Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all (Vol. 2).

[L_G]

Olivia17 said:

Hi! I have 3 questions.

1. Do salespeople/the dealership tell customers that the car will be delivered at a later date than they are expecting? I have a car on order and the salesman tells me around July 26th but he's put 'VIP' on the order form, but is he saying that so when it actually arrives a week earlier it looks good on him?


2. When the car does arrive (i've been told it's not in the country) how long from it arriving, to me picking it up? I don't know if I can get it the day it comes or if they're going to want to do anything with it? I need is ASAP so i'm hoping for the better end of the answer.

3. I was approved finance Monday morning, it's now Wednesday afternoon &I still haven't received the finance documents to sign, I called yesterday and the receptionist said she'd chase up, but still nothing, I have no car as of this Saturday due to my insurance not renewing as i'm going with a different provider for the new car so I need the finance signed asap so I can secure things for myself in my own head, if I call again and ask will i be a bother?

(Edited to add that it's an Audi if it makes a difference)

Edited by Olivia17 on Wednesday 7th July 15:06

Edited by Olivia17 on Wednesday 7th July 15:09

The dealer should have given you an order number so you track its progress on the Audi website.

With a bit of ingenuity it is possible to work out which ship it is on a track it arrival

[Olivia17]

L_G said:

The dealer should have given you an order number so you track its progress on the Audi website.

With a bit of ingenuity it is possible to work out which ship it is on a track it arrival

I don't think (and I'm pretty sure) that the car isn't a factory build, so i'm not sure i'd be able to track it would i?

I was told they needed to 'find a car' and then once they did they told me that 'it's not even in the country, so it's likely to be here end of July/August.' I'm just not sure if they're telling me that as a final date and there's a high chance it'll arrive before hand and it'll look better on them, or if they're estimating themselves. I have no car as of the 22nd July so the last week of August is a pain, but it was too good of a deal and I needed to get it ordered so they could push the shipment of it through.

[sutoka]

Went to see a car for my father with a private seller yesterday, been a while and honestly can't tell you how refreshing it was not having to put up with the usual dealer phrases and approach . Seller pointing out tiny stone chips rather than the salesman standing back hoping you don't notice them.

Honest seller and a good honest car, 14 plate on 57k, FSH and MOT until Jan . Had a look at a main dealer who had the same spec car with 80k miles up for £2k more.

Not saying traders and main dealers are dishonest but the whole game they play and cliches they use really grind my gears.

[KTF]

Fast Bug said:

We took out finance when buying Mrs FB's Polo as it had 2 free services. We withdrew from the agreement and still got the free services, saleman never sent us the promised floor mats (no surprise), but as the mats are cheaper than the servicing I'm not all that fussed

I need to read through the t&c when I go to pick up the car as if the free servicing is dependant on having the finance in place then it isnt worth it.

Foer example:

Currently the car is on a service plan for 3 years and its just had its 2nd service so its service 3 would be covered by the plan. Service 4 is about £140.

If I take up the finance deal the service plan gets cancelled and a new one starts covering service 3 and 4.

So if I take up the finance then I am only effectively getting 1 free service out of it due to the cancelling of the existing service plan.

I would get an additional £250 off for taking the finance but if the finance has to be kept in place the interest charges for the term are far more than the £250 and the £140 for service 4 compared to paying cash.

Best scenario is the services are not dependant on the finance so I take out the finance, cancel it and keep the £250 and 2 services.

Anything else and I will just pay cash. Its easy to see why people get tempted by the finance offers though rather than looking at the total cost.

Edit: I only found out about the existing service plan when I called customer services to ask about the servicing deal. I guess dealers dont run the reg through the system to see if a plan is active on it. Dont know why as it makes the car more attractive.

Same as places offering 3rd party warranty on cars they sell that are still covered under manufacturers warranty anyway.

Edited by KTF on Thursday 8th July 12:28

[L_G]

Olivia17 said:

L_G said:

The dealer should have given you an order number so you track its progress on the Audi website.

With a bit of ingenuity it is possible to work out which ship it is on a track it arrival

I don't think (and I'm pretty sure) that the car isn't a factory build, so i'm not sure i'd be able to track it would i?

I was told they needed to 'find a car' and then once they did they told me that 'it's not even in the country, so it's likely to be here end of July/August.' I'm just not sure if they're telling me that as a final date and there's a high chance it'll arrive before hand and it'll look better on them, or if they're estimating themselves. I have no car as of the 22nd July so the last week of August is a pain, but it was too good of a deal and I needed to get it ordered so they could push the shipment of it through.

If its an order already on the system then they should still be able to share the number with you.

Assuming its not coming from somewhere like Mexico then it takes two or three weeks from the start of the build to get to Emden at which point it becomes a bit of a lottery as to which ship it gets loaded on.

[Olivia17]

L_G said:

If its an order already on the system then they should still be able to share the number with you.

Assuming its not coming from somewhere like Mexico then it takes two or three weeks from the start of the build to get to Emden at which point it becomes a bit of a lottery as to which ship it gets loaded on.

I have an order form which has an order number at the top right which starts with 2 letters, the Audi tracker says it'll be 6 numbers and there is nothing of the sort on there, I can't enter it with the letters at the start and when I enter just the numbers (there's more than 6) I get nothing.

I have no idea which country it's coming from, I'm in Swansea, Wales so when he said 'it's not in the country' he could have literally meant it's in Scotland, just really frustrating not knowing what date i'm getting a car. I haven't even been given a reg so I can insure it, I've got quotes from a random 21 plate reg that I found on autotrader, but would like to actually insure my own so I can drive it as soon as it gets here.

[L_G]

Olivia17 said:

I have an order form which has an order number at the top right which starts with 2 letters, the Audi tracker says it'll be 6 numbers and there is nothing of the sort on there, I can't enter it with the letters at the start and when I enter just the numbers (there's more than 6) I get nothing.

I have no idea which country it's coming from, I'm in Swansea, Wales so when he said 'it's not in the country' he could have literally meant it's in Scotland, just really frustrating not knowing what date i'm getting a car. I haven't even been given a reg so I can insure it, I've got quotes from a random 21 plate reg that I found on autotrader, but would like to actually insure my own so I can drive it as soon as it gets here.

I had to ask for the number from the supplying dealer as, like you, none of the obvious candidates on the order paperwork were recognised by the Audi website.

A google search for "audi track your order" lists for me a multitude of threads on various Audi forums.

[Blakewater]

Olivia17 said:

I have an order form which has an order number at the top right which starts with 2 letters, the Audi tracker says it'll be 6 numbers and there is nothing of the sort on there, I can't enter it with the letters at the start and when I enter just the numbers (there's more than 6) I get nothing.

I have no idea which country it's coming from, I'm in Swansea, Wales so when he said 'it's not in the country' he could have literally meant it's in Scotland, just really frustrating not knowing what date i'm getting a car. I haven't even been given a reg so I can insure it, I've got quotes from a random 21 plate reg that I found on autotrader, but would like to actually insure my own so I can drive it as soon as it gets here.

You can get temporary insurance cover from Audi to allow you to drive the car straight away. Dealers are usually keen to get customers to use the manufacturer's temporary insurance cover and that tends to cover you for two weeks after taking delivery of the car to allow you time to sort out a full policy.

[Ari]

Olivia17 said:

Hi! I have 3 questions.

1. Do salespeople/the dealership tell customers that the car will be delivered at a later date than they are expecting? I have a car on order and the salesman tells me around July 26th but he's put 'VIP' on the order form, but is he saying that so when it actually arrives a week earlier it looks good on him?


2. When the car does arrive (i've been told it's not in the country) how long from it arriving, to me picking it up? I don't know if I can get it the day it comes or if they're going to want to do anything with it? I need is ASAP so i'm hoping for the better end of the answer.

3. I was approved finance Monday morning, it's now Wednesday afternoon &I still haven't received the finance documents to sign, I called yesterday and the receptionist said she'd chase up, but still nothing, I have no car as of this Saturday due to my insurance not renewing as i'm going with a different provider for the new car so I need the finance signed asap so I can secure things for myself in my own head, if I call again and ask will i be a bother?

(Edited to add that it's an Audi if it makes a difference)

Edited by Olivia17 on Wednesday 7th July 15:06

Edited by Olivia17 on Wednesday 7th July 15:09

That's fantastic!

[AmitG]

Ari said:

That's fantastic!

Reminds me of the "VIP day" events that one of my local dealers used to run all the time. They went to great lengths to create an air of exclusivity

• By invitation only!
• You must RSVP else you won't be allowed in!
• Showroom closed for the duration of the event - no hoi polloi!
• Massive discounts only for VIPs! (but we won't tell you what they are until you turn up)

Needless to say, it was nothing like that. I turned up and the showroom was completely normal, and the "discount" was 500 quid off when you could get 3k off for the same model quite easily.

[Wills2]

AmitG said:

Ari said:

That's fantastic!

Reminds me of the "VIP day" events that one of my local dealers used to run all the time. They went to great lengths to create an air of exclusivity

• By invitation only!
• You must RSVP else you won't be allowed in!
• Showroom closed for the duration of the event - no hoi polloi!
• Massive discounts only for VIPs! (but we won't tell you what they are until you turn up)

Needless to say, it was nothing like that. I turned up and the showroom was completely normal, and the "discount" was 500 quid off when you could get 3k off for the same model quite easily.

So you fell for it? Wow.

[anonymous-user]

I have been running a few new car searches on CarWow and I was wondering how this is effecting sales? How many people are now just using CarWow rather than visiting dealers and just buying the car from the dealer with the cheapest offer?

A few years ago I was offered £5K off the list price of Seat Leon through CarWow, but a dealer I visited in person implied that no discounts were to be had. When I showed them the price I had been offered they told me it was not a real offer and they didn't need to do business like that.

I understand that certain dealers might be offering these cars to meet targets, but is CarWow a race to the bottom and any dealer not taking part is losing sales?

[DoctorX]

I find Carwow not always what it seems - the price often incorporates the manufacturer deposit contribution for instance.

[ro250]

Blakewater said:

Olivia17 said:

I have an order form which has an order number at the top right which starts with 2 letters, the Audi tracker says it'll be 6 numbers and there is nothing of the sort on there, I can't enter it with the letters at the start and when I enter just the numbers (there's more than 6) I get nothing.

I have no idea which country it's coming from, I'm in Swansea, Wales so when he said 'it's not in the country' he could have literally meant it's in Scotland, just really frustrating not knowing what date i'm getting a car. I haven't even been given a reg so I can insure it, I've got quotes from a random 21 plate reg that I found on autotrader, but would like to actually insure my own so I can drive it as soon as it gets here.

You can get temporary insurance cover from Audi to allow you to drive the car straight away. Dealers are usually keen to get customers to use the manufacturer's temporary insurance cover and that tends to cover you for two weeks after taking delivery of the car to allow you time to sort out a full policy.

Yep, Mercedes do this too. Even if they didn't, you've run your quotes on the exact same vehicle so have chosen your insurer. If you got a phone call right now to say it's ready for collection you could insure it in 5 minutes online, just updating your saved quote with the new reg no.

[ro250]

Wills2 said:

AmitG said:

Ari said:

That's fantastic!

Reminds me of the "VIP day" events that one of my local dealers used to run all the time. They went to great lengths to create an air of exclusivity

• By invitation only!
• You must RSVP else you won't be allowed in!
• Showroom closed for the duration of the event - no hoi polloi!
• Massive discounts only for VIPs! (but we won't tell you what they are until you turn up)

Needless to say, it was nothing like that. I turned up and the showroom was completely normal, and the "discount" was 500 quid off when you could get 3k off for the same model quite easily.

So you fell for it? Wow.

All these 'events' are is the dealership having balloons up for a weekend.

And then, inevitably, extending the balloons-in-showroom-period for another week "due to unprecedented demand".

[CharlesdeGaulle]

ro250 said:

All these 'events' are is the dealership having balloons up for a weekend.

And then, inevitably, extending the balloons-in-showroom-period for another week "due to unprecedented demand".

Well, yeah, but we all love a balloon, right?

I think the boots have to be open for the full VIP experience actually.

[anonymous-user]

DoctorX said:

I find Carwow not always what it seems - the price often incorporates the manufacturer deposit contribution for instance.

That is a very good point, I did a search on a Skoda Fabia DSG and the offer came back at £4K under list. But as you say, Skoda are offering a £2500 dealer contribution on this car so the actual discount is only really £1500.

Plus the new model will be released soon, as anyone who has ever bought a brand new car that is a run out model knows, the first time you see a new model on the road it suddenly matters.

[Paddymcc]

Joey Deacon said:

I have been running a few new car searches on CarWow and I was wondering how this is effecting sales? How many people are now just using CarWow rather than visiting dealers and just buying the car from the dealer with the cheapest offer?

A few years ago I was offered £5K off the list price of Seat Leon through CarWow, but a dealer I visited in person implied that no discounts were to be had. When I showed them the price I had been offered they told me it was not a real offer and they didn't need to do business like that.

I understand that certain dealers might be offering these cars to meet targets, but is CarWow a race to the bottom and any dealer not taking part is losing sales?

i had a similar discussion with a Nissan dealer a few years back when i was buying a new Navara. They were on autotrader for £20,650 brand new in Tekna and auto spec, but i would have to go to a dealer in London, so i visited the local dealer to see if they could get close to it.

After trying to sell me his 5yr old one he admitted they couldnt even buy them in at that price and came back with a price at £24k.

Drove that for 14months and 11k miles and then sold it to a local webuyanycar type place for £19,500. Baffling when you could still buy a new one on autotrader for just over 1k more.

[bmwmike]

Why do some sales people look down their noses at customers, say, if they are a bit scruffy? Is it a part of the brand training, or just a personal thing?

I'm a naturally scruffy type and perhaps a bit sensitive, though i do find it amusing. Not just cars, for sure, happens in other industries too.

Once got told a car I was looking at was the MD's personal vehicle and that it could comfortably accommodate a set of clubs (golf, presumably) in the boot. Ok, cool, but is it any good for the tip run?

[bluezedd]

bmwmike said:

Why do some sales people look down their noses at customers, say, if they are a bit scruffy? Is it a part of the brand training, or just a personal thing?

I'm a naturally scruffy type and perhaps a bit sensitive, though i do find it amusing. Not just cars, for sure, happens in other industries too.

Once got told a car I was looking at was the MD's personal vehicle and that it could comfortably accommodate a set of clubs (golf, presumably) in the boot. Ok, cool, but is it any good for the tip run?

I'm not a car salesman, but it's probably an assumed money thing. I do suspect that more often than not their customers fit a certain stereotype.

Not a scruffy thing, but I remember going into a guitar shop to try an amp with a school friend when I was a teenager. I had the attitude that they should at least approach me in the near empty shop for an hour but no luck. I ended up asking a salesman but got fobbed off. I could tell they just wanted us little kids to leave.

Thing is I had been saving up for nearly a year on my part time job to buy a Mesa boogie amp and had about 2k budgeted for it. I was ready to buy but ended up leaving with nothing.

I suppose in retrospect they did me a favour as I was a bit bitter by it and ended up using the funds for a motorbike and motorbike lessons.

Even now 14 years later and Im regularly buying guitars and amps, but I won't spend anything in the shop because of that situation. These experiences tend to stick with you.