⭐ 1 STAR — BUYERS FROM OUT OF TOWN, READ THIS BEFORE YOU - smallfishbigsea
⭐ 1 STAR — BUYERS FROM OUT OF TOWN, READ THIS BEFORE YOU MAKE THE DRIVE.
I live approximately five hours from River City Hyundai in Edmonton, so I made it extremely clear from the beginning that I could not simply “come down and see what happens.”
I was shopping for a 2026 Santa Fe Ultimate Calligraphy Hybrid AWD and was quoted a very competitive price of $56,398. I was initially told approximately $18,000 for my trade, and the paperwork I was subsequently given showed a $16,660 trade allowance, subject to inspection.
Because I live five hours away, I specifically discussed the trade and the condition of my vehicle before making the trip. I made it clear that I could not afford the deal if the payment increased significantly. I was reassured that as long as my vehicle was in good condition, there should be no problem.
This wasn’t some mystery vehicle they knew nothing about. It is a Hyundai, and I disclosed the mileage. My local Hyundai dealership had already physically inspected it and offered $15,500.
Based on River City Hyundai’s representations and paperwork, we proceeded. I obtained insurance on the new vehicle, my husband took time off work, we spent the money on fuel and drove five hours to Edmonton.
We arrived. The new Santa Fe was exactly the vehicle represented to me. Then they inspected my trade.
Suddenly my vehicle was supposedly worth only:
$11,000.
Not $18,000.
Not the $16,660 shown on the paperwork.
$11,000.
That’s a $5,660 reduction from the written trade allowance after we drove five hours to get there.
And somehow another Hyundai dealership that had actually inspected the exact same vehicle in person could offer $15,500.
I cannot speak to anyone else’s experience or what River City Hyundai intended. I can only tell you exactly what happened to us.
But here’s my opinion: a great deal isn’t a great deal if the numbers don’t survive the customer’s arrival at the dealership.
I had specifically explained why I needed accurate numbers BEFORE making a ten-hour round trip. They knew how far away we lived. They knew the mileage. They knew I couldn’t afford substantially higher payments. They reassured me enough that I insured the new vehicle and made the trip.
If they genuinely believed my trade could potentially drop by more than $5,600 after inspection, I would have expected that risk to be made crystal clear before a customer drove five hours.
Instead, we arrived after investing our time and money and were presented with a completely different financial reality.
Maybe they expected that after driving five hours, paying for insurance, burning the gas and taking time off work, we’d feel too invested to walk away.
They underestimated us.
We walked.
I would rather drive five hours home empty-handed than spend years making payments on a deal I told them from the beginning I could not afford.
River City Hyundai didn’t lose this sale because I changed my mind about the vehicle. I loved the vehicle.
They lost the sale because the numbers I travelled five hours for weren’t the numbers waiting for me when I arrived.
My advice to anyone travelling from outside Edmonton: do not make the trip based on preliminary trade numbers. Get the trade value as firmly documented as possible, ask exactly what could cause it to change after inspection, and be completely prepared to walk away.
I did.
Five hours there. Five hours home. Expensive lesson learned.
⭐ One star.
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