Sodding Dealers....

[With these feet]

Bit of a moan - not a full blown rant - just a bit pissed off at the way van dealers think its ok to treat potential customers.

Over the last few weeks I have been looking for a van. Spent hours searching the usual suspects and found a few I felt were worth a look.
First one last Saturday, 90 miles away. I called and asked more about it, got the address and said I will be there in 2 hours.
2 hours later I arrived, couldnt find a front door - let alone a bell, large dogs wandering around behind locked gate.
Bloke opens the window "what do you want".
I explained I was there to look at the van sat in his drive. I was then told it was sold. I was a little pissed off to say the least.
Left him with a few expletives (not like me really but I hate wasting time) 5 hours and £50 for mates fuel down.

Next one on Thursday, 85 miles away. On the website looked clean and tidy - again worth a look.
I turned up, van was behind locked security gates. When the gate opened and I saw the van I realised the trader was using library pictures to sell them. This had more scabs than a leper, and dents like it had been used for target practice at a golf range.
Plus the interior looked like it had been inhabited by a Tazmanian devil. Asked if I wanted a cup of tea - I was back in the car before he could fill the kettle..
Another 4 hours down and more fuel....

Friday I saw a local one, straight and very clean. On paper should have been worth a punt.
Started fine, though gearbox was the stiffest Ive ever encountered. Drove 100 yards and the abs light on. "I had that fixed last week" Hmmm
Another 200 yards and the glow plug light came on along with me nose diving towards the wheel as it spluttered and then picked up."That might be a set of glow plugs, or worse" I said. When the diff started whining I'd had enough!

This Saturday I saw what I thought the best one and only 45 miles away.
Called and said I was on the way. Got to the dealer and the van was there!! Looked tidy but something not quite right.
Been resprayed at some time but bits was white underneath and bits yellow. Sills had rust on them that I would have thought failed an MOT...
Anyway, took it for a drive where it went really well. Drove back to the dealer where I was having a look around it making a decision.
The salesman then got back in - with another customer and drove off without saying anything leaving me with his "boss"
The van returned and the salesman said "he's offered the asking price and wants it" "we have another one if youre interested - ONLY £5000 MORE MIND!
Slightly bemused at the whole situation, I said to my friend who had driven me there "fk 'em, I wouldnt want to buy from this shower anyway" and left.

So, still no van and going bog-eyed searching online for the next potential purchase...

[Meoricin]

Did you pay a deposit on the last one? If not, it's fair enough. They can't have paying customers sitting around waiting for people who can't make their mind up.

[martin84]

Meoricin said:

Did you pay a deposit on the last one? If not, it's fair enough. They can't have paying customers sitting around waiting for people who can't make their mind up.

I know PH 1980's style capitalism doesnt like to wait for a paying customer to think twice before throwing money at something, but surely even you can accept the OP had arrived first, driven the vehicle and was still on the premesis, so surely the dealer should ask him if he wants it first instead of hand it to a johnny-come-lately. Whatever happened to first come first served? If the OP wanted it, he'd have bought it. If not, the other guy would. The dealer wouldn't lose a sale via such practice. He was going to sell the van either way so surely there was room for courtesy?

In general these dealers sound absolutely shocking, particularly the first few the OP mentioned. The last one is pathetic customer service but the others are simply lying and selling things - possibly dangerous vehicles - on false pretences. These are the sort of cowboy outfits the authorities need to close down.

Edited by martin84 on Sunday 4th March 22:09

[smugglersvin]

Finding good cheap work vans are hard to find. I bought myself a cheap van when I was doing the house up and found when it came to selling it I could have sold it 1000 times over the phone didn't stop ringing.
Mine was a 11 year old Ex Police Fiesta van which had done a genuine 48,000 miles, it had 6 months tax and test and I sold it for £500.
But next time I buy something for carrying tools I'm going to get myself an estate as I found everytime I would go to the tip I was given the Spanish inquisition, plus when going through tolls it would cost more money than a car.

[With these feet]

Meoricin said:

Did you pay a deposit on the last one? If not, it's fair enough. They can't have paying customers sitting around waiting for people who can't make their mind up.

Fairs fair though, It wasnt even 2 minutes and neither the salesman or the owner of the site were interested in whether or not I wanted it. I do not however agree with it being an auction till the price is met. Theres Fleabay for those deals.

In hindsight the guy probably did me a favour. An 80k van ought to have some history with it and not just MOT certs.
I cant believe the bloke bought it within 3 minutes of seeing it though!

[martin84]

With these feet said:

I cant believe the bloke bought it within 3 minutes of seeing it though!

Are you sure he bought it and he wasnt the dealer's mate pretending to be a buyer to try and bully you into paying up fast before you had a chance to think? Either way, these sorts of places are best avoided. The argument of 'they cant afford to leave paying customers' is not a valid reason for failing to offer you the van first, if you didnt want it he still had his other customer.

[With these feet]

martin84 said:

With these feet said:

I cant believe the bloke bought it within 3 minutes of seeing it though!

Are you sure he bought it and he wasnt the dealer's mate pretending to be a buyer to try and bully you into paying up fast before you had a chance to think? Either way, these sorts of places are best avoided. The argument of 'they cant afford to leave paying customers' is not a valid reason for failing to offer you the van first, if you didnt want it he still had his other customer.

If it was a ploy, it backfired as even though I need a van, I was not going to make a snap decision. My mate with me said afterwards that he would not have bought from them anyway - purely on the attitude of the sales team.

[Arlen]

Seems to be the thing with any dealer selling a van I drove all over the country when I was looking for one. All I kept seeing were poorly looked after vehicles. All remarkably described as immaculate they hadn't even used the correct shade of touch-up paint.

Ended up buying brand new as I had wasted so much time and money chasing after very poor vehicles.