anyone been lied to by a used car dealer?
Discussion
Osinjak said:
Me on phone to Audi bloke; 'Has it got Xenons?' Bloke says, 'Absolutely;' then I'll be down this arvo says I. When I get there and eyeball the car it clearly doesn't have bloody Xenons and when I point this out to the car bloke he waffles on about super bright bulbs FFS. I still bought the car anyway but what a t
t, why bother telling fat porkies? I wouldn't have minded so much if he'd just apologised and said he'd made a mistake, everyone does, but the ste that he came out with was just embarrassing.
He did it to get you down there, where he hoped he'd be able to talk you into it anyway. And it worked!t, why bother telling fat porkies? I wouldn't have minded so much if he'd just apologised and said he'd made a mistake, everyone does, but the ste that he came out with was just embarrassing. Most times I've been to a main dealer I've been lied to - especially in the service department.
A couple spring to mind - bought a Nissan Qashqai for Mrs.NCoT a year ago from a Volvo dealer where it had been part chopped. A/C was not blowing cold - I spotted that it worked fine on "min" setting, but on any other setting (even 16C when it was an ambient 20+ outside) it blew warm - figured it was the climate unit itself or a sensor as the A/C plainly worked. Came to collect it and a salesman chirped that it had cost x00 quid for a new compressor. Unsurprisingly as we came to leave it was blowing warm, so they had to have it for another week or so to replace the sensor (that I had suggested might be a problem originally!). A quick look under the bonnet showed an a/c compressor with a similar amount of grime to the other ancillaries and untouched mounting bolts. Why lie? We had bought the car, it was getting fixed either way, why lie about what had been replaced when we didn't even ask!?
Many years ago when I was very green I bought a car from a main dealer - I needed a car first and had spotted a Rover 25 in the spec I was after. Didn't haggle(!) and the very young salesman must have though all his Christmases had come at once. The one thing I did ask for was an extended warranty as it had relatively high miles (40k on an 18 month old car). He promised to sort it out and would post paperwork. After several weeks of nagging phone calls and broken promises, I eventually got a signed bit of paper, so I wasn't worried some months later when I had to ring the warranty company about something that needed fixing. Surprise surprise, they had no record of the warranty in my name and I had to fax them the signed document to get them to honour it. What a prize
that salesman was.In the interests of balance...
I've just bought a Used Honda from Speedwell Honda in Newton Abbot, salesman is a guy called Richard- lovely bloke.
I told him I was probably a timewaster (not sure about the car at all beforehand) and we organised a time for me to view at his convenience as I didn't want him to lose a proper customer, turned up, looked at the car and wanted a drive - a decent length drive but I'd got my dogs in my car and it was a hot day...
He let me put them in the sale car with us! He said : 'it'll only need another hoover' and so off we went. Had a lovely test drive, really liked the car (much to my surprise) and he did me an awesome deal on my Mazda as a trade in.
Everything he said he'd do, he did. When he was unsure about something, he said so and found out for me. Come pick up day, the car was immaculate (again inside!) everything was as agreed, a big bunch of lovely flowers, half a tank of fuel (not negotiated beforehand), new number plates made up for me foc for my private plate, ready for when I want to put them on - no charge, and so on.
Come the following Monday, phone call to see if everything is okay, small problem (the indicators don't always self cancel when turning right - HUGE fault!) and he got it booked in for repair there and then and couldn't have been more apologetic.
All in all, the kind of service I would have expected if spending a hundred grand plus, but not the kind of service you'd expect on ten grand used Honda!
So if you want good service, Richard at Speedwell Honda Newton Abbot.
No, I have no connection with them at all other than as a customer.
Of course, over the years I have been lied to, cheated, defrauded and generally treated like a mug by others, but that's old news, just really nice to be able to report that some dealers are brilliant!
I've just bought a Used Honda from Speedwell Honda in Newton Abbot, salesman is a guy called Richard- lovely bloke.
I told him I was probably a timewaster (not sure about the car at all beforehand) and we organised a time for me to view at his convenience as I didn't want him to lose a proper customer, turned up, looked at the car and wanted a drive - a decent length drive but I'd got my dogs in my car and it was a hot day...
He let me put them in the sale car with us! He said : 'it'll only need another hoover' and so off we went. Had a lovely test drive, really liked the car (much to my surprise) and he did me an awesome deal on my Mazda as a trade in.
Everything he said he'd do, he did. When he was unsure about something, he said so and found out for me. Come pick up day, the car was immaculate (again inside!) everything was as agreed, a big bunch of lovely flowers, half a tank of fuel (not negotiated beforehand), new number plates made up for me foc for my private plate, ready for when I want to put them on - no charge, and so on.
Come the following Monday, phone call to see if everything is okay, small problem (the indicators don't always self cancel when turning right - HUGE fault!) and he got it booked in for repair there and then and couldn't have been more apologetic.
All in all, the kind of service I would have expected if spending a hundred grand plus, but not the kind of service you'd expect on ten grand used Honda!
So if you want good service, Richard at Speedwell Honda Newton Abbot.
No, I have no connection with them at all other than as a customer.
Of course, over the years I have been lied to, cheated, defrauded and generally treated like a mug by others, but that's old news, just really nice to be able to report that some dealers are brilliant!
KarlMac said:
"Tidy weekend only car"
= has done a minimum of 11,000 miles between each of its last four MOTs.
"Full VWSH"
= apart from the one its now overdue, which is a major belts and pump job?
On same car after travelling 3.5 hours to view it.
You got off lightly. I travelled to south Wales from west Scotland to check out the `best Jeep in the country` with FJSH. After three lengthy phone calls and pleading with him to be honest I turned up after several hours to view a completely rebuilt write off with tyres bald on the inside (on one side) and the side he didn`t photograph with not one panel in a straight line. Service history was on one sheet of A4 that he had typed out himself and only the last MOT. I seriously considered wrecking his portacabin and setting fire to his car lot.= has done a minimum of 11,000 miles between each of its last four MOTs.
"Full VWSH"
= apart from the one its now overdue, which is a major belts and pump job?
On same car after travelling 3.5 hours to view it.
Him? Not bothered a jot. Some other `mug` would hand over their cash. I detest the majority of the motor trade. They ruin it for the good minority.
bigkeeko said:
KarlMac said:
"Tidy weekend only car"
= has done a minimum of 11,000 miles between each of its last four MOTs.
"Full VWSH"
= apart from the one its now overdue, which is a major belts and pump job?
On same car after travelling 3.5 hours to view it.
You got off lightly. I travelled to south Wales from west Scotland to check out the `best Jeep in the country` with FJSH. After three lengthy phone calls and pleading with him to be honest I turned up after several hours to view a completely rebuilt write off with tyres bald on the inside (on one side) and the side he didn`t photograph with not one panel in a straight line. Service history was on one sheet of A4 that he had typed out himself and only the last MOT. I seriously considered wrecking his portacabin and setting fire to his car lot.= has done a minimum of 11,000 miles between each of its last four MOTs.
"Full VWSH"
= apart from the one its now overdue, which is a major belts and pump job?
On same car after travelling 3.5 hours to view it.
Him? Not bothered a jot. Some other `mug` would hand over their cash. I detest the majority of the motor trade. They ruin it for the good minority.
Harpo said:
unrepentant said:
I hit him. What else could I do? I said "don't you come round here being all reasonable and offering refunds".
As he went down he had the audacity to apologise for any damage to my fist. Smooth talking bd. Left me with no option but to stick the boot right in.
As he went down he had the audacity to apologise for any damage to my fist. Smooth talking b
d. Left me with no option but to stick the boot right in.
. A Derek and Clive moment here!
He then had the audacity to say 'uuurrgghhhh, I'm dying!'catman said:
Osinjak said:
Me on phone to Audi bloke; 'Has it got Xenons?' Bloke says, 'Absolutely;' then I'll be down this arvo says I. When I get there and eyeball the car it clearly doesn't have bloody Xenons and when I point this out to the car bloke he waffles on about super bright bulbs FFS. I still bought the car anyway but what a tt, why bother telling fat porkies? I wouldn't have minded so much if he'd just apologised and said he'd made a mistake, everyone does, but the ste that he came out with was just embarrassing.
Unfortunately, you proved to him that it doesn't matter if they lie, as you bought the car.t, why bother telling fat porkies? I wouldn't have minded so much if he'd just apologised and said he'd made a mistake, everyone does, but the ste that he came out with was just embarrassing. Tim
Classic one - " Not sure we can drop the price that much sir, I'll have to ask my manager" (then he goes out the back for a fag) " My manager won't wear it" 'Course he won't - he's in Tenerife at a model launch
In 2000 a TVR dealership (now long gone) sold me a Griff 500 with 8000 miles showing and a warranty book with 13,000 miles. Idiots.
One call to the factory told me it had had a service the previous week at 12,500 miles.
When I told them I wanted a quid for every mile they'd turned the clock back they got really arsy, when I threatened them with trading standarda they coughed up and I bought a Cerbera
Now I just need to sort out a small problem with a Classic Car Collection....
In 2000 a TVR dealership (now long gone) sold me a Griff 500 with 8000 miles showing and a warranty book with 13,000 miles. Idiots.
One call to the factory told me it had had a service the previous week at 12,500 miles.
When I told them I wanted a quid for every mile they'd turned the clock back they got really arsy, when I threatened them with trading standarda they coughed up and I bought a Cerbera
Now I just need to sort out a small problem with a Classic Car Collection....
NiceCupOfTea said:
He did it to get you down there, where he hoped he'd be able to talk you into it anyway. And it worked!
The dealership was 2 mins away from where I worked. The car was, at the time, one of 2 in the country in the Audi network; the other was 400 miles away. He didn't talk me into anything, if I wanted it (which I did, regardless of whether it had Xenons or not) I would have bought it. If I didn't I wouldn't have and no amount of 'talking me into it' would have changed my mind.I really do wish people would stop making up their own little stories to back up their half-arsed theories.
WalterMitty said:
PM me when you're ready, I promise not to tell porkies.
Part of my job involves selling too (new computers & equipment) and TBH I find that "the honest approach" is the one that gets repeat custom. - I hope that next time I buy a car, I can deal with someone with similar views!
Problem is they usually don't care about the repeat custom or fertilising a customer for the long term hence the systematic over qualifying. If you're not buying now, f off. But to their defense it's also often down to the structure of their incentives. They become short-termist if they're not that already.
It's a shame to generalise though as there are (rare) exceptions, as I am sure our resident dealers are all decent chaps (even the failed one).
It's a shame to generalise though as there are (rare) exceptions, as I am sure our resident dealers are all decent chaps (even the failed one).
Osinjak said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
He did it to get you down there, where he hoped he'd be able to talk you into it anyway. And it worked!
The dealership was 2 mins away from where I worked. The car was, at the time, one of 2 in the country in the Audi network; the other was 400 miles away. He didn't talk me into anything, if I wanted it (which I did, regardless of whether it had Xenons or not) I would have bought it. If I didn't I wouldn't have and no amount of 'talking me into it' would have changed my mind.I really do wish people would stop making up their own little stories to back up their half-arsed theories.
Just the way it came across.
berlintaxi said:
Every time one of them said "There's someone else coming to look at it."
I had "there is a guy in France who is about to buy it, full price without seeing it". Took that with a pinch of salt, but I did wonder if they were playing a game of "see who can get the most rediculous 'other customer' story into a sale".
It's just weird, do they think people don't see through this garbage?
nickfrog said:
Problem is they usually don't care about the repeat custom or fertilising a customer for the long term hence the systematic over qualifying. If you're not buying now, f off. But to their defense it's also often down to the structure of their incentives. They become short-termist if they're not that already.
I can see that "the system" in franchised dealers is not how some would like it. I don't envy them and to be honest couldn't work in such a fickle and volatile environment myself. - I think the first time I was treated like dirt by a cocky "sales manager", I'd probably end-up doing something I later regretted (if only for the criminal record etc.). nickfrog said:
It's a shame to generalise though as there are (rare) exceptions, as I am sure our resident dealers are all decent chaps...
Well, I would hope that PH memberships mean they're enthusiasts who actually give a monkey's. - Many salesmen don't care what they're selling, be it fridge freezers, printer toners, blowjobs etc. and cars are just another commodity to them.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff