Julie

Deceptive Sales Practices & Poor Comms

I had a deeply upsetting experience with Fish Brothers Toyota Swindon. Initially, I was excited about purchasing a new RAV4, especially with the great deal Toyota was offering. Unfortunately, the process was riddled with issues and misrepresentation from the dealership, particularly involving the salesperson, Michelle Barr. Misrepresentation and Test Drive Issues: During the test drive on 12 June 2024, I was shown a vehicle equipped with a blind spot monitor, rear-crossing traffic sensor, and aerial view. These features were crucial for my decision due to safety concerns, especially with my toddler. After the test drive, I explicitly mentioned my concerns about driving and parking such a large vehicle and stated that the aerial camera made me feel comfortable. Michelle reassured me without disclosing that the model I test-drove was different from the one I was purchasing. I was unaware that the car I drove was not the Design model I requested to test-drive or ultimately bought. This is a clear breach of transparency. Communication Failures: Michelle's failure to accompany me on the test drive added to my misunderstanding of the vehicle's features. There was a significant lack of communication regarding the national Toyota deposit scheme and the urgency to lock in a deal, which she falsely claimed could end by the week. This urgency was misleading as the deal was valid until the end of June. Moreover, she mentioned that my deposit amount could be changed later, but when it came time to finalize the purchase, she stated the opposite. This inconsistency added to my frustration and confusion. Michelle’s behavior, including WhatsApping me and asking me to complete a national deal on the Toyota website that she already told me she could not apply to my purchase, is indicative of much broader issues, whether intentional deception or incompetence, I do not know. Either way: she asked me to fill out a deal for the dealership to get a code with no plans to then apply that code to my purchase. Financial Inconvenience: I was not informed that more than £1500 couldn't be paid by credit card, leading to significant inconvenience as I had planned to use funds from a recent inheritance in the US on my American credit card (which has better conversion rates than transferring the money overseas). Adding to Michelle's deceitfulness, she, in fact, told me nothing could be paid on credit card when I tried to do so. Her manager, Dan, is the one who later told me there was a £1500 cap and I could’ve actually paid that amount. It was also Dan who had realized that I test-drove a different model of vehicle than the one I purchased. Despite multiple breaches of trust of which he was aware, this did not inspire him to give me a full refund. Final Paperwork and Surprise: I contacted the dealership in Oxford later (as I still need to buy a car now) and the sales rep asked me if I saw the car before signing the final paperwork. I did not; Michelle showed me the car afterwards. When she put me in the car, I was surprised that there was no phone charging pad. I asked, “Wasn’t there a charging pad?” and she replied, “No. You have to plug it in.” Again, the model I was shown initially had the charging pad. If she had shown me the car before asking me to sign the paperwork, I could have rejected it then. Escalation and Unresolved Issues: Despite my attempts to address these issues with the dealership, including contacting the centre director who himself never engaged with me despite a request through Toyota GB for him to do so, the response was inadequate. To return the car, I had to pay Fish Brothers £3k for their egregious behavior and misrepresentation. Regarding my claim of misrepresentation, the dealership only said that, "This was the car you put together on CarWow." It is true that the vehicle I requested to test-drive on CarWow was the RAV4 Design, and again, this is the vehicle that I thought I test-drove. I was never informed at any point that I test-drove a higher-spec model. Had I driven the actual Design, I never would have purchased it as it lacks key safety features that I rely on as someone who drives to a nursery five days a week and worries about children crossing behind my car, as well as someone who drives into Europe at least once a year and relies on the blind spot monitors for additional support. Given the unresolved issue of having to pay the dealership £3k to take the car back, I am escalating this matter to the Motor Ombudsman, as well as contacting the Trading Standards authority, and I plan to leave multiple reviews across various platforms to inform other potential customers. Overall Experience: This experience has been incredibly stressful and beyond disappointing. The lack of transparency, misrepresentation, and poor communication have left me feeling misled, frustrated and ultimately, abused. I would not recommend Fish Brothers Toyota Swindon to anyone based on this experience. I would be particularly wary of Michelle Barr, who comes across as very nice and will shower you with compliments, all while feeding you false statements and rushing you to sale. Personally, it feels as if Michelle Barr and Fish Brothers have stolen £3k from my young family (from my 16mo daughter!) of my inheritance from my grandparents' hard-earned money. It is actually heartbreaking. My Advice: * Firstly, go somewhere else. * Next, make sure the sales rep accompanies you on the test drive and confirm that the model of the vehicle you’re testing is the one you actually requested to test-drive. * Don’t let them rush you. If you feel rushed, leave. If they’re in a hurry and you still want to work with them, reschedule. * Ask for clear rules on their deposit payment options. * Lastly, inspect the vehicle before signing the final paperwork so you can reject it in the end if the dealership has deceived you in any way. * I had a deeply upsetting experience with Fish Brothers Toyota Swindon. Initially, I was excited about purchasing a new RAV4, especially with the great deal Toyota was offering. Unfortunately, the process was riddled with issues and misrepresentation from the dealership, particularly involving the salesperson, Michelle Barr. Misrepresentation and Test Drive Issues: During the test drive on 12 June 2024, I was shown a vehicle equipped with a blind spot monitor, rear-crossing traffic sensor, and aerial view. These features were crucial for my decision due to safety concerns, especially with my toddler. After the test drive, I explicitly mentioned my concerns about driving and parking such a large vehicle and stated that the aerial camera made me feel comfortable. Michelle reassured me without disclosing that the model I test-drove was different from the one I was purchasing. I was unaware that the car I drove was not the Design model I requested to test-drive or ultimately bought. This is a clear breach of transparency. Communication Failures: Michelle's failure to accompany me on the test drive added to my misunderstanding of the vehicle's features. There was a significant lack of communication regarding the national Toyota deposit scheme and the urgency to lock in a deal, which she falsely claimed could end by the week. This urgency was misleading as the deal was valid until the end of June. Moreover, she mentioned that my deposit amount could be changed later, but when it came time to finalize the purchase, she stated the opposite. This inconsistency added to my frustration and confusion. Michelle’s behavior, including WhatsApping me and asking me to complete a national deal on the Toyota website that she already told me she could not apply to my purchase, is indicative of much broader issues, whether intentional deception or incompetence, I do not know. Either way: she asked me to fill out a deal for the dealership to get a code with no plans to then apply that code to my purchase. Financial Strain and Inconvenience: I was not informed that more than £1500 couldn't be paid by credit card, leading to significant inconvenience as I had planned to use funds from a recent inheritance in the US on my American credit card. Adding to Michelle's deceitfulness, she, in fact, told me nothing could be paid on credit card when I tried to do so. Her manager, Dan, is the one who later told me there was a £1500 cap and I could’ve actually paid that amount. It was also Dan who had realized that I test-drove a different model of vehicle than the one I purchased. Despite multiple breaches of trust of which he was aware, this did not inspire him to give me a full refund. Final Paperwork and Surprise: I contacted the dealership in Oxford later (as I still need to buy a car now) and the sales rep asked me if I saw the car before signing the final paperwork. I did not; Michelle showed me the car afterwards. When she put me in the car, I was surprised that there was no phone charging pad. I asked, “Wasn’t there a charging pad?” and she replied, “No. You have to plug it in.” Again, the model I was shown initially had the charging pad. If she had shown me the car before asking me to sign the paperwork, I could have rejected it then. Escalation and Unresolved Issues: Despite my attempts to address these issues with the dealership, including contacting the centre director who never engaged with me despite a request through Toyota GB for him to do so, the response was inadequate. To return the car, I had to pay Fish Brothers £3k for their egregious behavior and misrepresentation. Regarding my claim of misrepresentation, the dealership only said that, "This was the car you put together on CarWow." It is true that the vehicle I requested to test-drive on CarWow was the RAV4 Design, and again, this is the vehicle that I thought I test-drove. I was never informed at any point that I test-drove a higher-spec model. Had I driven the actual Design, I never would have purchased it as it lacks key safety features that I rely on as someone who drives to a nursery five days a week and worries about children crossing behind my car, as well as someone who drives into Europe at least once a year and relies on the blind spot monitors for additional support. Given the unresolved issue of having to pay the dealership £3k to take the car back, I am escalating this matter to the Motor Ombudsman, as well as contacting the Trading Standards authority, and I plan to leave multiple reviews across various platforms to inform other potential customers. Overall Experience: This experience has been incredibly stressful and beyond disappointing. The lack of transparency, misrepresentation, and poor communication have left me feeling misled, frustrated and ultimately, abused. I would not recommend Fish Brothers Toyota Swindon to anyone based on this experience. I would be particularly wary of Michelle Barr, who comes across as very nice and will shower you with compliments, all while feeding you false statements and rushing you to sale. Personally, it feels as if Michelle Barr and Fish Brothers have stolen £3k from my young family (from my 16mo daughter!) of my inheritance from my grandparents' hard-earned money. It is actually heartbreaking. My Advice: * Go somewhere else. * Make sure the sales rep accompanies you on the test drive and confirm that the model of the vehicle you’re testing is the one you actually requested to test-drive. * Don’t let them rush you. If you feel rushed, leave. If they’re in a hurry and you still want to work with them, reschedule. * Ask for clear rules on their deposit payment options. * Inspect the vehicle before signing the final paperwork so you can reject it in the end if the dealership has deceived you in any way.