Alfa Romeo Main Dealers

Author
Discussion

LordOfTheManor

Original Poster:

1,267 posts

110 months

Tuesday 16th July 2019
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Thank you so much

ninepoint2

3,262 posts

159 months

Tuesday 16th July 2019
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Summed up perfectly earlier in the thread, Alfa Dealerships should have been separated from Fiat years ago, where they could have created a much more exclusive feel to the experience. We have had Fiats in the family for well over 30 years and only ever found one main dealer that was any good, but they were bought out by AC and are now just awful. Had my wifes 124 serviced by 2 different dealers and both were equally dreadful..we only did it becuse no 2 son got us discounts as he worked for the same group at the time. I cant imagine how I would feel if I took my very expensive QF to a dealer and got the same treatment....rolleyes

LordOfTheManor

Original Poster:

1,267 posts

110 months

Tuesday 16th July 2019
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Palmers were reluctant to clean my brand new QF, I was begging them in the end ant they still didn't deliver,

when you've waited 3 months its so disappointing.

smarty156

372 posts

85 months

Wednesday 17th July 2019
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Beechdale in Derby get some very positive comments. Tend to do some of the best deals too.

is-uk

1,467 posts

215 months

Wednesday 17th July 2019
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Motorvogue in Northampton have a good Alfa team. They have also invested in a new showroom at their Bedford site and have a sales guy there who is very passionate about the brand and has owned many examples from the Sud onwards himself.

LordOfTheManor

Original Poster:

1,267 posts

110 months

Wednesday 17th July 2019
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This morning has seen another turn of events,

"Palmers" Matthew actually, decided to give a review on Google of my old company, telling people I had earned 1.8 million last year according to

Companies House and to avoid the business. (since been removed), all in retaliation for the negative feedback received from me.

So business owners beware, "Palmers" will play dirty if you upset them. (This has never happened anywhere before)


Alfa Customers Services has asked "Palmers" to release the car to another dealership but "Palmers" refused. (No shock there!)

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
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Alfa dealers probably know their time is relatively limited - they will either have poor performance and be sacked from the franchise or they won't make money, so there's little real incentive to try and make a decent job at it. Well, that's my theory anyway.

I'm in Scotland and seen huge changes to the network here, we had Eastern/Western group with branches Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth all gone. Before that Arnold Clark but that was along time ago.

There's no Alfa dealer in Edinburgh, imagine that! There's two Mercedes and two BMW sites in Edinburgh alone! For central belt and whole south Scotland our nearest Alfa dealer is Newcastle!

ninepoint2

3,262 posts

159 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
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There is one in Glasgow, bit it's AC so probably not worth bothering about IMHO thumbup

https://www.arnoldclark-auto.co.uk/dealer/alfa-rom...

Daveb257

996 posts

138 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
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MellowshipSlinky said:
Might be worth a call to Paul Jones at Stoneacre in Chesterfield.
He’s well known in Alfa circles.
Doesn’t work there any more though

MellowshipSlinky

14,673 posts

188 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
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Daveb257 said:
Doesn’t work there any more though
Ah, when did he leave?
Spoke to him a few months back.

Pwig

11,956 posts

269 months

Friday 19th July 2019
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Working for Leasys now.

LordOfTheManor

Original Poster:

1,267 posts

110 months

Friday 19th July 2019
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As one poster has already said Alfa's staff don't seem to stay very long,

Palmers where the same.

The other salesman had only been there a matter weeks, Lee, the DP. had informed me, (unusual for a family business)

but hats off to them for giving younger people a chance.

Its just reassuring when you are spending a lot of money, that the people who you are spending it with,

are staying with the brand. My original salesman was off to MG and best of luck to him.



anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 20th July 2019
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Rang my local one - not that local - on Thursday about a test drive. They said they would get car for me for today. Rang them this morning to check before leaving, all good. Get there and they didnt have the car at all.

Embarrassing and likely to lead me sticking with the germans as the other local dealer is even further away and I would not touch this one (Chester) again.

Basic customer service fail

LordOfTheManor

Original Poster:

1,267 posts

110 months

Saturday 20th July 2019
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Why do they let themselves down, Hemel Hempstead were the same in the end, but now i'm the customer from hell.

Don't try and straight talk them either, they get so upset and throw all their toys out of the pram.

Perhaps these dealerships need a few more challenging customers to keep them on their toes, to

make their lives a little more exciting, because right now their customers are certainly not feeling the fun.

MellowshipSlinky

14,673 posts

188 months

Saturday 20th July 2019
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It’s a shame Variava’s sold out to Stoneacre and then moved the Alfa franchise from Nottingham.

They also had (still have) Mitsubishi and Suzuki.

Bought my first Mitsubishi L200 from them in 2006, another in 2008 and then a Vitara in 2017.
95% of the staff were still there in 2017 from when I bought the first L200.

Never got to buy my Alfa from them though.

LordOfTheManor

Original Poster:

1,267 posts

110 months

Sunday 21st July 2019
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A group of motoring journalists are taking up the story, we have today told them our side of the Shenanigans. I don't think Palmers will see the

funny side but people deserve better, it doesn't matter if you paying £10k or £60k. It should still be exciting to buy a new car.

Looking forward to re - ordering mine with someone else, might even change the colour! (originally white, might go black)

Robbidoo

240 posts

166 months

Sunday 21st July 2019
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You're being far from unreasonable - they deserve everything they get for treating a customer with such contempt. Look forward to reading the story.

norchi

350 posts

221 months

Monday 22nd July 2019
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I would just add that I took delivery of my new Giulia QF from the Palmers entity in Hemel in september '17. I am not young and have bought a few cars during my adult life and never, ever endured such an unpleasant experience. A company lacking any sense of veracity.
Never been back since having found the next nearest Alfa dealer to me, Glyn Hopkin in St.Albans, to be a competent and thoroughly decent outfit.
I would also add that I had a personal contact fairly high up at Alfa in Slough to whom i related my experience with Palmers..... her reaction, knowing the people involved that I mentioned, was that it was a continuing problem for them .....

Don.

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Monday 22nd July 2019
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My latest gripe having had the car for 12-months, is that I cannot take it to my local garage to have them service it and cancel the service indicator light. Since 2018 that can only be done at a franchise. So I am now stuck with the Bs.

chopper602

2,172 posts

222 months

Monday 22nd July 2019
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G u l f said:
There's no Alfa dealer in Edinburgh, imagine that! There's two Mercedes and two BMW sites in Edinburgh alone! For central belt and whole south Scotland our nearest Alfa dealer is Newcastle!
The is an independent Alfa dealer within half a mile of where I work. Alexanders of Thornaby are excellent and nothing is too much trouble (sales and service). I'm on my third Alfa from there, from the same salesman and when they were a Saab dealer, my wife bought one of those too!

Edited by chopper602 on Monday 22 July 11:05