Audi Dealers not interested in selling me a new S5 !

[Blade]

I find this incredible, I want to buy a new and very high spec S5, this time around I want to lease the car instead of buying outright as usual. So I start talking to two dealers to get comparative quotes. To make life simple for them I emailed both garages the spec I wanted and the terms for the lease. I then spoke to both to make sure they had everything they needed to provide a quote and I told them not to worry about the PX figure until we had settled on the lease package.

Audi Blackburn (I contacted them initially about a demo S5 Tip they were advertising but switched to a new car option due to some missing spec) received their email last Tuesday - I've heard nothing since. The other dealer is the one I purchased my current S5 from and I wont mention their name here but I spoke to them on Friday morning and its now nearly lunch time on Tuesday and still nothing ! I'm not chasing them, if this is the way Audi dealers behave then I will not be buying another Audi..if my sales guys treated customers like this I'd kick them out the door.....angry. I can only assume they are so busy that they don't need my business.

[savo]

When i was looking to buy A5 i had a similar experience - with both Audi and BMW dealers.

I e-mailed a dealer with a question. He never replied.

I requested a brochure from my local dealer on the BMW web-site. I never got a brochure. I rang and asked them to send me out a brochure as i was going to be away on business. They guy took all my details but i never got a brochre

I then called to a particular Audi dealer. The sales guy knew absolutlely NOTHING. He was telling me stuff that i knew (from being on here) to be totally incorrect. If i hadnt been on here he'd have persuaded me to shell out approx. €4000 for the Sat Nav just so i could have AMI. He kept yawning and rubbing his eyes as i asked him questions. I asked him if i could take a long enough test drive because i had heard complaints (on here) of people whose cars seemed to be tram-lining or were having problems with wheel alignment etc.. His response was "Ah i wouldnt worry about that"! Sorry but if im spending €60,000 on a car i will worry about that.

I then asked him to check up on the Sat Nav thing for me because i thought he was wrong (i knew he was wrong but i was being polite to him) He took my number and said he'd ring me the next morning. I never heard from him again. I've always meant to contact the owner of that dealership and tell him what happened. Im sure the owner is a nice guy who doesnt realise how careless his employees are about a sale. he just lost a €60,000 cash sale - no trade in, because of his employees ignorance and he doesnt even know about it. As a business owner myself i'd want to hear if one my sales people was treating my customers like that and loosing me customers

I also got another Audi dealer who said they wouldnt take my 06 car as a trade in agianst an A5. I told them i'd buy it right there and they said they only want a cash sale. They told me cash only or they wont sell me the car !

I finallyfound a dealer who was VERY helpful. He knew most things and anything he didnt know he'd find out for me and get back to me within hours. He let me take various A5s and a TT for test drives as long as i wanted. Offered myself and my girlfriend cups of tea and coffee, even on our first day in the showroom when we were only looking and might not have been buying. He was outstanding to deal with and went out of his way to help in every way he could.. As for all the other dealers.....

I dont know what to say to you. If the car industry is in as much trouble as reported you'd think they'd be bending over backwards for you not treating you like an inconvience....

[JockTheRock]

Originally Posted by Blade

I find this incredible, I want to buy a new and very high spec S5, this time around I want to lease the car instead of buying outright as usual. So I start talking to two dealers to get comparative quotes. To make life simple for them I emailed both garages the spec I wanted and the terms for the lease. I then spoke to both to make sure they had everything they needed to provide a quote and I told them not to worry about the PX figure until we had settled on the lease package.

Audi Blackburn (I contacted them initially about a demo S5 Tip they were advertising but switched to a new car option due to some missing spec) received their email last Tuesday - I've heard nothing since. The other dealer is the one I purchased my current S5 from and I wont mention their name here but I spoke to them on Friday morning and its now nearly lunch time on Tuesday and still nothing ! I'm not chasing them, if this is the way Audi dealers behave then I will not be buying another Audi..if my sales guys treated customers like this I'd kick them out the door.....angry. I can only assume they are so busy that they don't need my business.

Seems this is all too common with higher end dealerships these days.

Can I just ask, do they know who you are?

Not that it should make any difference at all, but if they were aware of your position within the industry should they not be trying even harder?

[Blade]

Its sad don't you think, these guys are paid commission, they must be finding things tough. Lack of product knowledge can be excused as things are changing so rapidly, but there should be no reason why with the systems and information available any salesman can find the answer to just about any question relating to the purchase. I know it takes less than ten minutes to get a finance quote...I love my S5 but I called up a Jag dealer this morning to talk about an XFR and they were brilliant, called back with figures in less than 20 minutes. I'll buy a new car this week but it will be from a dealer/brand that wants my business even if that means I don't get my first choice of car.

[Blade]

Originally Posted by JockTheRock

Seems this is all too common with higher end dealerships these days.

Can I just ask, do they know who you are?

Not that it should make any difference at all, but if they were aware of your position within the industry should they not be trying even harder?

No Jock, I don't think that would help. I'm sure they get alot of tyre kickers but I actually bought my car from the one dealer and they know I'm an easy target, I just cant go through an options list without ticking all the boxes, I'm a salesmans dream !! I'd like to think they're all so busy selling cars on the scrappage deal that they've really had no time to stop and deal with me, but somehow I dont think there will be too many people buying a new Audi and chopping in a 2k smoker !.

[hashluck]

All too familiar. Maybe they think you are too easy and will do all of the hard work for them! There are a couple of good dealers out there of course but they take some finding. I know they should be quicker at finance quotes but would you really go with Audi any way? There are usually much cheaper routes.
I find lack of product knowledge or just not being bothered the worst excuses. Best to find a fellow enthusiast/anorak.

[Blade]

Originally Posted by hashluck

Best to find a fellow enthusiast/anorak.

Fair point up to the 'Anorak' comment !! I prefer a complete package from the dealer, one point of contact and all that..and if you always get them to tell you what commission they're building into the quote (FSA Regs) then you can usually get the quote right down. Dealer Finance quotation systems allow the salesperson to factor in a level of earnings and they can get carried away ! The worst ones are those dealers with a Finance Specialist because it's his/her job to max the opportunity so to speak.

[hashluck]

I meant anorak in a nice way in that I consider myslef one but based purely on knowing the product I want to buy better than any sales person I come across (and this is not just cars). Completely agree on single point of contact and Finance 'Specialists' however Finance is an area you need someone who knows what they are talking about.

[nikenike]

Originally Posted by Blade

Its sad don't you think, these guys are paid commission, they must be finding things tough. Lack of product knowledge can be excused as things are changing so rapidly, but there should be no reason why with the systems and information available any salesman can find the answer to just about any question relating to the purchase. I know it takes less than ten minutes to get a finance quote...I love my S5 but I called up a Jag dealer this morning to talk about an XFR and they were brilliant, called back with figures in less than 20 minutes. I'll buy a new car this week but it will be from a dealer/brand that wants my business even if that means I don't get my first choice of car.

Hey Blade, I, like you, would walk away from the dealership if I thought they weren't interested in my business. I seriously considered the Jaguar XF when I bought my A5. My kids convinced me I was a wee bit too young yet to drive a jag ! The XFR looks great and has had fantastic reviews. Good luck in your decision.

[hashluck]

Strangely the XF was also my other choice. Very close in price and performance across the board but residuals less clear.

[Mad]

Are you adding the new S5 in place of the one you have now Blade or like it that much you want another one for the mrs

[Ageing Biker]

Originally Posted by Blade

Fair point up to the 'Anorak' comment !! I prefer a complete package from the dealer, one point of contact and all that..and if you always get them to tell you what commission they're building into the quote (FSA Regs) then you can usually get the quote right down. Dealer Finance quotation systems allow the salesperson to factor in a level of earnings and they can get carried away ! The worst ones are those dealers with a Finance Specialist because it's his/her job to max the opportunity so to speak.

Hi Guys. Now you are talking my language. You are very mistaken about the dealer telling you what commission they are building in, as it is not (yet) an FSA requirement. They can actually build in as much finance commission as they like/can get away with and there is no requirement to disclose the amount to you. FSA regulations only govern the sale of INSURANCE products (GAP, PPP, MOT insurance, Warranty, etc) and the requirement here is to make you fully aware that they have products from a limited number of sources. They MUST use a "demands and needs" questionnaire to establish what your demands and needs are. Once they have made a recommendation, they MUST tell you about any needs that are not met by their products and must also make you aware that you may be able to buy the same product cheaper in the outside marketplace and that you may also be able to cover items not covered by their products. They must also investigate whether or not you already have existing insurance that may cover the same risks. You must then sign to say that either you are taking their recommendation and forgoing the products shortcomings, or that you are rejecting their recommendation altogether. This signature can then be used in any future claim of mis-selling as evidence that they have been completely transparent. You must also be aware that ANY salesperson (including Business Managers) cannot favour a product that earns them more commission as this is seen as "an inducement" and is very illegal. This is one of my specialist areas of knowledge so if you want more detail or help, please don't hesitate to PM me.

[jneutron]

In the northeast US there are a few dealers that give you the attention you would expect. I dealt via internet until I came to an a greed upon price. There are some dealerships that I found to be lacking in enthusiasim in wanting to sell me a car and one that actually gave me a hard time about taking a test drive in an A5.
All this makes me wonder (lack of service, built in commissions, hidden fees) why do we need dealerships anyway? Why not just spec a car via internet and buy it?
Good luck with the purchase.

[Blade]

Still no contact from Audi but Harwoods Jaguar couldn't be more helpful, the salesman (James) who is off today even gave me his mobile should I need to talk to him. Anyway, Mad, no, its not an 'additional' S5 for the missus, just a replacement for the current one before it heads out of warranty and its value falls through the floor. AB, our dealerships operate under the ITC for FSA compliance, you're right that the regs do not cover finance (as yet) however we are required to issue a commission statement to our customers if they request it and I have no problem with our company being up front with our customers. Most of the network of franchises we represent do the same. PCP type deals are a little tricky as its very easy to disguise a heafty commission. You make some valid points though for those on here who aren't familiar with how it all works.

As for the XFR the new engine is a peach with over 500 BHP all for under £60k! Jag have a 5.9 APR deal on XF's at the moment and there is a Brilliant Black/Ivory with Bowers and Wilson (or whatever its called) Audio, Parking camera's and voice control sitting at the dealer for immediate delivery, it would be rude not to go and test drive it on Saturday !! Nikenike, my kids think a four door jag is an old mans car too, so I'm taking them along to the dealer to see if I can change their mind. On a tangent they also tried to talk me into the new 3.0d S Portfolio (with a styling pack that includes front led's in the blades !!)...brain working overtime it is not inconceivable that we could go for one of these chopping in one of our other cars and hang onto the S5...either way enough messing this week I buy a new car and do my bit to prop the economy..

[Booster]

To be fair, it isn't just Audi that are slack at selling cars, I hear stories all the time from our customers that dealers haven't called them back. It is even more annoying when I have got the finance all sorted and the dealer doesn't send me an invoice or their bank details. Do you want me to pay you for the car???? Do you want to stay in business????

[Deepmeister]

Lets face it, we are a rare breed as far as the UK are concerned. We are enthusiastic buyers who know more about our cars than the dealer selling us the car, and are paying for these up-market relatively expensive cars as our decision, not a fleet-supplied company car offered as part of an employment package with little choice given to the driver.

The British car market is very status-conscience market. Audi has become a victim of its own success. As those who "downsize" due to the recession are handing back their keys to the Beemers and Mercs, the Audi has become the cheaper option from an economical point of view, but unlike other cheaper options, the buyer can maintain their status since Audi is the new "cool" brand. Hence, the typical status-conscious Brit company car buyer is wearing out the door mat at the local Audi dealer. Dealers love these buyers, they don't ask questions about the spec, they don't care if the PDI is done correctly or not, all they care about is a free tin on mints on the day of delivery. On going, we are the Dealer's worst nightmare - we pay for our own maintenance services and insist on it being done. Most company car fleet drivers wouldn't care if the car has had its oil change or not, so long as it has been washed. A five to seven hundred pound glorified car wash! But in fairness, they do give you a free tin of mints.

I recently read a statistic that for new car registrations, all brands are down by about 30% across the board compared to same month last year. However, some like Range Rover and Porsche are down by 60% compared to same time last year. Beemers and Mercs are significantly down, but Audi is one of only two brands that have INCREASED their sales (the other is Merc Smart) compared to last year.

With these Beemer and Merc brigades, as undiscerning fleet company car buyers throwing money at the Audi dealers, no wonder they ignore loyal buyers who have the audacity to expect their car is provided as ordered, and worse yet, even ask for a discount!

So, if you were a dealer, which customer would you encourage now that you have more enquires than allocated cars...?

[Ess5ive]

Sorry to hear of your travails Blade but I'm sure that you'll end up with a car/deal your satisfed with - you seem a pretty shrewd fellow.

BUT - I personally can't contemplate a situation where I would buy a car purely on the basis of dealer efficiency. In that respect, I guess I'm a salesman's dream - once I've decided on a car (usually an emotional, knee-jerk decision - I see it, I'm going to have it) nothing will sway me from that, even a disinterested, ill-informed sales rep.

It's galling but I'm not going to let it stand in the way of the precise car I want. Which I'm more and more convinced is going to be a new RS5 cab, served to me with a smile or otherwise!

Interested to see what the weekend brings - keep us posted.......

[Ageing Biker]

Originally Posted by Deepmeister

Lets face it, we are a rare breed as far as the UK are concerned. We are enthusiastic buyers who know more about our cars than the dealer selling us the car, and are paying for these up-market relatively expensive cars as our decision, not a fleet-supplied company car offered as part of an employment package with little choice given to the driver.

The British car market is very status-conscience market. Audi has become a victim of its own success. As those who "downsize" due to the recession are handing back their keys to the Beemers and Mercs, the Audi has become the cheaper option from an economical point of view, but unlike other cheaper options, the buyer can maintain their status since Audi is the new "cool" brand. Hence, the typical status-conscious Brit company car buyer is wearing out the door mat at the local Audi dealer. Dealers love these buyers, they don't ask questions about the spec, they don't care if the PDI is done correctly or not, all they care about is a free tin on mints on the day of delivery. On going, we are the Dealer's worst nightmare - we pay for our own maintenance services and insist on it being done. Most company car fleet drivers wouldn't care if the car has had its oil change or not, so long as it has been washed. A five to seven hundred pound glorified car wash! But in fairness, they do give you a free tin of mints.

I recently read a statistic that for new car registrations, all brands are down by about 30% across the board compared to same month last year. However, some like Range Rover and Porsche are down by 60% compared to same time last year. Beemers and Mercs are significantly down, but Audi is one of only two brands that have INCREASED their sales (the other is Merc Smart) compared to last year.

With these Beemer and Merc brigades, as undiscerning fleet company car buyers throwing money at the Audi dealers, no wonder they ignore loyal buyers who have the audacity to expect their car is provided as ordered, and worse yet, even ask for a discount!

So, if you were a dealer, which customer would you encourage now that you have more enquires than allocated cars...?

Sorry, Deepmeister but you are wildly wide of the mark. I actually take serious offence that you have the nerve to make such a sweeping generalisation about company car drivers. I have never in the last fifteen years of running company cars either received, been offered or expected "a tin of mints". What you have failed to realise is that not all company car schemes are the same. Companies are becoming more and more inventive about avoiding the tax burdens imposed by the charlatans that run our country. Although I have a (pitiful) company car allowance as part of my employment, which hasn't changed for over eight years, I actually contribute an additional, not insubstantial amount of my own cash in order to get the car of my choice. This means that it is actually my own money that is being spent on having this car, which means that I do actually care what it looks like, how clean it is and how well maintained it is. In order to destroy your argument even further, there are now fewer and fewer dealers that are actually prepared to deal with fleets because of the huge discounts that they demand. They can, as you rightly point out, sell their entire allocation and many prefer to sell them at a profit, rather than discount and break even or make a loss. Audi are not the only ones that are their own worst enemy. I have had massive rows with Honda, Ford and Vauxhall dealers over their appalling service standards. The only franchise that has been very cooperative is Skoda. I am hoping that my experience with Audi will be a "step up" from those I have used in the past and will be very disappointed if this is not the case. I have worked in and around the motor industry for over twenty years and most dealers still do not appreciate how far simple, polite and helpful customer service goes.

[jenbutmad]

I found York Audi just didnt give two monkeys they got my deal then once that was done that was it. The V5 for the TT has never arrived i have to chase them up yesterday, York gave them the wrong address for me good one... and im still waiting on my second key 6weeks later and im still waiting!! great huh... thats some service

Blade just turn up and go dont you want my money!!!!

[Blade]

Ess and Jen back in one thread...! Almost like old times. AB I agree with you on that one.


Interesting update, thinking about what Ess said he's right I shouldn't let the dealer prevent me from getting the car I actually want. I called 'my' dealer again and managed to prise a quote from them. On a PCP though a £49k S5 still costs more than the £61k XFR and requires a higher deposit...I really want another S5 but it ain't lookin so good right now.

[boomer]

Blade, I have been following this thread for a bit and can't believe the lack of interest shown by your dealers over there. Maybe it is similar here in the states but my own experience is far different and I think reflects the way it is supposed to be. I make one call and never a 2nd since they always get back to me immediately. I call for a service scheduling and they arrange to pick up my car within a few days. If I want to trade in they will have numbers within 24-48 hrs. Recently while driving home from a rural clinic I staff on occasion some engine light came on (can't remember the name) but car ran poorly until I stopped and restarted. Called down to my dealer and they drove the 40 miles up to meet me at my home and picked the car up and evaluated it the same day leaving me an Q5 as a loaner for one day. Wife's A4 got a stone in the rotor/brake complex with terrible noise so she stopped and called them and they called for a truck to take the car down immediately bringing her another car as well. They have earned my respect and therefore my loyalty over the years--granted it probably helps that I have been a customer for 22years with more than a few purchases--but still they treat me well.

[Blade]

Thats how it should be Boomer, I think there is arrogance among certain Audi Dealers over here. I'm sure they clone salespeople and then farm them out to the network, they all have dark spikey hair, drive S5's and are more interested in my partners legs than selling me a car. I know there are exceptions but I'm yet to find one. I left BMW to buy my S5, last night BMW called me and invited me to the Goodwood Festival of Speed (Big thing over here), they have been trying very hard to win back my custom and our local dealer is very good. Never had anything from Audi, not even a magazine..I love the car, hate the ownership experience.

[Ageing Biker]

Originally Posted by Blade

Thats how it should be Boomer, I think there is arrogance among certain Audi Dealers over here. I'm sure they clone salespeople and then farm them out to the network, they all have dark spikey hair, drive S5's and are more interested in my partners legs than selling me a car. I know there are exceptions but I'm yet to find one. I left BMW to buy my S5, last night BMW called me and invited me to the Goodwood Festival of Speed (Big thing over here), they have been trying very hard to win back my custom and our local dealer is very good. Never had anything from Audi, not even a magazine..I love the car, hate the ownership experience.

I'm sure that your partner's legs are well worth looking at, but that is a very major schoolboy error! I really hope that my future experience with Audi is not as bad as this thread suggests. There is absolutely nothing worse than being forced to use a dealership that you end up hating because they don't do their job properly. Ford are a perfect example of this, closely followed by Vauxhall. The owner of the local Vauxhall chain told me that I was a "difficult customer" after his service department f*cked up on my car for the third time. I will never run another one of their cars no matter how good they get.

[Ageing Biker]

Originally Posted by Blade

Ess and Jen back in one thread...! Almost like old times. AB I agree with you on that one.


Interesting update, thinking about what Ess said he's right I shouldn't let the dealer prevent me from getting the car I actually want. I called 'my' dealer again and managed to prise a quote from them. On a PCP though a £49k S5 still costs more than the £61k XFR and requires a higher deposit...I really want another S5 but it ain't lookin so good right now.

Hi Blade. On the subject of the PCP, if you would like to PM me with the details of your local dealer and the deal that you have been quoted for, I will try to do some work to get a matching quote and see how it compares.

[Blade]

AB there are probably over 100 Audi dealers in the UK, there must be some decent ones among them and some really good staff, just got to find them.

EDIT....Thanks for offer AB PM on way but don't go to any trouble.

[rambo]

Blackburn Audi are useless - FULL STOP - there isn't enough space on this site for my cataloge of various sized cock ups over the years (including not coming back to me with a trade in price when I was in the market) - shame they are nearest to me. Preston aren't much better!!

When I got my A5 I sent a very tentative e-mail to Grimsby Audi (they had a car that looked like what I needed) and got a reply within 1 hour. 1 further hour later deal was done - picked up car 4 days later. It would seem there is not a lot of money in Grimsby (just fish) so maybe they get more excited at the prospect of a sale and they are willing to haggle. Apologies to those from Grimsby - not meant to offend!!

I had no complaints about the whole process and would recomment giving them a go. Maybe I got lucky but for now I'll be optimistic and say they are a good dealer!!

[TuffLittleUnit]

"Grimsby Audi" ... always puts a wry smile on my face.

It's kind of like saying "Toxteth Aston Martin" or "Mogadishu Ferrari".

[sorry, not meant to sound snobby ... I could have added "1.8T A5" too]

[Meteor Ghost]

I've had a very similar story with my S5 purchase. I've tried and tried again to get my dealer to order/find me a S5 and he doesn't do sh!t to get it done. I've even called him 3 different times on S5's that I've found around the country and told him to work out some deal with the other Audi dealer to get the car and I would buy it, 3 freakin' times!!!!

I even told him I wanted to place and order with a new 2010 model S5 and he/they won't even do anything to accommodate me. I don't know what the deal is but I feel exactly as you do.

[Ageing Biker]

My advice with all of these horror stories is to feed back the information directly to the manufacturer. All dealers, regardless of franchise are expected to meet certain customer handling standards by their manufacturer/s. If they miss the targeted objectives, it could end up costing them money with sales bonuses witheld. If you receive a customer questionnaire after purchasing, make your experience and feelings very clear when you respond. If the dealer continues to under-perform, tell the manufacturer. This will usually get your problems sorted or at worst give you an alternative dealer that does actually give a toss.

[bathroomboy]

Why not just suck their brains of info............(If you can find one) and go to an independent leasing company. They are normally much more competitive.

The Basic S5 on 3 + 35 payments is approx £ 550.00 + VAT per month. Although the mileage is only 10k per year. You would have to factor in extra mileage and option extras (Which they normally smack your ar*e for).

I looked here:

http://www.contracthireandleasing.com

(I ordered my Audi from Southend Audi - I have to say they have been really helpful...... Considering I found the cheapest price on the net and they beat it to get my business)