A lengthy dealer deposit question.
Discussion
Apologies in advance to anyone who makes it to the end of this before losing the will to live.
We were looking for a replacement for Mrs Daves A4 and wound up in a BMW dealer doing a deal for a new 3 series. We told the salesman (Eric) we wanted estoril blue and heated seats where we were told they had stock and could have one possibly that week, this was on the 29th of september. Sounded a bit optimistic to me but there isnt any great rush on our side. We left a £500 deposit subject to the finance being accepted on the monday morning, we got a message from the finance guy on monday afternoon saying everything was ok and could we get in touch to arrange to sign the finance paperwork and we could hopefully have the car in 7-10 days which seemed much more realistic.
So this is where it all starts going wrong.
Mrs Dave called back on Wed 2nd october to be told there was nobody who could deal with her but Eric would call back the next day, you can guess what happened with that. We finally got to speak to Eric that weekend who informed us there was no hurry for the paperwork as the car was now being built and we wouldnt see it until the end of the month, bit dissapointing but we did start to feel he couldnt care less after he got a deposit from us.
Now nothing happens until friday last week when we call to enquire if there is a date for delivery yet as we need to arrange for the A4 to go and dont want to be left without a car. The nice lady promised a call back to let us know but still waiting for that call.
Now it starts going VERY wrong.
A message is left on our answerphone late on sunday night by David at BMW to let us know "Eric has been , erm.. , has left the company..." and he is our new contact but hes now on holiday until oct 23rd but not to worry as our car isnt down for delivery until november.
To cut an allready ridiculously long and boring story short after Mrs Dave blowing a gasket on the phone a new Sales exectutive (not Eric or David) has let us know we are showing as delivery in week 44 but instead of the option of heated seats we asked for we now have privacy glass we didnt ask for. BMW are stating that this is what we asked for and the car is now built. Our paperwork doesnt list any options and upon inspection actually lists a black car!?
The options they have given us is pretty much take the blue one without the seats, take a white one with black leather and heated seats or a white one with a huge spec and red leather but for more money.
Basically is all of the above a chance to try getting the huge spec for a very good price? Should we fight for a return of the deposit and run a mile from a pretty useless dealer or accept the blue one minus the heated seats and push for some sort of gesture?
Basically our first ever brand new car and a supposed prestige dealer is managing to sour it for us. Any advice is welcome , but venting has helped me out anyway
We were looking for a replacement for Mrs Daves A4 and wound up in a BMW dealer doing a deal for a new 3 series. We told the salesman (Eric) we wanted estoril blue and heated seats where we were told they had stock and could have one possibly that week, this was on the 29th of september. Sounded a bit optimistic to me but there isnt any great rush on our side. We left a £500 deposit subject to the finance being accepted on the monday morning, we got a message from the finance guy on monday afternoon saying everything was ok and could we get in touch to arrange to sign the finance paperwork and we could hopefully have the car in 7-10 days which seemed much more realistic.
So this is where it all starts going wrong.
Mrs Dave called back on Wed 2nd october to be told there was nobody who could deal with her but Eric would call back the next day, you can guess what happened with that. We finally got to speak to Eric that weekend who informed us there was no hurry for the paperwork as the car was now being built and we wouldnt see it until the end of the month, bit dissapointing but we did start to feel he couldnt care less after he got a deposit from us.
Now nothing happens until friday last week when we call to enquire if there is a date for delivery yet as we need to arrange for the A4 to go and dont want to be left without a car. The nice lady promised a call back to let us know but still waiting for that call.
Now it starts going VERY wrong.
A message is left on our answerphone late on sunday night by David at BMW to let us know "Eric has been , erm.. , has left the company..." and he is our new contact but hes now on holiday until oct 23rd but not to worry as our car isnt down for delivery until november.
To cut an allready ridiculously long and boring story short after Mrs Dave blowing a gasket on the phone a new Sales exectutive (not Eric or David) has let us know we are showing as delivery in week 44 but instead of the option of heated seats we asked for we now have privacy glass we didnt ask for. BMW are stating that this is what we asked for and the car is now built. Our paperwork doesnt list any options and upon inspection actually lists a black car!?
The options they have given us is pretty much take the blue one without the seats, take a white one with black leather and heated seats or a white one with a huge spec and red leather but for more money.
Basically is all of the above a chance to try getting the huge spec for a very good price? Should we fight for a return of the deposit and run a mile from a pretty useless dealer or accept the blue one minus the heated seats and push for some sort of gesture?
Basically our first ever brand new car and a supposed prestige dealer is managing to sour it for us. Any advice is welcome , but venting has helped me out anyway
Ask for the deposit back and cancel the order if its not what you want. Then:
A letter to the Managing Director of the Dealership, copied in to the MD of BMW UK. Via email.
Detail everything. Dates, Times, Names. Copy of the Receipt, and the order form.
You will get a response pretty quickly. Should be favourable.
I'm not sure I'd want to hand any more money to a dealership that can't do something so basic as get an order right and communicate with you as a buyer.
As annoying as it would be to wait I think I'd ask for my deposit back. It might only be a colour or one option but buying new is about being able to spec what you want IMO.
As annoying as it would be to wait I think I'd ask for my deposit back. It might only be a colour or one option but buying new is about being able to spec what you want IMO.
It seems the problem stems with Eric; who has now been sacked, he has obviously promised things that he can't do, I've worked with people like this and they leave a trail of destruction that is hard to piece together initially and the dealership tends to find out in dribs and drabs over the course of a few weeks, you won't be the only one.
I would arrange a face to face meeting with the SM first and see what he suggests and take to it from there, have a nice chat, don't go in all guns blazing, I'm positive that if a mutually agreeable solution can't be found there will be no issue having a refund of your deposit.
I would arrange a face to face meeting with the SM first and see what he suggests and take to it from there, have a nice chat, don't go in all guns blazing, I'm positive that if a mutually agreeable solution can't be found there will be no issue having a refund of your deposit.
I'm confused by this.
I take it from your original post that you ordered a car and paid a deposit. When you did this, didn't you get some paperwork to confirm what you'd signed up for, and what the estimated delivery date was? Whenever I've ordered a new car, the cars full specification has been detailed on the order (model/colour/factory options etc). Suerely if you have this, how on earth can they now say that you've ordered a black car with privacy glass and no heated seats?
If you have something like this, then surely it's simply a matter of speaking to the dealer principal and demanding that they supply you with a car as per the original contract. If they can't, then the onus is on them to return your deposit and cancel the order.
If you've not got any of this, then you may have a bit more of a fight, but maybe it's a lesson for the future - whenever ordering anything (not just a car) I get details of exactly what I've ordered up front to avoid any issues later on.
Good luck.
I take it from your original post that you ordered a car and paid a deposit. When you did this, didn't you get some paperwork to confirm what you'd signed up for, and what the estimated delivery date was? Whenever I've ordered a new car, the cars full specification has been detailed on the order (model/colour/factory options etc). Suerely if you have this, how on earth can they now say that you've ordered a black car with privacy glass and no heated seats?
If you have something like this, then surely it's simply a matter of speaking to the dealer principal and demanding that they supply you with a car as per the original contract. If they can't, then the onus is on them to return your deposit and cancel the order.
If you've not got any of this, then you may have a bit more of a fight, but maybe it's a lesson for the future - whenever ordering anything (not just a car) I get details of exactly what I've ordered up front to avoid any issues later on.
Good luck.
KTF said:
How important is getting the exact colour/spec you decided on?
Critical? If you don't want your exact spec save a pile of money and buy a pre reg or a nearly new instead. Buying new is about buying YOUR spec, not somebody elses spec. If you are happy with somebody elses spec save a fortune and don't buy new. If you want new, insist on nothing but your choice.Thanks for the input folks.
In all honesty we didn't pay too much attention to the paperwork as we thought we were having a "stock car", its not as if they can remove the options really. The problem seems to be when it moved to having one built someone has ticked the wrong box.
I think unless we can have it in blue with heated seats before the end of the month we will be asking for a deposit back.
Thanks again.
In all honesty we didn't pay too much attention to the paperwork as we thought we were having a "stock car", its not as if they can remove the options really. The problem seems to be when it moved to having one built someone has ticked the wrong box.
I think unless we can have it in blue with heated seats before the end of the month we will be asking for a deposit back.
Thanks again.
Rawwr said:
Take the white car. Drive it through the showroom window. Crimp one off on the bonnet.
^This
Also not forgetting to take with you a large pineapple and a tent peg mallet..
Seriously though, had the same problem with an Audi dealer just recently. ordered an A1 Sport in July and last month turned up the correct colour and spec but in S Line guise. They did try to make amends by offering the car at the same price but having driven the demo S Line didnt want yet another bone jarring ride much the same as my current 135i M Sport. Big apologies from them and have paid the extra three months lease while they re ordered the correct car so no big deal really. However, theres a difference between a genuine mistake and just plain not caring to keep the customer happy. As already advised i would take the deposit and go elsewhere.
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