Dealer Test Drive Etiquette?

[AstonExige]

My faith has been restored. A couple of very kind members got in touch with me via email following this thread, recommending some dealers / salesman to deal with.

Called Martin at Aston Martin Wilmslow. Told him of my intention to upgrade to a V12 and also of my indecision around a manual or sportshift. He said best thing is to drive them back to back, he has both up there so I'm more than welcome to come along and drive them both. Arranged to go up there on Tuesday.

Spoke to Lloyd at Aston Martni in Bristol. (They have a red V12s I like.) Again very helpful, spent loads of time on the phone helping me and suggested I come down to have a chat and a drive.

So my faith has well and truly been restored. Having spoken to both these guys for a relatively decent amount of time I'm confident had I of just turned up I would have had a lot better experience than I did at Works. Having said that I've also been advised to speak to SS at Works by a number of people so suspect I was just unlucky last time. So I will give them a call when I'm next in that area.

Big thanks to everyone who took the time to post on this thread, the advice has been great. Extra big thanks to those that got in touch with names and dealers to call.

[Vanin]

avinalarf said:

whirlybird said:

Several weeks ago I just happened to be passing AMW, after a failed attempt to see a V8V that was for sale? in Olney. Arrived in my sons very scruffy Polo, and dressed in my best Builders Trakies & T-Shirt, ambled in. Was pleasantly surprised by the lady on reception who firstly offered to get me a cuppa, then arranged for a salesman to have a chat with me. ( at this point is was not in a position to consider a purchase until some promised funds had materialised ) despite this, the salesman not only showed me around a car that would fit my expected budget, but offered to arrange a test drive there and then. I simply explained that until I was in the position to fund outright the purchase I,d refrain from the drive. My funds have materialised and I see they have a car very close to my wish list. My plan is to pop by in the next few days to discuss further. :-)

You were very lucky,dressed like that......very scruffy.
If I'd been in charge I'd shown you the work mens entrance or told you to sod off.

When my father was having a heart operation in the Glenfield at Leicester, I stayed for a few days and bought a cheap secondhand bike. I cruised around Leicester, absolutely nothing of interest. It was summer and I was wearing some tennis shorts a white t-shirt and flipflops. None of which were designer.

If I had turned up at even a Dacia garage and I was the salesman I think I would have turned me away!

However I called in at a Lexus dealer, parked my bike in the showroom and we chatted for a bit and then took me for a long test drive in one of the top of the range 4x4s which was half electric powered.

He made a very good and lasting impression on me, not enough to buy one but enough to use him as a measuring stick for the way I am treated by other salesmen.