Audi Buying Experience
Discussion
My brother has been searching for an A3 for a while and we found a nice one at an Audi centre quite a drive from us. So we took the trip down, car was nice, he liked it.
We negotiated a price with the dealer and some conditions to which he agreed to in writing. Conditions are as follows:
1) Touch up blemishes (stone chips) on paintwork
2) Check it has floor mats in
3) Put some fuel in
He put a deposit down on friday, as soon as we got home he transferred the money and said they should get it on Monday (he works for a bank). The salesman said he will definitely get the car on monday (delivery to our house).
Monday came around, they said the moneys not cleared, fair enough it might not have. Now the salesman said it will definitely be with you Tuesday at 11:30.
11:30 came around, no car. We didn't call them as we thought it would arrive at any time. 2:20 the salesman text saying there has been a problem with delivery, call him. So my brother rang him and he said the driver let him down, so my brother was persistent and the salesman said there sending the car in a truck. It should be with you at 3:30
3:30 came around, no car. Rang them a few times, a couple of times he was busy, but he said it should be with you any second.
The car finally came at 4:45, by this time my brother had to call in late to work. Never mind it's here now. Some stone chips haven't been done, there are only floor mats at the front and the car has a weird knocking noise but otherwise great. It seems they have also turned the seatbelt reminder off as it was working on the test drive. So I rang the dealer and he said no the chips have all been done but I'll send you a paint kit FOC (I'm doubting its arrival), he said he never agreed to floor mats all around (fair does) but there is a full tank of fuel FOC for your troubles (nice, but I think that was for your drive up!).
So we're taking the car to a local audi centre to get this noise checked out, it was present on the test drive but I thought it was the dealer plate hitting the back of the car (it's not that we know now). They sent us the previous shape Audi A3 manual with someone elses member ID card still on it (it has their reg), some other old manuals to go with it, I did remember him saying he couldn't find the book but he'l get a new one for us. He clearly hasn't and has tried to fob us off thinking we won't realise the car on the front of the manual doesn't at all resemble the current shape A3.
Where do we stand? He should send us a new manual up right (don't want to drive down again). This knocking noise should be sorted under the AUC warranty?
Sorry for the long post. But otherwise car is good and he is impressed with it
Thanks in advance
We negotiated a price with the dealer and some conditions to which he agreed to in writing. Conditions are as follows:
1) Touch up blemishes (stone chips) on paintwork
2) Check it has floor mats in
3) Put some fuel in
He put a deposit down on friday, as soon as we got home he transferred the money and said they should get it on Monday (he works for a bank). The salesman said he will definitely get the car on monday (delivery to our house).
Monday came around, they said the moneys not cleared, fair enough it might not have. Now the salesman said it will definitely be with you Tuesday at 11:30.
11:30 came around, no car. We didn't call them as we thought it would arrive at any time. 2:20 the salesman text saying there has been a problem with delivery, call him. So my brother rang him and he said the driver let him down, so my brother was persistent and the salesman said there sending the car in a truck. It should be with you at 3:30
3:30 came around, no car. Rang them a few times, a couple of times he was busy, but he said it should be with you any second.
The car finally came at 4:45, by this time my brother had to call in late to work. Never mind it's here now. Some stone chips haven't been done, there are only floor mats at the front and the car has a weird knocking noise but otherwise great. It seems they have also turned the seatbelt reminder off as it was working on the test drive. So I rang the dealer and he said no the chips have all been done but I'll send you a paint kit FOC (I'm doubting its arrival), he said he never agreed to floor mats all around (fair does) but there is a full tank of fuel FOC for your troubles (nice, but I think that was for your drive up!).
So we're taking the car to a local audi centre to get this noise checked out, it was present on the test drive but I thought it was the dealer plate hitting the back of the car (it's not that we know now). They sent us the previous shape Audi A3 manual with someone elses member ID card still on it (it has their reg), some other old manuals to go with it, I did remember him saying he couldn't find the book but he'l get a new one for us. He clearly hasn't and has tried to fob us off thinking we won't realise the car on the front of the manual doesn't at all resemble the current shape A3.
Where do we stand? He should send us a new manual up right (don't want to drive down again). This knocking noise should be sorted under the AUC warranty?
Sorry for the long post. But otherwise car is good and he is impressed with it
Thanks in advance
I hate to reply to this as an ardent Audi fan, but i am STILL waiting a service book from a dealership, who shall remain un-named after three months. I only call/email them weekly. The deal, money exchange in showroom service was stellar, very good. But the moment I drove away, I have been palmed off at least a dozen times with excuses. And now its beyond a joke and frustration is setting in.
I feel your pain, and in the same basis great car terrible customer service.
I feel your pain, and in the same basis great car terrible customer service.
You have the right to return the car up to 30 days from purchase due to a fault I believe (under the AUC scheme), so I'd suggest you do everything you can to get any outstanding matters sorted before that time is up.
Bear in mind manuals are something that could take a little while to get as they'll probably need to order them through Audi.
At this early stage, I'd suggest sending a polite letter to the salesman concerned at the dealers listing your issues and what he has proposed to rectify them. If you have agreed dates by when this would happen, put those dates on there. Otherwise, perhaps suggest a date by when you would reasonably expect them to be rectified and ask him to notify you by letter/email if they are unable to meet those dates.
A polite letter like this will probably be all you need to ensure he stays on top of these niggles and sorts them out to your satisfaction. If he doesn't, you should escalate to first the dealer principal, then to Audi UK. I'd be surprised if you didn't get problems sorted by then if you follow this route and have a paper trail of communications that can easily be presented to other people further up the chain (as opposed to telephone calls which are open to misinterpretation/loss of memory).
Remember, stay polite at this stage - the fact it's a letter is all the firmness you need. It's very difficult to lose any argument from the moral high ground :-)
Bear in mind manuals are something that could take a little while to get as they'll probably need to order them through Audi.
At this early stage, I'd suggest sending a polite letter to the salesman concerned at the dealers listing your issues and what he has proposed to rectify them. If you have agreed dates by when this would happen, put those dates on there. Otherwise, perhaps suggest a date by when you would reasonably expect them to be rectified and ask him to notify you by letter/email if they are unable to meet those dates.
A polite letter like this will probably be all you need to ensure he stays on top of these niggles and sorts them out to your satisfaction. If he doesn't, you should escalate to first the dealer principal, then to Audi UK. I'd be surprised if you didn't get problems sorted by then if you follow this route and have a paper trail of communications that can easily be presented to other people further up the chain (as opposed to telephone calls which are open to misinterpretation/loss of memory).
Remember, stay polite at this stage - the fact it's a letter is all the firmness you need. It's very difficult to lose any argument from the moral high ground :-)
UVB said:
Remember, stay polite at this stage - the fact it's a letter is all the firmness you need. It's very difficult to lose any argument from the moral high ground :-)
very good summary! I dont want to get arsey about it, but as i get more annoyed with the lack of response/care i may do something rash and regretable. Thanks for the healthy reminder. As for the OP same principles would apply most certainly. I think we're taking the car to a local Audi centre today, we will see what they say the problems are. I have also realised as I drove it yesterday the clutch feels 'juddery'. A very mechanical feel to it and not in a good way. As for the manual I'm going to ring the salesman and ask him why he tried to fob us off. A letter would take too long and we need to read things up in the manual. Thanks for the help so far guys.
Gio G said:
I would email or write to the dealer principle... Hopefully the salesman gets a b
king for his lack of customer attention..
They have made the whole experiance pretty awful for you. My experiance of Audi has been pretty good...
It was really good when we were at the dealership, but not so much now. The car is booked in tomorow morning at a local audi centre. My brother thinks we should tell them about having the incorrect manual, but I think we should just ring up the salesman and ask him what hes playing at, good idea?. I've got a feeling the Audi centre tomorow is going to say 'nothing wrong with the car'. The experience is getting worse but all will be revealed tomorow. What are our rights with the AUC policy? king for his lack of customer attention..They have made the whole experiance pretty awful for you. My experiance of Audi has been pretty good...
AUC policy info here:
http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/used_cars/used_c...
Don't think of writing a letter as a slow step - you can achieve the same result instantly with a carefully worded email, for which you should check the "read receipt" and "delivery receipt" options if you have them. The benefit of this is that if/when you start to escalate matters, you can simply forward the email(s) to his boss and ask him for a response as you haven't heard back from the salesman in question. Make sure that when you do, you cc the boss email to the salesman himself as well.
The knack of a speedy resolution by this route is that it allows the salesman in question an opportunity to clearly resolve the matters in a manner that is easy for him to do, but with the indication of making his life rather more difficult if he doesn't. This kind of gentle persuasion usually works wonders - and when it doesn't, it is oh so easy to bring down a ton of crap onto his head, which can be satisfying to sit back and watch. As the saying goes, "speak softly - and carry a large stick".
http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/used_cars/used_c...
Don't think of writing a letter as a slow step - you can achieve the same result instantly with a carefully worded email, for which you should check the "read receipt" and "delivery receipt" options if you have them. The benefit of this is that if/when you start to escalate matters, you can simply forward the email(s) to his boss and ask him for a response as you haven't heard back from the salesman in question. Make sure that when you do, you cc the boss email to the salesman himself as well.
The knack of a speedy resolution by this route is that it allows the salesman in question an opportunity to clearly resolve the matters in a manner that is easy for him to do, but with the indication of making his life rather more difficult if he doesn't. This kind of gentle persuasion usually works wonders - and when it doesn't, it is oh so easy to bring down a ton of crap onto his head, which can be satisfying to sit back and watch. As the saying goes, "speak softly - and carry a large stick".
Well, I can't really help you except to say that my experience with Audi dealerships means I'll never darken their doors again. Which is a shame, as they make nice cars. Nothing major, but a bit like yourself just general incompotence, lots of little white lies and general fingers-in-ears when you wanted to talk about a problem. And possibly the worst DP I have ever come across.
Edited by Matt UK on Friday 12th June 08:56
Lets remember not all dealers are like this.Its unfair to say the brand is bad when 9 times out of 10 it is the dealership management thats ste. I have been treat great by my Audi dealer, prompt service, everything done no problem under warranty, free courtesy cars, freindly informative chats with service staff and technicians.
Some are good some are bad i suppose.
te. I have been treat great by my Audi dealer, prompt service, everything done no problem under warranty, free courtesy cars, freindly informative chats with service staff and technicians.Some are good some are bad i suppose.
VAG1 said:
DP? Yep, it's putting a really negative impression on Audi as a brand, they do make really nice cars but the service isn't anywhere near the same standard. Shame
DP = Dealer Principle - head of the dealership. I was dealing with an arrogant lame-duck sales exec so bumped things up the chain. I then realised why the dealerhip was full of arrogant lame-duck sales execs, they were being led by a porky-pie-telling, aggressive weapons grade knob-jockey.
You are right though, it is a shame as they make some lovely cars. Put me right off ever having one of their cars again though. Gave me an insight into a company being managed by the sort of people I'd rather not do business with.
But I'm sure there are a lot of good Audi dealerships out there full of great people. Just not in my experience.
Must be the way my mind runs but I thought you'd meant Double Penetration!
I recently helped a friend go round some dealers as she wanted a new car. Nissan was one of the contenders and one main dealer was a classic example of the most atrocious kind of salesperson. I couldn't get her out of there fast enough. We found where the next nearest dealer was and they were the polar opposite. Turns out their service manager was taken to Japan recently as they had won best customer service award globally. One very happy friend, and one well deserved sale for the dealer.
I've had similar experience with Audi. Some dealers are very good and I have praise for them; others I've dealt with in the past have been atrocious. Ultimately, Audi have a vested interest in their performance and are likely to sort out problems if you don't get joy from the dealer (I've had that myself).
I recently helped a friend go round some dealers as she wanted a new car. Nissan was one of the contenders and one main dealer was a classic example of the most atrocious kind of salesperson. I couldn't get her out of there fast enough. We found where the next nearest dealer was and they were the polar opposite. Turns out their service manager was taken to Japan recently as they had won best customer service award globally. One very happy friend, and one well deserved sale for the dealer.
I've had similar experience with Audi. Some dealers are very good and I have praise for them; others I've dealt with in the past have been atrocious. Ultimately, Audi have a vested interest in their performance and are likely to sort out problems if you don't get joy from the dealer (I've had that myself).
UVB said:
Ultimately, Audi have a vested interest in their performance and are likely to sort out problems if you don't get joy from the dealer (I've had that myself).
I got Audi UK involved and they were good. Agreed with me 100% and the girl on the phone mentioned that the dealership involved would no doubt recieve 'a special visit for a chat' as my letter had landed on the desk of 'someone important'.Fact is though, it shouldn't have had to happen. Started out as a quite a small thing that could have been resolved easily, but the dealer took the wrong attitude hoping I was a numpty punter who could be quickly and quietly mugged off, and things esclated from there.
Matt UK said:
UVB said:
Ultimately, Audi have a vested interest in their performance and are likely to sort out problems if you don't get joy from the dealer (I've had that myself).
I got Audi UK involved and they were good. Agreed with me 100% and the girl on the phone mentioned that the dealership involved would no doubt recieve 'a special visit for a chat' as my letter had landed on the desk of 'someone important'.Fact is though, it shouldn't have had to happen. Started out as a quite a small thing that could have been resolved easily, but the dealer took the wrong attitude hoping I was a numpty punter who could be quickly and quietly mugged off, and things esclated from there.
Well the car has just come back from a local Audi centre, to summarise what they said, we can't believe they sold you this car, thats how many faults there are. The faults listed:
1. Clutch biting point excessively high, clutch juddering and dragging (on its way out basically)
2. Something with the flywheel.
3. Near side rear schock absorber knocking.
4. Gearbox Mounting knocking
5. Front wishbone, front bushes knocking.
My brother has called the Audi centre salesman who sold us the car and he's said we'll try and fix the problems and we'll come collect the car and discuss everything about courtesy etc tomorow. I feel like going straight to Audi UK.
1. Clutch biting point excessively high, clutch juddering and dragging (on its way out basically)
2. Something with the flywheel.
3. Near side rear schock absorber knocking.
4. Gearbox Mounting knocking
5. Front wishbone, front bushes knocking.
My brother has called the Audi centre salesman who sold us the car and he's said we'll try and fix the problems and we'll come collect the car and discuss everything about courtesy etc tomorow. I feel like going straight to Audi UK.
Yep it's a pretty serious case now, their service is so bad it's unbelievable. We rang them this morning and the girl was so rude, the salesman in question wasn't at work at 9:15, neither was the manager, the finance guy was running the operation I was told, but coincedentally he was with a client. The salesman came in later on when we rang them again at 11. He said it's not his job to pick it up in the pre delivery inspection, down to the service people. Now the salesman is going to TRY and book it in for monday not today as promised. I'm pretty positive that that we can give the car back as he's only had it a few days and Leeds Audi advised of our position (really nice people).
I don't understand what the claims by Audi are with the "more than 100 checks" which we have the document for. Everything is ticked as good, including the check for rattles, suspension components, clutch etc. Will Audi UK take this seriously if we write to them? We already have a letter written up and it sounds good.
Does anyone know how much the above work could have cost? Thanks UVB for all your help so far
I don't understand what the claims by Audi are with the "more than 100 checks" which we have the document for. Everything is ticked as good, including the check for rattles, suspension components, clutch etc. Will Audi UK take this seriously if we write to them? We already have a letter written up and it sounds good.
Does anyone know how much the above work could have cost? Thanks UVB for all your help so far
Cost wise you're certainly into a fair few hundred between a clutch and some suspension parts at least. Might even go over a grand, especially with the labour.
Looking at the list of things knocking, as much as I don't want to worry you unecessarily did you ask them if it had been involved in an accident? Have you checked for signs of any accident damage? What's the spec of the car itself? If you were to ask to cancel the deal, would you be able to find another that you are happy with easily enough at the right price?
If it were me in your position, I'd be wondering whether they'd just do a shoddy job of the repairs to keep you happy in the short term. Unfortunately you probably need to give them the opportunity to fix the problems first. I would however advise sending a "polite but firm" letter to the dealer before the car goes in for work, listing all the issues and that if they aren't resolved to your complete satisfaction you intend to reject the car and request a full refund.
If you think you might want to reject the car, send them the above letter and let them screw up first - then get Audi involved as they will probably make the dealer take the car back. I'm not sure who the current MD of AUK is but if you can find out his name I'd get a copy of the letter addressed to him personally on a fax machine. Also send a copy to the dealer principal in question as well.
If you think you want to keep the car, it could be worth copying the first letter above to AUK before the car goes into the dealers.
Looking at the list of things knocking, as much as I don't want to worry you unecessarily did you ask them if it had been involved in an accident? Have you checked for signs of any accident damage? What's the spec of the car itself? If you were to ask to cancel the deal, would you be able to find another that you are happy with easily enough at the right price?
If it were me in your position, I'd be wondering whether they'd just do a shoddy job of the repairs to keep you happy in the short term. Unfortunately you probably need to give them the opportunity to fix the problems first. I would however advise sending a "polite but firm" letter to the dealer before the car goes in for work, listing all the issues and that if they aren't resolved to your complete satisfaction you intend to reject the car and request a full refund.
If you think you might want to reject the car, send them the above letter and let them screw up first - then get Audi involved as they will probably make the dealer take the car back. I'm not sure who the current MD of AUK is but if you can find out his name I'd get a copy of the letter addressed to him personally on a fax machine. Also send a copy to the dealer principal in question as well.
If you think you want to keep the car, it could be worth copying the first letter above to AUK before the car goes into the dealers.
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