VW woes....

[ddentrec]

I really do not get it.

This is off the BBC website:

..European giant Volkswagen admitted at the weekend that its situation was "serious" as it continues with a cost-cutting programme that could cost 20,000 jobs.

But when I try to get a test drive lasting more than 30 minutes at my local VW stealer (I asked for 4 hours) they say 'No'. Seeing that I bought my last VW Golf new from them I am aghast.

But clearly the dealer is selling lots of VWs.

Test drove a new Ford S-Max for a few hours instead...not bad. Quite good actually.

 

[Vips]

May be they are in the business of selling cars and not renting them out foc for half a day

 

[Shude]

A colleague of mine got rid of a bora company car about a year ago and it was showing signs of rust in some areas.

 

[Flash]

I really do not get it.

This is off the BBC website:

..European giant Volkswagen admitted at the weekend that its situation was "serious" as it continues with a cost-cutting programme that could cost 20,000 jobs.

But when I try to get a test drive lasting more than 30 minutes at my local VW stealer (I asked for 4 hours) they say 'No'. Seeing that I bought my last VW Golf new from them I am aghast.

But clearly the dealer is selling lots of VWs.

Test drove a new Ford S-Max for a few hours instead...not bad. Quite good actually.

When I was possibly looking at getting a brand new Golf Mark 5 GTI as a temporary run around when my previous W203 was written off my local VW Stealership were very reluctant to even let me go on a short test drive...!!! So I simply never bothered and never will with VW/Jaguar again!!!

Personally, I think that it depends on the Stealership. When I was up in Yorkshire I went into a MB Stealership and the Salesman goes to me "take it away for the whole day and come back...". Shame Stealerships down my end are not all like that BUT in order to get a sale every MB Stealership has given myself the car for a day to test drive BUT the "after sales" experience has always been crap and a big let down!!!

 

[Doodle]

This reminds me of a conversation I was party to when a friend was looking at an R32.

IIRC the price came out somewhere around £27k or so. They wanted a 25% deposit up front for the car, the delivery date was mid-October (it was early February), and he couldn't even get a test-drive before delivery as they "didn't have anything you can drive, sir, we keep selling the demo cars".

At which point I fell off my chair in fits of laughter. The salesman asked what the problem was, my answer to which:

"You want nearly 7k as a deposit, you want him to wait 9 months for the car to arrive, and he can't even drive one before then to see if he likes it? Who the hell do you think you are, Ferrari?"

Unsurprisingly, we got up and walked out of the showroom.

 

[Rose Chap]

My experience of VW, having bought a brand new very well specified Golf GT TDI in 2002, has been very bad. Never have I come across a range of dealerships as comprehensively useless as the VW ones.

I quite like VW products, but I won't buy a VW now due to the complete crapness of the dealership network.

 

[Ian B Walker]

My experience of VW, having bought a brand new very well specified Golf GT TDI in 2002, has been very bad. Never have I come across a range of dealerships as comprehensively useless as the VW ones.

I quite like VW products, but I won't buy a VW now due to the complete crapness of the dealership network.

So its not only Mb that has a problem then?

 

[GrahamC230K]

I love my VW dealer and they can do no wrong. I have no time for those of you who experience one dealer and bad mouth them all.

Regards
Graham
The Wind Up

 

[Rose Chap]

I've never really had a bad experience in a MB dealer (I think I must have been lucky given what I've read on these pages), despite having had three separate MBs of varying ages over the years, from the 190E I had at university, to the 300E I had when I started working properly, to the CLK I have now.

I've used MB dealerships in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and a number of them around Berkshire and I have always left as a satisfied customer, even if my wallet had been lightened somewhat.

 

[Ian B Walker]

:d :d

 

[Rose Chap]

I love my VW dealer and they can do no wrong. I have no time for those of you who experience one dealer and bad mouth them all.

Regards
Graham
The Wind Up

I agree completely, which I why I urge anyone to completely avoid the VW dealerships in Reading, Camberley, Maidenhead, and Loughton.

Likewise, I think its best to experience a number of dealerships for a manufacturer before you assume they are all good.

 

[GrahamC230K]

Oh dear, I think you missed the wind up intended in my post, despite my sign off. The statement was only there as part of a greater joke. Didn't mean it at all!

 

[Doodle]

Reading? Yep, that's where I was...

As for Graham being in love with his VW dealer....ewww! I don't want to know the sordid details of your lust for the receptionist

 

[GrahamC230K]

Reading? Yep, that's where I was...

As for Graham being in love with his VW dealer....ewww! I don't want to know the sordid details of your lust for the receptionist

LOL. No.

Pun intended for Glojo, but it seems to have gone over everyone elses heads.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Not mine

Regards
Ian
The Understanding

 

[Vips]

nor mine

 

[andy_k]

nor mine


Andy

 

[splang]

nor mine, it chopped me off at me'ankles


Steve
the shorter

 

[Satch]

Apart from huge mistakes by management in the past real problem is that VW signed a stupid agreement with Unions in 2004 in return for "Productivity Gains" that meant that jobs were guaranteed 2011. Oh and by the way the deal with the workers, who are the highest paid in the industry, means they work a 28.8 hour week. Outrage when suggested last week they might want to work 35. Only in Germany.

VW offered a package to those who wanted to go of their own free will that, depending on how long they had been with the company, was worth up to Euro250,000 each.

 

[Dieselman]

Graham
You will be pleased to know your quip struck home here.