Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.
Discussion
rougerogue said:
Question for the salesmen on here:
I bought a used VW, 2 years 22k miles from a large VW franchise. At the time they were running a promotion, 2 years warranty, two years roadside assistance, 2 services if financed through VWFS. I got this all confirmed in writing on an email as the salesman was a little vague about the details.
Picked the car up exactly three weeks back, no SD card in the sat nav, salesman said they’d had to claim for one from VW and they’d post it out, fine by me.
Warranty info arrives by email, 1 years cover rather than two. Emailed salesman, mistake says he, will correct it and send paperwork out with SD card.
I’m owed the remainder of the value of my PX as it was more than 30% value of new car, this is around £1800.
None of these things have materialised, I emailed salesman a week ago, he replied very promptly, stating he would check. Still haven’t heard anything.
At what point do I kick up a proper fuss? I’m a reasonable and fairly patient person, don’t mind mistakes and I appreciate some of this is out of his control and takes time. Really though I just want it all sorted out as, in my experience, the longer things drag on, the less likely I am to get satisfactory results.
Still got the surveys VW and franchise send out to fill in, does anyone take any notice of these? Don’t want to f
k the lad over, just want results.
Email the salesman again and copy his boss in. I bought a used VW, 2 years 22k miles from a large VW franchise. At the time they were running a promotion, 2 years warranty, two years roadside assistance, 2 services if financed through VWFS. I got this all confirmed in writing on an email as the salesman was a little vague about the details.
Picked the car up exactly three weeks back, no SD card in the sat nav, salesman said they’d had to claim for one from VW and they’d post it out, fine by me.
Warranty info arrives by email, 1 years cover rather than two. Emailed salesman, mistake says he, will correct it and send paperwork out with SD card.
I’m owed the remainder of the value of my PX as it was more than 30% value of new car, this is around £1800.
None of these things have materialised, I emailed salesman a week ago, he replied very promptly, stating he would check. Still haven’t heard anything.
At what point do I kick up a proper fuss? I’m a reasonable and fairly patient person, don’t mind mistakes and I appreciate some of this is out of his control and takes time. Really though I just want it all sorted out as, in my experience, the longer things drag on, the less likely I am to get satisfactory results.
Still got the surveys VW and franchise send out to fill in, does anyone take any notice of these? Don’t want to f
k the lad over, just want results.Reception should give you the email address.
Mention the surveys are waiting to be filled in.
@rougerogue
You're perception that it's out of his control is probably right and the poor lad doesn't know how to sort it.
Parts won't order an SD card for him without a job card, admin can't raise a job card because your car is no longer in stock, sales manager doesn't want to authorise the late cost. The lad is probably waiting for a service loan car with the same nav system to be left unattended and he'll go and nick the SD card out of that for you!
He's probably getting similarly short shrift from accounts who won't raise a cheque on his request even though your account is clearly overpaid. Sales manager doesn't want to authorise it as your credit is making his debtors list look less bad.
And he's not had the courage to tell anyone about his f*ck up with the warranty yet! Fortunately for him he's got enough other things pulling him from pillar to post that once you have put the phone down he doesn't have face up to what he needs to do.
I'd tell him that you are popping in tomorrow afternoon to pick up your cheque and an SD card, and can he arrange for you to talk to someone about the warranty, and you'll fill out the survey forms while you are there. If you are physically there then he ( and his manager ) will have to deal with it rather than bury it. Be firm but fair and you'll be fine.
You're perception that it's out of his control is probably right and the poor lad doesn't know how to sort it.
Parts won't order an SD card for him without a job card, admin can't raise a job card because your car is no longer in stock, sales manager doesn't want to authorise the late cost. The lad is probably waiting for a service loan car with the same nav system to be left unattended and he'll go and nick the SD card out of that for you!
He's probably getting similarly short shrift from accounts who won't raise a cheque on his request even though your account is clearly overpaid. Sales manager doesn't want to authorise it as your credit is making his debtors list look less bad.
And he's not had the courage to tell anyone about his f*ck up with the warranty yet! Fortunately for him he's got enough other things pulling him from pillar to post that once you have put the phone down he doesn't have face up to what he needs to do.
I'd tell him that you are popping in tomorrow afternoon to pick up your cheque and an SD card, and can he arrange for you to talk to someone about the warranty, and you'll fill out the survey forms while you are there. If you are physically there then he ( and his manager ) will have to deal with it rather than bury it. Be firm but fair and you'll be fine.
Good result in the end. Emailed salesman manager, got back to me straight away.
Money in account the next day. SD card arrived today with paperwork covering warranty etc for an extra year.
Sales manager asked me to give them 5 stars across the board in the survey if happy it’s now sorted! Guess they must set some store in them?
Money in account the next day. SD card arrived today with paperwork covering warranty etc for an extra year.
Sales manager asked me to give them 5 stars across the board in the survey if happy it’s now sorted! Guess they must set some store in them?
andymc said:
Eyersey1234 said:
What's the book price for a 2007 Focus 1.8TDCI Zetec Estate with 175k on the clock? I've just bought one for £490 to replace my Fiesta and just wondered how that compared to book.
250-300 quidAbout right, £490 is a bit rich at that miles.
Not worthy of a new thread but perhaps interesting. I bought a new Toyota Aygo today (Mrs R fancied one as a change from the Fiat 500 she's been using as a city/runaround/train station car) and delivery is in 3 weeks. Only reason for mentioning it in here is that when I popped into the Dealer this morning to have a chat and look at various options it turned out I sort of knew the salesman from being members at the same gym. Not exactly mates, but close enough to say Hi in passing and we had played against each other at squash in the leagues. I didn't know he was a Toyota salesman. Oops.
Anyhow, it made the whole thing really. He knew already that I had a few other cars and wasn't likely to be wasting his time and I was relaxed enough to think I'd get looked after with a good deal and fair trade-in on the Fiat. There were no barriers to doing a deal and it ended up being a fairly easy 15 min chat through the options, specs, prices and discounts and bob's your uncle.
I'm sure I'd have got a similar deal from another salesman or that anyone else would have got something similar to my deal, but even so it was a nice way to do it.
Anyhow, it made the whole thing really. He knew already that I had a few other cars and wasn't likely to be wasting his time and I was relaxed enough to think I'd get looked after with a good deal and fair trade-in on the Fiat. There were no barriers to doing a deal and it ended up being a fairly easy 15 min chat through the options, specs, prices and discounts and bob's your uncle.
I'm sure I'd have got a similar deal from another salesman or that anyone else would have got something similar to my deal, but even so it was a nice way to do it.
Used Franchise Stock Pricing....done a deal but still scratching my head as to how dealers magic up sales figures, maybe one of the experts can help satisfy my curiosity as to how it works?. I'll try and keep a long story short...
Wife wants a new car, I'm relaxed about buying at distance under a Manufacturer's Approved Scheme. I see an ex-demo (1 year old, 5k miles) advertised an hour away at £15,995, marked down from £16,995. Make an enquiry. Salesman a bit blank, 'what car? what price? where advertised?'. I explain and he promises to get back to me. He does, explains that 'we've had it for a while, there was nothing left in the car for us at that price (funnily enough there never is whenever I enquire!) so the group had it shipped off a further 90mins up the road and are now advertising it at £19,995'. Checked the websites, indeed they were. (and the car was even advertised on their group website as two different cars at the two locations and two prices - surely that is a caning offence for somebody?)
I did the deal at £15,995, made sure I paid for it before month end to keep everyone's targets square and, all-in, a positive experience with very nice people to deal with and happy with the outcome. But by jiminy would I have been ticked off if I had found out that I had been the poor sap who had paid £4k more than they were prepared to accept the previous week!
And in these days of internet, why would anyone even consider advertising/looking at a car at £20k when others of same age/spec are all priced at about £18k? And then why/how did I get one for seemingly £2k less than the typical price?
Mind. Blown. Baffled!
Wife wants a new car, I'm relaxed about buying at distance under a Manufacturer's Approved Scheme. I see an ex-demo (1 year old, 5k miles) advertised an hour away at £15,995, marked down from £16,995. Make an enquiry. Salesman a bit blank, 'what car? what price? where advertised?'. I explain and he promises to get back to me. He does, explains that 'we've had it for a while, there was nothing left in the car for us at that price (funnily enough there never is whenever I enquire!) so the group had it shipped off a further 90mins up the road and are now advertising it at £19,995'. Checked the websites, indeed they were. (and the car was even advertised on their group website as two different cars at the two locations and two prices - surely that is a caning offence for somebody?)
I did the deal at £15,995, made sure I paid for it before month end to keep everyone's targets square and, all-in, a positive experience with very nice people to deal with and happy with the outcome. But by jiminy would I have been ticked off if I had found out that I had been the poor sap who had paid £4k more than they were prepared to accept the previous week!
And in these days of internet, why would anyone even consider advertising/looking at a car at £20k when others of same age/spec are all priced at about £18k? And then why/how did I get one for seemingly £2k less than the typical price?
Mind. Blown. Baffled!
renmure said:
Anyhow, it made the whole thing really. He knew already that I had a few other cars and wasn't likely to be wasting his time and I was relaxed enough to think I'd get looked after with a good deal and fair trade-in on the Fiat. There were no barriers to doing a deal and it ended up being a fairly easy 15 min chat through the options, specs, prices and discounts and bob's your uncle.
I'm sure I'd have got a similar deal from another salesman or that anyone else would have got something similar to my deal, but even so it was a nice way to do it.
"The most profitable way to view selling is as a conversation between 2 parties where each seeks to uncover the needs and desires of the other. The process should be enjoyable and profitable for both parties."I'm sure I'd have got a similar deal from another salesman or that anyone else would have got something similar to my deal, but even so it was a nice way to do it.
That approach gets frustrated when the salesperson lacks either the life experience or social skills to build rapport and trust with a customer but also when the customer has a very defensive "Don't tell him, Pike!" approach to the proceedings.
Your experience is a great example of how it can be if everyone just relaxes a bit!
Possibly well covered in the last 279 pages, but here goes.
Various car forums talk of diesel values plummeting thanks to dieselgate etc. I can see that some car salesman, whilst giving the low ball offer they've always done ("that's book price sir") will justify it nowadays with a statement like "no-one wants diesels any more". But in reality diesel cars are still for same on used car forecourts, the prices don't seem to have plummeted, and they're selling just fine. What's your take?
Various car forums talk of diesel values plummeting thanks to dieselgate etc. I can see that some car salesman, whilst giving the low ball offer they've always done ("that's book price sir") will justify it nowadays with a statement like "no-one wants diesels any more". But in reality diesel cars are still for same on used car forecourts, the prices don't seem to have plummeted, and they're selling just fine. What's your take?
BFleming said:
Possibly well covered in the last 279 pages, but here goes.
Various car forums talk of diesel values plummeting thanks to dieselgate etc. I can see that some car salesman, whilst giving the low ball offer they've always done ("that's book price sir") will justify it nowadays with a statement like "no-one wants diesels any more". But in reality diesel cars are still for same on used car forecourts, the prices don't seem to have plummeted, and they're selling just fine. What's your take?
Reminds me of when I bought and sold my X-TypeVarious car forums talk of diesel values plummeting thanks to dieselgate etc. I can see that some car salesman, whilst giving the low ball offer they've always done ("that's book price sir") will justify it nowadays with a statement like "no-one wants diesels any more". But in reality diesel cars are still for same on used car forecourts, the prices don't seem to have plummeted, and they're selling just fine. What's your take?
Selling salesman: This car is in British racing green, probably the most desirable colour on a Jag
px/ing salesman: I can't offer much for it, nobody wants a green car
Bit of a thread bump and it's for an entirely selfish reason I'm afraid (apols if there's a thread running for this elsewhere, will happily go post there)
Can anyone give me an idea on book price for a 2015 65 plate Volvo S80 D4 SE Lux geartronic please? High miles at 50K.
I'm seriously interested in buying but want a rough idea of how much haggling potential there may be. Spec wise it's the one I want (has a lot of options fitted), but the interior colour is wrong, so I'd not be willing to pay the asking for it.
Autotrader valuation suggests it's worth £10.5K as a part-ex but I've no idea how close to reality their figures are...
Can anyone give me an idea on book price for a 2015 65 plate Volvo S80 D4 SE Lux geartronic please? High miles at 50K.
I'm seriously interested in buying but want a rough idea of how much haggling potential there may be. Spec wise it's the one I want (has a lot of options fitted), but the interior colour is wrong, so I'd not be willing to pay the asking for it.
Autotrader valuation suggests it's worth £10.5K as a part-ex but I've no idea how close to reality their figures are...
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