Is this taking the michael?

Is this taking the michael?

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V8forweekends

2,481 posts

123 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Fast Bug said:
and a night out with the pretty girl on reception...
Ahem, in certain cases, I'd certainly have paid £99....er, no I'd better shut up now.

Swoxy

2,799 posts

209 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
You are buying a car, not fuel. I would have tried to negotiate the mats in at the point of doing the deal.

s3fella

10,524 posts

186 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
freenote said:
Thanks for the replies chaps.

I think it's poor service and leaves a bad taste personally but clearly I'm expecting too much!!
Hang on! They said a full tank and set of mats was 99 quid, which appears to be the actual cost of the fuel and mats (retail anyway).
You turn it down and then think it's poor that they won't give you 2 thirds of it for free?

They offered at cost, you declined, you've lost nothing. If it bits you it is low on fuel, you should have bought the tank of fuel!

It will save you about 4 quid doing it all yourself.

Do people, still bugger about with such things and "mats and flaps" when buying cars?

If you are miffed,OP, have a moan at your missus. If you think she was right to turn it down, just ask them to make sure there is enough fuel to get to the nearest petrol station, they should at least do that under a duty of care,if nothing else.

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

202 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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I can understand op's point, they're buying a brand new car, it's something special & probably unusual for them.
As far as the dealer is concerned, it's just another sale, move on to the next profit..

Out of interest OP, why not leave it until Monday to register & collect, then you would have a "64" car ?

Greg_D

6,542 posts

245 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Shaw Tarse said:
Out of interest OP, why not leave it until Monday to register & collect, then you would have a "64" car ?
I'm guessing he got a storming deal because it was 'end of month, end of reg', cut them down to the knees with the offer and still wants a load of free fuel, even though he turned down the offer of fuel...i don't get the upset, tbh

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Blame the Chancellor for taxing petrol so massively in the UK that it's too expensive for dealerships to give away.


freenote

Original Poster:

784 posts

167 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Wow...emotional stuff.

1. My mistake, we are going on Monday for 64 plate
2. Many of the people getting so emotional about this are missing the point. It's not about the money (my wife just didn't fancy any extras at the time of asking), it's more the principal that given this is a large purchase and one would expect the dealer wants you leaving the forecourt happy, it would be quite nice to have a quarter tank of fuel so we can go off for a drive rather than straight to the petrol station.
It's simply an added extra that would make me feel like a valued customer who might then go back again or recommend them.


Fast Bug

11,597 posts

160 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
freenote said:
Wow...emotional stuff.
2. Many of the people getting so emotional about this are missing the point. It's not about the money (my wife just didn't fancy any extras at the time of asking), it's more the principal that given this is a large purchase and one would expect the dealer wants you leaving the forecourt happy, it would be quite nice to have a quarter tank of fuel so we can go off for a drive rather than straight to the petrol station.
It's simply an added extra that would make me feel like a valued customer who might then go back again or recommend them.
I'll refer you again to my comment that £20 of fuel in every vehicle is £36k off our bottom line. Margins are tight with new vehicles until you get in to some of the higher value cars (and even then they can be tight). If you've no money in a deal, where does the cost of the fuel come from?

andymc

7,334 posts

206 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
freenote said:
Wow...emotional stuff.

1. My mistake, we are going on Monday for 64 plate
2. Many of the people getting so emotional about this are missing the point. It's not about the money (my wife just didn't fancy any extras at the time of asking), it's more the principal that given this is a large purchase and one would expect the dealer wants you leaving the forecourt happy, it would be quite nice to have a quarter tank of fuel so we can go off for a drive rather than straight to the petrol station.
It's simply an added extra that would make me feel like a valued customer who might then go back again or recommend them.
I bought a very expensive Sony TV and the tight bds gave me no electricity to run it

TonyRPH

12,963 posts

167 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Fast Bug said:
I'll refer you again to my comment that £20 of fuel in every vehicle is £36k off our bottom line. Margins are tight with new vehicles until you get in to some of the higher value cars (and even then they can be tight). If you've no money in a deal, where does the cost of the fuel come from?
You lying barsteward - we all know you dealers are making squillions on every sale.... spin

zedstar

1,735 posts

175 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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My dad bought a new car this year and we had a longed out conversation about supplying half a tank of fuel with the car, saleslady eventually agreed to half a tank and that was out of the brokers commission that we used to find the deal.

Come March 1st I'm wondering whether they remembered to put it in or whether id have to refer to half tank on the invoice.

Car was that full of fuel that after 150 miles (!) the needle moved finally started to move downwards - I always wondered why the fuel negotiation took so long and then they gave us a full tank anyway?

OP - If they're the nice tailored sport mats then i'd pay the £99 - it's a deal. On the flipside I do agree a brand new car delivered on the fuel light is a bit of a poor show. You'd think a tenner or so to get it past the fuel light would be normal.

Even my leased BMW came with half a tank in it...

spats

838 posts

154 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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SV8Predator said:
Having the low fuel light on is a pisstake and this should not happen in a professional dealership. All new cars are delivered with the barest minimum of fuel to get them off the trailer.

The dealer will then try to sell you £55 worth of fuel and a £15 mat set for £99.

But the salesman should put £5 of fuel into it for you to get the fuel light off as part of his pre delivery prep. It is their job to make the handover experience as pleasant as possible for you. It won't be very pleasant if you are getting stressed that your new car will run out of fuel before you can get to a filling station.

There will very likely be a checklist that they will ask you to fill in with questions on the handover, the experience and how happy you are with the dealership. This goes back to the manufacturer. If they refuse to put fuel in it for you then explain this in the checklist comments section.

Or refuse to accept the car with the fuel light on, and be very vocal and loud about when you're in the showroom. Stand up and go to walk out, etc.

If the salesman doesn't get a fully satisfied customer with a 100% checklist, it will hit him in his pocket.
Having the low fuel light on is a piss take? NO expecting something for nothing is a piss take! So you expect 20-30 quid of fuel in every car sold, say they sell 30 cars each per month thats over a grand gone from the bottom line. I take it you dont run your own business then if you expect them to throw away over a grand a month!

I would make it clear that the car came with no fuel and if they would like me to put fuel in for them I would do so and add how ever much fuel they wanted adding in onto their invoice. Or if they negoitated it during the deal it would of course be done and in the tank for handover.

I’m glad I’m out of it tbh with potential attitudes like yours. Holding the salesman to ransom AFTER the deal is done because you know if you don’t tick the boxes after all their hard work they potentially lose money themselves. If they have done all that was asked, delivered all that was in the deal and been pleasant and honest with you then why on earth should you do such a thing at the last minute?

To the OP, I would have asked for them to chuck 20 quid in and add it to the bill if you were concerned about running out of fuel. But tbh 99 quid for fuel and mats isn’t a great deal and you were probably right to not take it. I imagine its done to make customers aware the car wont come with either as they have purchased it, so to avoid it popping up on handover as an issue. If they have already told you they would cost 99 quid you cant then ask where they are after the deal was done saying you didn’t know they didn’t come with the car.

Fast Bug

11,597 posts

160 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
TonyRPH said:
Fast Bug said:
I'll refer you again to my comment that £20 of fuel in every vehicle is £36k off our bottom line. Margins are tight with new vehicles until you get in to some of the higher value cars (and even then they can be tight). If you've no money in a deal, where does the cost of the fuel come from?
You lying barsteward - we all know you dealers are making squillions on every sale.... spin
This is true, I'm posting this from my yacht moored in Monacco harbour. I can't move for bikini clad gold diggers, they're marking my decks with their stripperesque high heels mad

Buster73

5,042 posts

152 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
freenote said:
Wow...emotional stuff.

1. My mistake, we are going on Monday for 64 plate
2. Many of the people getting so emotional about this are missing the point. It's not about the money (my wife just didn't fancy any extras at the time of asking), it's more the principal that given this is a large purchase and one would expect the dealer wants you leaving the forecourt happy, it would be quite nice to have a quarter tank of fuel so we can go off for a drive rather than straight to the petrol station.
It's simply an added extra that would make me feel like a valued customer who might then go back again or recommend them.
Rubbish , you'll have forgotten about the free fuel in a couple of weeks man never mind when you come to change your car.

Luftgekuhlt

853 posts

189 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Swoxy said:
You are buying a car, not fuel. I would have tried to negotiate the mats in at the point of doing the deal.
Exactly this. Some people even expect oil, water and brake fluid Bloody fools. YOU ARE BUYING A CAR NOT BRAKE FLUID FFS.


V8forweekends

2,481 posts

123 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Luftgekuhlt said:
Exactly this. Some people even expect oil, water and brake fluid Bloody fools. YOU ARE BUYING A CAR NOT BRAKE FLUID FFS.
laugh People will expect electrolyte in the battery and bulbs in the lights next.

freenote

Original Poster:

784 posts

167 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Well I appreciate all the replies. Clearly the majority are not in agreement with me. I haven't changed my views on it but perhaps I'm hearing the perspective of the other side of the business.

And yes, this pretty much makes my point:
Luftgekuhlt said:
Exactly this. Some people even expect oil, water and brake fluid Bloody fools. YOU ARE BUYING A CAR NOT BRAKE FLUID FFS.

Edited by freenote on Friday 29th August 17:21

michael243

4,079 posts

174 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
rolleyes

Martin_Hx

3,951 posts

197 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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I expected a full tank when I bought the Civic, I asked for super unleaded, they shot me down and filled it up with normal cheap unleaded, the gits smile

DUMBO100

1,878 posts

183 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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I used to be a Car Sales man and whenever possible I would ensure that every customer got at least half a tank of fuel. Either myself or a valeter would fill it up and sign the book with trade plates registration number. The Bosses never knew and I would get a lot more referrals and recommendations to new customers so it was the least I could do