Rude car dealers

[darreni]

00161wj said:

E-mailing doesnt work when your buying and selling cars, if your serious you'd ring up and make an appointment.

Not really, the last 4 cars i've bought from dealers have started with emails. I cant just ring up to make an appointment, as i live overseas. Once i've got the information i request, i'll decide if its worth a flight or not.

The first contact with a dealer is usually a good indicator of their sales & aftersales service. Your attitude would indicate that you are best avoided, which maybe unfair. Or not.

[hutchingsp]

00161wj said:

I purposely dont put the email address in adverts because all you get is time wasters, for instance people want to send me pictures of their px and me tell them what id pay for it. They just dont understand i need to see it. E-mailing doesnt work when your buying and selling cars, if your serious you'd ring up and make an appointment.

With things like p/x I can see your point entirely, and I would agree that it's a stupid thing to ask. However I also think it would be a stupid thing to ask over the phone so really we're back to saying "I'd need to see it" vs. typing "I'd need to see it" aren't we?

I was thinking more about the "I'm enquiring about the car in the Autotrader, can you just tell me.." type of questions and I still really can't see how email = time waster.

[kentmotorcompany]

As in my earlier post, I was just trying to point out that telephone/walk-in enquiries are often proved to be far more likely to buy than email enquiries.

Not always, but far more often. Dosnt matter what the first qeustion is.

[morningside]

Odd Three of my cars I purchased via Email without talking to the people until I have walked though the door. I sometimes think it is a very quick way of answering a few questions without being bogged down with sales talk mainly if you are looking at a few cars within the same price range or a quick part exchange on car XX? Yes or no.

Edited by morningside on Monday 19th February 20:00

[Dunk76]

As a salesman, I expect the very best from the people selling me a car - I either expect to be 'sold' properly and professionally, or just given the keys and just told to return when the car has sold itself (which has happened twice now)

I've always found aspirational brands the worst

BMW - order takers in my experience, no effort or interest in selling me a 1 series for the wife. Had to get a courtesy car from the service/body shop when the B3 was in for work just to get a test drive. Idiots

Mercedes - asked my Wife not to go near the SLK in case her jeans scratched the paint!!!! Told the guy to F&*k right off and get the dealer principal out to apologise. When he refused, I marched into the DPs office and raised the roof. Got an apology from the tt of a salesman, and a bottle of bubbly from the DP... Still grassed them to Mercedes GB though, and got a bottle from them too!

Porsche - I turn up in the Alpina, interested in looking at a Cayman. Left after being stood around for 25 mins, despite sales people not with customers - my customers expect me to come to them, why should it be any different?

Audi - much the same as Porsche, looking for an A3 for the wife.

VW - cracking - got three cups of coffee and an hour of the salesmans time before I took the wife down. When I took the wife down he couldn't do enough for us, lots more coffee, loads of finance illustrations, try this out, look at that, bring the pram in etc etc...

Unsurpringly, the VW guy got our business...

[jack_daniels]

I went to a garage once and was looking round a nice coupe. After a bit of debating about the tax, I said ok, I'll keep my CD player from the car I was trading in, in place of him not giving me tax. To which he replied "im not running a charity here, and besides I don't really want your car, its sh!t". I won't tell you what I replied but lets just say we didn't reach a deal.

[funky]

I'm surprised at this. I have bought my last three cars through email as such, a Lotus, a Morgan and a Tvr! I am located in ireland so i cannot walk into a dealer and buy them here. I use email so i can have the exact response written down and then i usually choose the best dealer from them. Me ringing around dealer's wont get me the exact questions answered. Whereas when the questions are listed in black and white you have to answer them all. I HATE when dealers won't update you through email or write back in a promt fashion. It is by far easier for me to deal through email then on the phone 90% of the time. Therefore if a dealer won't accomodate me in this way i will walk away and get someone who will!

[School boy]

Dunk76 said:

Mercedes -
I marched into the DPs office and raised the roof. Got an apology from the tt of a salesman, and a bottle of bubbly from the DP...

Still grassed them to Mercedes GB though, and got a bottle from them too!

[tvrgit]

It's surprising how even some "prestige" dealers just don't appear to give a shit.

I was looking to trade in the Saab and found myself looking at BMW 3 series (I know... bear with me...) - the sales guy was agreeable enough but not entirely helpful, and said that I couldn't have a test drive that day (Sunday) so they would call to make an appointment for the following weekend. That was 5 weeks ago and I'm still waiting.

If they are arrogant enough to expect customers to chase them, they have another think coming. (This is a BMW dealer in Edinburgh, not south or north or west...)

I bought a Lexus.

[Chav]

i once walked in to Sytners in Nottingham (when it was at the old location) looking to buy a new M3. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt (looking like a chav ) and wandered around the showroom for about 15 minutes, by this time i was ready to talk to a salesman...guess what? they all stood chatting in a side office and nobody came to ask me if i needed help. i walked back to the blond bint sitting at their little reception desk and asked if i could speak to somebody, she asked me why? i said i wanted to buy a car !!!!!!!

she casually pointed at some little leather chairs and said to take a seat there and she'd get somebody to come over.... i waited for another 5 minutes and some young dick-head in his Top Man suit leaned over a barrier near me and just said "yeah, can i help" LOL

we went to his desk and he asked me what car i was interested in, i said a new M3 and asked what the waiting time was if i ordered today, he just stared at me for a few seconds and said "about 4 months" i just laughed at him.

i asked if i could take a brochur and he said "i'd rather you didn't, that's the only one we've got"

needless to say, i didn't buy from them, i went and bought a Carrera from Porsche

how silly of me to wander in wearing jeans and a t-shirt, LOL

[northo]

Dealers still don't really use email. They should. I emailed a well known dealer the other day about a DB9 - 10 days later and I have still not heard back from hime, despite requesting a call so I didn;t have to go throught he normal rigmarole of speaking to reception who then can't find a salesman, "I will get them to ring you back", 2 days later no call etc.

Salesmens indifference to customers seems to be getting worse. I drove buy a Porsche dealer a few months ago, and dived in because I thought I saw a GT3 in the showroom. Turned out to be mistaken, but still couldn't get anyone to talk to me, including the dealer principal, who just carried on chatting to the receptionist. Got bloody annoyed, and had to go up to ask for help. There was a nice CGT in the showroom, so I asked how much ( as we have been toying with the idea), and was smugly told it wasn't for sale. Clearly I look poor (porobaly true)!.

Anyway, eventually got some decent service, but in the end the sour taste in my mouth meant that we ordered three new Porsches from someone else! INFURIATING TO BE IGNORED BY SALESMEN WHEN YOU ARE STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM!

[jonnylayze]

tvrgit said:

It's surprising how even some "prestige" dealers just don't appear to give a shit.

I was looking to trade in the Saab and found myself looking at BMW 3 series (I know... bear with me...) - the sales guy was agreeable enough but not entirely helpful, and said that I couldn't have a test drive that day (Sunday) so they would call to make an appointment for the following weekend. That was 5 weeks ago and I'm still waiting.

If they are arrogant enough to expect customers to chase them, they have another think coming. (This is a BMW dealer in Edinburgh, not south or north or west...)

I bought a Lexus.

perhaps BMW dealers don't like TVR drivers. When I was looking at getting a new car, I was contemplatign a 118d or a new Mini so I popped into our local BMW dealer one Saturday morning looking for a test drive. They wouldn't let me have a test drive until I'd decided what car I wanted. This was the reverse of what I expect, although it wasn't exclusive to BMW. the attitude of 3 separate Citroen dealers was very similar. With a 'we haven't got one of those (we can't be bothered to find one for you) for you to drive.' In fairness, it must be one of the most soul destroying jobs going but still.

[combemarshal]

kentmotorcompany said:

As in my earlier post, I was just trying to point out that telephone/walk-in enquiries are often proved to be far more likely to buy than email enquiries.

Not always, but far more often. Dosnt matter what the first qeustion is.

Well maybe you need to look at you technique of dealing by Email?

An Email enquiry should take FAR less time than a walk in, you could be missing something big, drag yourself up into the 21st century!!

[Chav]

lets be honest here!

dealers don't like to reply to email enquires because they don't have the option to turn the usual bullshit sales patter on, they like to talk face to face first (people find it hard to say No to somebody face to face, especially after they have pretended to be your new best mate for the last 45 minutes) and by telephone after that (again, they can spout their selling bullshit, again you'll find it hard to say No on the phone)

emails take away their trump card of bullshit sales patter

[kentmotorcompany]

combemarshal said:

kentmotorcompany said:

As in my earlier post, I was just trying to point out that telephone/walk-in enquiries are often proved to be far more likely to buy than email enquiries.

Not always, but far more often. Dosnt matter what the first qeustion is.

Well maybe you need to look at you technique of dealing by Email?

An Email enquiry should take FAR less time than a walk in, you could be missing something big, drag yourself up into the 21st century!!

Thanks for your considered response.
Personally I deal with all my email enquiries quickly, politely, and professionally. But then I have to, im a very small one man independent, with a very small number of enquiries to deal with.
From my experience of working in main dealers, I can say with confidence that as a percentage email enquiries are far less likely to end up resulting in a sale.
Im not saying they never result in a sale, Im not saying that odd serious email enquiry does not deserve to be treated properly, Im simply pointing out that human nature dictates that the people doing the job will become more cynical towards email enquires, after dealing with many of them only to get nowhere.

Nothing to do with time. Most sales people would much rather spend 2 hours with someone in the showroom, than 1 minute answering an email that he is not very likely to even get a respnse to, let alone sell a car to.

Edited by kentmotorcompany on Monday 19th February 21:21

[theaxe]

This subject comes up again and again in one form or other. Maybe Evo or something should do an article on it... anyway, here's my experience of dealers (not mentioning specific dealers and I'm sure they vary quite a lot):

Mercedes - Terrible, no interest in helping at all.
BMW - Ditto
Audi - Helpful but made mistakes and overcharged (£17 to change a numberplate bulb, plus the cost of the bulb).
TVR - Very helpful throughout.
Jaguar - Cannot fault them in any way.

[Chav]

another experience i had

at around the same time, i went to Graypauls (when in Loughborough) and wandered around the showroom, a youngish (maybe 30 ish) salesman came over and politley said "i'll let you look without me hovering on your shoulder, i'll be over if you require any help" marvellous i thought... after me sitting in every car they had (not many in the showroom as it was only a small location then) i wandered over and asked if i could take a 360 spyder out for a test drive (this was on a saturday) he said certainly, but could i come back tomorrow as the car was already out for the afternoon, no problem i said... back i go the next day and there it was, sat waiting for me.

we go for a test drive and get chatting, i ask him if he lets anybody take one out, he said yeah, we let anybody who looks old enough for our insurance. i said but i might just be a dreamer who can't afford one, he said "it doesn't matter, we love the cars so much that we want everybody to experience driving one"

i was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, i could have been poor for all he knew... he treated me like a king

i still bought the porsche though

[IRM]

unless you want something specialsed buy off the internet

why put up with it
better deals and i've had better service

except a volume retailer in stoke who twice said there are the keys mate car's over there see you when you're finished

[thekirbyfake]

Where can we get these rude cars? I was expecting a list of dealers...

[Strawman]

thekirbyfake said:

Where can we get these rude cars? I was expecting a list of dealers...

I found this place on the internet
rude cars
can't say what their attitude is like though