VW in trouble over alleged US emission test manipulations

[funkyrobot]

Flooble said:

deaglecat said:

Cos if they treat UK buyers badly they will lose brand loyalty.


I appreciate others may feel different but I think they will regret this policy.

Wonder how sales are for UK main dealers at the moment..

Don't be daft, people in the UK are so brand-obsessed that they will always buy "their" brand. If people have decided they are a VAG person they will continue to buy VAG. The average VAG dealer already treats customers like something they trod in, so it won't make a blind bit of difference.

Very true.

I don't own anything VAG, but my family do. I have never known such rude, arrogant and self opinionated people as the staff at the local VW dealerships around where I live. They are all the same.

My mum popped her Golf in to the dealership for the cam belt work recently. Instead of just working on the car, they started harassing her to buy a new one. They kept ringing her, spammed her email with stupid videos about this new car that was 'perfect' for her and wouldn't leave her alone. She was being far too nice to them and should have told them to fk off.

What was hilarious was the offer they came up with on her car. £1400 for a Golf GT with 30k miles on the clock. Similar models are for sale on AT for £6k with more mileage!

[kambites]

Flooble said:

Don't be daft, people in the UK are so brand-obsessed that they will always buy "their" brand. If people have decided they are a VAG person they will continue to buy VAG. The average VAG dealer already treats customers like something they trod in, so it won't make a blind bit of difference.

VAG isn't a brand.

I think the average Audi buyer would be mortified at the thought of buying a Skoda.

[funkyrobot]

kambites said:

VAG isn't a brand.

I think the average Audi buyer would be mortified at the thought of buying a Skoda.

That's because they are stupid and they don't understand modular platforms.

[Flooble]

kambites said:

Flooble said:

Don't be daft, people in the UK are so brand-obsessed that they will always buy "their" brand. If people have decided they are a VAG person they will continue to buy VAG. The average VAG dealer already treats customers like something they trod in, so it won't make a blind bit of difference.

VAG isn't a brand.

I think the average Audi buyer would be mortified at the thought of buying a Skoda.

True, although rather underlines my point about the buyer :-) In my experience Audi and VW dealers go to the same charm school anyway!

I wonder what the Lamborghini dealers are like?

[funkyrobot]

Flooble said:

True, although rather underlines my point about the buyer :-) In my experience Audi and VW dealers go to the same charm school anyway!

I wonder what the Lamborghini dealers are like?

They probably have to examine your stools for signs of caviar before you can enter the premises.

[boxedin]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/lawyer-takes-aim-at-vo...

Lots of unreported unhappiness may be building up a head of steam in the EU.

[drdino]

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/04/25/fiat-diesels-ch...

Italians last 2 minutes longer than the Germans. Who would have thought!

[krunchkin]

So, hilariously, Brent council have just sent out info on changes to their parking regulations for residents and visitors. Amongst the many new ways they are going to fleece cash from me is the announcement that all Diesel cars - bought in their droves by people given tax breaks by the Govnt because they were less polluting - will now have a 25 quid surcharge for each permit because they are now evil pollution machines. Just incredible. Junk fking science at its best.

[George111]

krunchkin said:

So, hilariously, Brent council have just sent out info on changes to their parking regulations for residents and visitors. Amongst the many new ways they are going to fleece cash from me is the announcement that all Diesel cars - bought in their droves by people given tax breaks by the Govnt because they were less polluting - will now have a 25 quid surcharge for each permit because they are now evil pollution machines. Just incredible. Junk fking science at its best.

I'd ask them what they are doing about their own vehicles, hospital transport, rubbish collection, street sweepers, recycling collection. Are they still all diesel or will they be swapping them for petrol ?

[Flooble]

George111 said:

I'd ask them what they are doing about their own vehicles, hospital transport, rubbish collection, street sweepers, recycling collection. Are they still all diesel or will they be swapping them for petrol ?

I'd move away from Brent :-)

[krunchkin]

George111 said:

krunchkin said:

So, hilariously, Brent council have just sent out info on changes to their parking regulations for residents and visitors. Amongst the many new ways they are going to fleece cash from me is the announcement that all Diesel cars - bought in their droves by people given tax breaks by the Govnt because they were less polluting - will now have a 25 quid surcharge for each permit because they are now evil pollution machines. Just incredible. Junk fking science at its best.

I'd ask them what they are doing about their own vehicles, hospital transport, rubbish collection, street sweepers, recycling collection. Are they still all diesel or will they be swapping them for petrol ?

I imagine they'll be installing a fking wind turbine on top of each one.

[Sheepshanks]

funkyrobot said:

My mum popped her Golf in to the dealership for the cam belt work recently. Instead of just working on the car, they started harassing her to buy a new one. They kept ringing her, spammed her email with stupid videos about this new car that was 'perfect' for her and wouldn't leave her alone. She was being far too nice to them and should have told them to fk off.

Yet read VW forums, as I do as we have two of them, and they're full of tales of dealers who seem completely disinterested in selling cars.

[Flooble]

Sheepshanks said:

Yet read VW forums, as I do as we have two of them, and they're full of tales of dealers who seem completely disinterested in selling cars.

His mother is pre-qualified as she already bought a VW (and is double qualified as she is paying for them to service it too!).

Walk in off the street and their interest is far far less, their fear is you won't buy on badge and will test drive the Golf and then go and buy an Octavia.

How that affects people who turn up to buy a VW, in a VW ... not so sure

[funkyrobot]

Sheepshanks said:

funkyrobot said:

My mum popped her Golf in to the dealership for the cam belt work recently. Instead of just working on the car, they started harassing her to buy a new one. They kept ringing her, spammed her email with stupid videos about this new car that was 'perfect' for her and wouldn't leave her alone. She was being far too nice to them and should have told them to fk off.

Yet read VW forums, as I do as we have two of them, and they're full of tales of dealers who seem completely disinterested in selling cars.

Hmmm. I've never seen that attitude in the dealers near me. Maybe it's the policy of the large groups they are part of.

[funkyrobot]

krunchkin said:

George111 said:

krunchkin said:

So, hilariously, Brent council have just sent out info on changes to their parking regulations for residents and visitors. Amongst the many new ways they are going to fleece cash from me is the announcement that all Diesel cars - bought in their droves by people given tax breaks by the Govnt because they were less polluting - will now have a 25 quid surcharge for each permit because they are now evil pollution machines. Just incredible. Junk fking science at its best.

I'd ask them what they are doing about their own vehicles, hospital transport, rubbish collection, street sweepers, recycling collection. Are they still all diesel or will they be swapping them for petrol ?

I imagine they'll be installing a fking wind turbine on top of each one.

Perpetual motion.

[Ozzie Osmond]

This remains a non-event. All the VW owners who decide to take advantage of VWs "offer" will simply trade in for a new VW.

Kushdi.

[kambites]

Flooble said:

True, although rather underlines my point about the buyer :-) In my experience Audi and VW dealers go to the same charm school anyway!

I wonder what the Lamborghini dealers are like?

I don't know, but Skoda dealers are, in my limited experience, pretty good.

[funkyrobot]

kambites said:

I don't know, but Skoda dealers are, in my limited experience, pretty good.

Good point. They do seem different to the other crop of VAG floggers.

[EricE]

Somewhat related to the topic. "VW and Shell try to block EU push for electric cars"

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/28...

Looks to me like VAG's partnership with Katar is coming back to bite them.

[k-ink]

The sheer arrogance of VW is astounding. They lie and produce unreliable crap engineering for premium prices.Their board members receive mega pay deals despite the recent scandals. Now they partner up with an oil company to block others progress. What a bunch of Cowboys. I hope VAG get buried when the European round of litigation gets under way.