For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1656798
My recent experience at dealers was also that pretty much all of them seemed to have an inability to sell (new) cars.

One was entirely unable to give prices (tried for a few weeks!) despite offering test drives in their 2 demonstrators;
Four were unable to arrange test drives as they had lent out to a customer their one shared demonstrator (which was an older model) across the 4 dealerships.
Only one of the above five phoned back within the time stated (that was to apologise for not being able to offer a test drive within the agreed time).

The dealership we ordered from eventually was open, interested in taking our business, quoted a price that was better than others without messing around, enthusiastic about cars (the salesman was clearly a petrol head), communicated clearly & got back to us quickly. The salesman wasn't a brand specialist (normally dealt with a linked brand) but did his job well, to the point that before we met, he took their demonstrator home to get a feel for it himself and did full research on the car so he was suitably prepared for our meeting and could answer appropriate questions. When we met, he had already unticked all of the "extras" boxes for me, agreeing with me that I didn't need them :)

Just waiting for the car to get built now...
#1656809
riverrock wrote:...(the salesman was clearly a petrol head)...

Eh, rr, didn't you order an electric car? :lol:

When is delivery?

Of the approx 12 dealers we visited there was not one single salesman stood out, there were some, however, that had we chosen the car we would have gone elsewhere.

One busily told me the cost of an option was £750, when I disagreed he read it from the options list. I said I agree that option is £750, but not the one I asked for. He read it again without listening to his own words, I eventually pointed out he was reading out the laminated glass option and not the privacy glass option. :shock:

Another, well he could tell me the warranty was 5yrs, but looked baffled when I asked if it was 100K miles. And that was just his opener.

When asking for a price on a certain spec. I was told it didn't come with the engine I wished…it did!

In another he boasted of selling cars for many years, the technical misinformation from him was shocking.

Overall the level of service was shockingly bad. However another day has come and gone and the dealer I tried to place the order with has not been in touch…incompetence!! :roll:
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By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1656814
All the comments above feel like a different industry altogether than I’ve experienced.

Every salesperson I’ve encountered in a BMW dealer (bike or car) had an in depth knowledge and enthusiasm about the product, really know it inside out, and I’ve never left without a quote in my sticky fingers there and then.

Order process utterly painless every time. Healthy bit of discount too and delivery earlier than promised on every single occasion.

On my seventh consecutive one now.
#1656817
We may well have been on our 8th consecutive BMW if it were not for a salesman in the Southport dealership in 1998. Called in whilst out on the bike for a run on a Sunday afternoon and got short shift with a dismissive attitude. Maybe it was the helmet hair, the leathers, the fact I didn't shave at weekends, maybe a combination…or maybe his wife had run off with a biker. But he ho the following week we 'bought' our first of 5 consecutive Audis. The reason there were 5 was the fantastic service from the Service Dept/Dealer Principal in the Liverpool branch.

Interestingly this time round our first visit to a dealer of our present favoured brand came close to having me walk out. Having spent some time looking at a particular model I ventured over to the next one up with the words of that one is from £40K up ringing in my ear. Matters not whether I intended buying, or could afford it..it was bad form.

This time round we neither looked at Audi or BMW as I could't face dealing with the dealerships. :roll:
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1656818
Miscellaneous wrote:Eh, rr, didn't you order an electric car? :lol:

When is delivery?


Indeed - charging point installed today. Being built in Jan/Feb, due end of Feb.

My favourite was one dealer who told us thst prices fluctuate between order and getting the car so he didn't want to give us a price (that was his third excuse, after system being down and his manager not being in).
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#1656821
@riverrock strangely I feel excited for you. Not that you are getting a new car, but that it's electric and new technology. :thumleft: I look forward to hearing how you get on. :D Did you decided electric primarily on a cost, or an environmental basis?

I had a look at the new electric Jag last week…I should never have sat in it. Anything I buy now will be a disappointment. :(

How these dealerships survive beats me, worryingly I believe it is a reflection of the demographic they generally deal with. No attempt to understand the prospective customer, little effort in listening to cues. Apparently only interested/capable of following the track their blinkers keep them on. :wink:
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By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1656841
I'm sure there is an EV thread somewhere but various reasons.
-An EV should save me around £900-1000 per year in fuel +tax
-the other of our cars will soon be banned from Glasgow City centre as too polluting
-I like environmental credentials (eg batteries are now fully recyclable and manufacture kills the planet less than it did)
-they've reached a point now that a Zoe will satisfy 95% of our journeys, even in winter and once battery is down to 60% health in 10 years or so (hopefully, but guaranteed 65% for 8 years)
-incentives are still available (free charge points installed, interest free loans, grants, scrappage scheme) which probably won't continue
-electricity should be more reliable than fossil fuels long term (yes I know most of our electricity comes from gas)
- charging infrastructure good enough for what I need
-a silent environment (I did spec upgraded stero) should be more pleasant during commute
-only way to convince wife to get a new car
- Zoe sized right for city driving
- now on second generation of battery and upgraded motor so major gremlins are hopefully sorted

We are keeping our 10 year old diesel for the few longer trips.
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#1656884
Had it not been for this reason I may have been convinced by the others. :lol: :lol:
riverrock wrote:-only way to convince wife to get a new car

It's bad enough waiting for a new car without a power supply with nothing to plug in to it. Think I'd be tempted to wire the Xmas tree lights to it. :wink:
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By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1656970
@stevelup said
On my seventh consecutive one now.


@Miscellaneous said
We may well have been on our 8th consecutive BMW if it were not for a salesman in the Southport



Still not got a decent one then, lads? :lol: FTAOD I am currently driving a 2001 BMW 528i Touring.

4 new tyres all new brakes, including the parking, which works! new radiator, inlet hoses, battery....... I avoid the stealerships like the plague, prices for parts is usually around 400% of the aftermarket price.

When it's right it's lovely, but it's never right for long, random faults manifest and then spontaneously self-heal. I have less than £1200 in it over 13 months,so far. but had enough of it's foibles. will recover my equally elderly Volvo V40 from my son's grasp. :mrgreen: