The credit crunch affecting sales? Not a chance.............

[Echo66]

I've just got back from a having a look at a very nice 3R at a dealership in Yorkshire. The price is ok & the car is spotless, but the dealer was just not at all interested in trying for a sale & was more bothered about loading his booze into his boot for a BBQ tonight.

I was told on the phone beforehand that a test drive would cost me £80 to arrange ins cover. Errrr ok. I can understand that as a deterrent to the dreamers & wannabees but it still irks a bit. Surely a decent salesman can suss a genuine buyer within minutes but hey ho. I wasn't scruffily dressed (why should make a difference anyway) & my current runner (an S2000) is a mint example.

Anyway, its a lovely day, warm & sunny & a nice drive over there is no bother so off i go. The place itself is not too salubrious although there are AM's & Porkers aplenty. It took me 15 mins of waiting before the salesman/owner finally spotted me, even though he'd walked past me 4 times on his booze loading trip.
We had barely started speaking before i was told there was no movement on the price & if i wanted to p/x the price i was looking for for my car was way too much. Oh really? Well thanks for that. Fills me with enthusiam & really makes me want to spend my hard earned with your Company.
Then he proceeded to tell me that there were only 4 other 3R's for sale in the whole of the UK & this was the best example by far! Not according to PH & Autotrader there aren't.

I thought this type of dealer was dead & gone years ago. Like i say lovely car but not a chance i'll be going back there. Very unfriendly & un-cooperative attitude.

I've spoken to a couple of dealers about Nobles & other marques these past two weeks & practically all have been eager to see me with offers of deals on cash purchases & favourable APR's on finance should i want to p/x & HP.

Ed

[Wacky Racer]

The only thing you can do is vote with your feet,... and hope he chokes on his beefburger..........

[Jenx]

Shocking behavior! Like you say, don't go there again.

Keep looking and you'll find one

[snuffy]

You mean you handed over 80 sheets to a dealer to test drive a car ? That's what they have trade insurance/plates for and that's all in the higher price you pay to buy from a dealer.

If I'd have been asked for 80 notes ( or any figure greater than zero pounds ) I'd have told him to shuve his Nob up his arse !!

Edited by snuffy on Saturday 26th July 19:01

[Echo66]

No, i didn't test drive it. That cost put me right off but it was worth a drive in the sunshine to have a look at it. First time i've ever heard of it.
Obviously it was a indicator of what was to come from the dealer in person.

[Jenx]

I'd have done £80 worth of rubber leaving his forecourt!

[Mr Noble]

Had a very similar experience at my local Porsche dealer in Cambridge. Phones asking about their GT3 that had come in and that I was very interested in a test run.

Drove there in the 3R and a suit on after work one day only to be told that they wouldn't want to px a Noble and that if I wanted a test drive I should "come back after you've sold it and have got the money for the GT3!"

"I was hoping to drive the GT3 to see if I like it first" I said. "As I say, sell you're car, come in with the cash, then you can drive it"

I couldn't believe my ears! Totally put me off Pork ownership altogether

G

[joust]

Supply and demand I'm afraid. Where there is a shortage of supply and sufficient demand they can do what they like.

As you say, there are plenty of parts of the economoy that haven't felt any issues around the "crunch".

You have your choice - either play his game, or go somewhere else. Unfortunatly with Noble dealers being so spaced out you are going to have a long drive probably if you want to go elsewhere.

J

[chillidog]

joust said:

Supply and demand I'm afraid. Where there is a shortage of supply and sufficient demand they can do what they like.
J

Actually it is just a poor salesman. Now imagine what the rest of the service will be like.
--
Richard

[andygtt]

Not so sure.... when I was looking there were plently of cars around that hadn't sold for months so there as potentially a deal there to be had.

But dealers were asking nearly 5-10k more for no reason at all and were also not interested in any kind of deal... guess time will tell if they are right to hold out for top price.

[s,one]

I think I spoke to this dealer when I was looking for my car his opening gambit was there's only twenty of these for sale in the country so you can't afford to be fussy. Also didn't seem to know anything about Nobles so I didn't bother going to have a look.
There are a few cars out there at these none specialised dealers but they always seem to have a chequered past, but that said I suppose you could get lucky.

steve

[Naso Grande]

I had pretty much the same experience with a dealer whe I started looking for mine. The dealer was in Glasgow so that already mean't a near 250 mile round trip but after 'phoning up thought it was worth a look. I'd already done my research but still wasn't fully clued up but kind of new what to look for. When I saw it up close my heart sank. For a kick off it had been advertised as a GTO-3 but was in fact a 2.5 (at GTO-3 money) so I started to ask if the car had received all the factory upgrades and which type of ECU was fitted of which the salesman couldn't provide any answers and there was no paperwork to indicate that either. He had no interest in dealing given that there was no trade in and perhaps £000's of upgrade work possibly required as well as the evident cosmetic stuff that he agreed to deal with.

I kept looking and ended up with superb example for the right money but it was right at the opposite end of the country fromw here I live.

Basically what I'm getting at is don't buy the first one you see and be prepared to travel. It will pay dividends in the end.