Buying Polo online vs buying at dealership

Faye_Valentine · Post by **Faye_Valentine** » Tue May 28, 2013 10:32 am

Has anyone had any experience of buying their car online via websites such as Orangewheels, Drive The Deal, Carbuzz, Broadspeed etc and how has it compared to buying a car direct from a dealership with regards to the service you received from the site?

After a dire experience at my local VW dealership at the weekend where they left me waiting for an hour for a pre-arranged test drive, I'm wondering whether face to face car buying is actually worth the hassle! To be honest I didn't expect the red carpet treatment as I'm not buying til the end of June but similarly I want to feel like I'm a valued customer and my experience at the weekend did not make me feel like that at all and if this is an indication of customer service I'm leaning towards faceless buying!

franko247g · Post by **franko247g** » Tue May 28, 2013 10:41 am

I've experienced a few variations in face to face especially recently as last week I went to a few dealers with my dad who's looking to buy a new car. Ford, citroen and vauxhall all disgusting service really pushy and no breathing space. Went to lookers Blackburn where I got my polo from the guy who sold me my car had left.

Upon arrival a young lad offered help was really polite offered us both a coffee answered all questions offered on the spot test drive or could arrange a more appropriate vehicle (they only had a diesel he was looking for petrol) can honestly say the young lad was excellent and my dads not committing until August!

I think it's down to the sales person really you can go to the same dealership and get two different people and two different experiences. I prefer face to face just because if anything goes wrong I know who I've dealt with.

Don't forget to haggle

wish I'd done more when I bought mine.

Tompfaa · Post by **Tompfaa** » Tue May 28, 2013 12:59 pm

I agree...the right salesman can completely change your perspective. Maybe try another vw dealer? My closest is at the top of my road but I've made all three of my vw purchases at a different dealership due to the sales attitudes. No harm in popping in to the first dealer once you've made your purchase to demonstrate their loss

hornmeister · Post by **hornmeister** » Tue May 28, 2013 1:24 pm

I was tempted on-line, but you should be able to get the dealer to match the quoted prices. If anything goes wrong at least you have face to face relationship to fall back on.

Although When I test drove the salesman was new and didn't really know what he was doing, he didn't think they did a GTI because it was off the bottom of his computer screen. He was also training another new guy at the same time. Fair dues I just wandered in and got a test drive there and then, without an appointment.

By the time I came to pick up the car the original salesman had left and the guy he trained up took over. This new saleman was training another new prospect.
I went back after a month or so to get a couple of things checked out and it looked like the 2nd chap had also left.

I think they get through staff fairly quickly so maybe the relationship thing is not worth it. Certainly the admin was painfully slow when I went to pick up the car. If you decide to go on-line and through a broker make sure you use one that has good reviews.

PogoCT · Post by **PogoCT** » Wed May 29, 2013 8:56 am

I bought my Polo online, spec'd it, didn't even test drive it....luckly for me i liked it

Faye_Valentine · Post by **Faye_Valentine** » Wed May 29, 2013 1:15 pm

I think I'm going to try some other dealerships in the area, see if they're any better. People have told me I should have walked out, but I didn't want to be rude (check out the irony there!)

I know it was probably them having an 'off day' but that's still no excuse really considering they know me and they know I'm going to be buying soon.... I just expected better service from VW.

nicster · Post by **nicster** » Wed May 29, 2013 9:52 pm

I don't know how all the different online sites work but with Carbuzz you are actually dealing with a dealer so you can hopefully get the best of both worlds; great prices and someone to moan at if there's any problems!

wigit · Post by **wigit** » Wed May 29, 2013 10:12 pm

i dont use my local VW dealers in Oxford as they just fail on customer service every time, i use the same group but a smaller dealership 15 miles away and deal with an excellent salesman, in reality i may have got a few quid more off but the lack of hassle in dealing with them out weighs this

the dealer i use got an r-line in from another dealership and just let us have it for the afternoon, same dealer is lending us their mk7 GTI for a couple of days

Faye_Valentine · Post by **Faye_Valentine** » Wed May 29, 2013 10:37 pm

nicster wrote:I don't know how all the different online sites work but with Carbuzz you are actually dealing with a dealer so you can hopefully get the best of both worlds; great prices and someone to moan at if there's any problems!

Problem is, the only quote I got from Carbuzz was from the same dealer!!

lol

Obviously if anyone can recommend a particular dealer in Warwickshire/West Midlands/Leicestershire/Northamptonshire I'd appreciate it. I'd even stretch to Oxfordshire/Nottinghamshire/Worcestershire/Staffordshire if needs be. I'm not opposed to travelling to get a decent level of service.

wigit · Post by **wigit** » Wed May 29, 2013 11:00 pm

Faye, I have pmd you my contact

nicster · Post by **nicster** » Wed May 29, 2013 11:05 pm

I've bought mine from Arnold Clark and got a good price and the guy I've been dealing with has been great. Not sure if they have one near you? Saying that tho, I've found with dealers that it just depends which sales person you get on the day: hopefully a more intelligent one will gauge the approach you want but all too often they're too pushy which has me running for the hills!

Have you Facebook'd your friends for any local dealers they've had a good experience with? I do that with a lot of things these days, just got a plumber recommendation that way

Faye_Valentine · Post by **Faye_Valentine** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 4:53 pm

Yeah got a recommendation from a friend who bought her Golf from Tamworth to go there, so it's really just "who do I pick?!"

I'll sort it out mid-June after we get back. Only got a week left in this country so won't have time to start checking out dealerships just yet but going to get some updated prices from the online dealers and if any bricks and mortar dealer will match or better it, then they have themselves a deal, so long as they don't mess me about!

Speaking of dealers who mess you about, I've decided to email the dealer involved and feedback my comments rather than just not go back to them. They deserve the chance to sort out their customer service so hopefully it won't happen to anyone else!

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