Bluetooth adapters not being supplied at delivery - MY13 Polos

[JonP01]

Hi,

I have searched both the internet and these forums for an answer to this question, but to no avail. The question is specifically aimed at anyone who has bought a new Polo (or perhaps any VW) in the last few months.

When I took delivery of my new MY13 Polo 77TSI around 3 weeks ago, I was told that the bluetooth adapters (i.e the small device that fits into the cradle fitted to the dashboard) are all incompatible for Australian use (to use the dealer's words), and therefore the vehicle was not going to be supplied to me at delivery with one fitted. The dealer then told me that when they receive a compatible adapter, they would contact me and / or post it out to me.

I thought this was a bit strange since I think something like that should have been mentioned at the time I signed the contract - not when I had handed the cheque over. But since the dealer told me that every vehicle purchaser was in the same boat, I did not think anything of it at the time, apart from making sure the dealer made a note somewhere that I was "owed one". Additionally, since the dealer's mention of it was "in passing", that led me to think it would just take a few days or maybe a week or two at worst to sort out.

Last week when I was at the dealer for an unrelated matter (picking up some touch up paint), I enquired about the bluetooth adapters, thinking that I ought to have received one by now. They did not seem to know a whole lot about it, other than to seemingly suggest that they were getting them as they could and they would let me know when they had one.

Today I rang VW Australia, just to gain a better understanding of what the issue is. It was not so much as a complaint, but more to point out that I did not think it was great form on the part of the dealer to reveal to me at the time I was handing the cheque over that my car would not come with the bluetooth adapter, and that I have now been waiting three weeks for one, with the dealer not seemingly knowing exactly when I might actually receive it.

I was surprised to hear the lady at the other end of the phone tellme that this was the first she had heard of this problem. I told her I was surprised given that I was told that every purchaser of a new Polo was in the same boat and that I doubted all the purchasers would be so patient as to drive their vehicle for weeks on end and maybe even months on end without an accessory that they had paid for (the dealer having mentioned last week that there was a long waiting list).

Anyway, what I would like to know is whether any new owners are in the same boat? Were you told the same thing I was, and if so, how long did it take you to receive your adapter?

I am now a little bit worried that it will be a month next week since I paid for the car and that I do not possess any documentation at my end to indicate that the car is missing the adapter. And I worry that every day which goes by brings with it less chance that I may get one at all. I would feel better if I had something on paper, but in my excitement in taking delivery, I did not check the paperwork to see if the dealer had made the annotation I had requested.

But as a general observation, this situation seems really quite wierd to me. I am not a technology or bluetooth expert, but you would have thought that if this problem had been going on for some time, VW might have sorted it out by now - well at least for those who have purchased a vehicle in more recent times. And apart from that, I would have to applaud anyone who has been driving their VW around for months without the bluetooth adapter the car is supposed to come with and that they have paid for. I am not a bluetooth addict myself but I would have thought in this day and age it would be considered a rather important and ubiquitous accessory.

[alexz]

my MY13 GTI delivered mid september and has the adapter..

[reww]

My Gti polo that i picked up in march this year did not have it. I had to wait about 3 weeks before i could get it from them. I was a little annoyed as well because i was excited to bluetooth with my brand new car :/

[gavs]

When I took delivery of my new MY13 Polo 77TSI around 3 weeks ago, I was told that the bluetooth adapters (i.e the small device that fits into the cradle fitted to the dashboard) are all incompatible for Australian use (to use the dealer's words), and therefore the vehicle was not going to be supplied to me at delivery with one fitted. The dealer then told me that when they receive a compatible adapter, they would contact me and / or post it out to me.

Welcome to dealing with VW dealerships my friend. It is like they are taught how to spin bulltish stories to customers as part of their induction.

The adapter is compatible and should be fitted as part of the pre-delivery procedure. The only reason I can think as to why it was not supplied is because they have run out. If I was in your shoes I would lodge a customer complaint so you get a reference number. This way you then have footing if the dealer decides they can't be bothered giving you one. After all, in their mind, after 3 months you probably won't really want it anyway and if there is no documentation to support the fact you never received one to begin with, they could just say that you lost it or broke it and are trying to get a new one for nothing.

[ill0gitech]

are all incompatible for Australian use

I can't see how that would be even a little possible. Bluetooth is Bluetooth. It's an international standard. And the adaptors support multiple languages - so it's not like it came in German, and not English.
I'm with Gavs on this one. Sounds like you've been spun a load of Bull.

[mchieff]

MY13 picked up two weeks ago came with the touch screen thing

[JonP01]

Thanks for the responses. Well, obviously the correct adapters do exist as per the responses. It seems a bit silly for the dealer to lie about this, given that facts are fairly easy to check and that I have not returned my VW customer survey yet (and I won't until I know what is happening with the adapter). If they had apologised at the time of delivery and just said they had run out of them and offered some token of compensation and a written undertaking to provide me with one, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as being told they are not compatible, that all purchasers have the same problem and the waiting list is indeterminate. This will all just fly back at them when I complete the survey.

VW have told me they will get back to me within 48 hours. I will check at that time that there is an official complaint reference (at present it is a query but with the information in this thread I will be turning it into a complaint).

btw, I just checked and I have had the car 4 weeks, not 3, so I think this is really stretching it as far as not supplying something I have paid for and is supposed to come as part of the car.

[prcurrie]

My suggestion.......make sure when you contact them it's to the Dealer Principla or Service Manager and you do it by email.

Email gives you a paper trail and what I've found with dealers, they compulsively lie, so having a paper trail gives you more security!

[fontana302]

Picked mine up Saturday, had it with it.

[Volkswagen]

These cars are fitted with two Bluetooth systems for some weird reason. Even if you don't have touch pad you should be able to connect to the other Bluetooth system.if you have steering wheel controls or touch screen radio then the other system works with these whole the touch pad doesn't. The other system also includes Bluetooth audio so you can play music from your phone via Bluetooth. I don't think the touch pad system allows this. In fact I'm almost positive it doesn't.