A Polished Façade Hiding Deep Issues
A Polished Façade Hiding Deep Issues – Buyer Beware This is one of the more difficult reviews I’ve had to write. On the surface, Friendship Honda of Boone presents well—friendly staff, a clean facility, and gestures of goodwill that seem to warrant a 5-star rating. But beneath that polished exterior lies a troubling pattern of poor communication, questionable practices, and disorganization that left me deeply unsettled. If it weren’t for the fact that they had the exact vehicle I’d been searching for at a good price, I would’ve walked away. My experience is not unique—but I suspect many either brush theirs off or chalk it up to a fluke. It’s not. It’s systemic. If you want the full story, read on. The Experience: I live 3.5 hours away from the dealership but happened to be within 1.5 hours for appointments one day. I reached out about a specific vehicle online and was promptly contacted—great start. I was connected with a salesperson, but communication quickly became sporadic. I was repeatedly put on hold or ignored because he was “with other customers,” as though I weren’t one myself. He was personable in person, but this points to a larger issue with dealership logistics and priority-setting. Then came a more serious misstep: they ran my credit and began loan processing… for the wrong vehicle. Same year, make, and model—but double the price. The initial reaction was to blame me, claiming “we showed you that car in the video,” even though I had been inquiring about a different one that simply didn’t have photos. Later, the used car manager, Tyler Cross, admitted he had chosen the more expensive vehicle for the financing because it had “better options.” So which is it? Miscommunication or manipulation? I was then told the car I wanted had been sold—but it hadn’t. It had simply been transferred to another dealership. After several failed attempts to reach anyone—calls dropped or went unanswered—I finally spoke to management, and arrangements were made to have the vehicle brought back up for me. When I arrived the next day, I was ready to finalize the purchase. But things continued to fall apart. The Red Flags: Vehicle Was Not Inspected or Cleaned Despite having two days to prep the car, it was neither cleaned nor inspected. It couldn’t pass inspection due to a known taillight issue (which I was already prepared to fix), but legally, they couldn’t let me drive it off the lot. They promised to deliver it—but “delivery” meant someone driving the car to me, not towing it. It arrived dirty, with only the front floor mats protected. So much for the promised detail. Sloppy Paperwork and Misinformation The financing details I was told didn’t match what I saw in the paperwork. Important sections were incomplete or missing entirely—signatures, boxes unchecked, sloppiness that inspires zero confidence. Luckily, this was a low-risk “beater” car purchase. I would never feel comfortable making a substantial investment here. Chaotic Follow-Up and Internal Disarray Since the purchase, I’ve been contacted by seven different people—some of whom still think the car is available, others asking if I’m still interested days after I already bought it. The level of redundancy, disconnection, and disorganization is baffling. It feels like no one knows what anyone else is doing. Final Verdict: This dealership doesn’t deserve 1 star—but it certainly doesn’t deserve 4 or 5 either. I wrestled between 2 and 3 stars, but ultimately, here’s what tipped the scale: Attempted bait-and-switch for a higher-priced vehicle Persistent communication failures Using friendly gestures to mask errors rather than owning up to them Failure to detail the car, despite repeated assurances They got the sale—but they lost my trust. And that, in the long run, is far more valuable. Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Proceed with caution.
By Austin W.