No sir, we don't let you take these cars out, it's an AMG...
Discussion
I've been trying to decide what to get for the summer I entually decided on an SLK55, and today wanted to go out and buy one. There's a likely candidate at a dealer's in Wembley' so I called up to check that it was still in, and that it'd be available for a test drive. The guy told me that yes, it's still there, but no "we don't let these kind of cars out for a test".
I asked if he expected that I'd pay 20,000 cash over without having checked that it was all OK, and after a confused pause, he said "It's an AMG, you have to understand".
No, I don't actually have to understand. There's no way in hell that I'm going to buy it, find out ten minutes later that the steering's bent, and that there's a knock from the suspension, and then have to try and argue the toss about getting my money back. Do people actually buy like this?
I asked if he expected that I'd pay 20,000 cash over without having checked that it was all OK, and after a confused pause, he said "It's an AMG, you have to understand".
No, I don't actually have to understand. There's no way in hell that I'm going to buy it, find out ten minutes later that the steering's bent, and that there's a knock from the suspension, and then have to try and argue the toss about getting my money back. Do people actually buy like this?
NorthernBoy said:
Must cost them a lot of business, then, as they are clearly crap judges of who is or isn't a serious buyer.
I agree, it probably does cost them business because they get it wrong sometimes. However they probably also get it right a lot of the time too. Doesn't stop it being very annoying for people like you though.(I had similar problems buying my Evo when I was 22.)
It's incredibly annoying. I've decided what I want, have the insurance arranged, have the cash, but am not going to buy any car without being allowed a ten minute try to make sure it's OK.
I took out. Z4 M Roadster from a main dealer the other week that had a problem with the steering (creaking and grating at low speed) that somehow the dealership had missed. At least with a big name dealer I'd know that it would likely be fixed. These guys, immediately, strike me as not the sort of people that could be relied upon to be so accommodating.
I took out. Z4 M Roadster from a main dealer the other week that had a problem with the steering (creaking and grating at low speed) that somehow the dealership had missed. At least with a big name dealer I'd know that it would likely be fixed. These guys, immediately, strike me as not the sort of people that could be relied upon to be so accommodating.
mrmr96 said:
No, its just what they say to people they don't think are serious.
How would they gauge that from a phone call?I know there are people out there who will phone up and buy a car sight unseen but I can't help but think that if you don't want people to ask to drive the £20k cars that you sell, don't sell them.
Mr MXT][Southern attitude said:
It's becuase you are Northern so clearly can't afford it.
{/Southern attitude]
I'd think that maybe you were right except that I think that this fellow would be better at spotting the difference between accents from Islamabad and Karachi than between those from Chelsea and Coventry.{/Southern attitude]
NorthernBoy said:
It's incredibly annoying. I've decided what I want, have the insurance arranged, have the cash, but am not going to buy any car without being allowed a ten minute try to make sure it's OK.
I took out. Z4 M Roadster from a main dealer the other week that had a problem with the steering (creaking and grating at low speed) that somehow the dealership had missed. At least with a big name dealer I'd know that it would likely be fixed. These guys, immediately, strike me as not the sort of people that could be relied upon to be so accommodating.
They are bound to say that over the phone. I'm sure if you turn up in person with a large wad of cash the story will be different.I took out. Z4 M Roadster from a main dealer the other week that had a problem with the steering (creaking and grating at low speed) that somehow the dealership had missed. At least with a big name dealer I'd know that it would likely be fixed. These guys, immediately, strike me as not the sort of people that could be relied upon to be so accommodating.
Jonny_693 said:
They are bound to say that over the phone. I'm sure if you turn up in person with a large wad of cash the story will be different.
Yes, I might head over anyway and see, but I'll go and look at others, first, where I'm hopefully less likely to have my time wasted.Perhaps I'm spoiled by having dealt with main dealers and good specialists in recent years. This just immediately reminded me of the pain it was dealing with the lower end of the market whe I was dirt poor.
Which is weird when I'm trying to buy a four year old AMG.
I had the same experience with my local MB dealership. I went in there to buy a CL63 AMG that I had seen advertised and was prepared to pay all up front, nothing on finance. The fact that I was in my early thirties and was wearing jeans and trainers meant the older salesman looked me up and down and just dismissed me as a time waster.
I made a point of seeing the dealer principal and complaining and showing him my current one year old Porsche and basically saying that I wasn't a fly-by-night and that I did have some serious money to spend. He couldn't have been more apologetic to me.
Well, I said to him that exactly in the way his dealership had made a snap judgment about me based on how I look, I had now made a snap judgment on them based on how they treat customers and that I shall go and buy a vehicle from somewhere else, which I did.
Anyway as it happens I have a friend who worked there in the servicing department and she said the cars that came from that dealership were crappily PDI'd and serviced anyway, so I probably got off lightly.
I made a point of seeing the dealer principal and complaining and showing him my current one year old Porsche and basically saying that I wasn't a fly-by-night and that I did have some serious money to spend. He couldn't have been more apologetic to me.
Well, I said to him that exactly in the way his dealership had made a snap judgment about me based on how I look, I had now made a snap judgment on them based on how they treat customers and that I shall go and buy a vehicle from somewhere else, which I did.
Anyway as it happens I have a friend who worked there in the servicing department and she said the cars that came from that dealership were crappily PDI'd and serviced anyway, so I probably got off lightly.
Highrisedrifter said:
I had the same experience with my local MB dealership. I went in there to buy a CL63 AMG that I had seen advertised and was prepared to pay all up front, nothing on finance. The fact that I was in my early thirties and was wearing jeans and trainers meant the older salesman looked me up and down and just dismissed me as a time waster.
I made a point of seeing the dealer principal and complaining and showing him my current one year old Porsche and basically saying that I wasn't a fly-by-night and that I did have some serious money to spend. He couldn't have been more apologetic to me.
Well, I said to him that exactly in the way his dealership had made a snap judgment about me based on how I look, I had now made a snap judgment on them based on how they treat customers and that I shall go and buy a vehicle from somewhere else, which I did.
Anyway as it happens I have a friend who worked there in the servicing department and she said the cars that came from that dealership were crappily PDI'd and serviced anyway, so I probably got off lightly.
It reminds me of that Lionel Richie interview on Top Gear. 'I would like to buy 5 Mercedes'. I made a point of seeing the dealer principal and complaining and showing him my current one year old Porsche and basically saying that I wasn't a fly-by-night and that I did have some serious money to spend. He couldn't have been more apologetic to me.
Well, I said to him that exactly in the way his dealership had made a snap judgment about me based on how I look, I had now made a snap judgment on them based on how they treat customers and that I shall go and buy a vehicle from somewhere else, which I did.
Anyway as it happens I have a friend who worked there in the servicing department and she said the cars that came from that dealership were crappily PDI'd and serviced anyway, so I probably got off lightly.
randlemarcus said:
There are 8 more of them on Autotrader, never mind what the Merc dealer network has to play with. And your chosen steed is a year older than most of those.
Yes, there are a few. The Mole Valley one looked best, but they have the wrong price on Autotrader). The other one in NW London actually has two owners, not one (and choosing to lie about that in an advert is a bad start), and the closest one that Mercedes have is £30,000 for a 2005 model., and it's a bit shabby.I'll definitely find one, which is why I'm not going to lose any sleep over this one, I just thought it ridiculous that someone who asks if they can try it (only if they I tend to buy) is still told no.
Highrisedrifter said:
.
I made a point of seeing the dealer principal and complaining and showing him my current one year old Porsche and basically saying that I wasn't a fly-by-night and that I did have some serious money to spend. He couldn't have been moreWell, I said to him that exactly in the way his dealership had made a snap judgment about me based on how I look, I had now made a snap judgment on them based on how they treat customers and that I shall go and buy a vehicle from somewhere else, which I did..
I had the same with my local Audi dealership when I was looking to buy my RS4. I was treated like a waste of time by them, so went down to the one just over the river, and handed over my £55k there instead.I made a point of seeing the dealer principal and complaining and showing him my current one year old Porsche and basically saying that I wasn't a fly-by-night and that I did have some serious money to spend. He couldn't have been moreWell, I said to him that exactly in the way his dealership had made a snap judgment about me based on how I look, I had now made a snap judgment on them based on how they treat customers and that I shall go and buy a vehicle from somewhere else, which I did..
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