Car salesmen from hell
Discussion
devils advocate here (im not a car salesman) but I presume that if you want a rapid turnaround at a main dealer you don't haggle. i would always haggle but as a consequence if it meant i was there for quite some time i wouldn't mind as they will need to get numbers signed off as they move around, i imagine that the salesman sat in the showroom has very little authority to concede on price or terms.
Sheepshanks said:
To be fair it's probably not worth bothering. What do you expect a VW or Audi to do? They're just appliances. My missus has a Tiguan - we checked one out in the showroom but never drove one, and neither of us had driven a DSG before. Now it's arrived and unsurprisingly it seems fine.
Yes and no. Choosing the wrong car can be an expensive mistake. I opted for an A4 multitronic without a test drive and it was a disaster. Luckily I wad ticking a company car list and not spending my own cash.I would never buy a car without driving first but also understand your point.
truck71 said:
I opted for an A4 multitronic without a test drive and it was a disaster. Luckily I wad ticking a company car list and not spending my own cash.
In what way was it a disaster?I had company cars for 20 years, changed every 2yrs. Sometimes we'd have to take a leavers car for a few months. You just adapt to whatever car you're in.
I'm pretty sure the only time I test drove one was when Peugeot brought a 406 to one of our sales meetings. But they brought a 3 litre V6 petrol auto - not exactly representative of the 2 litre diesel manuals that we could have!
Sheepshanks said:
truck71 said:
I opted for an A4 multitronic without a test drive and it was a disaster. Luckily I wad ticking a company car list and not spending my own cash.
In what way was it a disaster?I had company cars for 20 years, changed every 2yrs. Sometimes we'd have to take a leavers car for a few months. You just adapt to whatever car you're in.
I'm pretty sure the only time I test drove one was when Peugeot brought a 406 to one of our sales meetings. But they brought a 3 litre V6 petrol auto - not exactly representative of the 2 litre diesel manuals that we could have!
n17ves said:
Bad example though, the Porsche policy is to offer test drives (and extended test drives) to anyone that asks.
Getting a 10 min drive of VW or Audi though is a joke from experience - far simpler to walk in and test drive the exotic stuff as opposed to the more mundane cars.
Eh? Have you tried being polite?Getting a 10 min drive of VW or Audi though is a joke from experience - far simpler to walk in and test drive the exotic stuff as opposed to the more mundane cars.
My local VW dealer were perfectly happy to lend me their Golf R demo for over 24 hours. Might even have let me have it longer if I asked nicely.
Not a big Audi fan, but previously had an S4. Had several test drives from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Found VAG group more accommodating than most.
spookly said:
Eh? Have you tried being polite?
My local VW dealer were perfectly happy to lend me their Golf R demo for over 24 hours. Might even have let me have it longer if I asked nicely.
Not a big Audi fan, but previously had an S4. Had several test drives from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Found VAG group more accommodating than most.
LOL - its pure luck of the draw with regards to dealerships. I had great service in the local Audi dealership and almost completely ignored in a BMW and Honda dealerships. My local VW dealer were perfectly happy to lend me their Golf R demo for over 24 hours. Might even have let me have it longer if I asked nicely.
Not a big Audi fan, but previously had an S4. Had several test drives from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Found VAG group more accommodating than most.
Steff said:
LOL - its pure luck of the draw with regards to dealerships. I had great service in the local Audi dealership and almost completely ignored in a BMW and Honda dealerships.
Luck of the draw I suppose. I had a great experience with Vertu Honda. Bought two good cars from the same salesman, who was excellent throughout. Their aftersales is very good. I've always been given grest courtesy cars and the salesman who sold me the cars always comes over to say hello when I'm dropping the cars off for servicing (they also offer collection). Easily the best dealer I've been to.I remember a few years back being treated like absolute s
te by our local Merc dealer. Turned up in my 2 year old A4, wanted a look round/test drive of a C-Class and was pretty much ready to do a deal if the drive/figures stacked up.
Kept getting fobbed off by one of the Receptionists, and asked to wait, and wait, and wait. In the end I walked out. I've never set foot in there since, although I wouldn't want a C-Class now.
Maybe it was because I had the wife and kids with me? Maybe they thought I was time wasting, although a bit of effort on their part would have made them aware I was in a 2 year old A4 that I'd had from new, so was clearly in the market.
I also remember going into VW once and asking if I could have a look round a Tiguan R-Line and the salesman told me they didn't have any in and wouldn't be getting any in either!! He said I could look round and drive the lower spec ones they had in, but he didn't seem to understand that I wanted to look round the spec I was considering buying. Pictures in a brochure don't really cut it!
Seems like a lot of hard work sometimes.
te by our local Merc dealer. Turned up in my 2 year old A4, wanted a look round/test drive of a C-Class and was pretty much ready to do a deal if the drive/figures stacked up.Kept getting fobbed off by one of the Receptionists, and asked to wait, and wait, and wait. In the end I walked out. I've never set foot in there since, although I wouldn't want a C-Class now.
Maybe it was because I had the wife and kids with me? Maybe they thought I was time wasting, although a bit of effort on their part would have made them aware I was in a 2 year old A4 that I'd had from new, so was clearly in the market.
I also remember going into VW once and asking if I could have a look round a Tiguan R-Line and the salesman told me they didn't have any in and wouldn't be getting any in either!! He said I could look round and drive the lower spec ones they had in, but he didn't seem to understand that I wanted to look round the spec I was considering buying. Pictures in a brochure don't really cut it!
Seems like a lot of hard work sometimes.
DoubleD said:
If they haven't got an R line and they aren't going to get an R line then surely the salesman did all he could.
Yep and he offered an alternative to drive too, what was he supposed to do?We get people in asking about Renaultsport, we don't run Renaultsport, never will so rather than wasting too much time we direct them to a dealer who does, usually they say "oh that is too far away I won't bother" obviously they weren't that interested then!
boobles said:
I have mentioned this on PH before but about 10 years ago & whilst looking for my first Elise, I found the perfect one at a dealership about 80 miles from me & spoke to them on the phone to arrange viewing/test drive etc..... Turned up & introduced myself & was a little surprised at how well this Elise in question was blocked in by about 10 other cars (I assumed they would have at least got it ready for me to test drive) I asked if I could have a look around but was not once offered the keys to unlock the doors etc! I approached the guy I had spoken to on the phone & asked if it was still ok for me to test drive it as I was in a position to buy almost immediately. I was pretty shocked at being told that due to the other cars blocking it in, I couldn't take the car out on this occasion but could come back on another day to test drive it. I explained that I had driven some distance but didn't get anywhere with this dealership! I walked away very peed off & bought one 7 days later from somewhere else!
I had this with a BMW M135i. I booked the test in advance. Had already talked about figures but needed the wife to have a go in the car as it was going to be her daily. Got the dealer and the salesman couldn't find the keys, then he had to unblock it. That took just over an hour. Salesman was a good bloke but who wouldn't get the car ready in advance of a test drive? My wife actually said no to the BMW because 'if they can't get a test drive right, what happens if something goes wrong?' so we got something else.
stripy7 said:
So I went to a dealership on Saturday to view a second hand car and had the full Swiss Tony treatment- lots of stupid "what do you expect to get out of this test drive?" type questions. Waited around for hours as a hostage for a part/ex figure, and generally had my time wasted. Cue lots of random salesmen trying to be my new best friend, it just came across as really unprofessional so I low balled them by about 7K and walked away, checking on the way out whether it said "C##t" on my forehead. Now my phone is ringing red hot.
sounds like the 3 bmw dealers i went to trying to buy an M4, gave up in the endstill at least they interact with you swiss tony style, VW/Audi dealers dont give a monkeys and appear to only want to talk to punters who are happy to pay list for showroom cars at inflated APR's and buy all the insurance products they sell
the merc dealer i went to bent over backwards to accommodate me, top man
Smitters said:
I did pop by in my new car though, later that day, having done a nice easy deal down the road. Way to chuck away a grand on a Wednesday afternoon.
Oh come on. Really?
That is one of the oldest PH cliché's. Just add the fact that you walked in to the original dealer with scruffy clothes, money for the car in a carrier bag etc.
HTP99 said:
DoubleD said:
If they haven't got an R line and they aren't going to get an R line then surely the salesman did all he could.
Yep and he offered an alternative to drive too, what was he supposed to do?We get people in asking about Renaultsport, we don't run Renaultsport, never will so rather than wasting too much time we direct them to a dealer who does, usually they say "oh that is too far away I won't bother" obviously they weren't that interested then!
I'm not going to buy an R-Line without at least seeing one in the flesh, and potentially driving am I? They must not have needed the business.
As it happens, my wife is in a 4 year old Octavia at the moment that we've had from new and the BM at our local dealership where we bought practically calls me every month trying to get us into a new one, and tbf he's offered me some absolutely cracking deals. No need to swap it at the moment, but it's nice to se they are willing to put in the work.
Edited by Ben Jk on Friday 9th December 13:01
Smitters said:
Second was a viewing I had arranged and couldn't make. I emailed the garage the day before, cancelling the viewing and apologising, as the guy had already taken the time to email extra details of the car over. Got a polite email back thanking me for the heads up and to let them know if I wanted to rebook. Turns out there are dealers which are human, and with manners. Wonder who'd get repeat business?
Did they get repeat business though? Did they get initial business even?Smitters said:
Suffice to say I didn't buy it. I did pop by in my new car though, later that day, having done a nice easy deal down the road.
A bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? 
Salesman can be d*cks, the same as there are d*cks in any profession. However, some customers' unwarranted "bow down" attitude must be extremely hard to deal with!
Ben Jk said:
HTP99 said:
DoubleD said:
If they haven't got an R line and they aren't going to get an R line then surely the salesman did all he could.
Yep and he offered an alternative to drive too, what was he supposed to do?We get people in asking about Renaultsport, we don't run Renaultsport, never will so rather than wasting too much time we direct them to a dealer who does, usually they say "oh that is too far away I won't bother" obviously they weren't that interested then!
I'm not going to buy an R-Line without at least seeing one in the flesh, and potentially driving am I? They must not have needed the business.
Edited by Ben Jk on Friday 9th December 12:58
Dave Hedgehog said:
VW/Audi dealers dont give a monkeys and appear to only want to talk to punters who are happy to pay list for showroom cars at inflated APR's and buy all the insurance products they sell
That was exactly my experience too - the mrs took a used Golf for a test drive, liked it, tried to negotiate on price but there was no movement and the conversation just ended. No attempt from the salesman to say, "OK this car's out of your budget, but how about this one instead?". Baffling. They had a showroom and yard full of Golfs at all sorts of different prices, would have been the easiest sale ever. She ended up leasing a new one instead.Dave Hedgehog said:
the merc dealer i went to bent over backwards to accommodate me, top man
TMI... 
Edited by Spumfry on Friday 9th December 13:15
Different strokes for different folks, errr... dealers I mean. 
My OH is looking for a replacement for her Audi a4 so had been looking around. Big local dealer near us has a decent selction but I've clocked the '£95 admin fee signs in their adverts and decided to steer clear unless something really good comes up.
Anyways whilst checking out their boring Audi selections a few weeks back I spot xn XKR that I fancy so I persuade her we need to drop in and look at the stock they have so I can stumble upon the XKR.
We get there and they have an Audi A5 she likes the look and price of, but it's tin top and auto, not soft and manual like her A4. We get a decent sales guy and go to look at it, she likes the car, the boot is big enough etc... and she wants a test drive to see if she can get on with the auto box.
That's where she hit the 'deal first' before test drive. Fortunately I'd alreadu sussed out his was going to be the approach so I wasn't too surprised, she couldn't quite believe it. The salesman was very good, very apologetic but said it's company policy. Basically he suggested she go and try one at a local Audi dealership first.
.
Eventually we passed on the Audi, the drivers door was not properly aligned and without her being able to drive it we weren't going to take it any further.
But I did buy the XKR so not an entirely wasted trip!
The thing is, with the advent of the internet, car trading is no longer a local exercise, is national. The garage I bought from sells cars all over the country, mainly without the purchaser even seeing the car beforehand let alone driving it. They price them right, and reduce until the car sells.
'Normal' cars are now almost a white good, no one makes a 'bad' car anymore so I actually struggle sometimes to see why someone wants to see the how the car drives, or how the trim levels differ between models. Any new'ish car is going to perform much the same as any other brand of similar newish car and if there is an issue on a particular car it can be fixed or returned easily enough these days.
My OH is looking for a replacement for her Audi a4 so had been looking around. Big local dealer near us has a decent selction but I've clocked the '£95 admin fee signs in their adverts and decided to steer clear unless something really good comes up.
Anyways whilst checking out their boring Audi selections a few weeks back I spot xn XKR that I fancy so I persuade her we need to drop in and look at the stock they have so I can stumble upon the XKR.
We get there and they have an Audi A5 she likes the look and price of, but it's tin top and auto, not soft and manual like her A4. We get a decent sales guy and go to look at it, she likes the car, the boot is big enough etc... and she wants a test drive to see if she can get on with the auto box.
That's where she hit the 'deal first' before test drive. Fortunately I'd alreadu sussed out his was going to be the approach so I wasn't too surprised, she couldn't quite believe it. The salesman was very good, very apologetic but said it's company policy. Basically he suggested she go and try one at a local Audi dealership first.
. Eventually we passed on the Audi, the drivers door was not properly aligned and without her being able to drive it we weren't going to take it any further.
But I did buy the XKR so not an entirely wasted trip!
The thing is, with the advent of the internet, car trading is no longer a local exercise, is national. The garage I bought from sells cars all over the country, mainly without the purchaser even seeing the car beforehand let alone driving it. They price them right, and reduce until the car sells.
'Normal' cars are now almost a white good, no one makes a 'bad' car anymore so I actually struggle sometimes to see why someone wants to see the how the car drives, or how the trim levels differ between models. Any new'ish car is going to perform much the same as any other brand of similar newish car and if there is an issue on a particular car it can be fixed or returned easily enough these days.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff