VW dealer checking you can get finance before a test drive?

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[Whataguy]

Use a different dealer, some of them try it on with this now.

For my last car purchase from a Honda main dealer recently I was given the keys to the same spec car I was looking at and just told to take it for a drive - wherever I wanted.

No finance checks beforehand, they just took a copy of my licence and I signed a hire/loan car form for the test drive.

Edited by Whataguy on Monday 13th September 16:18

[halo34]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Dealers policy one would suspect - VW never asked me that locally other than rough idea of figures if interested and firming up after.

[anonymous-user]

Crazy, did you not explain you are on Pistonheads and a powerfully built director so would be paying cash as finance is for peasants?

In all seriousness, I would just go elsewhere as they sound like a total bunch of idiots, the sort of people who expect you to pay full list price with GAP, Supaguard and tyre insurance on top and take whatever spec and colour they can get hold of.

[Dan W.]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Sounds like the salesman was have a bad day, Thats a awful approach if its their policy.

I dont believe for a minute it was the truth he prob just mistook you for a time waster and didnt want to test drive you.

[hyphen]

Were you of a scruffy appearance that day OP?


Just checking if the salesman stereotyped you

[HighlyFlammable]

Some dealer groups now run a soft search via experian due to the way they provide finance. Typically this is done at the initial enquiry as it also verifies your identity in case of a distance sale.

[Sheepshanks]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

When there were long delays with VW diesel engines a few years ago, dealers were refusing to take orders from people unless they used finance. As the position is similar now, then culd be they're doing the same thing.

I had a dealer come very close to refusing to sell me a stock new Golf when I refused finance, but in the end they did.

On the last one I bought, wife's Tiguan, I just said I wanted PCP from the off, somewhat motivated by the £2750 deposit contribution. Salesman was brilliant - probably the best new car experience I've had. Found us a car that was already built and in transit when a broker had been saying 12 weeks, and got within a touch of the broker price. I withdrew from the finance a few days after collection.

[Drive Blind]

some dealers are very strict with the FCA side of things, was it that?

A VW dealer did this to me a few years back. Made me sit though all manner of finance pish even though I made it clear I didn't need finance.

[georgeyboy12345]

I had an independent dealer do this to me and I still went ahead and bought the car, which turned out to be rubbish, so based on that, I'd avoid.

[M.F.D]

I had this when I was testing a WRX STI a few years back at a Subaru dealer. I was almost certain I was buying the car, so didn't bother me. Didn't actually buy the car in the end. Still didn't bother me all that much.

[anonymous-user]

Sheepshanks said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

When there were long delays with VW diesel engines a few years ago, dealers were refusing to take orders from people unless they used finance. As the position is similar now, then culd be they're doing the same thing.

I had a dealer come very close to refusing to sell me a stock new Golf when I refused finance, but in the end they did.

On the last one I bought, wife's Tiguan, I just said I wanted PCP from the off, somewhat motivated by the £2750 deposit contribution. Salesman was brilliant - probably the best new car experience I've had. Found us a car that was already built and in transit when a broker had been saying 12 weeks, and got within a touch of the broker price. I withdrew from the finance a few days after collection.

This actually happened to me with a BMW. When the M135i was first released I had a similar situation. The dealer was pushing finance although I was a cash buyer. In the end the salesman said that they would prefer finance and even tried to get me to finance a used example (ex-demo) but in my case they couldn’t agree to a cash sale so I walked. Their loss.

[Fink-Nottle]

There's a Lamborghini dealer who are stating this outright on their website. But then you can imagine the types who will show up there all day long to "test-drive" an Aventador...

Another dealer (80s/90s performance cars, good reputation) is asking for a GBP 150 test drive "fee" in their ads. I actually think that if you show up there and look normal, they will smile and waive it.

[Sheepshanks]

Super_GP said:

This actually happened to me with a BMW. When the M135i was first released I had a similar situation. The dealer was pushing finance although I was a cash buyer. In the end the salesman said that they would prefer finance and even tried to get me to finance a used example (ex-demo) but in my case they couldn’t agree to a cash sale so I walked. Their loss.

Well, it's their loss except you wanted the car. Taking finance and then withdrawing is a lot easier than findng another car and starting the whole process again with another dealer.

I've always been a cash buyer - but the difference in the way I was treated as a finance buyer was a revelation. OK, I didn't do back-to-back test at the same dealership, same salesman, but I've dealt with the dealer group before. I think the salesman would have turned himself inside out if I'd asked him to.

Then withdrawing, with VWFS, was delightful - I expected a bit of grief but got an extremely friendly customer service person who seemed so thrilled I was paying it off my first thought was there must be a catch! They freeze the amount (the prinicpal plus a tiny bit of interest calculated per day - about £30 on a £30K car for me) once you say you're withdrawing and in my case was given 28 days to pay.

[nought2sixty]

I had something similar a few years ago. I was considering one of the £250/279 Cupra deals so I booked a test drive at the nearest garage. Arrived on the day and after about two hours of them pissing about generating finance quotes and valuing my old car, was basically told that I couldn't get a test drive unless I agreed to buy the car from them for something like £400 a month. Ended up having an argument with the manager who just wasn't interested.

[Lee540]

When I bought my Octavia vRS I did need dealer finance. I had to go through all that first before I could drive the car. At the time, they did have 6 in stock and similarly priced.

[nought2sixty]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yep, incredibly insulting and embarrassing. They were basically implying that I couldn't afford the car. I then booked a test drive at a slightly further away dealer, was allowed to drive the car no problem and then leased the car through them when they matched the offer.

[anonymous-user]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Same here, and even if I needed finance I am certain I could get better than the dealer was offering with no effort at all. As others have stated, the only time it is ever worth taking out is if there is some large manufacturer bonus for taking it.

I think this must be a VAG thing because when I was last looking for a new car, Seat were by far the most awkward to deal with. They insisted there were no discounts and expected me to get all the dealer extras (GAP, Supaguard, Tyre Insurance etc.) and even when I put the CarWow quotes for £5K less in front of them they told me they were not real.

Renault and Honda let me have a test drive with no issues at all, and Renault even offered me the CarWow price before I had opened my mouth.

[GranpaB]

My dealer does this as it keeps the tyre kickers away.

[HocusPocus]

The most I have ever been asked for is a photo of my licence. Then been given the key and polite enquiry of when I plan to return the demo car. Even did a Bentley test unaccompanied.....perhaps it is my powerfully built physique ;-0