Timothy B

Worst car buying experience ever

My wife and I popped into the dealership to check out a Skoda Karoq. It has great online reviews and we liked it so a few days later we arranged with salesman Mike to attend for a test drive. I would need my driving licence and NI number. I sent Mike an e-mail a day before just to reiterate we wanted to test a petrol manual car So we attend as arranged only to find Mike “running around like a headless chicken”. He told me he had been told he needs to delegate more because he “basically runs the place and the team upstairs just do the paperwork”. The car had not been organised in advance When he did produce the car it was an automatic. A waste of our time. Mike did say he would organise getting a petrol manual from another local dealership but a week went buy and we heard nothing Then the following weekend I found a car via the Skoda UK website. It was in Reading but was part of the same dealership group (Marshall). It was the right trim level with some nice options and at what appeared to be a great price. It was a manual diesel but at the price worth a look First thing Monday morning I went to the dealership in my wife’s car ready to buy. Mike checked and the car was still for sale and it was. I test drove a similar car there and then and we agreed a part ex value on my wife’s car. The deal was done (no handshake due to Covid 19) but I did pay a deposit I was promised I would receive documents to sign and return Two days later no documents. I contact Mike who tells me he will sort it. He then rings me and admits the car had already been sold. He knew this on the Tue but didn’t want to make the call but his boss said he had to! So why was I was only told when I chased the issue? I took legal advice having had the same thing happen to me 5 years ago at Mercedes. Incidentally Mercedes were fantastic and could not do enough to resolve the matter. It was suggested to me the car may never have been for sale at that price and was possibly only there to draw in the enquiries. I have no evidence of this but am left wondering Not to worry Mike said, he will make sure he gets me into a car ASAP. Then again nothing for days In the meant time we are sat at home not knowing if we are getting a car or if we would look elsewhere. I don’t think anyone appreciated the emotional impact upon us in this situation. A car purchase is a big deal. Yet the customer service was non existent Eventually I phoned and asked to speak to the Sales Manager Neil. He said he would chase the issue. Minutes later I get a call from Mike in what was an attempt to apologise, but was more a list of excuses (“It’s been so busy” and “I am so stressed”) It seems despite the fact we now had a legally binding contract no one at the dealership was doing anything to sort it out. I had an e-mail from Mike (note he no longer phoned, probably too embarrassed) asking if we would consider a petrol car! Shouldn’t someone have asked our preferences and must haves etc. from the get go in order to source another car? Very annoyed I rang and spoke to the General Manager Steve. Finally someone who appeared to understand our angst and appeared to understand the concept of “customer service” We agreed Mike would send me details of some available cars today, and then on a regular basis. Steve acknowledged this was no longer a profit making exercise for them and that they may even have to buy a car themselves in order to rectify the situation He suggested cars were scarce but I pointed out a similar car that had been advertised for the last few weeks at their Reading branch, so why wasn’t that ever suggested to me? You may guess the next bit. An e-mail from Mike asking if I could provide the registration of the car his company had for sale because he couldn’t find it! Then he tells me it is still for sale and he is getting it brought to Northampton. I ask him what the cost of the car to me will be, fully expecting it NOT to be that it was advertised for. Mike didn’t know but he would find out 4 days pass and I ask myself “how long does it take to drive a car 55 miles?” Then late one evening, too late to do much about it, Mike tells me it has arrived. I ask him the price as there is no point going to all the trouble of attending if the price is not to my liking. He STILL didn’t know. Other than this one car I told THEM about, Mike only sent details of ONE further car AFTER the above e-mail exchange and it was a car their company had been advertising at their Nottingham branch for over 2 weeks! By this time I have had enough. My wife is now adamant she wants nothing more to do with them and doesn’t even feel she could buy a Skoda now. My wife was meant to be happy at the prospect of a new car but all this experience did was create 3 weeks of upset I make one last call, speaking to the Sales manager Neil. He tells me that Mike DID know the price and it had already been agreed with Steve. It was the same as the one I had originally “purchased”. However I pointed out it had higher mileage, was in the less desirable “free” colour (solid grey instead of metallic) and did not have the various options of virtual cockpit, heated windscreen, Automatic lights and spare wheel. It only had variable cruise control. Therefore it was worth much less, not the same. Neil said at this price they were selling at cost. So much for the promises of Steve. I asked for my deposit back and Neil said if they find any other cars he will let me know. I made it clear I did not want to hear from them and would never buy from them again. At this point Neil amazingly managed to reduce the car’s cost by another £500. Too little too late. I had the money to spend and knew what I wanted, yet the dealership still couldn’t sell me a car. In my view far too busy dealing with footfall through the door and not enough attention to those who have already purchased. Never again. Would I recommend them? NO. NEVER. Not even to my enemies I would rate at ZERO if it were an option