and my wife and test a couple cars. When we returned he said that the transaction was above his pay grade and that I had to work with the GM on my deal. He conveyed his thoughts that this is a good thing and that the GM is working to make it right. I walked back to the new car side to meet my agent and after about 45 minutes he came back and said that the GM is willing to give me $19,000 for my car.
At this point, I sat there stunned thinking we were supposed to be resetting the transaction and then to hear this… My wife stopped asking questions because she knew I was pissed. In the calmest tone I could muster, I asked how that was resetting of any transaction??? I lost my truck with >$4,500 positive equity into a $25,000+ vehicle 3 weeks prior that I am now getting $19,000 for... The agent said that the current value of the vehicle I just bought is worth about $15,000 and that’s the best they can do. At this point, I was so angry at EVERYTHING to do with McCombs that I conveyed that I was very dismayed with what I was hearing, what happened to the reset and how can these numbers be real. My sale agent got quiet and tried to answer questions with vague info that he likely had and I decided I did not want to badger the messenger so I let it go.
I have nothing but negative feedback for my experience, for the so-called reconciliation efforts of the GM and how this whole deal played out. Worst of all is the 3-day exchange policy that lacks the fine print on the placards but trust me, there is FINE PRINT somewhere detailing how it exists in the land of make-believe. To make matters worse, I was contacted again after writing a negative review on a different site and they said they would exchange my vehicle. After reading complete lies/inaccuracies from McCombs on BBB and some "heated" dialogue from me, we ended our online communications on the pretense that an exchange was going to happen. When I got nothing but silence from emails and texts (for retention of communications), I texted my former sales agent that I intended to stop by on 14 April, he responded "It won't be a good idea". He was cautious what he wrote but implied that the exchange WILL NOT happen and mailed me my license plates so I did not come into the dealership.
This is what you should expect from this dealer.... bad deals, empty promises and to be strung along as if there will be half-measures of reconciliation only to be left waiting for nothing. With so many other dealerships to choose from, I would not burdern yourself with dealing with issues similar to mine nor the many other customers who have very hard words for their post-transaction aftermath. Talking to them about this will only result in them reminding you that you signed a contract and that you must live with the consequences of any and all things after vice stepping up to make things right. Spare yourself my heartache and go somewhere... anywhere else for an automotive deal that is in your best interest. Good luck!
Red McCombs Ford Reviews
The bottom line is that I would NOT recommend Red McCombs Ford to anyone. On 3 March, I went to CarMax first and got an appraisal for my 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Offroad's value. I was given a quote for $29k, $30865 if I bought one of their cars. I had a nice used car at a... different site that I was going to look at. Since my searching started out online, I noted a 2017 Ford Fusion with low miles are Red McCombs for $16,000. I wanted to kick the tires since McCombs was just on the other side of the highway. I was greated in the parking lot by sales agent who was friendly and I have no issue with him. We looked at some used Fusions and they were ok but seemed a bit dingy for not being very old. The sales agent suggested we look at new since it was just a little more $$ and we could get manufacturer rebates and 0% APR. I was interested in at least hearing what he had to say.
Before starting on this new car venture, I laid out my concerns...The only reason I got rid of a great truck in the first place was to get ready for a high dollar loan for IVF and was trying to "trim the fat" from revolving bills. I had a nice truck that I only owed $24,500 and represented roughly $5,000 of buying power to reduce my car loan size. I explained that I am a USAA member and the car buying service lists the 2018 fusion hybrid SE at just under $23,000. Somehow, between the four trips back and forth with the manipulation/finance office, I lost sight of my finance bearings and can look at this in two ways.... 1) I did not get my USAA member pricing on the vehicle and I had come to the WRONG dealership... or my $5,000 equity in my truck got swallowed up in the back and forth BS "deal" and McComb’s absorbed all my positive equity in my truck with nothing in return. I now look at the vague numbers and still wonder how it was made to feel like a good deal at the time.
I will admit that it was a "pressure cooker" of a sales pitch as well. "What can we do to get your business today".... and a few other lines that should have played out as trigger words to make me more cautious. I came back 3 days later on 6 March dissatisfied with the deal and sought return of my vehicle, trade to a different vehicle and a few other options, all with very disappointing outcomes. Getting my truck back was out of the question they said. Getting into a car that presented a different driving experience since I did not like the Fusion after driving to and from work all resulted in an immediate $4000 - $4,500 loss which was more icing on the proverbial loss already sustained.
What angered me even more was that the "Exchange Policy" was a complete farce despite “3-Day Exchange Policy” placards adorned on every table. I made up my mind that this car will go away within 1.5 - 2 years at whatever loss it presents and it WILL NOT be at McCombs. I canceled my warranty which is meaningless for the duration of ownership I intend to have. I still suspect I have more shocks in store when they hit me with some expensive surcharge for cancellation which will absorb most of the money from being returned to the loan principle. Here is a quick summarization of the numbers as I know them: 2016 Tacoma value: $29,000 ($30,865 CarMax cash) Loan balance: -$24,500 (net difference $4,500 - $6365) 2018 Fusion Hybrid SE $23,000 (USAA member pricing) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $29,000 – $24,500 = $4,500 $23,000 – $4,500 = $18,500 (+ title, reg, tax on principle difference) All the numbers reflect a much better outcome for this vehicle vice the $25,900 I am paying.
Now let’s introduce my new situation. I have a car that is now worth $15,890 according to NADA ($15,000, according to McCombs). So, not only did I lose the positive equity in my Tacoma but I am now very much negative $7,000 - $10,000 just in vehicle value alone! So, I was learning to live with this horrible car buying experience after sending an adapted version of the words above to Red McCombs on 14 March in a survey response. Two weeks after completing my survey, I get a call from my sales agent saying the GM wants to make it right. Perhaps he did not mean to but he said that they were hitting “reset” on the transaction and wanted to know what kind of vehicle would make me happy. A little skeptical, I casually researched possible used and new cars that I thought would appeal to me more. I forwarded my research to my sales agent and awaited feedback.
On Saturday, 31 March, I came to Red McCombs to look at cars and see what would be mutually beneficial. I said hi to my sales agent then proceeded to look at used cars while my agent finished with customers. A sales rep from used cars interacted with me and said, "oh yeah, I know who you are" which I believe he meant in a neutral way and that only he heard of this customer who wrote a letter. He had a new sales rep escort me and my wife and test a couple cars. When we returned he said that the transaction was above his pay grade and that I had to work with the GM on my deal. He conveyed his thoughts that this is a good thing and that the GM is working to make it right. I walked back to the new car side to meet my agent and after about 45 minutes he came back and said that the GM is willing to give me $19,000 for my car.
At this point, I sat there stunned thinking we were supposed to be resetting the transaction and then to hear this… My wife stopped asking questions because she knew I was pissed. In the calmest tone I could muster, I asked how that was resetting of any transaction??? I lost my truck with >$4,500 positive equity into a $25,000+ vehicle 3 weeks prior that I am now getting $19,000 for... The agent said that the current value of the vehicle I just bought is worth about $15,000 and that’s the best they can do. At this point, I was so angry at EVERYTHING to do with McCombs that I conveyed that I was very dismayed with what I was hearing, what happened to the reset and how can these numbers be real. My sale agent got quiet and tried to answer questions with vague info that he likely had and I decided I did not want to badger the messenger so I let it go.
I have nothing but negative feedback for my experience, for the so-called reconciliation efforts of the GM and how this whole deal played out. Worst of all is the 3-day exchange policy that lacks the fine print on the placards but trust me, there is FINE PRINT somewhere detailing how it exists in the land of make-believe. To make matters worse, I was contacted again after writing a negative review on a different site and they said they would exchange my vehicle. After reading complete lies/inaccuracies from McCombs on BBB and some "heated" dialogue from me, we ended our online communications on the pretense that an exchange was going to happen. When I got nothing but silence from emails and texts (for retention of communications), I texted my former sales agent that I intended to stop by on 14 April, he responded "It won't be a good idea". He was cautious what he wrote but implied that the exchange WILL NOT happen and mailed me my license plates so I did not come into the dealership.
This is what you should expect from this dealer.... bad deals, empty promises and to be strung along as if there will be half-measures of reconciliation only to be left waiting for nothing. With so many other dealerships to choose from, I would not burdern yourself with dealing with issues similar to mine nor the many other customers who have very hard words for their post-transaction aftermath. Talking to them about this will only result in them reminding you that you signed a contract and that you must live with the consequences of any and all things after vice stepping up to make things right. Spare yourself my heartache and go somewhere... anywhere else for an automotive deal that is in your best interest. Good luck!