Big Motoring World
Discussion
I looked at a couple of cars at their Waltham cross site earlier this year.
I came close to buying a 530e M Sport, but their warranty offer was very, very poor. Expensive with poor cover.
Bought a Volvo S90 from a franchised dealer instead. Cost more on paper, but dealer warranty and service plan included makes up for that.
When you go to the site though it is impressive. The sheer volume of cars on offer is amazing. You can’t just browse though. You need to sit down with a salesman and build a list of cars you want to look at. You really need to set aside a morning or afternoon.
I wouldn’t say I’d never use them, but there are certainly areas they need to improve on.
I came close to buying a 530e M Sport, but their warranty offer was very, very poor. Expensive with poor cover.
Bought a Volvo S90 from a franchised dealer instead. Cost more on paper, but dealer warranty and service plan included makes up for that.
When you go to the site though it is impressive. The sheer volume of cars on offer is amazing. You can’t just browse though. You need to sit down with a salesman and build a list of cars you want to look at. You really need to set aside a morning or afternoon.
I wouldn’t say I’d never use them, but there are certainly areas they need to improve on.
Auto810graphy said:
SIMON67 said:
One of their Wrotham sales guys nearly killed me on my morning cycle commute (ragging an E class on a tiny lane what felt like millimetres away from my handle bars) took the helmet cam evidence to them and came Facebook face with the owner of the company. He thought it hilarious and was a complete... Never going to get any of my business
How someone drives to work is nothing to do with how a company operates. Just look at the number of cars and vans on the road driving dangerously, they can’t all work there.Condi said:
Any experience of these guys? Am going to look at one of their cars tomorrow, but online reviews of them seem to be a bit all over the place. Some with good reviews, some with terrible reviews. I guess they're no different to any of the big supermarkets - buy on condition, don't expect much aftersales, will try and sell you finance, gap insurance, paint protection etc?
Bought twice from there, a BMW X1 and an Audi Q3, in different locations.BMW was a part exchange - they gave a good price on my Clio which had some minor damage, so I was happy with the deal.
In both cases buying experience felt like in a big McDonalds, but it is quite efficient.
Positives:
- asked to see/try a couple of alternatives, was immediately organised no question
- first part (car demo / inspection) very polite and swift
- given the scale, the process is quite smooth
- got a good part exchange offer
Negatives:
- very pushy with selling their insurance
- very pushy with some other extras which you dont need
- very pushy, I would say to extreme, with offering their finance options.
Once you are past the car demo and into the actual sale/contract - felt like they don't care any longer.
Auto810graphy said:
SIMON67 said:
One of their Wrotham sales guys nearly killed me on my morning cycle commute (ragging an E class on a tiny lane what felt like millimetres away from my handle bars) took the helmet cam evidence to them and came Facebook face with the owner of the company. He thought it hilarious and was a complete... Never going to get any of my business
How someone drives to work is nothing to do with how a company operates. Just look at the number of cars and vans on the road driving dangerously, they can’t all work there.SIMON67 said:
Auto810graphy said:
SIMON67 said:
One of their Wrotham sales guys nearly killed me on my morning cycle commute (ragging an E class on a tiny lane what felt like millimetres away from my handle bars) took the helmet cam evidence to them and came Facebook face with the owner of the company. He thought it hilarious and was a complete... Never going to get any of my business
How someone drives to work is nothing to do with how a company operates. Just look at the number of cars and vans on the road driving dangerously, they can’t all work there.I bought my last car from there. Went there initially because they had all of the vehicles on my shortlist in stock and I wanted a nose round all of them. No pressure. The only bizarre thing is that when I went back to buy, I had a cost to change in mind, and they wouldn't meet it unless I took the (basically worthless) ceramic paint treatment (at no additional cost). Quite bizarre, I can only assume that it's an artefact of their commission structure. Declined all of the other stuff they tried to upsell me, and they didn't try too hard.
Bought my 520 F11 from them eight years ago, ran it for seven years and took it from 90K miles to 200K miles. They had what I needed, when I needed it at a price I couldn't match elsewhere. Didn't need a test drive, no p/x, salesman was keen but backed off when told I knew what I wanted. Car was exactly as expected, ex lease, still had ex owners details in service history and details of his previous 520 estate. Maybe I was lucky but its like any Car Supermarket they just pass on cars for the best margin they can for zero effort. I wanted high mileage ex lease as that gave me a car that had done motorway miles and been looked after at a price I could afford. I did the same for my G31 525 but from another car supermarket as BMW didn't have the car I wanted. What you need to think when buying from these places is why would this car be here not in a main dealer? Did it get traded into one and they found an issue and punted it back to auction or did it go buyanycar or similar and the main dealers didn't want it?
P700DEE said:
What you need to think when buying from these places is why would this car be here not in a main dealer? Did it get traded into one and they found an issue and punted it back to auction or did it go buyanycar or similar and the main dealers didn't want it?
Or are they just operating on higher volume and thinner margins and willing to bid more.otolith said:
P700DEE said:
What you need to think when buying from these places is why would this car be here not in a main dealer? Did it get traded into one and they found an issue and punted it back to auction or did it go buyanycar or similar and the main dealers didn't want it?
Or are they just operating on higher volume and thinner margins and willing to bid more.I've stood in the hall at BCA Bedford years ago watching the chap from Cargiant buy one, after the other, after the other, and usually bidding pretty strongly.
123DWA said:
Trevor555 said:
This..
I've stood in the hall at BCA Bedford years ago watching the chap from Cargiant buy one, after the other, after the other, and usually bidding pretty strongly.
Yep, if Bernard starting bidding against you you had to give up as he would always outbid you! I've stood in the hall at BCA Bedford years ago watching the chap from Cargiant buy one, after the other, after the other, and usually bidding pretty strongly.
CloudStuff said:
Sound like a step-up from the "Unless you are a committed buyer, ready to place a deposit now and buy the car today, there's no test drive" Sascron model.
Yup. They won't even let you look at cars without a salesman breathing down your neck. I want to look in my own time, and discuss things with my wife. Not have a bloke hard selling anything we look at.Have been in to look for a car a couple of times but always found a reason not to buy from them. The worst car I came across was a M135i, around 7 years ago when I bought mine. The local branch had a couple up for sale, one must have been owned by an artist because the inter was black and covered in little spots of paint, literally small dots over the whole interior, every exterior panel had a dent or scratch in it. It must have been a reposition given the state of it, the sales guy offered me a £500 discount to sign the paperwork there and then and I left.
We also went when I needed a sensible car for work but they were all missing service stamps or had something wrong with them. I understand they are cheaper than the main / local small dealer but I would rather pay a bit more and find a car which at least looks like its been looked after even if you can't tell under the surface.
We also went when I needed a sensible car for work but they were all missing service stamps or had something wrong with them. I understand they are cheaper than the main / local small dealer but I would rather pay a bit more and find a car which at least looks like its been looked after even if you can't tell under the surface.
Curious about these guys as I'm currently looking for an F32 BMW 440i in Snapper Rocks Blue and they have one. Not entirely enthused by the stuff I've read on Trust Pilot, though, most notably having to enter some kind of cattle sorting area and have a "business child" in a suit cross examine you to decide whether you're worthy or not before you can even look at the car. It'll cost me at least £99 just to get that far as the car I'm interested in is in Kent but their nearest branch to me is in Leeds and there's a charge to more vehicles between sites. Then, if I want the car, having to endure another business child trying to sell me an extended warranty that won't be worth the paper it's written on and finance that I don't need because I'll be paying cash. Makes me feel like I can't really be bothered. The main reason I've had my current car so long is because the whole experience of trying to buy one is so painful that anything I could afford wasn't worth the effort... but I can now afford something I really want I'm psyching myself up for the abject misery of getting it onto my driveway.
Edited by MitchT on Tuesday 21st November 11:17
MitchT said:
Curious about these guys as I'm currently looking for an F32 BMW 440i in Snapper Rocks Blue and they have one. Not entirely enthused by the stuff I've read on Trust Pilot, though, most notably having to enter some kind of cattle sorting area and have a "business child" in a suit cross examine you to decide whether you're worthy or not before you can even look at the car. It'll cost me at least £99 just to get that far as the car I'm interested in is in Kent but their nearest branch to me is in Leeds and there's a charge to more vehicles between sites. Then, if I want the car, having to endure another business child trying to sell me an extended warranty that won't be worth the paper it's written on and finance that I don't need because I'll be paying cash. Makes me feel like I can't really be bothered. The main reason I've had my current car so long is because the whole experience of trying to buy one is so painful that anything I could afford wasn't worth the effort... but I can now afford something I really want I'm psyching myself up for the abject misery of getting it onto my driveway.
Whatever the dealer you have to treat each car on it's own merits.Edited by MitchT on Tuesday 21st November 11:17
A friend once said to me he'd found a car at "...blogs..." garage which he wanted to buy.
Knowing their reputation I said no way could he buy it without me stood next to him.
Along we went, the car was fine, and I ended up buying the car parked next to it which was a perfect example of a very highly specced Golf.
So what I'm saying is, even if a dealer is considered below par, it doesn't mean all of their stock is below par.
Even the most dodgy dealers out there don't go out to buy just dodgy/ropy cars, even they'll occasionally get a good one.
Trevor555 said:
Whatever the dealer you have to treat each car on it's own merits...
So what I'm saying is, even if a dealer is considered below par, it doesn't mean all of their stock is below par.
Oh absolutely, I agree 100%. I'd buy the car I want from absolutely anywhere if the car itself was right. It'd be getting a comprehensive BMW warranty put on it anyway so once the purchase transaction was over and done with the dealer would become irrelevant. It's more the excruciating ceremony that you have to endure to get to the point of having the bloody thing on your driveway which I have an issue with.So what I'm saying is, even if a dealer is considered below par, it doesn't mean all of their stock is below par.
Edited by MitchT on Tuesday 21st November 12:04
MitchT said:
Oh absolutely, I agree 100%. I'd buy the car I want from absolutely anywhere if the car itself was right. It'd be getting a comprehensive BMW warranty put on it anyway. It's more the excruciating ceremony that you have to ensure which I have an issue with.
The nonsense about not being able to meet my cost to change unless they threw in the (worthless) ceramic coating for free was weird. I assume that the salesman did actually have room to move, but he wasn't willing to unless he got the commission for the add-on.otolith said:
MitchT said:
Oh absolutely, I agree 100%. I'd buy the car I want from absolutely anywhere if the car itself was right. It'd be getting a comprehensive BMW warranty put on it anyway. It's more the excruciating ceremony that you have to ensure which I have an issue with.
The nonsense about not being able to meet my cost to change unless they threw in the (worthless) ceramic coating for free was weird. I assume that the salesman did actually have room to move, but he wasn't willing to unless he got the commission for the add-on.But it was the expensive extended warranty they insisted I took to meet the difference in price I wanted.
I had the last laugh, 14 days cooling off period for the insurance backed warranty.
MitchT said:
Trevor555 said:
Whatever the dealer you have to treat each car on it's own merits...
So what I'm saying is, even if a dealer is considered below par, it doesn't mean all of their stock is below par.
Oh absolutely, I agree 100%. I'd buy the car I want from absolutely anywhere if the car itself was right. It'd be getting a comprehensive BMW warranty put on it anyway so once the purchase transaction was over and done with the dealer would become irrelevant. It's more the excruciating ceremony that you have to endure to get to the point of having the bloody thing on your driveway which I have an issue with.So what I'm saying is, even if a dealer is considered below par, it doesn't mean all of their stock is below par.
Edited by MitchT on Tuesday 21st November 12:04
Always a "here we go" moment.
The Cinch model is good, in that you buy on their site, simply go through what they're offering, tick boxes if you want it.
Car gets delivered with a no quibble option to simply send it back if it's not to your liking. No sales people in suits spoiling the purchasing experience.
I've pointed many people now towards buying a car this way, I'd say around 50% satisfaction rate.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff