Have Volkswagen completely lost the plot?

[Cheshire Cat]

My sympathies. I have stories to tell about Ford *dealerships* (which according to some may have nothing whatsoever to do with yer actual Ford, the car maker). Suffice to say I switch to WV 15 years ago because I had come to the end of my rope with Ford, and found the VW approach (at the time) to be open and refereshing. Maybe the market is squeezed now. But VW *dealerships* have clearly (well, clear to me, I can only speak for *myself*) introduced a new culture. Ar my local. they have TWO women on the front desk to do triage. They have lots of new whey faced kids managing the service bookings. They are extremely slow on the 'system', taking ages to look stuff up. They do everything by the book of bullshit, reciting mantra more at home across the showroom in the sales department. They have glazed eyes. They are probably on minimum wage. All the previous staff have gone. They were fewer but they knew their onions. This lot wouldn't know an onion from a Chinese love ball, even if inserted with the assistance of VW *official* lube.

Cheers! And don't ever buy a Ford again, is my advice. Their *totally unrelated* dealerships are a snakepit of vipers interested only in flogging stuff (they are all on commission).

You seem to have been in a fantastically foul mood all week. Keep it up because its highly entertaining . What is the weekend rant going to be about?

 

[wehatepalace]

It amazes me how people still use main dealers, lots of very good independent garages around who will provide you with a much better service at a fraction of the cost, they will still use genuine parts if you're worried about quality.

 

[fat old seagull]

It amazes me how people still use main dealers, lots of very good independent garages around who will provide you with a much better service at a fraction of the cost, they will still use genuine parts if you're worried about quality.

Warranty issues, generally I expect.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Yes! I am really looking forward to buing my next car. The VW is great (GTi) but it is not cheap to insure. And mine is 1 2005 model, so even the sat nav was a novelty when I bought it. These clever new cars not only do your parking and shopping for you (and allegedly some of the far eastern makes will even accomodare a BJ), the enhanced safety bonus means that insurance and tax shrivel to next to nothing, so I'm told. In fact (I am going all Jeremy Clarke now), some new cars are so advanced that the government give you money, rather than tax you. Someone just mentioned Toyota. If they still do the celica . . . they used to be smashing (1980s). I've done all the research in the past, and that research convinced me (at the time) to get a . . . .Fiesta . . . frankly I'd have been happier with a Reader's Wives . . . Cheers.

If you feel that the service being provided is sh1t, then complain to the VW head office in Milton Keynes.
I did with my VW dealership, after they basically gave me the run around on my Polo service.
I got a refund as a good will gesture for a new clutch, which would have cost me £1500 they paid half.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

You seem to have been in a fantastically foul mood all week. Keep it up because its highly entertaining . What is the weekend rant going to be about?

I thank you

I cannot possibly tell. Mind you, if I don't get the car back tomorrow . . . .

 

[super-seagulls]

Sell the VW , buy a Toyota , problem solved

I am turning Japanese.
The way forwards.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

If you feel that the service being provided is sh1t, then complain to the VW head office in Milton Keynes.
I did with my VW dealership, after they basically gave me the run around on my Polo service.
I got a refund as a good will gesture for a new clutch, which would have cost me £1500 they paid half.

Now THAT is brilliant advice. Many thanks

 

[wehatepalace]

Warranty issues, generally I expect.

Yeah I guess for warranty repairs it's understandable.

 

[Icy Gull]

Any VW owners out there notice a shocking fall in service standards lately?

I have been using the same VW garage for 15 years. Bought 3 cars off them. They have always been decent (servicing), finger on pulse, courtesy car, do what they say they will, when they will.

It has been geting worse since the fuel consumption fiddle fiasco, however. I made an appointment on Tuesday to bring the car in at 8 to get the air con fixed. They told me it would be ready at 4. I phoned at 2, and was told they had just started the job (eh?). They would call back in 30 minutes. They called back an hour and a half later to tell me the 'good news'. The courtesy health check had found no serious issues with brakes and tyres etc.

Er, what about the air con. 'Let me check' . . . there followed a long load of waffle followed by 'let me check if we have all the parts' . . . .'no we need to order one part'. . . . . 'Let me see, it should be ready . . . next Thursday' . . . .'Courtesy car? Let me check' . . . .'No sorry it is being used by another customer' . . . .'Why did we ask you to bring in the car at eight and not start the job till two, or ask if you would need a courtesy car? Let me check' . . . .'I'm sorry I am not sure, it may be because we have no idea what we are doing' (actually I made the last bit up - but he didn't know).

At that point I asked to speak to a senior manager. It took 5 minutes before I was able to get through to him. He said he would look into it and call back . . . . . Ten minutes later, I lost the plot, and felt it appropriate to explain why I thought they were a useless bunch of uninformed clowns, left hands and right hands both disconnected from one another and the central nervous system. This seemed to jolt a loose bit of brain-bone back in the right part of his mind tank. 'We will work on it tonight and tomorrow morning and it should be ready by noon', he ejaculated (correct use of word, check out an old Billy Bunter book).

So they have miraculously rustled up the part, and have brought somone in to finish the job tomorrow, even though the service department doesn't even open on a Saturday. . . . . . . And if I were a timid old biddy, who needed her car in order to collect regular vital medical supplies and had take all the original bullshit, rather than a stroppy gobshite who flies off the handle at the slightest provocation, I'd be spending the next several days in a blue funk. This can't be right, can it?

I'll be looking forward to explaining to them why I won't be buying my new car (due in a year, as a reward for not losing my licence by the time the first 3 of my 9 points come off) - from them, in due course. Trouble is, they seem to be so institutionally ****ed at the moment, I doubt anyone who works there will actually care.

The cheeky bugger I spoke to the other day actually told me (someone who has put several tens of thousands of quid through their tills over the years), that I would be liable to a hundered quid charge, that would later come off my bill, in case I decided after the diagnosis to take the car elsewhere. A bit like the Albion asking me, an ST holder for donkey's years, to pay a deposit for my next season ticket in case I change my mind in late August and opt for a Palace one instead. The cheeky little feck.

I am interested in other folks' experience, but must admit I mostly felt like having a massive rant about this. Earlier, Mrs Tackle feigned 'a bad connection' 5 minutes into my phone rant

At least I didn't lose it with VW so badly that I felt the need to remind them who it was who won the war . . . . .

Quality rant! You have obviously never owned an Alfa. Most of their main dealers, in my experience, are like that and they wouldn't even have bothered trying to sort it! Hence I always use a specialist.

 

[Brighton TID]

Sell the VW , buy a Toyota , problem solved

Haha, it makes me laugh how many people pay over the odds for so called German engineering when everyone knows that Japanese motors are bulletproof.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I am turning Japanese.

I really think so.........

 

[drew]

yes, yes, as I have explained . . . yes, my issue is with the dealership, which I called 'Volkswagen'. I obviously wasn't singling out the manufacturer purposefully. I will remember to add 'dealership' next time. I presume the same also applies to Watford FC, which are part of a franchise, and should probably be referred to as Watford FC Franchise, so that people don't mistakenly think that the team are under the direct control of the lord Mayor of Watford.

Given that I can be a complete hoity toity ponce on here some times, I guess its fair I get a shoeing from the Pedant Police when the opportunity arises. My first 'Madness IPA' of the evening is slowing draining the bile of outrage from my varicosed venous system, anyway. Cheers.

However, is this the first problem you have had with this dealership then?

 

[Gazwag]

I am turning Japanese.
The way forwards.

I turned Japanese about 10 years ago and now on my 4th mazda with no problems at all. My yearly service is a breeze as they pick it up from home and bring it back again once it's done.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

However, is this the first problem you have had with this dealership then?

Good question. And back to my original post . . . they used to be fantastic, but they have got abruptly worse after the fuel fiddling episode (may be coincidence). I was wondering if anyone else has noticed a change. Down here the change is quite dramatic, and is reflected in staff behavior and process. When they do a service they video it and email it to me (er . . . OK), but they then muck me about over whether it is a 'wait there' job or a 'come back later' and, especially annoying, they seem to keep no parts and can no longer do the job on the day. A few years ago they fixed a serious problem within the hour, when I was on the way to Gatwick. No chance this would happen today . . . Change. I can smell change a mile off. And this is bad change. All the best.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Haha, it makes me laugh how many people pay over the odds for so called German engineering when everyone knows that Japanese motors are bulletproof.

Have a Mazda myself after i fell out with my Alfa's on of all things the Engines,recent ones are very poor.

 

[wellquickwoody]

qTheir *totally unrelated* dealerships are a snakepit of vipers interested only in flogging stuff (they are all on commission).

Every franchised dealer, whatever brand, is on commission?

 

[Notters]

Wouldn't happen in Germany!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Every franchised dealer, whatever brand, is on commission?

VW were not, certainly 5 years ago, They were on salary. That's why they were so different from Ford. But my problems were about servicing so, side issue. Cheers.

 

[wellquickwoody]

It amazes me how people still use main dealers, lots of very good independent garages around who will provide you with a much better service at a fraction of the cost, they will still use genuine parts if you're worried about quality.

Depends how new the vehicle is. If serviced and maintained to manufacturer standards then the warranty should not be affected. Reality is that the non franchised dealer will not have access to all the technical info that may be required to service/repair until some years after its first production, that is what a franchised dealer buys into, and then charges Jo Public accordingly.

 

[Surf's Up]

The fuel fiddling issue is the main problem with the VW group. They've agreed to compensate US owners but not European owners. They're a bunch of shysters.