Toyota - Steven Eagell - Yaris Cross Premiere Edition

[HypeH]

Hi all,

So I wanted to get some feedback on the best action I can take following an extremely bad experience with Steven Eagell.

I ordered a Yaris Cross Premiere Edition 6 months ago. Since the day I ordered the vehicle, I have not been able to track the order. After multiple calls with the dealership and 2-3 months, I finally had the answer that the vehicle had originally been ordered by someone else, then cancelled, so because it was a cancelled order, I cannot track it.... fair enough... So I asked for regular updates which I never received.

I called them back a couple of times to add a few additional add-ons (Side step, dash cameras and they told me they would add the boot liner protection pack for free). But when I asked for an email confirmation of the order changes, I never received them. Every time I called the dealership, I was told the sales guy is busy with a customer or not available....

The vehicle was supposed to be delivered on July 28th, never arrived. then I was told August 5th. No one called me, so I called them. I was then told by the sales person who answered that the sales rep I was dealing with had been "kidnapped"........ some lite humour..... basically didnt work there anymore. I then asked to speak to the manager he reported to. Again, told he also was no-longer at the dealership and they had a new manager but he wasn't available but the new sales guy would take over my order and take a look.

I was then told the order had no record of any of the addons (side step, cameras and protection pack). so he had to investigate and call me back.... yet again no call back and I had to call them back multiple times. I was then told the vehicle was in a holding compound in the UK and ready to be delivered to the dealership and I would have it within 5 days.

Again, no one called me back to arrange anything... I then spoke to them mid last week and told the car wasn't in a holding compound and it's not built yet......... so I asked them to provide an ETA on when I expect to get the car, which they kept avoiding the question. I eventually managed to speak to the new manager who assured me it was being sorted and they were working directly with Toyota to get a lead time.

Late on Friday night, I received a call from the new sales rep to tell me that my car does not exist.... and they cannot fulfill the order... they say that the system had a "glitch" and the cancelled order that was assigned to me was a "duplicate" and there is only 1 car, that belongs to the original customer.... (most likely the one that was in the UK Compound....... and parked next to me on Friday......... i have a lovely photo of it..... and only 1 in our town...).... 

I was told that Toyota refuse to reorder the same spec and that the model is no-longer available.... no compensation.... no offers of good will..... simply told "cancel your order.... or accept an excel model with no addons that is another customers cancelled order"................

So I have just wasted 6 months whilst my current car depreciated in value... and now have to re-order a new car. if I don't accept the lower spec excel (Which is not what I ordered... so i don't want that), then I have to wait until april/may next year now for a new order..... and unable to select the model I original wanted.

Is there any point in me raising this to Toyota's customer Relations team? or will I just be fobbed off by them also?

[Cyker]

If you mean Toyota GB rather than the franchise, I guess it's worth complaining to them just to let them know what's happening, but they won't be able to do anything about it.

If you contact the franchise head office, at best they might be able to tell the dealer to give some extra discount or some other perk as an apology, but in my experience that's highly unlikely and you'll just get a boiler plate apology.

As for the dealer experience, mine was similar - I found that, to actually get solid information, I had to physically visit the dealer every time, as I'd almost never get through to anyone via phone or e-mail, and on the rare occasions I did I'd just get fobbed off over the phone saying they'd handle it and everything was okay only for it to turn out to not have later. (Of course if they needed something from me, e.g. the finance forms which I hadn't filled in properly, they were on the phone lickety split!)

TBH, I reckon you'd be better off searching for what you want elsewhere in case other dealers around have access to some cancellations that fit your criteria, but the problem with not ordering new is you often have to compromise on the spec.

It's really annoying that the level of customer service seems so generally bad across the board when Toyota dealers are supposed to be so highly rated compared to other marques.

As my first new-car buying experience it was been quite a let down, as it's actually been worse than some of the dodgy back-street dealers I've dealt with in the past. My only consolation is the car itself is so good and I don't have to have any communication with my dealer any more except for servicing which they have been at least competent at.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Your contract will be with the dealer rather than Toyota. In the first instance I would find out who the Dealer Principal is and contact them in writing, outlining what has gone on, and questioning what they are going to do now. As regards goodwill, that will be down to the dealer rather than Toyota.

Contact Toyota GB customer services as well.

As regards the model you've chosen not now being available, the second post by Devon Aygo of the following topic, outlines the situation as regards orders from the end of May 2022:

 

[Cyker]

What're you after that's missing from the Excel spec that the Premier had out of curiosity?

Somewhat ironically in my case, I specifically went with the Excel Yaris over the Launch because it had things the Launch Edition was missing! Although the Launch Edition was supposed to have everything and more and had things like floor lighting (which you can't get on any other spec), it was bizarrely missing the rear cross traffic alert system, and I wanted that just because the rear visibility of the Yaris Mk4 is realllly bad and I'm quite paranoid about reversing into things I can't see. (In hindsight it wasn't as useful as I'd hoped as the RCTA is even more paranoid than I am, too much so!  )

 

[HypeH]

mmmm my first time buying a car brand new so never realised / thought about the fact they were all franchises. I will try going through Steven Eagell directly then but I won't hold my breathe.

In terms of differences, the Premiere edition I ordered had the 9" upgraded LCD screen, the HUD Display, Full leather interior and a few other add on's. The excel they are offering me has no hud display, has the smaller 8" LCD Screen, it has half fabric interior and doesn't have the safety pack etc.. so it's missing quite a few things I had on the original order which they tell me cannot be added as it's a cancelled order. Additionally, it's a different colour.

[Cyker]

Ah that's a bummer. They do seem to have removed the HUD option from almost all their cars now, which really sucks as it was a good USP. Not many cars can have HUDs, especially at this end of the market.

I'm hoping it's temporary while this 'chip shortage' continues.

If you're not in a rush and are happy with your current car, and you can't find a cancelled one with your spec some place else, you'd be better off waiting out the chip crisis to see if they add back the options. By then the waiting times will hopefully get back to more normal levels too.

It just isn't worth going through all this annoyance for something that isn't even what you want in the first place, esp. for this kind of money.

[Gerg]

This sounds awful - you have my sympathies.  It's as if the dealer is judging the purchase of a car to be as uninvolving and trivial as buying a washing machine, or a mobile phone.

As I mentioned in a recent thread about the purchase of a duff secondhand C-HR, Steven Eagell does exist, and by all accounts is a very reasonable person to deal with.  

I don't have his email address, but you may well find it quite easy to track down.  Their head office is in Milton Keynes.  I am sure he would be very embarrassed to hear about this.

As an aside, there are many Yaris for sale as new cars, available now, on AutoTrader.  These are located at Steven Eagell dealerships apparently.  Almost all of them are not actually available for one reason or another, but the adverts persist.  I speak from personal experience after having tried tracking a few down!

I would have highlighted such poor practices on here, but under the circumstances it's all 'water through a duck'.

[flash22]

https://ceoemail.com/s.php?id=ceo-86609&c=Steven Eagell Toyota-Managing Director

https://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=directors-3595717&c=Steven Eagell Limited

https://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=address-10472648&c=Steven Eagell Holdings Limited

https://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=address-3595718&c=Steven Eagell South Herts Limited

[Cyker]

The main problem is they've effectively offered the OP a car that doesn't exist, so the only productive thing to do is to hunt around for a similar car elsewhere or wait it out and hope Toyota put the options back that they want.

 

[Baytree]

6 hours ago, HypeH said:

the vehicle had originally been ordered by someone else,

Must be a lot of this going on given that lead times are lengthening but people can’t wait, while dealers don’t want to cancel the sale and lose the allocation. 

Did you get a formal order form with colour and spec listed plus details of your agreed part-ex price?

[IT Troll]

That’s a proper tale of woe. If you do reorder, I would recommend ordering through Toyota Online and cut out the middle man.

[Derek.w]

My order was direct with Toyota united kingdom

I receved a road map of car progress.

My Toyota left factory :Just one of many updates.

I was originally ask if I needed it quickly to pick one of the old outgoing models but this I declined.

[Roy124]

My dealer experience is about 3*.  It follows Cyker's point of face to face being the only way to  get answers. 

In the dealership time is money.   Time spent answering emails or returning your phone calls is time when they are not selling to a customer. 

However a disgruntled customer in the showroom can put off other punters. 

You also mention salesmen moving.   The head salesman in our local Toyota dealership has been there 10  days,  he had been with BMW.   The first salesman we met 2 years ago,  and trusted, had moved on they knew not where (in case we followed him?). 

A slight digression.   I first went to the Ford dealership in Coningsby 58 years ago.   It was run by 'old Mr Eyre'  with 'young Mr Eyre'  learning the ropes.   Moving back a 35 years later I bought a car from the 'young Mr Eyre'  though the 'old Mr Eyre' would always pop over the road and have a natter over a cup of coffee.   I bought a Mondeo from them.   They didn't have the colour I wanted or the extras.   They trucked a car down to Cornwall and swapped it for the Spec I wanted.  The 'young Mr Eyre'  now 'old Mr Eyre'  after his father died has now retired and has been  succeeded by the 'new  young Mr Eyre' .   It's a tiny, one garage dealership that survives through good service. 

[Baytree]

That’s amazing. The C4 programme last night presented a depressing picture of the car retail sector for the foreseeable future. But from what I am hearing, the thing that will blight the chances of small businesses next is the cost of energy. It seems only domestic consumers have their KWh rates capped: the bills for non domestic users have increased tenfold. 

[raymondolee]

On 8/15/2022 at 4:46 PM, Gerg said:

This sounds awful - you have my sympathies.  It's as if the dealer is judging the purchase of a car to be as uninvolving and trivial as buying a washing machine, or a mobile phone.

As I mentioned in a recent thread about the purchase of a duff secondhand C-HR, Steven Eagell does exist, and by all accounts is a very reasonable person to deal with.  

I don't have his email address, but you may well find it quite easy to track down.  Their head office is in Milton Keynes.  I am sure he would be very embarrassed to hear about this.

As an aside, there are many Yaris for sale as new cars, available now, on AutoTrader.  These are located at Steven Eagell dealerships apparently.  Almost all of them are not actually available for one reason or another, but the adverts persist.  I speak from personal experience after having tried tracking a few down!

I would have highlighted such poor practices on here, but under the circumstances it's all 'water through a duck'.

The cars on Auto trader that are not available when you call them are well known as (baiters) sometimes they are at a great unbeatable price that you then email or call  about and they say sorry that’s just sold that car however we have just received this car in or we have this other great car! (Which will be more miles less spec or more money)

[StreetHawk]

I would write a timeline of events based purely on facts (not emotion) spell out clearly what happened and the resolution you would like. Email as many Steven Eagell senior staff as possible. 
 

The list above is very helpful. 
 

Someone will surely pick up on this and call you. They are a huge group so they must be able to find a car that will be a suitable substitute and hopefully compensate you for the terrible service you received. 
 

Sounds like shocking customer service though. I contacted a few SE dealerships when looking for a stock Corolla last year on Autotrader, I emailed a simple question each time, along the lines of ‘is this a physical car, ready for delivery?’ and every time they came back with many paragraphs of pre filled nonsense without even answering the one question I asked. As said above, they are just fishing for factory orders. 

[1.33]

Steven Eagell came across as very dishonest. I phoned them last month and enquired about a discounted brand new Mk4 they'd advertised. The salesperson informed me they'd had a cancelled fleet order. When I asked questions regarding the specs/colours available, I was given the following responses "I'd have to get back to you on that" and "I'd need to speak to my manager regarding that". They hung up on me when I tried to obtain more information about the car, even though I told them I'd be interested in viewing and potentially purchasing it immediately if it was as advertised. After that experience, I'd never consider dealing with Steven Eagell.

[Roy124]

There is obviously a difference between a salesman in a large dealership chasing targets and a small dealership where winning customers is more important. 

I mentioned my experience with a small Ford dealership,  but I had a similar one with a new SAAB dealership in Inverness.  It seemed to be 2 men,  a wife,  and an old English sheepdog. 😁

[Rhymes with Paris]

In my experience, you would probably get a lot more sense and honesty out of the old English sheepdog than a car salesman.

[Baytree]

3 hours ago, 1.33 said:

 After that experience, I'd never consider dealing with Steven Eagell.

Knowing that new cars are unlikely to hang around long enough to be advertised as “currently in stock”, I too had my doubts.  In the interests of balance, does anyone have good experiences to report with this dealer, esp. servicing and p/ex?

 

[Vainona70]

My wife & I have had dealings with 2 branches of the Steven Eagell Toyota Group, for purchasing cars & servicing. They are OK. We believe we negotiate hard on discounts & trade in values (using Carwow discounts & WBAC valuations as a guide), while recognising that they are a business that needs to cover their costs & make a profit.

I'm not aware of any Toyota dealers who are not part of Steven Eagell Group in our region.

[SinglePointSafety]

On 8/15/2022 at 3:46 PM, Gerg said:

As an aside, there are many Yaris for sale as new cars, available now, on AutoTrader.  These are located at Steven Eagell dealerships apparently.  Almost all of them are not actually available for one reason or another, but the adverts persist.  I speak from personal experience after having tried tracking a few down!

Yes, this 'bait and switch' is common, but especially so at Steven Eagell dealers - I've phoned a few and of course the advertised car has been 'recently sold/reserved' etc. In reality I expect they never existed. One (non SE dealership) claimed that they didn't know how/who submitted ads to AutoTrader, because the cars in question had never been in stock or even ordered. No wonder the Motor Trade has such a (deserved) bad reputation.....

Anyway, have ordered a new YC excel AWD, and with discount it's considerably cheaper than many of the 'new in stock' (yeah, right) and nearly-new cars advertised. Wonder if it will ever arrive...?

[bathtub tom]

I've had dealings with this dealer. I tried to buy my Yaris through them, but when I couldn't see the V5 (It's kept at head office) and saw the state of stock, I walked and bought elsewhere for a couple of grand less. Had servicing done there, where I had the car returned scratched, missing a GB plate charged for a key fob Battery (what about t'other one?) and charged for washer fluid, when the reservoir was full. Avoided them since warranty expired.