Car Country Can Help

Car Country focuses on helping buyers get in a newer model car with less hassle.

A worried mother walked through the doors of Car Country in Claremore  recently. It was over 100 degrees ­outside. Her air ­conditioner had just quit and she had a small child in the car. She was ­concerned the problem with her ­previously-owned ­automobile, purchased there four months earlier, might not be under ­warranty.

    Alex Sordo, Car Country general manager, had just walked in the door when the customer was expressing her concerns to another ­employee. “Yes, it’s still under warranty,” said Sordo. Car Country services their cars in the on-site, 20,000-square-foot service center.

    Car Country in Claremore opened its doors in March at 1401 W. Will Rogers. Backed by two major car dealerships, it’s the fifth site to begin ­operating in northeast Oklahoma since Bobby Nelson, president of Nelson Nissan and Nelson Mazda, decided to offer newer model, low mileage vehicles to people who otherwise might not ­qualify for loans from ­private banks.

    About five years ago, when the economy got bad, Nelson began offering the nicer ­models at his new car ­dealership in Broken Arrow. “People were unable to get a vehicle with a private bank,” says Sordo. “The Nelson ­organization also had to say ‘no’ to more people when we wanted to say, ‘yes.’”

    Eventually, because the used car dealership grew so fast, Nelson opened their first Car Country in Bixby, ­followed by Broken Arrow, Sapulpa and Bartlesville.

    The success of the ­growing business is attributed to their business philosophy. “Our focus is on helping the ­customer establish credit in a positive way,” Sordo says. “We offer a buy here, pay here opportunity so the ­customer can get approved, come in and pick out a ­vehicle, and drive away.”

    What sets Car Country apart from other “buy here, pay here” businesses is their ­intention. “Some used car ­dealerships are in the ­recycling customer business,” he says. “Our vision is to help people get out of the cycle of buying a used automobile with high miles and being in debt to the business who sold them the vehicle. They are locked into their system. If they don’t stay in good ­standing with their ­payments, they are reported to the credit bureau and the ­vehicle is eventually ­repossessed. Those businesses use the ­credit bureau to their advantage, not their ­customers.”

    Car Country also reports to the credit bureaus. “We want our customers to ­establish good credit buy ­paying off their ­vehicle,” Sordo adds. “Then, if they wish, they can purchase a new car using ­conventional ­methods. Our whole ­intention is not to ­recycle ­customers but to help ­establish credit-worthy ­citizens who also might want to ­purchase a house on down the road.”

    Car Country finances their vehicles for three years, ­offering a 12-month or ­12,000-mile warranty. During the warranty period, they will service your vehicle in their 20,000-square-foot service center.

    Autos sold at the stores are priced at market value, using several different ­standards, including the NADA, Kelly Blue Book and auction prices. “We don’t use a random method to price our vehicles,” he adds. “Our prices are set. We don’t ­haggle.”

    To get pre-approved, ­potential customers may fill out an application online at www.carcountry.com, where they can view inventory as well. “If they see a vehicle at another one of our locations, and they don’t want to drive there, we can pick it up for them and bring it to the Claremore ­location,” Sordo says. “We want to make their buying  experience with us a positive one.”

For more information, contact

Car Country

1401 W. Will Rogers

Claremore, OK 74017

(918) 343-2277

www.carcountry.com