Test drive on Tuesday: Part 2.

[Toonmal]

OK, I know it's Wednesday :-) Anyway, after last weeks poor showing from Toyota, I went to a different dealer today. What a total difference, this is the way dealers should be. I'd seen a CHR 2.0 Design for sale, with delivery mileage, so I rang them up, and unfortunately, it had just been sold. However, they had an identical one which they are using as a demo ( Jul 21). After a bit of a chat, the deal was done, and I collect her at the end of the month. They are even leaving a top notch dash cam in, and giving me a full tank of fuel. 

I look forward to getting to know you boys and girls over the coming months.

Mal

[FROSTYBALLS]

8 minutes ago, Toonmal said:

after last weeks poor showing from Toyota

That would have been the dealer, not Toyota.

[Cyker]

What were the two dealers if you don't mind me asking?

 

[scar]

I would be interested in which dealers you are referring to as I live close by.

We have had about 7 Toyota's most new and from Toyota Wearside. They have been acquired by the Stoneacre group and have set new standards on how to make life difficult for customers.

In the past I have had excellent service from the same dealership ( different owners) but now its well below what it should be. I bought 2 new cars from them last year so my experience is up to date. I had 1 car serviced last month and that was not an easy experience. My RAV's first service in a few weeks time has been an epic in the making. Centralised call centre that doesn't answer the phone and staff who don't answer emails. Including senior staff who go on holiday and don't  activate the "out of office/on holiday" response.  

The experience I had of the sales staff was fine. The rest was rather poor. The valeting department standards deserve particular mention when the word Poor is used.

To make a balance I found my dealings with the local Honda garage excellent, had a CRV before the RAV. The Audi dealership ( my wife's TT) front of house service staff had superiority issues. 

Next year I will change my RAV and would like a better experience. 

[Toonmal]

2 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

That would have been the dealer, not Toyota.

It was :-)

[Toonmal]

The first was Stoneacre Toyota Silverlink, today was Stoneacre Toyota Gateshead.

[Toonmal]

Just a bit off topic, does the 2021 infotainment system have WIFI? If so, how does it work?

[Roy124]

Dealer experience is crucial to a sale and servicing to a second sale. 

Our first choice car was a Kia.  We were walking passed a Niro outside the dealership and the driver took time to show us the car and its features and discuss how the hybrid system worked etc. 

A few months later we went to order one.  For comparison we popped into Toyota opposite and were shown different models, their features discussed  and compared with our current older but higher spec Mercedes. 

We then went to Kia.  We were told the Niro was round the corner.  There was no power and no one bothered to come and talk to us. 

In Volvo we didn't even get that attention. 

We bought the Toyota. 

[scar]

9 hours ago, Toonmal said:

The first was Stoneacre Toyota Silverlink, today was Stoneacre Toyota Gateshead.

That will be useful when renewal time comes around.

I am always tolerant of someone having a bad day. But when every contact you make is hard work then I will take my business to another dealer. 

[Yugguy1970]

"The Audi dealership ( my wife's TT) front of house service staff had superiority issues."

 

🤣

[Goinker]

There's a world of difference between sales and service, anyone can sell you a car, the backup service (or lack thereof) is the proof of the pudding. The dealership my Yaris Cross is on order (Ron Brooks, Mansfield) from seems good on the sales side, but as this will be my first Toyota, time will tell Re- the service side, although they were recommended by a friend who has bought 7 consecutive Toyota's from there.

Previous experience with the Stoneacre group didn't fill me or my Wife with satisfaction, our dealership in Northeast Derbyshire has around 8 different car franchises and one "Service Centre" for all makes, and despite them having removed the DAB capability from the radio on my 7 seater Fiat 500L after a "Software Upgrade", they were completely unable to put this right. We then compounded the mistake by buying my Wife's new car (Suzuki Swift SZ-L) from them. First the 'Sales Manager' tried to lower the trade-in price of her old car by £750 by hiding it in the figures, but unfortunately for him, I spotted this and it was promptly corrected. On the collection date, I was not available so my Wife collected the car alone, and as the salesman was showing her various things in the car, he opened the glove box to reveal a small circuit board hanging on a length of cable. My Wife asked what this was, and he admitted he hadn't a clue and quickly closed the lid. When I looked at the car later, in a plastic sealed bag was a small panel front which it was obvious should have been attached to the circuit board and fitted into the dash, where a plastic plug was. I called Suzuki, who then contacted Stoneacre's Head Office, and we had a call asking us to immediately return the car to the dealership (we are 10 miles away). On arrival, the car was taken into the workshops and later one of the "Service Advisors" came to us and said "Funny, but we've just had another customer turn up with the same problem!".......So much for the "Pre-delivery check!!!" Mind you, they DID make sure to fit as many "Stoneacre" stickers on the car as they possibly could, which, as you might imagine, were speedily removed. The car has never been back to them since as we have found a reliable alternative dealership a good bit further away, but at least we can trust them. We will not be buying any more cars from the Stoneacre group!

                 Keith.

[Toonmal]

I must admit, Stoneacre are a monster up here, they have the vast majority of dealerships. Fortunately, the dealer I bought my CHR from is Toyota only. We'll see how things go !. Must admit, very impressed with the car so far

[Chrisg99]

When I ordered my C-HR back in November I went to Stoneacre Stockton. Sales did not want to know "Its retail price or nothing" was the answer. I ended up buying a hundred miles from home instead of two.

The Parts and Service departments at Stockton are a different kettle of fish, cannot do enough. This is since July 19 when I bought my Corolla from Toyota Durham as they were about the only ones to have any stock.

In my estimation it is the staff NOT Toyota.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Car sales people are a different breed in my experience.

In the good times (for them) they near enough laugh in customers faces about how much they are chiseling them on part ex, finance,gap insurance, supagard body protection ,upholstery protection, and car values.

This in addition to all the old tricks of hiding damage to the car being taken out,one key only, missing service history never arriving ,new and nearly new cars with repair and paint work undeclared including cat s and n damage.

Now apparently, the added horrors of deposits (often not ever or difficult to return )to even view a car and a whole Battery of reasons why they are unable to supply a car on time to a customer who has already paid £000s.

Buyers might do well to remember that a purchase of any kind is a contract between the vendor and purchaser.

And a contract in this country must be fair and reasonable.

Either party is free to add to or strike out any part of the contract prior to signing.

So I would not just roll over and lift a leg and let the sales people have all the ice cream for zilch effort.

This is certainly not a rant on Toyota main dealers , although I bought mine from a trusted friend privately.

But I do know that a local lexus main dealer who is part of the same group as the local Toyota main dealership tried and failed to get me to spend a large amount of money on unnecessary repairs.

Just saying , get all your ducks in a row before dropping 5 or 10 or 20 or more grand on the say so of a so called sales person ,or worse sales manager.

There must be some honest and good people in car sales and dealers somewhere, I wonder where ?

 

[TonyHSD]

15 minutes ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

Car sales people are a different breed in my experience.

In the good times (for them) they near enough laugh in customers faces about how much they are chiseling them on part ex, finance,gap insurance, supagard body protection ,upholstery protection, and car values.

This in addition to all the old tricks of hiding damage to the car being taken out,one key only, missing service history never arriving ,new and nearly new cars with repair and paint work undeclared including cat s and n damage.

Now apparently, the added horrors of deposits (often not ever or difficult to return )to even view a car and a whole battery of reasons why they are unable to supply a car on time to a customer who has already paid £000s.

Buyers might do well to remember that a purchase of any kind is a contract between the vendor and purchaser.

And a contract in this country must be fair and reasonable.

Either party is free to add to or strike out any part of the contract prior to signing.

So I would not just roll over and lift a leg and let the sales people have all the ice cream for zilch effort.

This is certainly not a rant on Toyota main dealers , although I bought mine from a trusted friend privately.

But I do know that a local lexus main dealer who is part of the same group as the local Toyota main dealership tried and failed to get me to spend a large amount of money on unnecessary repairs.

Just saying , get all your ducks in a row before dropping 5 or 10 or 20 or more grand on the say so of a so called sales person ,or worse sales manager.

There must be some honest and good people in car sales and dealers somewhere, I wonder where ?

 

Well said ✅👍👌

[GBgraham]

I am no fan of Main Dealerships, in my previous life I used to have Main Dealerships as customers and I found that bigger the dealership the bigger the problems, especially getting them to pay even after them taking a 90 day credit line. 

Unfortunately these days there are very few Main Dealers that are small or a family run business, they mostly belong to some conglomerate so this explains mostly the type of faceless machine you are trying to deal with.                       Be assured their sole purpose in life is to take your money by any means possible, the dealer principal is probably the the in house accountant also. The company also have a huge legal team of shysters which their total purpose is to protect the company and stonewall any complaining customer.

My advice is just be very careful, don't be pressured by a so called salesperson trying to deal you and make a commission which in turn keeps themselves in a job, remember BS rules with these pushers. Don't part with any money until you are absolutely certain you want to proceed. 

Just a little look of what may happen

Another take is that many dealerships around the world are been squeezed by the big major manufacturers. My CH-R was priced online at a take it or leave it fixed price. I paid Toyota for the car even though the car came through a main dealer then I presume Toyota paid the main agent a commission. 

I very much doubt whether this will eventually happen in the UK as the whole system is close to Mafioso.        Mercedes have pulled the plug on a lot of dealership's in Australia and they are taking Mercedes to court on a multi million dollar claim. 

Excuse the rant guy's but it's a passionate subject.😉