A&A Auto Sales and JJ Motor Cars
 

Hey guys,
A friend of mine is interested in a car that these two places have, but we were wondering what the RS community has to say about these two places? I'm not too sure why but he wants the 7 series? Any feedback on these places would be great. We don't know too much about them and he is yet to go check out the car.
Thanks in advance for you help everyone!

Kingsway and Hastings.. avoid

If you're going to buy a car from a shady kingsway dealership.. i'm pretty sure it shouldn't be a 7 series.

so true.

if you're lookin for a used euro car, i suggest you buy a certified one from the dealership. it's gonna cost more, but it'll be worth it in the long run

Anywhere on Kingsway st. from Vancouver to New Westminster: AVOID

What about S&S Auto Sales on Byrne in Burnaby?

key reason's to avoid?...

7 series? from a shady dealerships?
WOW. Talk about putting up a front.

Better off just looking on craigslist or trying to find a reputable dealership.
7 series second hand sell for far less than new.

It is a gamble, and i wouldn't buy such a car from those places.

This.

Lol Thanks for the input guys, We really appreciate it!! I'll let him know what you guys said lol. Thanks again for your help!

Don't know your budget but there's this one for sale on RS: http://www.revscene.net/forums/fs-2003-bmw-t627367.html

Potentially stupid question... I know everybody says to avoid kingsway used dealerships, because they are shady and stuff... What exactly is it that they do that makes them worse off than other used car dealers? They selling cars made from welding scrap together or something?
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That and so much more. What looks good on the outside does not always translate the same mechanically.

Buying a used car is a gamble, doesn't matter where you buy it from. I don't have a good impression on stealerships so I would go on craigslist or local car forums and find a private seller first before even setting foot in ANY dealership, Hastings or not. Just because they have a nice showroom doesn't mean they're not out to get your money. Most private sellers just want to get rid of their cars and are more than willing to give you deals.

ALWAYS bring YOUR mechanic or bring the cars to your mechanic. Walk if they have a problem with that. That and Carproof.

you should check out the automotive protection agency's website for reviews of various shady dealerships where they send undercover guys in to test them. or a video clip of W5's news story where they worked w/ the APA and brought cameras in the faces of the salesmen.

basically anything from rolling back odometers, saying a car has no accidents or very light when it's been written off or a MAJOR accident or something w/ frame dmg. some pretty blatant stuff.

it can happen at big name dealerships too, as i think they tested a JP dealership (i forget which one) but i would think that stuff is a little more rare since they the dealership would have to protect their image.

go with your gut and do your homework, all you can really do...other than buying new

I talked to a guy from BCAA that was doing an inspection for a potential customer for a car at the dealer beside Budget rental on Kingsway. He said to stay away from them b/c he did a basic check of the air care records and the mileage was rolled back quite a bit. He said not to trust them.

We hear this a lot in the car business - "my ________ (friend/boyfriend/father/whatever) says he only buys cars from private sellers as he doesnt trust dealers."

As far as generic, sweeping, blanket advice goes, this is not a good bet. There are a *LOT* of downsides to private sellers, here are a few:

1) No trade-ins = no tax savings
2) Usually they cant help you with leasing or financing
3) Private sellers are NOT required to guarantee ANYTHING about a car - basic safety, liens, accident history, etc.

1 & 2 are pretty self explanatory, but 3 is a big deal and worth reiterating.

As a licensed and bonded dealer in BC, we are required to guarantee to you that the vehicle you buy is lien free. Tons of people have been scammed by private sellers who sell them a car that they owe money on and then end up having the car repossessed with no recourse or options.

Next, we are legally unable to sell you a car that is not fit for use on the road - ie a car that has been in an accident and not repaired to a manner that is safe for driving, a car that has no brakes, etc. There is no disclosure we can make, nothing we can have you sign, that exempts us from this basic requirement, which is not the case with a private seller.

Finally, accident history. We are REQUIRED to disclose everything we know about a vehicle's accident history - checking "Dec over $2000" on the transfer form no longer suffices (You do know about the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC which exists to keep dealers honest and help educate and inform the public), we are legally required to disclose EVERYTHING we know or else face having the vehicle returned to us.

***

While not all dealers share the same commitment to full disclosure, the same is true of private seller and you have a LOT fewer options when you get screwed by a private seller because YOU were an idiot and didnt do your homework.

Best of luck with your search,
Mark

^ Well said.

Shady dealerships are being held accountable for their actions more than ever now in order to ensure a safer car buying experience for all. Sure this can't be said for everyone in the industry, and in fact I've seen terrible business practice just as much at the big names as I have at the little kingsway places. Just be careful when you're car hunting and look for a place that provides full discolsure without question.

Private sellers can be just as sneaky as dealerships in many cases, and I've dealt with countless people trading in their vehicles who hide a lot of important information from us.

theres a jj motor cars on hastings, close to capitol hill mcdonalds.
they always sell higher end cars (tsx, 350z, bmw's) compared to the other jj motor cars. is this one trustworthy? or avoid both

Speaking from experience here. Test drove a 2000 mercedes benz C230 about 2 years ago in the summer with my cousin at JJ motors. The car looked decent exterior and interior wise. It was asking for $10 000, my cousin thought it was great and managed to convince me to go try it. Took it up SFU and everything was fine, but on the way down going around 80 kph (brakes off, no gas), the whole car vibrated like crazy and it was hella buzzing inside due to the vibration. No idea wtf it did that and the salesman sitting in the back pretended like it was nothing. Then we got to the stop light on Kensington near the Shell gas station. Out of no where, the HVAC died or did something and started to blow out hot air (this was late afternoon on a hot summer day). I felt dizzy and dropped all the windows and tried to adjust the temps but the lights turned green. Got back to the dealership and just left.

Try looking on craigslist, that's where I ended up getting my car anyway.

^^^ thanks for your reply!
i was looking at a 5series there cuz i thought it was the better, or differently own JJ motor cars despite the same logo and marketing.