Dealership Treatment

[tbc]

So we all know the sort of stereotype associated with car sale man, wide boy, dodgy dealers, made famous by Mike Brewer and Terry Tibbs

Just had a terrible experience at a well known dealership in Belfast, mod edit (no name and shame please)

i'm a 20 something professional, and seriously looking to buy a Audi S3/ Golf R32

Went in to look at a few Audis and a R32 after work dressed smartly, the salespeople just stood around not even one bit interested, you would think they didn't need to sell a car

Then I ask the price on the R32 and was passed around 3 or 4 young arrogant guys, who knew nothing but walked about like they'd just shifted the whole forecourt

One sale man even referred to the R32 as 'the one with the 2 litre engine', which is obviously nonsense

Just left the place feeling completely ignored, and treated like I was invisible

So lets just say they won't be getting any of my business in the near future

[traffman]

Sounds like addictive had been in before you looking for an Audi r8 , so they felt a little miffed when you turned up asking about a Hot Golf.

[irish boy]

Which garage? Ringing first and building up a relationship works wonders. There's usually at least one stand out salesman per dealership I've found, and by that I mean down to earth and free of the usual rattle about gap/superguard etc. If it's vw boucher ask for Gregg from south africa....you won't meet better in sales.

[Jasandjules]

tbc said:

Just had a terrible experience at a well known dealership in Belfast, mod edit (no name and shame please)

i'm a 20 something professional, and seriously looking to buy a Audi S3/ Golf R32

I think most of us on here will have experienced this at some stage. I can only say that when I bought my first Chimaera, I was wearing t-shirt and tracksuit, and the chap took me very seriously. And he said he's spent many hours with young guys dressed like that and they've bought many expensive cars from him. The reason might be because no other dealer takes them seriously! But someone will, just keep looking.

[tbc]

It wasn't Agnew as I have had dealing with them previously and they have always been very good, it was the one at the top of the road *CH*

[carl_w]

Vote with your feet: buy a different car.

[LordHaveMurci]

Had this when I bought my 12mth old Impreza Turbo at 28, main dealer treated me like something unpleasant he had just trodden in. They changed their view when I paid over £20k in cash though.
Another dealer I visited couldn't have been any different, just a shame they didn't have a car I wanted.

I do find it helps if you call first, then introduce yourself in person, they seem to take you more seriously.

[Jasandjules]

LordHaveMurci said:

Had this when I bought my 12mth old Impreza Turbo at 28, main dealer treated me like something unpleasant he had just trodden in. They changed their view when I paid over £20k in cash though.
Another dealer I visited couldn't have been any different, just a shame they didn't have a car I wanted.

I do find it helps if you call first, then introduce yourself in person, they seem to take you more seriously.

You see, in your situation I wouldn't buy their car.

In fact, in your situation I've gone back to the dealer with the cash price of his car, then told him I was just off to another dealer to buy a car.

[dhariwab]

They must have hit their targets for the month and so weren't bothered about you

[crocodile tears]

All dealerships are different.. And have seen mixed responses in audi & vw garages

The best thing is just to walk out if they are ignoring you or don't think you're a serious buyer. Go find another audi/vw dealer down the road or forget them all together

Might then be an idea to send a letter stating your disappointment and name the saleman who failed to take you seriously (if they didnt all blank you) and also the dealer you went to instead to buy your lovely new vehicle.

[LordHaveMurci]

Jasandjules said:

LordHaveMurci said:

Had this when I bought my 12mth old Impreza Turbo at 28, main dealer treated me like something unpleasant he had just trodden in. They changed their view when I paid over £20k in cash though.
Another dealer I visited couldn't have been any different, just a shame they didn't have a car I wanted.

I do find it helps if you call first, then introduce yourself in person, they seem to take you more seriously.

You see, in your situation I wouldn't buy their car.

In fact, in your situation I've gone back to the dealer with the cash price of his car, then told him I was just off to another dealer to buy a car.

Sadly they were the only one of three dealers convenient for me that had the right car. I did walk from my local BMW main dealer & purchased from another dealer 100mls away when a similar thing happened. Hilariously the local dealer finally rang me back days later & went nuts because I had gone elsewhere!

[traffman]

When we were looking for a Type r the local dealers salesperson was a stuck up know it all that didnt bother returning any enquiries we had.

So off we went and found what we had been after in another garage.

Later that month my brother inlaw purchased a renault from the snotty dealership and we gave him a lift down to the dealership and parked our newly aqquired type r right under the snotty boys nose.

[tbc]

Seems I'm not the only one

As a cash buyer I would have thought they would have been falling we themselves

I wasn't expecting a 7 course lunch and a red carpet, but even some awknowledgement that I was there would have been nice

[PumpkinSteve]

tbc said:

Seems I'm not the only one

As a cash buyer I would have thought they would have been falling we themselves

I wasn't expecting a 7 course lunch and a red carpet, but even some awknowledgement that I was there would have been nice

I thought they didn't care about cash nowadays, they make money from selling you finance instead.