Merrill Auto
It must be a new year because we just bought a car. Its like a new tradition or something and I have to say, this time it was almost fun. In our desperate search for a minivan on a very, very tiny cash budget (read - no payments) and a search that had a countdown in accordance to the functionality of our 1995 Buick things got hectic quick.
I was told about Merrill Auto by a fellow townie. Merrill Auto is owned and operated by Doug Merrill of Dressel's Service Station fame. I honestly wasn't sure if Doug would be able to help us out on such a short notice and with a budget of a whopping $4000. I sent him a message and thought I would give it a shot. Doug emailed me within 24 hours and included a whole report of the minivans that had sold at auction the previous three weeks and how much they sold for. This helped establish expectations. He was direct and up front about the various costs that would have to figure into those prices so we had a very realistic idea about what we might be getting.
Car auctions happen on Wednesdays, so Tuesday evening I received a follow up email from Doug making sure we were still in and on the same page. We were. In the previous week I had continued my own search on Craigslist.com and had found a possible backup in case things didn't go well at the auction. I wouldn't have bothered with this if we weren't in a rush, but as it was the Buick* was barely making the trip to work and back for Aaron. As it was, we were on a serious time crunch. For a family of six with the two bread winners working opposite shifts, two cars are an absolute necessity.
The day of the auction was actually really, really fun. Doug was sending me photos, Car Fax reports, he test drove the vans and checked them out totally. If one looked pretty good and I agreed, he bid on it. It was like a roller coaster! I would get his call, then text Aaron or forward the photos to him. Then the bidding would start and we would wait for the call about how it went. At one point Doug stopped bidding because the value of the van was less than the costs. He was absolutely committed to finding us the right van at the best price possible. It was fantastic.
After a few hours of being beaten back by bigger budgets, it was a bust. Doug was certain that in another week we would probably find something but this time around we just couldn't wait. So what did Doug do? He got us a Car Fax on another van that I had found at another dealer! It was awesome.
All of this to say that if you're in the market for a car and you have cash on hand.. Merrill Auto is absolutely the way to go. Its like having a personal mechanic do your car shopping for you while you sit at home or at work. Totally cool. And the fact that his family has owned and operated one of the most reputable car repair shops for almost 50 years is just another bonus point. It was such a great experience. Next year with more time and more cash on hand the first person I'm contacting is Doug.
*On a side note - the Buick overheard our conversations about buying a van. Wednesday Sadonne died after 16 years of dedicated service (2 with us). His failing brakes, fuel leak, destroyed exhaust system, broken window, failed transmission and various other issues were the main causes of death. He will be remembered well.
I was told about Merrill Auto by a fellow townie. Merrill Auto is owned and operated by Doug Merrill of Dressel's Service Station fame. I honestly wasn't sure if Doug would be able to help us out on such a short notice and with a budget of a whopping $4000. I sent him a message and thought I would give it a shot. Doug emailed me within 24 hours and included a whole report of the minivans that had sold at auction the previous three weeks and how much they sold for. This helped establish expectations. He was direct and up front about the various costs that would have to figure into those prices so we had a very realistic idea about what we might be getting.
Car auctions happen on Wednesdays, so Tuesday evening I received a follow up email from Doug making sure we were still in and on the same page. We were. In the previous week I had continued my own search on Craigslist.com and had found a possible backup in case things didn't go well at the auction. I wouldn't have bothered with this if we weren't in a rush, but as it was the Buick* was barely making the trip to work and back for Aaron. As it was, we were on a serious time crunch. For a family of six with the two bread winners working opposite shifts, two cars are an absolute necessity.
The day of the auction was actually really, really fun. Doug was sending me photos, Car Fax reports, he test drove the vans and checked them out totally. If one looked pretty good and I agreed, he bid on it. It was like a roller coaster! I would get his call, then text Aaron or forward the photos to him. Then the bidding would start and we would wait for the call about how it went. At one point Doug stopped bidding because the value of the van was less than the costs. He was absolutely committed to finding us the right van at the best price possible. It was fantastic.
After a few hours of being beaten back by bigger budgets, it was a bust. Doug was certain that in another week we would probably find something but this time around we just couldn't wait. So what did Doug do? He got us a Car Fax on another van that I had found at another dealer! It was awesome.
All of this to say that if you're in the market for a car and you have cash on hand.. Merrill Auto is absolutely the way to go. Its like having a personal mechanic do your car shopping for you while you sit at home or at work. Totally cool. And the fact that his family has owned and operated one of the most reputable car repair shops for almost 50 years is just another bonus point. It was such a great experience. Next year with more time and more cash on hand the first person I'm contacting is Doug.
*On a side note - the Buick overheard our conversations about buying a van. Wednesday Sadonne died after 16 years of dedicated service (2 with us). His failing brakes, fuel leak, destroyed exhaust system, broken window, failed transmission and various other issues were the main causes of death. He will be remembered well.
Sorry to hear about the Buick!
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling me to look for a van.
I really wish I was able to come home with something for you after all that work at the auction.
This post really helped transform what seemed to be an unsuccessful event to a totally rewarding event!! :)
P.S. You are a great writer!
I hear banks will pre-approve you for a loan so you can still shop around like you have cash.
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