Paying a deposit for a test drive
Discussion
I've just had the most incredible (meaning shít) service at a trader in Bradford, W Yorks.
They had a tidy(ish) Volvo 850R I was interested in looking at. Only a couple of grand and I had the cash on me (but didn't tell him that...)
I called up to make sure it was still available. The guy answered the phone just by saying "Yeah". I should have read that as a bad sign.
I told him about the car I was interested in and asked if it had gone over the weekend. He said no so I went over there (an hour drive.)
When I got there the car was about 65-75% as good as the description online - not enough to make you walk away but enough to grate a bit.
I asked for the keys to have a look inside it and this took them 20 minutes. Then I asked for a test drive saying I was interested and they wanted £500 'deposit' just to move the car out as it was blocked in. I pointed out that they'd had an hour to do this when I'd called. They just shrugged.
I píssed myself laughing at them and they all got a bit aggressive and told me that if I didn't like it I could bugger off. I did.
How in the name of holy f
k are people like this still trading, especially in this tough market?
I don't expect to be treated like a king when buying a 2k car which will probably net the dealer about £400 but I do expect to be treated like a customer.
I'll look forward to hopefully seeing these tts going down the swanny some time soon.
They had a tidy(ish) Volvo 850R I was interested in looking at. Only a couple of grand and I had the cash on me (but didn't tell him that...)
I called up to make sure it was still available. The guy answered the phone just by saying "Yeah". I should have read that as a bad sign.
I told him about the car I was interested in and asked if it had gone over the weekend. He said no so I went over there (an hour drive.)
When I got there the car was about 65-75% as good as the description online - not enough to make you walk away but enough to grate a bit.
I asked for the keys to have a look inside it and this took them 20 minutes. Then I asked for a test drive saying I was interested and they wanted £500 'deposit' just to move the car out as it was blocked in. I pointed out that they'd had an hour to do this when I'd called. They just shrugged.
I píssed myself laughing at them and they all got a bit aggressive and told me that if I didn't like it I could bugger off. I did.
How in the name of holy f
k are people like this still trading, especially in this tough market?I don't expect to be treated like a king when buying a 2k car which will probably net the dealer about £400 but I do expect to be treated like a customer.
I'll look forward to hopefully seeing these t
ts going down the swanny some time soon.Edited by Big Al. on Monday 20th June 13:07
Got the same treatment from a large-ish (multiple sites) local independent dealer up here a few years ago when trying to buy a Honda Civic for my mother. They didn't care and we walked. I made a point of going back the next day with the car we had eventually bought from a private seller for cash. Never got to the owner, but managed to track down the manager of the site we had been to. He claimed it was standard industry practise, and blamed flaky buyers (us, apparently).
Truly bizarre.
Truly bizarre.
Yeah, this sort of attitude really is odd isn't it? Never been asked to pay a deposit, although the difference in service I've received in similar situations is amazing. I also tend to find I either get very good service or absolutely appalling service, rarely anything in between.
A couple of years ago, we needed a new car and had unto £15k to spend. I went to look at a BMW Z4 at an independent. It was primarily for the wife, so asked for the keys so she could sit in it to make sure she felt comfortable etc. This was obviously a huge inconvenience to this guy, despite him just standing doing nothing outside his office and with no other customers. Eventually he returned with the keys and handed them over with total disinterest.
A few minutes later I asked whether we could put the roof up to check the blind spots, to which he snarled, 'oh for gods sake, just buy a bloody Passat' and wandered off. Now, his comments could have been taken at an attempt at humour if he had a smile on his face or followed up with a bit of friendly banter, but no, he was serious. I decided not to push for a test drive and left.
I then went to see another car at another independent who couldn't have been more different. Despite the fact that the car was in the inside part of the showroom, valeted to within an inch of its life and blocked in by half a dozen cars, it was no trouble to arrange a test drive. A few minutes later, a few guys had shuffled some cars around, I was handed the keys and told they closed at 6. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite do the deal, but I wouldn't hesitate from looking at their stock next time I need a car.
A couple of years ago, we needed a new car and had unto £15k to spend. I went to look at a BMW Z4 at an independent. It was primarily for the wife, so asked for the keys so she could sit in it to make sure she felt comfortable etc. This was obviously a huge inconvenience to this guy, despite him just standing doing nothing outside his office and with no other customers. Eventually he returned with the keys and handed them over with total disinterest.
A few minutes later I asked whether we could put the roof up to check the blind spots, to which he snarled, 'oh for gods sake, just buy a bloody Passat' and wandered off. Now, his comments could have been taken at an attempt at humour if he had a smile on his face or followed up with a bit of friendly banter, but no, he was serious. I decided not to push for a test drive and left.
I then went to see another car at another independent who couldn't have been more different. Despite the fact that the car was in the inside part of the showroom, valeted to within an inch of its life and blocked in by half a dozen cars, it was no trouble to arrange a test drive. A few minutes later, a few guys had shuffled some cars around, I was handed the keys and told they closed at 6. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite do the deal, but I wouldn't hesitate from looking at their stock next time I need a car.
I think all you can do is what you did, which is walk away and at some point in the future you'll drive past and notice a boarded up car-lot because it's all caught up with them.
I have to say I'm a little surprised with it being a low value car. Whilst I've never been asked for a deposit with any vehicle I've asked to test, most of the time when you read/hear about it it's at least a main dealer or something with a bit of value to it.
Still seems a wkerish tactic though.
I have to say I'm a little surprised with it being a low value car. Whilst I've never been asked for a deposit with any vehicle I've asked to test, most of the time when you read/hear about it it's at least a main dealer or something with a bit of value to it.
Still seems a w
kerish tactic though.
I had to pay £20.00 to test ride a Suzuki GSXR1000 a few years ago (refundable if I made a purchase). I certainly made sure I got my money back in thrills/tyres/abuse though (didn't purchase it either). Trouble is there wasn't any option at the time and had to ride from Wickford to Gatwick for the test ride too (probably cost me nearer fourty odd quid in all !!!!)
Minemapper said:
I made a point of going back the next day with the car we had eventually bought from a private seller for cash. Never got to the owner, but managed to track down the manager of the site we had been to. He claimed it was standard industry practise, and blamed flaky buyers (us, apparently).
Truly bizarre.
I know the dealer wasn't helpful and could have done better but I find it truly bizarre that you would take the time to go back and try to make them feel bad for miising out on a sale!Truly bizarre.
What do you expect the guy to do, break down in tears infront of you and promise to change their selling practices from now on?
chibbard said:
I had to pay £20.00 to test ride a Suzuki GSXR1000 a few years ago (refundable if I made a purchase). I certainly made sure I got my money back in thrills/tyres/abuse though (didn't purchase it either). Trouble is there wasn't any option at the time and had to ride from Wickford to Gatwick for the test ride too (probably cost me nearer fourty odd quid in all !!!!)
That £20 was probably to cover insurance though.I had a similar experience when test driving motorcycles. It's quite common they don't bother because of the expense of doing so, and just refund you money if you buy it.
doogz said:
This puzzles me. Seen it a few times on here. The salesmen in the first garage you went to weren't interesting in selling you a car.
So you went and bought a different car. You sure showed them.
Just seems like you're cutting your nose off to spite your face.
Not at all. I am not give my hard earned money to someone who doesn't want it. If Vauxhall don't want to sell me a car I am quite happy to go elsewhere.So you went and bought a different car. You sure showed them.
Just seems like you're cutting your nose off to spite your face.
aruck said:
Not at all. I am not give my hard earned money to someone who doesn't want it. If Vauxhall don't want to sell me a car I am quite happy to go elsewhere.
I think what he's saying is why buy your second choice car based on how one dealer treated you?I was treated badly, IMO, at a Land Rover dealer so I went to another that treated me as I expected and purchased it there.
I didn't go and buy a Ford Kuga.
Prof Prolapse said:
That £20 was probably to cover insurance though.
I had a similar experience when test driving motorcycles. It's quite common they don't bother because of the expense of doing so, and just refund you money if you buy it.
I know that dealer and indeed it is for insurance. I think there's a £500 excess too, but on the whole it's very good value helps you make a decision. I've tested 5 or 6 bikes from there and gone back and bought 3.I had a similar experience when test driving motorcycles. It's quite common they don't bother because of the expense of doing so, and just refund you money if you buy it.
£500 deposit for a test drive on an 850R is ridiculous though IMO.
paddyhasneeds said:
I think what he's saying is why buy your second choice car based on how one dealer treated you?
I was treated badly, IMO, at a Land Rover dealer so I went to another that treated me as I expected and purchased it there.
I didn't go and buy a Ford Kuga.
It wasn't my second choice car at all. I had no decision made however Vauxhall very close to where I was at the time had a VXR in stock and Ford did not.I was treated badly, IMO, at a Land Rover dealer so I went to another that treated me as I expected and purchased it there.
I didn't go and buy a Ford Kuga.
Had a similar experience at an independent dealer in North Lanarkshire (not a deposit issue but complete st service from a seller who doesn't see cars as anything but figures and forget the customer might want something that actually works and drives and is going to to the job).
For a kick-off the ad description didn't match the car (features were listed that weren't actually on the car such as cruise control, and it wasn't a mistake as a result of auto-transposing specification into the advert as errors were repeated and spelled differently in different parts of the advert indicating they had been hand-typed).
Couldn't test drive on the day as the car wasn't roadworthy after I'd pointed out a bald tyre and a bulb out (it was a Volvo!), so did an hour's round trip two days later to try it.
Out on the road the front bobbed up and down at the left like it was running on an egg-shaped wheel. I told the manager the test drive was moot until that problem was sorted, which he said it would be if I proceeded with the purchase. I politely pointed out that it would need to be fixed and the car tested properly before I could agree to purchase at which point he went ballistic, shouting and swearing at me and calling me a timewaster.
Drove back to his site and walked away without another word, except to tell him on the way to calm down as I was trying to drive!
Since read on a review site a very similar experience had by two chaps who travelled for 6 hours to view a Porsche being sold by the same dealer - car didn't match up to the ad description and when they pointed it out they got racist abuse and then offensive callbacks on their mobile on their way home!!
t service from a seller who doesn't see cars as anything but figures and forget the customer might want something that actually works and drives and is going to to the job).For a kick-off the ad description didn't match the car (features were listed that weren't actually on the car such as cruise control, and it wasn't a mistake as a result of auto-transposing specification into the advert as errors were repeated and spelled differently in different parts of the advert indicating they had been hand-typed).
Couldn't test drive on the day as the car wasn't roadworthy after I'd pointed out a bald tyre and a bulb out (it was a Volvo!), so did an hour's round trip two days later to try it.
Out on the road the front bobbed up and down at the left like it was running on an egg-shaped wheel. I told the manager the test drive was moot until that problem was sorted, which he said it would be if I proceeded with the purchase. I politely pointed out that it would need to be fixed and the car tested properly before I could agree to purchase at which point he went ballistic, shouting and swearing at me and calling me a timewaster.
Drove back to his site and walked away without another word, except to tell him on the way to calm down as I was trying to drive!
Since read on a review site a very similar experience had by two chaps who travelled for 6 hours to view a Porsche being sold by the same dealer - car didn't match up to the ad description and when they pointed it out they got racist abuse and then offensive callbacks on their mobile on their way home!!
I was told I was only allowed to test drive the car if I had the money to buy it that day...
I did do, but wanted to see more than one car that day and make my mind up at the end.
He said, after moving 4 cars out of the cars path, that I could come back and drive it when I wanted to buy.
meh.
I did do, but wanted to see more than one car that day and make my mind up at the end.
He said, after moving 4 cars out of the cars path, that I could come back and drive it when I wanted to buy.
meh.
I can fully understand the dealers using a deposit before you test drive as a way of sorting the joyriders from serious buyers on something like a evo, VXR, RS etc. the cars that probably get muppets turning up left right and centre just to rag a fast car. But to be treated so badly for a 2k car is mental!
Whats the odds on the dealership being boarded up within the next 2 months with that attitude?
Whats the odds on the dealership being boarded up within the next 2 months with that attitude?
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