Customer Reviews

I had a great experience working with James Anwari and his team at Putnam Burlingame. The experience was smooth, negotiations went quickly and purchase process was fast. I'd recommend working with James if you visit Putnam Toyota in Burlingame.

update 08/03/2010: This update for the service department is a couple weeks late. Two days after we bought our Rav, we took it back in for the extras mensioned below. Noli Noli met us and took us to Henk Van Arkle, one of the service consultants who is very nice; he was great at expediting the paperwork and checking us in. Noli drove us across the street to Hertz and saw us through getting everything squared away there and even helped us load things into the rental, which coincidentaly was a Toyota Yares. Noli even called us with an update earlier in the day of pick up. Upon picking the Rav up two days later, we were greeded by another one of the service consultants, Louise Boteo whose sense of humor I love as he joked that he didn't have our vehicle; needless to say, he had us laughing. He too was great at expediting the paperwork and the cashier equally as friendly and at doing so, as well as getting our ride brought out. I look forward to working with these guys more as this is where we are coming for service. original review: This is the best car buying experience we have ever had.! Back in late March, we looked around at new Rav4s and Camrys; we met with Noli Bati, one of the sales consultants. He was very kind and thorough, easygoing, no pressure; these traits definitely set him and the entire staff apart from other dealers. He was just as wonderful with a couple followup calls over the last few months. Fast forward to today, things were a carbon copy; we had originally planned on stopping to get information to tie up lose ends with the Rav4 and the different trim levels (model variations.) But, eager to take advantage of Toyota's low finance rates which are only available until August 2 and after narrowing it down to the Rav4 Base Model, we decided right then and there to buy today. Of course, Noli was very thorough with the paperwork and explaining all of the details to us, as well as George Farrier III, one of the finance managers. George explained everything very thoroughly, leaving nothing to chance, both he and Noli explaining everything in plain English for that matter. We got a good rate, good trade-in allowance, and plain peace of mind. It was fun talking to Noli about life in general a bit and George about his commute to and from Vallejo and hsi house which he showed us pictures of. I will update my review for their service department as we got extras: the fabric seats and door panels replaced with leather, Perm-A-Plate Paint Sealant, and Blue Tooth and GPs built into the dash. Noli was very thorough in explaining everything about the the Rav and its various features. Kent and Joe Putnam, you guys have such a wonderful dealership with such a knowledgeable and friendly staff.! Keep up the good work guys.!

I leased a Prius from Putnam about three months ago, and have waited to write the review both to see how the car functioned (just fine), and to see whether the car service certificates that were supposed to arrive would eventually show up (they haven't). I approached car leasing by reading what I could, and even paid a fellow Yelp-er for assistance. In the end, however, I think you always feel that you are being taken for a ride; in my case, the negotiated rate was ok but higher than I had hoped for, especially given all the current negative publicity around the company. More annoying, the actual rate I wound up paying was significantly higher because of all the extras they talk you into getting (e.g. car service plan -- they strongly suggested that without car service that follows the recommendations to the letter, you may be considered in violation and owe considerable $$ at the end of the lease. So, "optional" -- but not really. They also get you with some kind of insurance supplement which I was told was critical because if my car was totaled, I might owe more than my insurance would cover; while true, the very small chance of this happening, and the very small amount of difference this represents, makes me regret purchasing it, and I feel the salesperson and my Yelp-assistant, together, help persuade me to make this unnecessary investment.) While I am not pleased with the financials, I have received solid service from the dealership at the time of pickup and subsequently; they were good about showing me the features of the car, and have also been at least polite about my frequent calls asking why I've not yet received the car service certificates I've paid for. That said -- these certificates haven't materialized despite the fact that I paid for them, have spoken with the dealership on multiple occasions, and also called Toyota directly. In every case, I was told the certificates would be mailed, but I still haven't received them, and it's been about four months. Net net: - Somewhat disappointed in financials of lease, feel there was a lot they spring on you after you think you've negotiated a price; doubt Putnam is any worse than anyone else, not clear to me they are any better. - Very disappointed in Toyota as a whole; my experience has left me thinking that maybe they really don't have their sh-t together. It shouldn't take five calls (and counting) to get service certificates. - Thought the advisor I found on Yelp was genuinely well-intentioned but not the advocate/"trusted advisor" I was hoping for; wouldn't have spent the $100 here if I had to do it again.

I bought a used Camry here. I have to say Oscar, Lenny and Mike took great care of me. I came away with the feeling that I negotiated a fair deal and that I was treated with respect. Also, I asked that the exterior of the car be given a rebuffing to enhance the luster of the finish and these guys were only to happy to accommodate my request and make sure that I was a happy camper. These are good folks give em a fair shot at your business.

I spent two weekends researching minivans and traveled up and down the peninsula meeting A LOT of used car salesman. Finding the right car was essential to me and so was working with the right salesman. James Anwari @ Putnam not only gave us a great deal on our new minivan and trade-in, he was a delight to work with. Incredibly knowledgeable, straight talking, and downright friendly. What a breath of fresh air.

James Anwari at Putnam Toyota Scion got me the Prius I wanted! I responded to one of James' internet ads and the vehicle didn't quite match what I was looking for. I gave him all the specs of the used Prius I had been hunting for months on craigslist and ebay, and James kept looking until he found what I wanted. He called and emailed to notify me, and then he was very helpful in negotiating a great deal on my trade-in. We were able to close the transaction in less than an hour, all due to some time pressure on my end, because, as another reviewer mentioned as well, I drove from Santa Cruz to Burlingame to get a great deal!