CLEVELAND — With the pandemic causing some financial struggles, more people are putting the brakes on big purchases creating a roadblock for one used car lot in Cleveland.
What You Need To Know
- Sales at Auto Expo USA are struggling in the pandemic, down at least 40%
- The dealership provides a warranty and services the used vehicles it sells to provide peace of mind to customers
- The owner says more stimulus funds are needed to jump start small businesses and the economy
Helese Berts is on the road again. She needed a new ride after the engine died on her old car.
“Once it went out on me, I was like, ‘Oh, what am I going to do,'” she said.
Buying a new used car is a major expense for Berts while navigating the uncertain financial times of the pandemic.
“It has been very, very, very hard,” she said. “It was hard trying to save to get a vehicle.”
The large cost commitment is creating a challenge for some used car lots.
“It’s a big price tag right now,” said Auto Expo USA owner Hoffa Assad. “With everything that’s going on for people to be able to afford big price tag stuff is kind of hard with this pandemic.”
Assad has owned the dealership for 20 years. He said another stimulus would help drive more cars off the lot.
“I honestly think that’s the only thing that could help right now,” he said. “To pump out, you know, money into the small businesses so people can, you know, kind of move forward and try to get back into the economy, into the norms.”
Assad said sales at his Cleveland car lot are down at least 40 percent, leaving his business hanging by a thread.
“Like the saying says, you don’t realize what you have until you lose it,” he said. “It’s sad, but it’s true. Hopefully we’ll be able to overcome this together as one.”
He said the service side of the business is helping set them apart, as it brings in some traffic.
“If any problems occur with the car after the purchase, we usually feel bad for the customer and we want to keep the business, so we like to help our customers as much as we can,” said Omar Assad, manager of Auto Expo USA.
That gives extra piece of mind to customers like Berts.
“I’m happy, I’m blessed,” she said. “It’s a blessing to be able to get me a vehicle that I can depend on. No car note. And it’s a good quality car.”
