Why do dealerships take cars home
Discussion
So was going to look at an X3M with my brother today only to be told that ‘one of the managers was using it and it would be back tomorrow’ why do they do this?
I thought the days of them using cars like they were they’re own like this were over as they weren’t taxed? Also means BMW just lost out in a sale today! Little pee’d off!
I thought the days of them using cars like they were they’re own like this were over as they weren’t taxed? Also means BMW just lost out in a sale today! Little pee’d off!
My local Ford dealer lost a sale because of this, spotted he had a 2016 Fiesta ST200 up for sale and my son was looking for one. We made an appointment to view it, got there to be told car was not there as one of the managers had borrowed it for the weekend.
Salesman then told us we could leave a deposit on it if we wanted, we just looked at him as if he was stupid and walked out.
Found another 2 ST200s at car supermarket 40 miles away, phoned them up, when asked if the cars were actually on site they said of course they are, where else would they be?
Drove down , viewed and drove both cars and they got the sale, that's why you have the car you advertised for sale available, not being ragged around by some manager who thinks it's more important for him to have a different car to play with every weekend instead of having it ready for sale to someone who has actually made an appointment to view it .
Salesman then told us we could leave a deposit on it if we wanted, we just looked at him as if he was stupid and walked out.
Found another 2 ST200s at car supermarket 40 miles away, phoned them up, when asked if the cars were actually on site they said of course they are, where else would they be?
Drove down , viewed and drove both cars and they got the sale, that's why you have the car you advertised for sale available, not being ragged around by some manager who thinks it's more important for him to have a different car to play with every weekend instead of having it ready for sale to someone who has actually made an appointment to view it .
DanielSan said:
There's a good chance it's his company car at the moment so he's using it every day. As with all dealers your demo car is always listed as for sale
Sounds sensible. If you're a car dealer it saves having cars exclusively for use of your staff. If someone buys it, just grab another one from the stock.Is it any different to the car perhaps being out on an extended test drive or being lent to a customer for the day as their car has an issue, therefore you still wouldn't have been able to see it?
Always best to call ahead to check it is there, we have cars advertised that aren't always on site, sometimes demo's for sale, which (like this one) are with the salesmen on his day off, sometimes cars that are at the bodyshop, sometimes we've neglected to change the location of a vehicle on the website and it's been moved to a different branch, sometimes they get sold and for whatever reason they haven't been removed from the website, sometimes someone from the branch has had to go and do an offsite visit so they take a demo to get there.
However making an appointment and the car actually not being there is inexcusable.
Always best to call ahead to check it is there, we have cars advertised that aren't always on site, sometimes demo's for sale, which (like this one) are with the salesmen on his day off, sometimes cars that are at the bodyshop, sometimes we've neglected to change the location of a vehicle on the website and it's been moved to a different branch, sometimes they get sold and for whatever reason they haven't been removed from the website, sometimes someone from the branch has had to go and do an offsite visit so they take a demo to get there.
However making an appointment and the car actually not being there is inexcusable.
They didn't 'lose' a sale though did they? They just didn't sell it to you. I'm utterly certain that they still sold the car and they're probably OK with that given that someone who refuses to buy a car just because it's not at the dealership be it out on extended test or with a sales person is probably going to be a royal pain to deal with.
Jimny33 said:
So was going to look at an X3M with my brother today only to be told that ‘one of the managers was using it and it would be back tomorrow’ why do they do this?
I thought the days of them using cars like they were they’re own like this were over as they weren’t taxed? Also means BMW just lost out in a sale today! Little pee’d off!
Sounds like BMW dodged a bullet to be honest.I thought the days of them using cars like they were they’re own like this were over as they weren’t taxed? Also means BMW just lost out in a sale today! Little pee’d off!
Cars allocated to a certain person I can understand. It could be their day off and they are using the car.
I made an appointment once to view a Jazz for my Mum. Turned up at the appointed time and no car. The sales manager just nonchalantly said:
"Oh, my wife needed a car so she's borrowed it. Let me just call her and she if she's local".
"She's in London and will be back about 4 if you want to come back then".
No thanks.
One of the dealer groups - Cambria(n) advertises the same reg car at all their sites. So a Nissan Cashcow Reg AB12CDE will be at Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells and Redhill all the same time. The likelihood of them moving it to a local dealership will be zero despite all the bull they claim. And do I really want to call and hunt the car?
I made an appointment once to view a Jazz for my Mum. Turned up at the appointed time and no car. The sales manager just nonchalantly said:
"Oh, my wife needed a car so she's borrowed it. Let me just call her and she if she's local".
"She's in London and will be back about 4 if you want to come back then".
No thanks.
One of the dealer groups - Cambria(n) advertises the same reg car at all their sites. So a Nissan Cashcow Reg AB12CDE will be at Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells and Redhill all the same time. The likelihood of them moving it to a local dealership will be zero despite all the bull they claim. And do I really want to call and hunt the car?
sebdangerfield said:
They didn't 'lose' a sale though did they? They just didn't sell it to you. I'm utterly certain that they still sold the car and they're probably OK with that given that someone who refuses to buy a car just because it's not at the dealership be it out on extended test or with a sales person is probably going to be a royal pain to deal with.
exactly my thoughts.... as you say the dealers not lost a sale they will just sell it to someone else who will be much easier to deal with....gottans said:
If an appointment has been made and the car isn't there so wasting the potential customers time and money then that is not on but a walk-in off the street finding the car isn't there I would be less bothered about it.
Throwing a wobbler for the latter is an over-reaction.
And it tells the dealer the customer is a knob and he'd be best selling to someone else anyway.....Throwing a wobbler for the latter is an over-reaction.
Had this with me at a jaguar dealership.
Booked to test drive a petrol XE. Turned up, and the dealer only had one petrol, the rest were deisels. A dealer staffer had taken the petrol one home, and wasnt working that day.
Still, while I'm here can I try a diesel?
No, they really do drive differently. Better come back...
Booked to test drive a petrol XE. Turned up, and the dealer only had one petrol, the rest were deisels. A dealer staffer had taken the petrol one home, and wasnt working that day.
Still, while I'm here can I try a diesel?
No, they really do drive differently. Better come back...
It was more of the fact that we’d rung twice before and to be told that it wouldn’t be in but such is life. Basically instead of buying, say a 1 owner car, it’s a two owner car because someone is using it regularly.
Just got back from looking at the rivals - GLC 63S etc. All very nice!
Just got back from looking at the rivals - GLC 63S etc. All very nice!
Jimny33 said:
It was more of the fact that we’d rung twice before and to be told that it wouldn’t be in but such is life. Basically instead of buying, say a 1 owner car, it’s a two owner car because someone is using it regularly.
Just got back from looking at the rivals - GLC 63S etc. All very nice!
Eh?Just got back from looking at the rivals - GLC 63S etc. All very nice!
scottygib553 said:
Sounds like BMW dodged a bullet to be honest.
Wow nice reply. Thanks - based on what. When buying any car I’d kinda expect it to be there, during a weekend when people would be coming in to look at cars. I thought that was why garages were there? Not a place where the sales people can take them home when they want to?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff