Test drive experience?
Discussion
In the market for an a110 , looking at prices I’m thinking a brand new base model with a couple of extras is best for me .
Monday morning I’ve got a couple of hours spare so I drive over to my local dealership , I’ve already got a couple of quotes through Carwow so I’m thinking go and test drive the white one they have in stock and see if they’ll match the cheapest quote .
Half ten on a miserable cold Monday morning and I ask if it’s possible to take a look at the car stood outside. The salesman says he’ll be with me in a minute and leaves me stood beside a locked car for 5 mins , opens the door from his desk , comes out and I get in . I tell him I like it and ask for a test drive , we go inside and he asks to see my driving license , I hand it over , he then proceeds to ask me to log onto a dvla website and fill in some sort of form and informs me he needs my national insurance number before he can allow a test drive !
He’s lost me by now and I told him it’s not going to happen and I’ll try elsewhere , he shrugs his shoulders and offers to book me a test drive later in the week subject to me meeting his requirements , is this a normal occurrence?
I was ready to place an order and pay the deposit there and then but I walked away disappointed and to be honest , completely baffled , they never even asked my name .
Monday morning I’ve got a couple of hours spare so I drive over to my local dealership , I’ve already got a couple of quotes through Carwow so I’m thinking go and test drive the white one they have in stock and see if they’ll match the cheapest quote .
Half ten on a miserable cold Monday morning and I ask if it’s possible to take a look at the car stood outside. The salesman says he’ll be with me in a minute and leaves me stood beside a locked car for 5 mins , opens the door from his desk , comes out and I get in . I tell him I like it and ask for a test drive , we go inside and he asks to see my driving license , I hand it over , he then proceeds to ask me to log onto a dvla website and fill in some sort of form and informs me he needs my national insurance number before he can allow a test drive !
He’s lost me by now and I told him it’s not going to happen and I’ll try elsewhere , he shrugs his shoulders and offers to book me a test drive later in the week subject to me meeting his requirements , is this a normal occurrence?
I was ready to place an order and pay the deposit there and then but I walked away disappointed and to be honest , completely baffled , they never even asked my name .
Don't go to a dealer and try and get a test drive without prebooking one. I went to a Lotus dealer a year or so ago and asked about a test drive, they honestly couldn't be bothered and said no-one was available and just walked off. Guess where I didn't buy my Emira from...
I did test the A110 and they were actually quite happy for me to turn up unannounced and drive one on my own. I don't remember being asked for my NI number but I would have had it on my phone anyway.
It does piss you off though but also, from their side, they must get a lot of timewasters (all dealers, not just Alpine)
I did test the A110 and they were actually quite happy for me to turn up unannounced and drive one on my own. I don't remember being asked for my NI number but I would have had it on my phone anyway.
It does piss you off though but also, from their side, they must get a lot of timewasters (all dealers, not just Alpine)
timbo999 said:
Fairly common practice if you want a test drive...
...and essential if you want to hire a car. The 'check code' from DVLA allows hire co/garage to see points/endorsements, which aren't on the physical card. And to verify that your license is really still valid.
Been this way for a few years now.
Frimley111R said:
Don't go to a dealer and try and get a test drive without prebooking one. I went to a Lotus dealer a year or so ago and asked about a test drive, they honestly couldn't be bothered and said no-one was available and just walked off. Guess where I didn't buy my Emira from...
I did test the A110 and they were actually quite happy for me to turn up unannounced and drive one on my own. I don't remember being asked for my NI number but I would have had it on my phone anyway.
It does piss you off though but also, from their side, they must get a lot of timewasters (all dealers, not just Alpine)
^ThisI did test the A110 and they were actually quite happy for me to turn up unannounced and drive one on my own. I don't remember being asked for my NI number but I would have had it on my phone anyway.
It does piss you off though but also, from their side, they must get a lot of timewasters (all dealers, not just Alpine)
Although if the salesman couldn't (or wouldn't) explain in a friendly manner to put you at ease about what he needed the NI number for, he's not much of a negotiator and won't be the best to do a deal with, I'd go elsewhere.
To be honest , the whole thing soured the new car thing to the point I’ve just about lost interest , I’m used to getting the trade plates passed to me with the keys and being told “ go and try it properly but if anything happens you work here “
I’m old school and base on trust , I’m pretty sure if I went to mr. Clarks house to fix his roof back in the day and asked him to jump through hoops before I would put the ladder up I’d have been told to f
k off in no uncertain terms !
I’m old school and base on trust , I’m pretty sure if I went to mr. Clarks house to fix his roof back in the day and asked him to jump through hoops before I would put the ladder up I’d have been told to f
k off in no uncertain terms ! paulwirral said:
To be honest , the whole thing soured the new car thing to the point I ve just about lost interest , I m used to getting the trade plates passed to me with the keys and being told go and try it properly but if anything happens you work here
I m old school and base on trust , I m pretty sure if I went to mr. Clarks house to fix his roof back in the day and asked him to jump through hoops before I would put the ladder up I d have been told to fk off in no uncertain terms !
Trust based on what? You walked in as a complete stranger. Seems a bit dramatic for the sake of completing a standard DL check, but each to their own.I m old school and base on trust , I m pretty sure if I went to mr. Clarks house to fix his roof back in the day and asked him to jump through hoops before I would put the ladder up I d have been told to f
k off in no uncertain terms ! Edited by CMTMB on Thursday 27th November 16:57
CMTMB said:
paulwirral said:
To be honest , the whole thing soured the new car thing to the point I ve just about lost interest , I m used to getting the trade plates passed to me with the keys and being told go and try it properly but if anything happens you work here
I m old school and base on trust , I m pretty sure if I went to mr. Clarks house to fix his roof back in the day and asked him to jump through hoops before I would put the ladder up I d have been told to fk off in no uncertain terms !
Trust based on what? You walked in as a complete stranger. Seems a bit dramatic for the sake of completing a completely standard DL check, but each to their own.I m old school and base on trust , I m pretty sure if I went to mr. Clarks house to fix his roof back in the day and asked him to jump through hoops before I would put the ladder up I d have been told to f
k off in no uncertain terms ! paulwirral said:
I m old school and base on trust
Believe it or not, I work since 40 years in the vehicle business: You have to adjust every rule to the most barefaced people you met.
Consequently, I would not abandon my plan for the new Alpine if something is demanded, that is not directed against me personally.
Sorry to be so wrong , but I ll stand by my principles , I ve been in business for myself all my life and based it on trust , I ve had no option to be honest , car world has changed a lot for the worse in my opinion.
And please don t reply if you re just looking to argue , I ve apologised above .
And sort of knocks all the “ I walked into the dealership and they threw me the keys posts “ into perspective , I must look untrustworthy , to be fair , I probably do !
And please don t reply if you re just looking to argue , I ve apologised above .
And sort of knocks all the “ I walked into the dealership and they threw me the keys posts “ into perspective , I must look untrustworthy , to be fair , I probably do !
timbo999 said:
Nose, face, sharp knife... you're missing one of the best sportscars for a long while.
Never said I wasn’t going to buy one , the dealers have all got back in touch via car wow with some great prices , however now they think I’m on the hook I’m being told I can’t order a car and have to buy out of incoming stock , all of which are not quite what I want and quite a lot more expensive , I’m guessing the order book closed today ? paulwirral said:
Sorry to be so wrong , but I ll stand by my principles , I ve been in business for myself all my life and based it on trust , I ve had no option to be honest , car world has changed a lot for the worse in my opinion.
And please don t reply if you re just looking to argue , I ve apologised above .
And sort of knocks all the I walked into the dealership and they threw me the keys posts into perspective , I must look untrustworthy , to be fair , I probably do !
You're massively overthinking this. It's got nothing to do with your appearance, or trust. It's the dealer following a completely standard process which has been commonplace in the industry for some time now. There's no hidden agenda. And please don t reply if you re just looking to argue , I ve apologised above .
And sort of knocks all the I walked into the dealership and they threw me the keys posts into perspective , I must look untrustworthy , to be fair , I probably do !
It does sound a bit crap, I've had this "can't be bothered" type attitude from Porsche and Audi, but not from Alpine - they always bent over backwards to accommodate me, offering test drives whenever I wanted, just needed to see my licence and off I went. Although this was in mid 2023.
I'd suggest trying a different dealer and see if you have a better experience.
I'd suggest trying a different dealer and see if you have a better experience.
Rob_RCF said:
It does sound a bit crap, I've had this "can't be bothered" type attitude from Porsche and Audi, but not from Alpine - they always bent over backwards to accommodate me, offering test drives whenever I wanted, just needed to see my licence and off I went. Although this was in mid 2023.
I'd suggest trying a different dealer and see if you have a better experience.
Why is it "a bit crap" that the Alpine dealer wants to make sure you are eligible to drive their car and to be insured to do so?I'd suggest trying a different dealer and see if you have a better experience.
An alternative appointment was offered but the OP went off in a huff!
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