People want to deal with somebody that they can trust. One important thing that we think a lot of our referrals feel good about is that they know someone who's had a good experience with us. We're real transparent about what we do and what we sell.
At Russell Smith Auto, we try to make sure that we understand what the customer's budget is so that they can afford their payments along with all their other responsibilities, because we want to make sure that they're successful and pay the vehicle off.
What sets us apart from other places that sell used cars is that we don't want to put anyone in a vehicle where their payment may be too much for them in their current situation. We can always let them know that this may not be their dream car, but if they make their payments on time, then at 75% through the loan we let them trade it in. By then maybe they’ll have better credit with us and be able to afford a little bit more on payments on another vehicle.
We believe that those are the main things customers look for. You know, we are a Buy-Here Pay-Here dealership; a lot of our customers are trying to see what they can get financed for. So we do really help out with people with no credit, bad credit. Doesn't really matter about the credit really, we are more concerned with getting them into something within their budget.
Another thing to look at is if the dealership offers a warranty on their used vehicles. At Russell Smith Auto, our warranty is for six months or 6,000 miles, whichever comes first. It covers the engine, transmission, starter, alternator, and water pump.
Also ask if the vehicle has been reconditioned. At Russell Smith Auto, we inspect and detail every vehicle and address any safety issues. Our mechanics and managers test drive every vehicle to see if there's anything that needs to be addressed before we it’s put it on the line.
Not every used car dealership goes the extra mile like we do, and you certainly take a chance on getting a vehicle from somebody off the street. The buyer doesn’t know what they’re getting into, as well as not getting a warranty.