Aggressive sales from dealership customer services

[fordulike]

This is not to name and shame any particular dealership, but really to vent my annoyance and also to discover if anyone else has experienced this.

My car was due for an intermediate service last month, so as usual, I was planning to get it booked into my local Toyota dealership. My local has recently changed company, but looks basically to be exactly the same, albeit a name change.

I wasn't in any hurry to get it booked in, but the current francised company must have got all my data from the previous one, because they hounded me for at least a month previous to book my car in for a service. Numerous letters, texts and calls (of which I don't answer if number not recognised) were received by me, which, to be totally honest, really got my back up.

As the previous franchise had always done an excellent job and offered great customer service, I decided to eventually book mine in with the new one. Rang them up and booked a time and date, then the bloke started trying to sell me snake oil, an engine flush (total <if my vocabulary was any smaller, it would be nearly as small as my genitals>) and fuel cleaner (which I do use, but at my own leisure)

Fast forward to today, post service and some pending warranty work, I received a letter this morning regarding a service plan. This got shredded. Then this afternoon, I got a phone call to try and sell me a service plan (told politely where to shove it)

Needless to say, all this aggressive sales crap has really taken the shine off my local dealership. The previous one never pushed and pushed like this. More than likely, I'll get a Kia when I get rid of this car, as the Picanto is the only other car I'd consider after the Aygo.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

[flash22]

Oh yes, many times, getting warranty work done is a mare, some franchise have a monopoly in some areas, so you are screwed

[forkingabout]

Had similar in the past with a Ford main dealer ( long gone now ) after buying an approved used vehicle. 

Within 14 days of collecting the vehicle, every week sending invites via the post addressed to me for there latest car sales event & offers, I called up 3 times & was promised this mail would stop - it didn't.

I went & visited the showroom when it was busy with potential customers on a Saturday & made my feelings loudly clear with a sales person that I was annoyed after buying a car from them that I was continually harassed trying to sell me another.

Not as bad as dealing with Virgin Media - after sorting them out funnily enough we never get any mail shots or salespersons from them calling at my home now  🤣

[Roy124]

Under the GDPR you have the right to refuse permission for such sales pitches.  My dealer sends irrelevant messages too.  These are typically after the car has just been service or to buy a new car immediately after we have ordered a new one. 

An acerbic email stills these for a time. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

On a slightly different tack, I got an e-mail this week from my dealer saying my 2012 Auris was due it's MOT. I part exchanged the Auris at the same dealer for our Aygo back in 2016 ......

[Rhymes with Paris]

My right eye is twitching with anger about this, not your post obviously, but dealers.🤨

So yes, many bad experiences with dealers and motor trade in general as have many others,too many.

I have written many posts on this subject,if it were just isolated incidents of poor and incompetent service for top dollar, then I would take that as luck of the draw maybe.

And yes I got caught with the snake oil flush with an independent garage, not asked for, not asked if I wanted it, but sure as a dealer lying, it was on the invoice.

As for the pushy pushy money grubbing sales of incompetent servicing and repairs, I think the same as you, and no doubt many others, the more they push the less I want what they are pushing, even if needed which it often is not.

On the bright side, I think you can get good service at a reasonable price, the only trouble being the odds are about the same as winning the euromillions lottery.