How does anyone buy a new car?????

[craig_the_german]

My name is Kath and I'm the long suffering wife of Craig the German and I thought I would respond as consumer rather than a VW fan. It may give you all a different perspective.
Maverick I am very aware that the Golf's are made in Germany, I am also aware that every dealer can't have huge stocks of every model. I also am aware that there is a wait and I really don't have an issue with that at all.
But and it's a Big But.............I have found over the last few months of trying to buy a VW it has been just a nightmare. I think it's the attitude of the salesman that is really putting me off. The smuggness ( if that is a word the "if you want one it will be on our terms" attitude. As I said I have no brand loyality I'm simply looking at a new car. The whole experience has just turned me off VW. You all may well argue that this is the same no matter which car I'm looking at but from where I stand VW is more expensive than everything else that is in the class and I have to be sold on it. I'm really sorry I'm not sold. The car is great to ride in but the rubbish that you have to go through and the hoops that you have to jump through make it all too hard. I often read these forums as I see that the issues that we are currently having are across the boards everywhere.
As VW fans, waiting 6 months and paying whatever the dealer asks, buying without first test driving maybe the norm but as a Mum and general consumer the VW experience is all too hard and the arrogance of the salespeople I have encounted is beyond belief. This is not one dealership it is all the dealerships we have been to (4) It's like Groundhog Day.
My loss you say..........No VW's Loss, VW fans will always buy VW but general consumers "shop" and it could be the smallest thing that makes a consumer walk. The smug comment yesterday had me heading for car at record pace. Maybe you all know that the trade in price as agreed doesn't stand but I as a consumer didn't and the impression that I got from the tone was " When your car arrives you're going to be screwed Girl, How would you like It".
I left there and went to a Honda dealership ( just for a look) and the experience couldn't have been more relaxed and comfortable.
VW have a lot to learn when it comes to consumer expectations. I know they don't have the stock but I should be able to come out of a dealership still wanting to buy one and not feeling like I've been through the wringer.

[phaeton]

Well said Kath

Perhaps VW sales would be on Hyundai/Honda levels if they had stock of vehicles that consumers wish to test drive.

A friend in a VW Club went to a VW Dealer and test drove a vehicle that suited them; ended buying it on the spot.
Imagine if Craig and Kath went to VW dealer No.1 and they had the said vehicle in stock they may also have bought it on the spot.

That all said Manuals are hard to come by at VW dealers for lower spec cars.

[nikamichi]

Kath,

You are absolutely right ... I'm going through the process now, and buying is a nightmare.

I actually think supply, residuals and pricing would be better if VWA went to a simplified structure on models .... it seems most cars are build cars.

I could just about put up with it, If I felt I was going to get a superlative ownership experience, but given the quality issues I have experienced, I'm not too sure of that

[midlifecrisis]

My experiences with 3 dealers now has not been bad, indeed they have been most helpful and patient with my emails and calls - if in some cases pretty slack at getting back and needing a call or email a few weeks later to get a response. But yes, the haggling is not my thing so I am taking their first offer, asking if its their best, and then moving on.

As to availability, thats also a major issue for me as well. It looks like 4-5 months. And there is limited stock so if you want anything unusual thats the wait.

I think they know with all last years (and this years Wheels COTY) that Golfs are highly desirable and they can keep the price up.

After driving the wagon that is $2K more, made in Mexico not Germany, has no knee airbag, and has a MK5 rear end (no emblem latch or camera - and only static lines not dynamic like the hatch - for the same $, no option for ACC/DCC which is a big unique selling point to me) I have gone off the Golf Wagons.

I am now looking at Tiguans, now they have ACC/DCC, new climate controls, and the much more readable white display. I might even loo at a year old Tiguan to get it now and save some money even if I cant get the features I want since I cant get them in the golf wagon. Else next week will see the new Tiguan announced, the Mitsubishi RVR/ASX, new Mazda sports wagon, and other new machines that might meet my criteria. If I have to wait 4-5 months then I might as well consider the vehicles that wont be here till mid year.

[craig_the_german]

Hi all,

Despite the best efforts of the VW dealerships in the Brisbane area, today we ordered a new Golf

Kath made me drive 80+ km to a dealer who was nice to her on the phone.

Sat down, had a chat, discussed prices and options....signed deal and paid deposit.

The wait begins....................

Happy wife = Happy Life

[teflon]

Well done Craig... do you mind if I ask which dealer it was who was nice to your wife? I am also in the happy wife, happy life category. You can pm me the details if you prefer?

[craig_the_german]

Hi,

PM sent

[craig_the_german]

Well the day finally came yesterday for the delivery of the long awaited new Golf.

As the salesman we had signed the deal with had since left the dealership, we seemed to be dealing with the Sales Manager in the final days of the deal...before the car was to be delivered...or so we thought.

I had arranged with the Sales Manager of the dealer ship to take delivery of our new car on Saturday morning at 8am (he insisted that it be 8am as he said the yard sometimes got busy later in the morning and they wouldn't be able give us the time needed for the hand over....fair enough I thought)

As we had to drive almost 100km to the dealership in question I rang the dealership Friday afternoon to ensure that the car was ready for delivery and that everything was in order.....yes sir your car is here and ready for delivery.

We were up at 5.30am yesterday in anticipation of taking delivery of our new car. We arrived at the dealership at 8am as arranged, looked around, couldn't see our car. I walked into the show room, introduced myself and explained that I was there to pick up my new Golf...the United Grey TSI with the custom Euro plates on it...

"Oh ok, i'll take you up to it" said the salesperson who walked us up the middle of the yard and there, sitting amongst other cars was a United Grey TSI.....not washed, not cleaned, the interior was a mess - full of paper, plastic, card board....everything you would find in a car just off the boat, no personalised plates, infact no plates at all.

My wife asked, if that was our car, I checked the VIN number and confirmed that it was our car.....and she broke down and cried...the car was a disgrace!!!!!! and it was apparently ready for delivery.

The salesperson who was going to do the handover said in a matter of fact way that she would "grab some plates to stick on it and you'll be away"

At this point I saw red and threw the keys back at her and said that the car was an absolute disgrace and they should be ashamed of themselves about to deliver a car that had obviously not even been detailed, let alone registered or prepared for delivery. I refused to take the car as it was and offered to come back in 4 hours and hopefully they would have their s*&t together by then. The salesperson appologised and admitted that they had "dropped the ball" - her words.

After 4 hours wandering around a shopping mall, trying to calm down we went back to the dealership to find our car ready for delivery, they way it should have been in the first place.

If VW want to portray themselves as a premium brand they need to lift their game not only in the pre sale but also the whole buying experience.

We have friends who have just (within the last week) taken delivery of a humble Falcon....during delivery the salesman was demonstrating the use of the remote to open the boot, only for our friends to discover a hamper full of choclates and wine...I don't expect that, but to clean the car after it arrives off the boat would be nice.

After the experience yesterday morning, the drive home was heavenly, the car is brilliant, we just love it....

As for the dealerships...they can go to hell.....

[MIRSAD]

Well the day finally came yesterday for the delivery of the long awaited new Golf.

As the salesman we had signed the deal with had since left the dealership, we seemed to be dealing with the Sales Manager in the final days of the deal...before the car was to be delivered...or so we thought.
...
...
...
As for the dealerships...they can go to hell.....

You can't call it even unprofessional... it is not something that You expect on garage sale ... I have to say that my experience is completely opposite (for all 5 Golfs) ... each time car was waiting in the special "delivery part of the showroom" - it was clean and shiny ready for my inspection. But it was same person managing dealerships (2 of them).

Anyway I hope You are going to have much better experience with Your car.

[Zeke]

Ok for you VW sales guys out there ,how much personally in the hand (dollars) is the sale of each GTI worth 48K onroad to you if you make your monthly numbers .