Ed Evans
Uncovers dealer pitfalls
LAND Rover dealerships came bottom of the list in a recent Auto Express reader survey of 25 vehicle brands. I don’t take such surveys too seriously but, on reading Gary Pusey’s column in our last issue, and recalling my own recent experience, the rating seems justified.
Gary had viewed an old-shape Defender for sale in the Land Rover Approved Used scheme, expecting it to be of acceptable standard, but finding rust, paint scratches and a sagging headlining. The salesman refused to fix these, saying he could easily sell the car in this state to someone else.
I had a poor experience trying to buy an Approved Used Discovery. I became cautious during the initial phone enquiry when the salesman confirmed how much I’d pay after deducting the value of my trade-in – it was around £1000 too high. I queried this and was told it included paint protection, gap insurance and some other item, none of which I had asked for or agreed to. As with Gary, I was given the impression it would be foolish not to buy these unnecessary extras. The next surprise was that the dealer would not hold the car for the two hours it would take me to drive to see it, unless I paid a £500 deposit. There was a similar car at a dealership in Leeds, so I rang there, only to be asked for £1000 deposit. I paid the £500 on the assurance it would be refunded right away if I didn’t like the car. As with Gary’s experience, the car was poorly presented: badly-stained carpets and spoilt by body scratches which the salesman refused to put right within the asking price of nearly £30k.
I politely declined the vehicle and had to remind the salesman to refund the £500 deposit to my card. I was told it couldn’t be refunded because the accountant wasn’t in that day. After six days of emails and phone calls I eventually got my £500 back. This will prevent me buying from a Land Rover dealership again, except for my two local dealerships and a few others that I know and trust.
Gary and I recall when Approved Used implied excellent condition and salespeople made a straight deal without slipping extra charges under the rug. It doesn’t need many poor dealerships to affect the reputation of the whole network, and it’s Land Rover’s call to get on top of this situation if it doesn’t want to be at the bottom of the next dealer survey.