I contacted Strickland’s Stratford Toyota about a - noel
I contacted Strickland’s Stratford Toyota about a low-priced 2011 Mazda Tribute that was advertised online. I dealt directly with Nikhil Mathew.
When I asked for photos, I was told the vehicle was on their “as-is” lot, that photos would not be available anytime soon, and that I should drive an hour and a half just to look at it — with no photos, no condition details, and no meaningful information provided.
Because of this, I decided not to make the drive. However, when I checked the listing again later the same day, I noticed that the advertisement had been edited and the price increased approximately six hours after my inquiry.
In parallel, I had also contacted another Strickland’s location regarding a different low-cost vehicle and was told it had already been sold, followed immediately by questions about what other vehicles might work for me instead.
Taken together, this experience raised serious concerns. Advertising low-priced vehicles to attract inquiries, providing little to no information when contacted, then either changing availability or increasing the price shortly afterward creates the appearance of a bait-and-switch sales tactic.
In today’s market, refusing to provide photos or basic details and asking buyers to travel long distances on speculation is not reasonable. The subsequent price change only reinforced my lack of confidence in the transparency of this dealership’s sales practices.
I chose not to proceed and would strongly advise budget-conscious buyers to proceed with caution.
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