Main Dealers - experience
Discussion
Ed50 said:
I can feel your pain.
I have to say snap,been there and got the tee shirt.
Gaydon unfortunately you've lost another customer due to poor services levels.
There's mirror images here of another I know's experience………he too buggered off and bought a Maser.
I have to say snap,been there and got the tee shirt.
Gaydon unfortunately you've lost another customer due to poor services levels.
There's mirror images here of another I know's experience………he too buggered off and bought a Maser.
not just masers eitherpetop said:
wokkadriver said:
I feel for your problems, however…
Pick up the phone, and ring Aston Martin Works on 01908 610620.
Ask to speak to Simon Stanton, sit back and relax.
/\ This.....had nothing but brilliant service from Simon and Works. I work 3000 miles away from the UK and 99% its email correspondence for anything to do with servicing etc. Always reply and deal with anything, minimum of fuss. They also on a few occasions gone above and beyond what i would expect and not reflective on any car problems but taken into account the fact i work away a lot.Pick up the phone, and ring Aston Martin Works on 01908 610620.
Ask to speak to Simon Stanton, sit back and relax.
I have had the service done at Works and its ok, but a slight upholstery fault which is a warranty issue Works were going to let me know when the part was in - that was 5 months ago.
Contrast this with the costumer care available from my Local Morgan dealer who hosts a free bacon butty BBQ every month with expert speakers on various subjects like maintenance, buying advice, valeting, performance upgrades, upholstery care etc as well as open test drive days. Of course during this the host is mingling and getting to know his costumers and potential new sales opportunities but the Morgan community are also benefitting in a big way. Dealers IMHO dont add to the joy of ownership and are missing a huge opportunity. Maybe my expectation is too high.
When looking for my V8V 4 years ago, I contacted Lancaster in Cambridge. Got all the usual spiel, 'we'll find you a lovely example, bend over backwards blah, blah, blah...'
Didn't hear a thing for two months so I called them, left a message and they never called me back.
A couple of weeks passed and I got a letter saying 'that as I had managed to buy a car elsewhere and they were sorry that I didn't consider them but hoped that I'd consider them in the future...' I rang them and said I hadn't found a car as yet and I was confused as to why they thought I had, the Sales Manager said that the sales bod had told him that he was getting nowhere with me and this was a standard letter that they sent out when they are having no luck with a potential customer.
I had exactly zero calls in over three months from them.
Cant say I agree with this. Works is just down the road so the obvious choice for a newish AM I thought especially seeking a fairly standard V8V in black with no trade in. Went in and got the usual coffee and went through what I was looking for and they would contact me when he a car could be located. My other half commented as we were leaving that it was a waste of time, and that we wouldn't be hearing from them again, and 18 months later she remains correct. Maybe Im wearing the wrong coloured trousers? I bought my AM very shortly from Lloyd at Exeter - a much better experience.
I have had the service done at Works and its ok, but a slight upholstery fault which is a warranty issue Works were going to let me know when the part was in - that was 5 months ago.
Contrast this with the costumer care available from my Local Morgan dealer who hosts a free bacon butty BBQ every month with expert speakers on various subjects like maintenance, buying advice, valeting, performance upgrades, upholstery care etc as well as open test drive days. Of course during this the host is mingling and getting to know his costumers and potential new sales opportunities but the Morgan community are also benefitting in a big way. Dealers IMHO dont add to the joy of ownership and are missing a huge opportunity. Maybe my expectation is too high.
Didn't hear a thing for two months so I called them, left a message and they never called me back.
A couple of weeks passed and I got a letter saying 'that as I had managed to buy a car elsewhere and they were sorry that I didn't consider them but hoped that I'd consider them in the future...' I rang them and said I hadn't found a car as yet and I was confused as to why they thought I had, the Sales Manager said that the sales bod had told him that he was getting nowhere with me and this was a standard letter that they sent out when they are having no luck with a potential customer.
I had exactly zero calls in over three months from them.
PlusOneToo said:
petop said:
wokkadriver said:
I feel for your problems, however…
Pick up the phone, and ring Aston Martin Works on 01908 610620.
Ask to speak to Simon Stanton, sit back and relax.
/\ This.....had nothing but brilliant service from Simon and Works. I work 3000 miles away from the UK and 99% its email correspondence for anything to do with servicing etc. Always reply and deal with anything, minimum of fuss. They also on a few occasions gone above and beyond what i would expect and not reflective on any car problems but taken into account the fact i work away a lot.Pick up the phone, and ring Aston Martin Works on 01908 610620.
Ask to speak to Simon Stanton, sit back and relax.
I have had the service done at Works and its ok, but a slight upholstery fault which is a warranty issue Works were going to let me know when the part was in - that was 5 months ago.
Contrast this with the costumer care available from my Local Morgan dealer who hosts a free bacon butty BBQ every month with expert speakers on various subjects like maintenance, buying advice, valeting, performance upgrades, upholstery care etc as well as open test drive days. Of course during this the host is mingling and getting to know his costumers and potential new sales opportunities but the Morgan community are also benefitting in a big way. Dealers IMHO dont add to the joy of ownership and are missing a huge opportunity. Maybe my expectation is too high.
It's not Works Nick, I have used them a few times for warranty work and they seemed OKish but I've never had it serviced there as they are sooo expensive.
I now use an Indy
AMDBSNick said:
huggy1 said:
If I wrote down everything I hated about having to deal with the main stealers, I'd be here all day... They wrap, incompetence, lies and downright thievery up in big lumps of cotton wool and think they can get away with it. I will never by an Aston Martin again. 
Looking at where you are based Huggy I would guess you use what is considered the marque's "premier" dealer. I used to use them and they damaged my old V8V. I know they insist on washing the cars on arrival, well they used to!!!I now use an Indy
What really surprises me is the variety of experiences between different people at the same dealer. Couldn't do a deal with them at purchase time (chap now fired...) but on after-sales I get on great with them, although very occasionally have to nag a bit. Nice genuine guys too. A friend however has just had a truly horrendous experience with them that Gaydon had to fix...
I think as customers go we are probably high maintenance (I know I am 'don't wash it', don't test drive it and definitely don't test the ABS or TC or I'll b kill you) but I think that also goes with their territory as these cars can mean a lot to people and so the experience should match your care and validate these eye watering hourly rates and high service costs for older cars (BMW gives a service DISCOUNT for older cars...keeping them away from Indies etc).
I think as customers go we are probably high maintenance (I know I am 'don't wash it', don't test drive it and definitely don't test the ABS or TC or I'll b kill you) but I think that also goes with their territory as these cars can mean a lot to people and so the experience should match your care and validate these eye watering hourly rates and high service costs for older cars (BMW gives a service DISCOUNT for older cars...keeping them away from Indies etc).
Not sure how to explain different experiences from same dealer. From a point of view of what i purchased, i bought a "bog standard" 4.7 V8 from them, used. Did it all over the phone or email. Its been serviced, had warranty work, recall/mods done with them. Not too concerned about the washing bit, its bright red anyway so tends to hide the swirls and i usually polish it when its back anyway.
Now if i compare to Porsche, they just wanted to get as much money off me as possible. And its twice as hard to get Warranty on the car as it has to have been driven no more than 30mph, door hasnt been slammed, only allowed to go over 2500rpm in a 5 year period once and only allowed to a Porsche supplied air freshener in it......well thats what it felt like.
But some dealers are better than other on all marques of car agreed.
Now if i compare to Porsche, they just wanted to get as much money off me as possible. And its twice as hard to get Warranty on the car as it has to have been driven no more than 30mph, door hasnt been slammed, only allowed to go over 2500rpm in a 5 year period once and only allowed to a Porsche supplied air freshener in it......well thats what it felt like.
But some dealers are better than other on all marques of car agreed.
Looks like I may be having to make use of that address posted earlier. TBH I wasn't expecting the dealer to pay up, despite selling me a defective car - but after promising to "investigate and ring me back" - I have heard nothing. Pretty much the same experience as the last time I had a problem.
Funny thing is - I rang them a few months ago to get a settlement figure on the finance agreement on our V8 as we had quite a dramatic change in our financial situation and were in a position to buy our vehicle outright 3 years ahead of schedule - which we subsequently did. I had somebody ring me back within 5 minutes of that call inviting me in for a special test drive of the V12 with Aston's own drivers and offering to see if we were interested looking at an upgrade.
TBH after driving it I was seriously tempted - but i'm not going to spend another penny with a dealer who treats it's customers as cash cows when they are in a position to spend money - and with utter contempt when they have a problem.
Funny thing is - I rang them a few months ago to get a settlement figure on the finance agreement on our V8 as we had quite a dramatic change in our financial situation and were in a position to buy our vehicle outright 3 years ahead of schedule - which we subsequently did. I had somebody ring me back within 5 minutes of that call inviting me in for a special test drive of the V12 with Aston's own drivers and offering to see if we were interested looking at an upgrade.
TBH after driving it I was seriously tempted - but i'm not going to spend another penny with a dealer who treats it's customers as cash cows when they are in a position to spend money - and with utter contempt when they have a problem.
Just curious if anyone knows any Aston Suits that peruse the forums to get a pulse on their clientele? I can understand their not wanting to post as they'd be swarmed with inquiries and comments but they have to be snooping around. What better way to see what your real enthusiasts/evangelists are concerned about.
Some interesting stuff on here but in my experience not unique to Aston dealers.
The Vantage experience was good at the point of sale but not collection due to the fact that the dealer had not repaired a scratch on the polished aluminium drivers sill after stating he would during negotiations. He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say
). It had the desired effect and they replaced the plate, but the damage was done and the trust was broken.
As regards servicing there I find the service manager is great but he is hamstrung by company policy and I tend to use the official Aston Service agent a few miles away, whose service has been superb.
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back. BMW has been consistently high in every respect and that has been from K plate cars (my first BMW) to just the other week when I looked at their i8.
Porsche were superb at point of sale and delivery, and generally in my contact with them since, especially the lady on meet and greet. BUT - they took the piss when they had my Boxster in and put around 100 miles on (Just a few month old at the time) and handed it back to me covered in oil (leather seats, doors and even the dashboard) requiring a full valet.
A very swift complaint followed resulting in a personal call from the dealer principal, but why did they think it was ok to abuse my car like that in the first place?
So, for me my experience with Aston has been mixed, but not dissimilar to other marques. To date BMW have been the best but that's not to say the next one I buy from them might not reverse that.
The Vantage experience was good at the point of sale but not collection due to the fact that the dealer had not repaired a scratch on the polished aluminium drivers sill after stating he would during negotiations. He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say
). It had the desired effect and they replaced the plate, but the damage was done and the trust was broken. As regards servicing there I find the service manager is great but he is hamstrung by company policy and I tend to use the official Aston Service agent a few miles away, whose service has been superb.
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back. BMW has been consistently high in every respect and that has been from K plate cars (my first BMW) to just the other week when I looked at their i8.
Porsche were superb at point of sale and delivery, and generally in my contact with them since, especially the lady on meet and greet. BUT - they took the piss when they had my Boxster in and put around 100 miles on (Just a few month old at the time) and handed it back to me covered in oil (leather seats, doors and even the dashboard) requiring a full valet.
A very swift complaint followed resulting in a personal call from the dealer principal, but why did they think it was ok to abuse my car like that in the first place?
So, for me my experience with Aston has been mixed, but not dissimilar to other marques. To date BMW have been the best but that's not to say the next one I buy from them might not reverse that.
wokkadriver said:
Moonhawk said:
Will he be able to help with my current problems - or my possible future purchase?
Future purchase - to be fair, any of the chaps there will be first rate, if my experience and that of numerous others is anything to go by!I'm not sure as to who you are dealing with at the moment - but you have my sympathy. A hopeless dealer is just that. Take your hard-earned cash elsewhere.
As to your current problem, I'd go to the top - I suggest a strongly worded letter in the direction of Mr Trevor Finn. He is the chief executive for Pendragon PLC, which owns Stratstones (oops, that popped out…) Their head office is at
Loxley House
2 Oakwood Court
Little Oak Drive
Annesley
Nottingham
NG15 0DR
Edited by wokkadriver on Wednesday 22 July 14:01
When I purchased the car there were things missing like the trickle charger and car tags. I was also asking for them too, but still no response from the dealership.
Even when I did manage to speak to someone...not who I wanted to speak to, I was promised a return call, this was on a number of occasions, never had a return call.
After sometime getting nowhere I managed to get hold of Mr Finn's details and sent him and the DP of the dealership a multi paged email of how bad their dealership had been.
I then managed to get hold of Mr Finn on the telephone got him to read the email I had sent him while I was still on the phone.
With in the hour the dealership DP was on the phone to me. The first thing he said was why I hadn't spoken to him first and gone straight to the Brand Director of their parent company. I then gave him details and times of all my emails and messages etc....he couldn't argue with the poor service.
So the end result is I removed all the Stratstones branding from my car (rear window sticker and number plates) and I'll never deal with them again, really poor service and completely spoiled my first 6 months of ownership...never again.
I am sure that there are quite a few that have had good pre and after sales
service from Stratstones, I only wish that all the Stratstones dealerships were the same and my experience would have been so much better. However that's never going to happen and with most things there are good and bad dealerships and you have to hope the one you use is one of the better ones.
This is just my experience and others may have had a better experience with this particular dealership.
I do find this strange as I have had nothing but excellent service from the same dealership over the past 2 years. Having had a bad experience with the London dealer I bought my V8V from my local dealer (same group) went above & beyond to put it all right to my total satisfaction. I have recently upgraded to an SP10 from my local dealer and again I have nothing but praise for the entire experience.
Has the dealer principle changed since your experience Bomberh?
Has the dealer principle changed since your experience Bomberh?
old phart said:
Just curious if anyone knows any Aston Suits that peruse the forums to get a pulse on their clientele? I can understand their not wanting to post as they'd be swarmed with inquiries and comments but they have to be snooping around. What better way to see what your real enthusiasts/evangelists are concerned about.
They do but don't postUltimate lurkers!
(Mr Minnards I haven't forgotten how you dealt with my gearbox issues
)V8V Pete said:
I do find this strange as I have had nothing but excellent service from the same dealership over the past 2 years. Having had a bad experience with the London dealer I bought my V8V from my local dealer (same group) went above & beyond to put it all right to my total satisfaction. I have recently upgraded to an SP10 from my local dealer and again I have nothing but praise for the entire experience.
Has the dealer principle changed since your experience Bomberh?
No I don't think so, he was a well established DP and known personally by the Brand Director of the parent company. I haven't used or spoken to this particular dealership for over two years, so I wouldn't know really.Has the dealer principle changed since your experience Bomberh?
I obviously use a different non-Stratstones dealership now who are ok, but the school report stills states "could do better", but on the whole they are ok. I have had a lot of extras put on my car and put a lot of other stuff their way regarding re-spraying bonnet etc. So Stratstones due to their incompetence and extremely poor after sales customer service, didn't see a penny of the extra money I have spent on my car.
steveatesh said:
He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say ).
Brilliant. ).steveatesh said:
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back.
It has been very clear on this forum, that there are particular Aston Martin dealers who are repeatedly criticised. Either their competitors are writing the posts, or they do have customer relationship problems. On the other hand, there are a few others who are repeatedly praised.
In many instances, I am sure that the quality of service probably depends on the particular employee that we happen to deal with. I receive very good assistance from the service man at my MB dealer. Almost surprising really, because my car is now quite a few years old, and the applicable service schedule (not the current MB version), means they only see the car and get any money, once every two years.
steveatesh said:
Some interesting stuff on here but in my experience not unique to Aston dealers.
The Vantage experience was good at the point of sale but not collection due to the fact that the dealer had not repaired a scratch on the polished aluminium drivers sill after stating he would during negotiations. He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say ). It had the desired effect and they replaced the plate, but the damage was done and the trust was broken.
As regards servicing there I find the service manager is great but he is hamstrung by company policy and I tend to use the official Aston Service agent a few miles away, whose service has been superb.
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back. BMW has been consistently high in every respect and that has been from K plate cars (my first BMW) to just the other week when I looked at their i8.
Porsche were superb at point of sale and delivery, and generally in my contact with them since, especially the lady on meet and greet. BUT - they took the piss when they had my Boxster in and put around 100 miles on (Just a few month old at the time) and handed it back to me covered in oil (leather seats, doors and even the dashboard) requiring a full valet.
A very swift complaint followed resulting in a personal call from the dealer principal, but why did they think it was ok to abuse my car like that in the first place?
So, for me my experience with Aston has been mixed, but not dissimilar to other marques. To date BMW have been the best but that's not to say the next one I buy from them might not reverse that.
This just goes to show the problem - I would never, ever buy another Bmw after my experiences with them a few years ago (and from 3 different dealerships). My favourite was when the wife and I drove 45 mins to see an M3, we got there an hour before the dealership closed to find the guy packing his desk and saying "oh I was going to go home early", which he then did leaving us on the doorstep, bemused. Oh and don't get me started on their service departments - 100 miles on a box stet is nothing compared with my experience.....The Vantage experience was good at the point of sale but not collection due to the fact that the dealer had not repaired a scratch on the polished aluminium drivers sill after stating he would during negotiations. He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say
). It had the desired effect and they replaced the plate, but the damage was done and the trust was broken. As regards servicing there I find the service manager is great but he is hamstrung by company policy and I tend to use the official Aston Service agent a few miles away, whose service has been superb.
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back. BMW has been consistently high in every respect and that has been from K plate cars (my first BMW) to just the other week when I looked at their i8.
Porsche were superb at point of sale and delivery, and generally in my contact with them since, especially the lady on meet and greet. BUT - they took the piss when they had my Boxster in and put around 100 miles on (Just a few month old at the time) and handed it back to me covered in oil (leather seats, doors and even the dashboard) requiring a full valet.
A very swift complaint followed resulting in a personal call from the dealer principal, but why did they think it was ok to abuse my car like that in the first place?
So, for me my experience with Aston has been mixed, but not dissimilar to other marques. To date BMW have been the best but that's not to say the next one I buy from them might not reverse that.
steveatesh said:
Some interesting stuff on here but in my experience not unique to Aston dealers.
The Vantage experience was good at the point of sale but not collection due to the fact that the dealer had not repaired a scratch on the polished aluminium drivers sill after stating he would during negotiations. He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say ). It had the desired effect and they replaced the plate, but the damage was done and the trust was broken.
As regards servicing there I find the service manager is great but he is hamstrung by company policy and I tend to use the official Aston Service agent a few miles away, whose service has been superb.
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back. BMW has been consistently high in every respect and that has been from K plate cars (my first BMW) to just the other week when I looked at their i8.
Porsche were superb at point of sale and delivery, and generally in my contact with them since, especially the lady on meet and greet. BUT - they took the piss when they had my Boxster in and put around 100 miles on (Just a few month old at the time) and handed it back to me covered in oil (leather seats, doors and even the dashboard) requiring a full valet.
A very swift complaint followed resulting in a personal call from the dealer principal, but why did they think it was ok to abuse my car like that in the first place?
So, for me my experience with Aston has been mixed, but not dissimilar to other marques. To date BMW have been the best but that's not to say the next one I buy from them might not reverse that.
This just goes to show the problem - I would never, ever buy another Bmw after my experiences with them a few years ago (and from 3 different dealerships). My favourite was when the wife and I drove 45 mins to see an M3, we got there an hour before the dealership closed to find the guy packing his desk and saying "oh I was going to go home early", which he then did leaving us on the doorstep, bemused. Oh and don't get me started on their service departments - 100 miles on a box stet is nothing compared with my experience.....The Vantage experience was good at the point of sale but not collection due to the fact that the dealer had not repaired a scratch on the polished aluminium drivers sill after stating he would during negotiations. He discovered how ferocious a 5' 1" Blonde can be when my wife let him know what she thought of people who break their promises (before I could even open my mouth I can say
). It had the desired effect and they replaced the plate, but the damage was done and the trust was broken. As regards servicing there I find the service manager is great but he is hamstrung by company policy and I tend to use the official Aston Service agent a few miles away, whose service has been superb.
But other marques - I found my local MB dealer to be offensive, the rep was snide and the customer area very poor. That experience has tainted my view of that dealer for ever and I won't go back. BMW has been consistently high in every respect and that has been from K plate cars (my first BMW) to just the other week when I looked at their i8.
Porsche were superb at point of sale and delivery, and generally in my contact with them since, especially the lady on meet and greet. BUT - they took the piss when they had my Boxster in and put around 100 miles on (Just a few month old at the time) and handed it back to me covered in oil (leather seats, doors and even the dashboard) requiring a full valet.
A very swift complaint followed resulting in a personal call from the dealer principal, but why did they think it was ok to abuse my car like that in the first place?
So, for me my experience with Aston has been mixed, but not dissimilar to other marques. To date BMW have been the best but that's not to say the next one I buy from them might not reverse that.
The only thing that is consistent is inconsistency.
My Stratstones have gone above and beyond on my issue recently. I really think they care, even if they do get it wrong now and again. And it costs them.
I wonder what it is? If I could put my finger upon it I would be charging more than £200 an hour! I just know that in my tiny company the buck stops with me - I depend on very few additional people (and then only the tried and tested best) to maintain my company's reputation, accuracy, skill and quality. This works superbly...but wont lead to any growth or lucrative exit strategies!
The bigger you are the more trip hazards there are? I really don't think its just an Aston thing...
My Stratstones have gone above and beyond on my issue recently. I really think they care, even if they do get it wrong now and again. And it costs them.
I wonder what it is? If I could put my finger upon it I would be charging more than £200 an hour! I just know that in my tiny company the buck stops with me - I depend on very few additional people (and then only the tried and tested best) to maintain my company's reputation, accuracy, skill and quality. This works superbly...but wont lead to any growth or lucrative exit strategies!
The bigger you are the more trip hazards there are? I really don't think its just an Aston thing...
Edited by Ken Figenus on Saturday 1st August 23:54
Ken Figenus said:
The only thing that is consistent is inconsistency.
My Stratstones have gone above and beyond on my issue recently. I really think they care, even if they do get it wrong now and again. And it costs them.
I wonder what it is? If I could put my finger upon it I would be charging more than £200 an hour! I just know that in my tiny company the buck stops with me - I depend on very few additional people (and then only the tried and tested best) to maintain my company's reputation, accuracy, skill and quality. This works superbly...but wont lead to any growth or lucrative exit strategies!
The bigger you are the more likely you are to trip more often? I really don't think its just an Aston thing...
You've got it there alreadyMy Stratstones have gone above and beyond on my issue recently. I really think they care, even if they do get it wrong now and again. And it costs them.
I wonder what it is? If I could put my finger upon it I would be charging more than £200 an hour! I just know that in my tiny company the buck stops with me - I depend on very few additional people (and then only the tried and tested best) to maintain my company's reputation, accuracy, skill and quality. This works superbly...but wont lead to any growth or lucrative exit strategies!
The bigger you are the more likely you are to trip more often? I really don't think its just an Aston thing...
Pride in the work and a sense of ownership of the task/problem
We work the same
I just wish Aston did
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