Why so difficult to buy a car?!

[tony84]

I ordered a new car in November. That was after spending 6 weeks trying to get the sales rep to get me a price and the paperwork.
I am still waiting for the order to be placed as the company are not yet accepting orders for some reason.

Mid Jan, I spoke to another company who are saying they have cars in stock, turns out they do but not the model I want.
I then spoke to a company who have the exact car I want on auto trader. I called up and told them I wanted the figures for PCP. They told me it is not for sale... Why is it on autotrader? The only car dealership who have a car for sale that I cant buy!
I then spoke to another company, the bloke started with all the sales patter, I felt dirty just listening on the phone but they have a car I would have even if not my first choice. That was yesterday. Literally all he has to do is come back with some figures that are remotely reasonable and he has a sale but yet nothing.

The only one who was quick at coming back to me were the one not selling the car I want.

 

[IanSuth]

Don't worry I am trying to facilitate the novation of a lease agreement from my late step father to my mother

He died in early November, she has missed 2 payments to VW finance (it is a Skoda) and still they can't do anything a simple as tell her what she needs to pay - i suspect they want her to surrender the car (v.low mileage) so they can flog it as having not paid 50% yet she will have to ay them a large early termination penalty.

Tuesday after finding that hey had again told their bereavement specialist firm (phillips and cohen) that an email conversation they had had with P&C was a conversation held verbally with my mother, I tried to call. after 30 mins of hold and 30 mins talking we got to the point they refused to escalate me to a manager as they couldnt do a security check as i wasnt on their system (i am as the executor), I had to ring back P&C and get them to add me, I rang P&C and 15 mins later they read out the email they were sending confirming I had authorisation and also promised to get VW to call me.

30mins later i had a voicemail (i was on phone) just saying "this is a message for..., this is VW finance , we have been asked to call please ring back on....", i rang and after 40 minutes it was answered, we wnet through the same stupidity about me not being on system, i rang P&C on other phone and got them talking to each other on speaker phone, VW refused to believe P&C that i had authorisation and it had been cleared with the guys section manager (who was named by P&C and recognised by the VW person), they refused to do anything re escalation as "more than my jobs worth to discuss anything until we have done the security check". 3.5 hrs total yesterday holding or talking to people re this issue - I am going to have to start billing them

I was meant to get an email by the end of yesterday explaining what was owed, nothing arrived and so another payment was missed today.

They literally will not facilitate taking money from us, even their assigned representatives don't know what £ is owed or how to get it

How does the automotive industry survive being staffed y such incompetants

 

[GraemeL]

There arent sufficient cars to meet demand. Its all a load of chips!

 

[thetiger2015]

I tried getting a car on lease a few months ago but gave up. I had to keep chasing them for the full price of the vehicle with delivery but they just kept saying they'd send me an email, never got it, when I called them back, they just said the person wasn't in the office, call back tomorrow. Tried that. Tried leaving a message. No interest apparently. They don't like to sell anything these days, they prefer to just sit on things until the customer goes away.

Have the same problem trying to pay an invoice. I had 14 days to pay but they didn't provide any payment details, just a telephone number to call and make payment. It just goes straight to answer phone, they won't call me back. Not quite sure what I'm supposed to do with that. When I check their website, it just says to call the same number. When I try their main call centre, they just forward my call back to that number again, as they cannot take payment over the phone.

Worlds gone mad.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

This time next year Rodney

The government will be moaning about too many old cars on the road .
and it will all be because it is too difficult to buy a new one
Will we ever save Greta Thunburg

 

[Ian J]

My wife ordered a new Seat last week and delivery is expected to be in July, such is the backlog.

On the BMW forum that I look in on I see that not only are deliveries delayed but some of the options are no longer available due to the chip shortage

 

[WaveJumper]

Could be worse - Motor industry giant Toyota has warned customers in Japan that they will have to wait for up to four years to take delivery of its new Land Cruiser SUV. perhaps this is why twice whilst filling up in the last few months I have been approached by people asking if my trusty Land Cruiser is for sale.

On a slightly different note my son has just bought his first house, 6 month wait for furniture, one month wait for fridge and oven, dishwasher being delivered this Saturday a trip to B&Q yesterday revealed so many gaps on the shelves it was eye watering not even any masking tape in stock....... the worlds gone mad

 

[Mark T Jones]

It;'s kind of short-sighted, but I think most of us have been guilty of it at times.

I have - lesson learned.

If you don't have ready stock, the easy option is to simply avoid enquiries. In reality it will pay dividends in the long run if you embrace enquiries, explain the situation, offer alternatives. Sadly most target-led environments don't have a long term.

 

[tony84]

The bloke I am waiting on a call back from apparently has the cars in stock.
I have a decent deposit, I have already passed the finance check for a different brand. If they give me some remotely decent figures they could have the commission before the end of the month.

If they cant do it, just say so.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

Re the point about cars in stock, I imagine for every car, there are several finance companies trying to lease/PCP/hire it to different customers.

So while a specific car is technically available, its not actually parked in front of the person on the phone telling you its available, and is subject to several potential sales at various stages if likelihood.

When the first one is successful they get the car delivered. The next 'seller' then has to try to source another car or let the customer down.

 

[Martin Patfield]

Oh please don't.

Just got a brand new BMW 2 series in September 21 having ordered back in June.
Deposit all paid, car released. All lovely jubbly.

First month - direct debit failed to be taken. Paid over the phone.
Second month - direct debit failed again. Women on the phone harking on about broken agreements and defaulting. Maybe love, help the customer out and see why two months in a row the direct debit has failed.
Third month - all good.

Not been a good start to life with them but should be effortless now fingers crossed.

 

[2JP]

I always thought it was such a fantastic advantage to have all those unnecessary electronics in cars. I really enjoy the massive repair costs when the slightest thing goes wrong. I could spend all day just watching my boot door going up and down by remote; it has been so useful. And I am so glad I no longer have a key in my pocket; the amount of room that took up. To think I actually had to touch the car; it was a wonder we survived. We are saps, people.

 

[Startup Business Branding]

My parents ordered a Mini in May last year, and it turned up just before Christmas. They were only 1 of 2 customers that had placed orders since May with that dealership that actually received their new cars in the same year.

I'm looking to buy second hand, but even the price of used cars is going through the roof!

 

[Ian J]

I always thought it was such a fantastic advantage to have all those unnecessary electronics in cars. I really enjoy the massive repair costs when the slightest thing goes wrong. I could spend all day just watching my boot door going up and down by remote; it has been so useful. And I am so glad I no longer have a key in my pocket; the amount of room that took up. To think I actually had to touch the car; it was a wonder we survived. We are saps, people.

What a daft post. I have no problems with the electronics or anything else going wrong as I have a three year warranty and the manufacturer will cover the costs so no massive repair costs for me

And the example of of the boot opening by remote is also daft. I had a full load of shopping this morning and the rear of the car is absolutely filthy and I would have been unable to open it manually without getting my hands filthy too

 

[Ian J]

I'm looking to buy second hand, but even the price of used cars is going through the roof!

That's because of the shortage of new cars is driving up second hand prices

 

[WaveJumper]

That's because of the shortage of new cars is driving up second hand prices

It's Friday we will excuse the pun ?

 

[DontAsk]

We buy any car offered me the same price I was offered 2 or three years ago! I understand they have a reputation for reducing the offer if you actually take it to one of their sites.

Cazoo was (only just) a bit more realistic.

 

[2JP]

What a daft post.

And after your fourth year? Or are you rich enough to burn a massive amount of cash buying new every 3yrs? Cars are one of the biggest wasting assets around. Unless you have space and wealth to collect, repair, preserve and sell decades later. Most cars lose about 50% of their value in first 3yrs. Perhaps you just lack empathy for those less well off.

I hope you also have the foot waggling option to open the boot. It works really well I hear. Well enough that an extension lead being pulled under also opens the boot. Maybe you could clean the back of your car. The police might then be able to see your number plate. Besides, are you saying that you do not keep tissues or cloth or wet wipes in your car? Better still, keep a hanky in your pocket; so useful. Total projected repair cost and hassle: negligible.

Off the top of my head, I recall two family experiences of car electronics repair costs out of warranty. 1) Engine management computer problem. Not diagnosed by dealer. They guessed wrong part (yes, the diagnostics had not been engineered well enough to identify the fault). They would have charged me approx £1k for other parts before they found the real problem and many weeks of hassle with an utterly unreliable vehicle. Then they would have charged another £1.2k for the faulty EMU replacement. 2) Tilt sensor in boot failure resulting in 'automatically' adjusting headlights beaming too high. Cost £1k.

 

[Ian J]

I hope you also have the foot waggling option to open the boot. It works really well I hear.

Yes I do have it and it works very well

 

[AutoCoinCars]

As a business in the automotive sector we feel you here! New car sales are severely behind due to a lack of materials, shipping delays, staff shortages and more! As for used cars, the new car market has put a serious amount of strain on this as people are turning to cars that are a year or two old instead of factory new. Some of our partnered car dealers have even been paying full invoice price from other dealers just so they can replenish their stock! It's all a bit mad tbh. If we can help in any way drop me a DM

 

[Financial-Modeller]

...I had a full load of shopping this morning and the rear of the car is absolutely filthy and I would have been unable to open it manually without getting my hands filthy too

Whilst I'm sorry to hear that you don't have a butler to deal with such trivialities as shopping, surely your driver doesn't make you load the car!