Bob Byers Certified Pre-Owned Volvo

These guys had the car diagnosed before I handed them the keys to run the diagnosis (RED FLAG!).
Against my best judgement and the butterflies in my stomach, I continued handing them the keys to do a «proper diagnosis». Well, they didn’t do any additional diagnosis. They did however manage to change the gear shifter button, rack up additional «analysis» time, and perform a throttle cleaning.
I don’t even know what a throttle cleaning is! They tacked it on without my consent!
This is SOOOO VERY unprofessional. When you are doing a job that no one trusts you to do anyway (like work in a service department at an auto place), it seems it would be in your best interest to work that much harder to be honest so that you can rise above the the rest of the bums out there!!!
Also, When I chose this place, Unilocal showed through my mobile phone that this place had 56 votes bringing it to 4 stars. That’s why I chose the place. Moving to my desktop has revealed that this place only had two (2) reviews prior to me.
BE CAUTIOUS Unilocal USERS!!!

The selection, service and experience is definitely a cut above when compared to Sandberg Volvo and no way a somewhat close second place to Barrier Volvo. This particular site lacks the customer service that you should expect when buying anything over $ 50,000.
Here’s why this Bob Byers Volvo lot is a big disappointment:
1. If you’re looking for a particular Volvo, don’t expect them to help you over the phone, via email or anything. Tried the above mentioned forms of communication and like a cable company, expect a reply somewhere between the business hours of 10AM to never at all.
2. When a Ford dealership (Bill Pierre) down the street is doing more to help you find a used Volvo S60 T6 AWD car than this Bob Byers Volvo dealership, that’s pathetic.
3. You get this vibe from the sales staff that either they hate their job and/​or just don’t care if they make a sale or not. I went to the Lake City site very enthusiastic and arriving there, it felt as if their idea of a greeting is similar to being at a funeral; no humor and you’re hoping that it’ll all come to an end someday.
4. Is everything here sold? Every time I’ve been there, I usually get the «that car is sold» or «I have a couple coming in to test drive this car…» Guess what I get to test drive? Nothing.
Overall, there are better car dealerships that’ll help you find the right Volvo for you and you should go this route because this business want your patronage. You email or leave a voicemail about a car and won’t hear anything back from it or just one phone call. Nobody is being proactive and working hard for you.
Shop elsewhere but not at Sandberg Volvo either, that place is worst. Even Eastside Chrysler Jeep and Bellevue Lexus helped very diligently to find me a Volvo but not Bob Byers Volvo. I can’t figure it out except that they just don’t care.

I’ll start with the good news. Great salesman, Phil, was the first guy undaunted by the fact that I was accompanied by 3-​year-​old twin girls. My original plan was to do a visual inspection of what appeared to be a great used Volvo wagon, then come back later w/​out twins and test drive. Phil was more than happy to move car seats into the used Volvo and it was awesome to go on a test drive w/​out the sales guy prattling in the passenger seat. Seemed like a solid wagon, though the steering wheel was loose — seemed like it took about 2 inches of turning before the wheels responded.
Phil was also instrumental in arranging for the car to be shuttled over to DaisyWagen, a Volvo-​only repair shop, for a pre-​buy inspection. Car shopping with twins is just, well, a logistical nightmare and trying to arrange a sitter and work and husband’s work around getting back over to Seattle to then wait at DaisyWagen — feh. Phil rallied his troops and the car was delivered to DaisyWagen on my behalf.
So this part of the review is the 5-​star part.
Now for the three-​star part.
DaisyWagen does its pre-​buy inspection and the news is not good. The transmission fluid is burnt, so transmission is on its way out and will need to be replaced. Cost estimate: $ 5500.
Play in steering wheel has a great explanation: the steering rod is on the verge of detaching. Repair estimate: $ 1800.
The good news: the brakes are in *great* shape. Which I’d need, right? great brakes for when steering rod detaches.
Now for the negative 5-​star part.
One week later, I get a call from the sales manager. He informs me that their mechanics went back through the wagon and yes, there was fluid «dripping» and they’ve fixed the drip and they «tightened» the steering wheel and he can see «no reason» for me to not buy the car today. Seriously? I explained that the transmission fluid is still burnt. Silence. Okay. I also explained that I do like my steering wheel to be attached to the axel. Silence.
I had thought I’d pay a premium for buying a used Volvo directly from a Volvo dealer, as I had thought dealers would be more thorough /​less dishonest with the cars on their lot.
This may have been a one-​off.
But hooray for DaisyWagen and their awesome pre-​buy inspection.

I just walked into Bob Byers Volve on Lake City Way yesterday. My car was hit in the back while parked, and the other guy’s insurance may total it and give me cash. I was looking for a new vehicle anyway, it’s been a while.
My short list included most of the major premium small cars, and the S40 is on my radar. Bob Byers is only three blocks away from where I lived, so after taking the car to the Body Shops for estimates, I dropped by. Notice that I drove in with a damaged, hardly good looking 13 year old car.
I was greeted warmly as I walked in, and was soon directed to talk to Cliff, a friendly, well-​spoken sales person for Bob Byers. I am a young looking guy and normally got little attention at car dealerships (if not outright rudeness). Cliff listened to my specific requirements and began showing me the ones that may match them in their stock. I specifically told him that I was not going to purchase right away, and it was my first day of looking.
He explained, in good detail, the differences between the three S40s in the lot for me, and I settled on one of them. As I sat inside, he offered to let me take it for a spin, knowing full well that I wasn’t going to buy yesterday. And we did. He took me on the longest test drive I have ever been in (I have been in a lot of test drives, for other reasons I can’t elaborate now). We went through curves and freeway, and I got a very good impression of the car. No pressure at all.
Cliff proceeded to explain more about the features of the car to me with the understanding that I am an engineer and I don’t need much «marketing talk». It was very refreshing, no nonsense, just facts. And was he full of facts about that car.
As we returned to the dealership, he showed me the Certification (this car was a certified used) and the Carfax report on the car. Again, knowing full well I wasn’t buying then. No pressure. «Take your time and try things out, we’ll be here if you decide on the S40». I was very pleased with the experience, and I would rank it as one of the best car shopping experience I have ever had.
I still have not decided what to get (well, it’s only yesterday), but this experience has certainly raised the bar for what I expect now from a car dealer.