The Car Salesman's Thread Vol 2

[lowdrag]

Grenoble said:

http://www.civinfo.com/forum/user-reviews-9g/89248...

No major catch by the look of it.

Except you have to average 60,000 miles p.a. since the guarantee is limited to 10 years and you have to buy before the 31st March.

[Grenoble]

lowdrag said:

Except you have to average 60,000 miles p.a. since the guarantee is limited to 10 years and you have to buy before the 31st March.

Indeed. That isn't a "catch" in my book. It's "up to a million miles" - so quite a safety net. French drivers don't tend to do the big motorway mileage we do, as I understand it.

So good marketing... good confidence statement in the brand.

[TheLordJohn]

I can see a catch: you have to buy one of the very ugliest new cars on sale at this moment in time
I'd sooner sh!t in my hands and clap than pay money for a new Civic.

[SpeckledJim]

Grenoble said:

lowdrag said:

Except you have to average 60,000 miles p.a. since the guarantee is limited to 10 years and you have to buy before the 31st March.

Indeed. That isn't a "catch" in my book. It's "up to a million miles" - so quite a safety net. French drivers don't tend to do the big motorway mileage we do, as I understand it.

So good marketing... good confidence statement in the brand.

Some misunderstanding here I think. The message is 'even if you do up to 60kpa, we'll still back you'. That's powerful.

The question is whether there are exclusions or limitations that erode the above benefit at all?

[markmullen]

TheLordJohn said:

I'd sooner sh!t in my hands and clap than pay money for a new Civic.

[After_Shock]

markmullen said:

Of course it goes without saying that the chap wouldn't tell us which car he was interested in, how much he had to spend, wouldn't slow down, just "how much is my car worth" and then swiftly followed up with "just a ballpark, I won't hold you to it" which of course is a pack of lies.

Love it when you get that, best one ive had literally 9:03am on a Saturday morning Merc ML swings into the car park full of people, woman gets out everyone else stays in it and comes to my desk, can you tell me what my car is worth? Didnt even take a single glance at any of cars in the showroom so clearly interested.

I sat back down and asked her for her details, response of - im not giving you any of my details why do you need those to value my car?

My response - if you wont give any details im not giving you any sort of valuation on your vehicle (putting it bluntly)

She literally started screaming at me, this is the worst garage ive ever been in, I wont buy a car from here ever blah blah blah we are going to Audi down the road to purchase something.

I just replied, you clearly were never buying a car from us and good luck at Audi as they will require your details.

Big huff and just stormed out.

Hilarious at the time.

[After_Shock]

SpeckledJim said:

The question is whether there are exclusions or limitations that erode the above benefit at all?

Drivetrain only by any chance? Suspension and other items excluded possibly.

[AmitG]

After_Shock said:

SpeckledJim said:

The question is whether there are exclusions or limitations that erode the above benefit at all?

Drivetrain only by any chance? Suspension and other items excluded possibly.

Thread on this here

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

In summary: 1 million km warranty on engine and drivetrain (not the whole car), fully transferable to subsequent owners. Servicing must be on schedule and to Honda spec but does not need to be at the Honda dealer.

I can't see any obvious catch. Obviously wear and tear parts are excluded.

[TheLordJohn]

There may be no obvious catch, but 80% (at least) of owners would have scrapped it/traded it in etc before the engine gives up the ghost. By the time they get really cheap, it'll be the suspension, brakes, bodywork etc which will fail causing someone to not care much about it, not get it serviced and so you have no warranty any more.

On the other hand, a taxi driver may like the sound of this offer...

[richtea78]

Which is why I think, if you read the exclusions it doesnt allow taxi drivers to have the warranty! Agree with the rest of your points though.

[Deva Link]

Grenoble said:

So good marketing... good confidence statement in the brand.

Just good marketing - internet car forums are full of discussion about it.

[Wild Swordfish]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of experience with this one...

So I have just excepted a position from another group to become a sales executive with them. I currently work for Honda, and am now going to VW.

I am yet to hand in my resignation for my current position.

I have just been reviewing my contract, and I am getting very worried about the commission.

I have about £2,000 in commission due to me from February’s sales. Now I am worried I will not receive this, and I am going to only get my basic. Just to also clarify, all of the commission in question belong to cars which have been paid for and been delivered.

My contract reads as follows:
'Your salary will be paid at the rate of £14,000 per annum by credit transfer at monthly intervals, on the 28th of each month. If the 28th falls on a weekend or bank/public holiday, payment will be made on the working day preceding this date.

In addition, you may be eligible for a commission/bonus payment based on achieving performance targets; further details will be notified to you separately. The company reserves the right to change or withdraw this payment at any time giving 1 month's prior notification. In order to receive commission/bonus payments due, you must still be in employment at the date of payment and not working through a notice period or be away from the company due to sickness. Pro-rate payments will not be made.'

So I interpret that as I will not be paid any commission whilst in my notice period. However, does this mean a) I will not receive commission from previous sales which have been paid for and delivered, or b)I will not receive and commission on sales I make whilst in the my notice period.

Secondly, the contract says 'further details will be notified to you separately.' I have never been shown my commission structure, or had anything 'notified to me'.

Now the other thing is I receive my commission a month later. So normally I would not receive Feb's commission until the 28th March. However at this time I will be in notice period. At no point in my contract does it state when the commission is due to be paid.

Just want some advice as to what to do and where I stand as I'd imagine some of you have had problems when sorting out commission upon leaving a garage.

Thanks guys.

[Fast Bug]

Most dealerships will pay you on what you've delivered, but not what's in your order bank as yet undelivered. One dealership I worked at paid me a nominal sum (£20 a unit from memory) for my order bank, but I don't think this is the norm. I'd be asking your HR where you stand if I was you, best to double check

[After_Shock]

richtea78 said:

Which is why I think, if you read the exclusions it doesnt allow taxi drivers to have the warranty! Agree with the rest of your points though.

No doubt say taxi's, private hire, lease vehicles etc etc excluded. Thats when end up with a company who do that type of work buying a car in the owners private name and then using it for business.

[SpeckledJim]

Wild Swordfish said:

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of experience with this one...

So I have just excepted a position from another group to become a sales executive with them. I currently work for Honda, and am now going to VW.

I am yet to hand in my resignation for my current position.

I have just been reviewing my contract, and I am getting very worried about the commission.

I have about £2,000 in commission due to me from February’s sales. Now I am worried I will not receive this, and I am going to only get my basic. Just to also clarify, all of the commission in question belong to cars which have been paid for and been delivered.

My contract reads as follows:
'Your salary will be paid at the rate of £14,000 per annum by credit transfer at monthly intervals, on the 28th of each month. If the 28th falls on a weekend or bank/public holiday, payment will be made on the working day preceding this date.

In addition, you may be eligible for a commission/bonus payment based on achieving performance targets; further details will be notified to you separately. The company reserves the right to change or withdraw this payment at any time giving 1 month's prior notification. In order to receive commission/bonus payments due, you must still be in employment at the date of payment and not working through a notice period or be away from the company due to sickness. Pro-rate payments will not be made.'

So I interpret that as I will not be paid any commission whilst in my notice period. However, does this mean a) I will not receive commission from previous sales which have been paid for and delivered, or b)I will not receive and commission on sales I make whilst in the my notice period.

Secondly, the contract says 'further details will be notified to you separately.' I have never been shown my commission structure, or had anything 'notified to me'.

Now the other thing is I receive my commission a month later. So normally I would not receive Feb's commission until the 28th March. However at this time I will be in notice period. At no point in my contract does it state when the commission is due to be paid.

Just want some advice as to what to do and where I stand as I'd imagine some of you have had problems when sorting out commission upon leaving a garage.

Thanks guys.

Convention aside, I think the wording of that is very much not in your favour. Both the accruing AND the paying of commission stops on the day you resign.

That might not be the way they decide to play it, but I think that their wording leaves that option open to them.

Next step is a difficult one. Are you bezzie-mates with your boss, and can you ask him an off-the-record question?

[HTP99]

We had a sales meeting last night and so had to leave at 6:00 to get to another branch, sales stays open till 6:30pm usually.

My Sales Manager had a bit of a to do with the Service Manager this morning, apparently the Service Manager was narked as no one told him, his argument was what if they had a service customer who wanted to pick up after 6:00 there would't be anyone in the sales dept to do it for them, my Sales Manager said that we are happy to assist the service dept. however it shouldn't be assumed that we are there all the time and if there is a late collection we need to be asked, it didn't go down too well.

We are happy to help the service dept where needed however it pisses me off no end as sales are open till 6:30 during the week, it is a complete and utter waste of our time, electricity and heating, all we do between 6:00-6:30 is read the paper or hand over service cars.

[burriana]

HTP99 said:

TheLordJohn said:

POORCARDEALER said:

burriana said:

HTP99 said:

+ £99 "admin fee"!

Can you paste the link that you are looking at please. I can't find the car if I try evanshalshaw.com main site, I had to go round the houses to find it and it didn't mention the Vehicle Status Check.

Basically what the VSC covers is all the DVLA paperwork and the HPi certificate. I am always up front about that fee and that we would rather separate it off and be up front and transparent with it than hide it in the window price. It also means that we can guarantee that the window price is the lowest in the local market area. Some dealers hide the charges within the price, we don't.

Basically it allows EH to advertise cars at lower money than you can "actually" buy them for.......very underhand way of dealing.

And it's hilarious how someone has not only tried to defend it, but attempted to smear other dealers who don't do it! Lol

It's laughable isn't it, burriana's response is a mangement response.

Sorry I bothered to try to explain it. Standard EH process is that the salesman should mention it at the meet and greet stage. If they don't, they are in the wrong, no two ways about it. It is also in a sticker in the top of every windscreen.

Every dealer has ways of doing things that others don't agree with. But then I guess there are some here that are just too perfect for words.

It is a way of ensuring that the window price is the lowest it can be. No more underhand than all the extra airline charges, extra holiday charges, extra "optional" service charge at restaurants that automatically gets added to the bill and so on. Yes, it would be lovely if we could all play on the same level playing field. Be a lot easier too.

[Grenoble]

So... for clarity - is it optional or compulsory?

[Fox-]

burriana said:

Sorry I bothered to try to explain it. Standard EH process is that the salesman should mention it at the meet and greet stage. If they don't, they are in the wrong, no two ways about it. It is also in a sticker in the top of every windscreen.

Every dealer has ways of doing things that others don't agree with. But then I guess there are some here that are just too perfect for words.

It is a way of ensuring that the window price is the lowest it can be. No more underhand than all the extra airline charges, extra holiday charges, extra "optional" service charge at restaurants that automatically gets added to the bill and so on. Yes, it would be lovely if we could all play on the same level playing field. Be a lot easier too.

How come you don't think its acceptbale to 'hide' the cost of the HPI check or the DVLA stuff in the sticker price but you consider it ok to 'hide' the electricity bill for the dealership or the business rates or the salesmans salary in the sticker price?

Could it be that other dealers dont 'hide' the price at all, they simply price the cars in a more honest way that reflects the cost of doing business and don't try to use little 'gotchas' to make the cars appear cheaper? I think it could be.

[whoami]

burriana said:

It is a way of ensuring that the window price is the lowest it can be. No more underhand than all the extra airline charges, extra holiday charges, extra "optional" service charge at restaurants that automatically gets added to the bill and so on.

And you wonder why cars sales folk get a bad name?