I just phoned up a JLR dealer to enquire about a FFRR - sold, but couldn’t be bothered to ask for my name or to suggest an alternative , which I’m sure they will have. Just put the phone down.
He couldn’t care less.

JLR need to make the sales teams in their dealers hit the mark or they don’t get to have a concession. Seems some companies such as Ford are going on line only for their EV . Perhaps only the early offerings, but if it works, why keep dealers suckling, when all they need are repair shops.


Best I go and buy a mercedes instead!!!!! Filters are in fact so good that in certain circumstances, when the ambient air is already polluted, a diesel car will tend to extract more particles from the air than it emits. Emissions Analytics worked with........etc etc

He who dies with the most toys wins...

Amazes me that this still happens!. Then don't be surprised if the same happens at the Mercedes dealer

I went and looked at a new Volvo V70 back in the 90s. Was the weekend, so I had trainers on, jeans, casual T shirt. Not a sausage. No interest from any sales folk in the showroom.

Walked out, got in my BMW 735i SE, and 2 of them came rushing out to see if I needed any help 🤣. Not unless they were going to stop traffic on the main road so I could leave faster....

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Back when I worked at the LR dealership (about 1999-2000) we had a guy come in the showroom in a scruffy t shirt and torn jeans. The entire sales team ignored him apart from a girl who was just out of training. He showed interest in a brand new P38 holland and holland so she showed him round it and let him climb all over it much to the disgust of the rest of the sales team. After about 20 minutes he turned round to her and said he would order there and then on one condition-That He could order 2 identical ones, one for him and one for his business partner

Only 100 p38 holland and Hollands were allocated to UK market at list price close to £70000 so one of the young sales girls first sales netted her commission on a £140000 sale

Turned out the guy owned one of the biggest software companies in the world at that time and was a multi millionaire Paul

2014 Range Rover vogue se 4.4sdv8 Loire Blue
1992 Range Rover Vogue LSE 4.2 Ardennes green

A lot of apathy in the trade at present.

Covid effect and lack of supply v increased demand for used vehicles, values ramped up etc.

Viewed an LR “approved used” FFRR over the weekend priced at nearly 60k.

Interior and exterior absolutely filthy. Discarded sandwich wrapper in centre console. Obvious safety related electrical defect present.

Dealers expectation was that the car would simply sell online then be prepped and delivered. Hence no need to bother with any form of basic pre sale cleaning for physical viewings.

Simple enquiry re service history not followed up as promised. The experience was akin to shopping for a new kettle rather than a quality motor vehicle! Current
2016 MY L405 SDV8
2018 VW Golf GT EVO
2001 BMW Z3 2.2
Previous
2002 L322 TD6
2004 Mercedes R230 SL350
1994 993 Carrera
Range Rover P38 x3
Range Rover 3.9 EFI

Depends much on the dealer group i suspect. When I bought my fattie off Beadles the sales chap was really good in all honesty. Responsive on the phone, quick to send info and a walk round vid. And then in person was just as good when I went to collect.

Had a similar experience with Arnold Clark when buying swmbos fiat. Left us alone on the forecourt, but once we showed interest then help was at hand.

Different at Sytner when I bought my 535d. Not much interest, half dismissed me until I pulled out a wedge of cash for the deposit. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

Had this when I was looking for my beastie two and a half years ago at Hardwoods, lewes - although they had a good selection in shop, once I let them know I didn't want brand new they lost interest immediately. Wipper snappers and tippy tappers them all. Daaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Loved the story about the HandH P38’s. I used to work with a chap when I was based in London his Dad , a millionaire, went into the Jack Barclay Bentley dealer in his donkey jacket as still used to like working at ground level with the workers every now and again, needless to say he didn’t get any attention. He educated them before leaving the showroom as to the sale they lost. Any astute sales person apparently checks the watch and shoes for any give always. Holland and Holland Range Rover By Overfinch

Any astute salesperson treats everyone the same and doesn’t make snap judgments.

A lot of car salespeople do really annoy me though, especially when they don’t know enough about the product they’re trying to sell. I’ve been treated very poorly over the years in various dealerships but LR was one of the very best, only 2nd overall to Porsche. Audi have consistently be the worst, I didn’t even order one when I had company cars as they were so difficult / unpleasant to deal with. MY23 Panamera E-Hybrid
MY19 SDV8 Autobiography - Sold

I believe it's the nature of the industry, most of us on here are old enough to remember when a lot of car dealers were owned by motoring enthusiasts who had an interest in and knowledge of what they were selling and also wanted to protect their reputation and name.
These have been replaced by the National chains staffed by shop assistants who have been given a new suit or tight blouse and told that they are now Sales Executives/Managers/advisers or whatever title is in favour this week.
They've got the mythical Dealer Principle/Director, a God like character who is far too important/busy for us mere mortals to communicate with directly, to hide behind when they make a joke offer for our P/Ex.
Then of course there is the imaginary "Head Office" available to blame for everything else that they can't be bothered to do properly.
We can of course do something about it, just lower our expectations and remember that all of these shop assistants and their senior shop assistants hate us with a passion, how arrogant of us to expect to be treated with respect when we are blowing more money on a car than their landlord spent on the flat that they rent.

Rant over - I wonder how I became so cynical

Quote:

Rant over - I wonder how I became so cynical

Just to balance the discussion that there are some good salespeople and dealerships out there. My daughter walked into a California Land Rover dealership about two weeks ago and said she was interested in a 2021.5 Sport. She had no dealings with dealership before and they had no idea of her interest or purchase ability.

The sales "lady" was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. She even discussed new model and likely timing of its release. They had a very limited inventory but indicated that they had a well specced Sport coming into dock in about a week. She also told my daughter they no longer worked on commission but she would take care of her.

When car arrived saleslady called and said she would hold it until my daughter could have a look and drive it. She was tied up at work for a few days so they held until she could break free. A week ago she walked back in, loved the car and bought it.

After the transaction the saleslady said they had 6 people on a waiting list for the car and she had a bet with her boss that my daughter wouldn't be back but held the car anyway.

She also had at least three call backs from other dealers who didn't have inventory but wanted to maintain the contact. Needless to say there wasn't a lot of negotiating room but she ended up with Black on Black 5.0 HSE Dynamic with all the bells and whistles.
It's her 4th Range Rover and she says it's amazing on LA freeways and back roads. Her two previous cars were a Porsche Cayenne GTS and Porsche Panamera GTS and she says they had no soul. And no she didn't arrive in any of her other cars to indicate her buying ability.

Sadly, the UK and US aren't comparable, your consumer laws are a lot stronger and the approach to customer service is completely different.

So with the beast gone and still exploring options including Pivotal...and awaiting on day 3 now for Thrifty to call me back about their long term rentals......I called a fdew places today....got to be honest, it made me totally depressed!! No discount for no trade in and tbh I don't think they felt that bothered about actually selling the cars!! Maybe it sme but COVID has wrecked many an industry and the car industry was a mess as it was......

If I could take the train to McDonalds I would!! lol all smug in my new plug!

2021 Westminster Black D300
2013 Vogue SE - gone
Some Porsche Cayenne guff pretending to be a 4x4!!
2006 Vogue
2004 Vogue
2001 Vogue

heres a heads up...mcd's can be delivered to you...  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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