Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 03:02:31 +0000
Reply-To: joe trussell <vanagongl@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: joe trussell <vanagongl@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Long, Big Rant about a Crappy VW Dealership
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Emich Volkswagen, formerly Mountain States Volkswagen as/of about three
months ago.
Mountain States VW, where over the past ten years I bought three VW's and
had a good car-buying experience every time, hence the loyalty.
Emich, the place that I just left, pissed off, with my oil-leaking Passat
Wagon.
We showed up at the time of our appointment and the gentleman that I'd dealt
with earlier in the day, who knew everything about our situation, the
Passat, the Jetta, financing, etc., was busy with another customer. He
pawned us off on the manager, who pawned us off on another salesman, who
happened to be the owner's son. The owner's son is looking all over for the
keys to a TDI. "No, 2.0 Turbo," I said at least 4 times.
He asks around if anybody knows where the dark grey 2.0 Jetta is, then
finally takes us out to the lot and can't find it. He looks and looks.
It's 27 degrees outside and my wife and three year-old daughter are getting
cold.
He walks around to another lot, finds the car, but it's blocked in. Has to
get the keys to the ones that are blocking it. Fifteen minutes later, we
finally get in the car.
This guy drives us around for twenty minutes, stops and puts gas in the car,
then takes us to a neighborhood and lets me drive, giving directions the
whole time (it's MY NEIGHBORHOOD). My wife then takes a spin. We get back
to the dealership and decide immediately that the Jetta is not for us. Just
doesn't feel right.
It was a bit cramped and the fit and finish of the interior, in my opinion,
is less refined than the Jetta IV. It was more like a Camry, actually. The
whole car (with the exception of the drivetrain--the 2.0 Turbo was
impressive) felt cheap. It felt--dare I say--American.
He asks if there's anything he can do to get our business. My wife says
honestly, after driving that thing, I want another Passat. I ask if him if
they have any 2002 to 2004 VW Certified Passat Wagons, 4motion or otherwise.
The salesman looks at me like I'm speaking Swahili, and the Finance guy
jumps in to save him: "No, no, but we do have a 2007 Passat that would be
perfect--It's the end of the month and we need to sell some cars, this is
our last base model, and we can make the numbers work."
"No used Passat Wagons?"
"Nope. Got an Audi Allroad..."
Vanessa goes out and drives the Passat Wagon and she likes it. Let's make a
deal.
We go back in and instead of the $11,500.00 trade-in that the earlier guy
offers, the owner's son offers us $9000 in trade. "Yeah, those older
Passats like this, we don't make any money on them..."
The numbers don't work. The full-court press for a lease begins. The sales
guy gets a little frustrated. Asks what it is exactly that we don't like
about leases. Says the whole business is going that way.
Then he says that as part-owner of this dealership, he has to make a profit.
Got to make these numbers work for all parties. This is a business.
I start thinking about my Passat sitting out there, and I say to myself,
what the HELL am I doing with my car at a DEALERSHIP when it's no longer
under warranty???
I tell Vanessa, we're outta here.
I tell the salesguy, get a service rep NOW and give me my bill and my keys.
I pay them $121.00 as a diagnosis fee, and walk out past two used Passat
Wagons.
My wife gets in our Passat, and I get in what is honestly baddest VW in the
lot (a 1985 Vanagon Wolfsburg Westfalia), and leave abruptly.
So, I'll be doing some engine work on the Passat and going from there. Wish
me luck.
Joe T.
Still a VW Masochist, but in a different way.
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