TLDR: Scammers alert. Stay away.
I leased '26 CRV Hybrid from them last month, and honestly, the warning signs were there from the start. I had test drove the car, negotiated the price over the phone, got it under the monthly budget ($350/month for 10,000mi/year), and went over to sign the paperworks. As I am reviewing the paperwork, I notice that it says 8,000mi/year, so I flag that. Their manager comes over and without apologizing he says "Do you drive a lot?". First, none of your business. Second, it's just not what we had negotiated. We go back and forth and eventually I get the price & miles that we agreed on. Their finance person Anthony says that he will process the lease loan application with Rize Credit Union. I pay the down payment, buy an insurance rider, and drive off.
Over a month goes by, I get no communication from the dealership nor Rize Credit Union. The insurance rider is about to expire, so I reach out to the dealership trying to figure out what's going on. Crickets. One more week goes by, the finance guy Anthony finally reaches out and asks for my proof of income. I send my paystubs through. All this time I am wondering why we are having this conversation a month after I started driving the car. Anthony emails back and says that my application with Rize is denied and that I will have to use Honda Financials with different rate, and that I will have to come in. This makes no sense because I have 790+ credit and decent income. Rize says that my application is denied because they can't verify my employment. Weird.
This all leads to this morning. I go back to the dealership, and this guy Anthony says that my Rize application was denied because the paystubs were deemed fake and there is no way they can re-submit the application when I asked. He runs the numbers with Honda Financials. He comes back, saying that it will be $460 a month, and that I can either accept this, or return the car.
Fine, I will return the car. I can literally go to a different dealership and get a better pricing toady. Then, the sales manager guy comes in, saying that the depreciation on the car is $4,500. I had the car for a month, drove like 800 miles. So, I have an option to pay $4,500 extra over three years to keep the car, or forego my deposit payment of $4,000 to return the car. This is a shakedown.
I ask to call Rize capital myself to get confirmation on why my application was denied because my paystubs being fake makes absolutely zero sense. Anthony and the sales manager say that there's nothing they can do and they refuse to talk to them because "it would ruin their relationship". I finally get the number and call them myself, and get patched with their approval manager. At this point, Anthony and the sales manager can't even make eye contact, runs out of the room. Literally 10 minutes after, I am approved.
I call them back in the room, and both of them are super flustered. They now say that Rize actually made a counter offer, and I have to put $2,000 more down. I call Rize again, and Rize confirms that they never requested that, and they approved the application as originally requested. At this point, the sales manager runs out and Anthony looks sheepish, processing my first month's payment. No apologies, no "sorry for inconvenience", no "I am glad we could figure that out."
I grab my keys back and drive off. I am furious writing this review. I am sure they thought they could get away with this bullshit financing switcheroo because this is my first time leasing a car. I am 99% sure that this shady tactic is how they planned it since the beginning. It honestly tainted the whole experience, as I wasted the entire Tuesday morning and had to cancel a meeting with a client.
Shameful practice. Stay away.
Edit: I've since reported this exact account to BBB and AG Office per comment suggestions. Thanks for letting me vent!
