1st priorities Trust and Family

“Trust and Family”, that what is all about in this deal with Hatt Auto Sales, Specifically Joe Agha. This will take a minute (don’t stop reading) so let’s get started.

I was in the market to help my son buy his first car. He had done all his research and found the exact model (Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD) in his preferred color(black) but is was about $900 more than he had saved up and it was at Hatt Auto Sales which is about 3,000 miles from our home in California. It all began with a phone call to Joe Agha. I explained to him our situation and I asked directly if he thought that this vehicle was in good condition for my teenager.

Let’s talk about trust: Joe said “definitely”. I explained that I was very leery about buying a car that I have never seen in person or test drove. He said that I have to trust him or I was welcome to fly out and test drive but he did not recommend it because he had driven the car several times and he gave me his word that it was a good vehicle. I told him OK and that my son did not have all the money just yet and it would take about 3 weeks to get it. I asked him to hold the car for us and to trust that we would get the rest of the money to him. He said OK.

I mailed a cashier’s check to Joe for the money that my son had already saved. I called the next week to see if he got it and if the car was on hold. Joe told me it was not there yet. But he had to cut the conversation short because he had to go to the hospital. I tried to follow up the next day, but I was not able to get to thru to Joe. I tried again a few days later and Joe apologized for not answering. Turned out that his visit to the hospital was the last time he would see his grandfather alive. He passed away that weekend. I told Joe that there was no rush to get back to work to make this sale. I asked(may have even come across as demanded) him to take all the time he needed with his Family as they need him for strength to get through this. He said ok and left me with, “Don’t worry, that car is yours.” To which I responded, “It is not about a sale right now, it is about your family. AMEN”. We crossed over the line of provider/client. We were now part of extended families.

After some days passed and I got the call from Joe that he was back at work and his family was getting through the loss as best they could. Now we still had some figuring to do. How does the car get from New Jersey to California? Option A: I could fly out there and Joe could pick me up at the airport and I could spend 4 days driving back racking up cost for fuel and hotel rooms. Or option B: Joe said, “I could find you a few reputable auto transport companies to work with that could cost less than all that travel. It would be delivered to your home.” I didn’t know anything about how to make the transactions. Hearing the confusion in my voice, Joe said, “I’ll make all the arrangements and pay for it and you can pay me back. Again, he trusted me that I would uphold my end of the bargain.” We made the final payment and the cost of the shipping and the vehicle arrive at my home about 3 days after Joe sent me pictures of it being load auto transport at Hatt Auto. On the receiving end, the vehicle arrived about an hour before my son got home from school. He was so excited to see his car when he got home. We got the vehicle registration and temporary tags in the mail the next day and took the Escape for a drive. It runs well, is very clean, and everything works. It is great car just as Joe said.

In the end, I am happy that Joe and his family are recovering from the loss of his grandfather. I am also happy that my son got the car of his dream for his first car.

Thank you Joe for including me as part of your family and for making my son’s first car a great one. You EARNED my trust and friendship forever. For my next car, even though you are 3000 miles away, my first call will be to you.

Sincerely, Andre White