Do VW dealers actually want to sell you stuff?

[kipperman]

/Rant mode on

In the market for upsizing to a Crafter, so thought I might find out what the current lead time is. Couldn't get anyone on the phone, so decided might as well drive a few miles and turn up in person. Usual story - loads of staff, but all talking to each other and no awareness of customers. Eventually someone ambles over and I ask about lead times. Possibly about a year he says in a disinterested fashion - no attempt to take it any further and walks off.

By contrast, spoke to a delightful lady at MAN who put me through to someone that actually wanted to sell me something and knew what they were talking about, with the good news being a lead time of about 3 months. ( MAN essentially making a VW crafter but with the MAN badge if you didn't know)

You really do get the impression that they are doing us a favour by taking our money sometimes : if you even get as far as actually parting with money.

/Rant mode off

 

[JumpShip]

Whats the price difference?

 

[kipperman]

5% cheaper - MAN is VW owned but the spec of the new MAN version ( they call it a 5T) is quite impressive

 

[Bav]

Difference in attitude? Priceless!!!

 

[tommy_t6.1]

/Rant mode on

In the market for upsizing to a Crafter, so thought I might find out what the current lead time is. Couldn't get anyone on the phone, so decided might as well drive a few miles and turn up in person. Usual story - loads of staff, but all talking to each other and no awareness of customers. Eventually someone ambles over and I ask about lead times. Possibly about a year he says in a disinterested fashion - no attempt to take it any further and walks off.

By contrast, spoke to a delightful lady at MAN who put me through to someone that actually wanted to sell me something and knew what they were talking about, with the good news being a lead time of about 3 months. ( MAN essentially making a VW crafter but with the MAN badge if you didn't know)

You really do get the impression that they are doing us a favour by taking our money sometimes : if you even get as far as actually parting with money.

/Rant mode off

I ordered a Crafter beginning of Jan and was told it would be about 12 months as they were currently switching over to a newer model/naming structure. I hadn't heard anything since signing the paperwork mid Jan so gave them a call the other week. To my surprise its coming first week in June! So if you want a Crafter take the lead time with a pinch of salt! Luckily my dealer is good, and delt with the same guy I bought my T6.1 from!

 

[kipperman]

I ordered a Crafter beginning of Jan and was told it would be about 12 months as they were currently switching over to a newer model/naming structure. I hadn't heard anything since signing the paperwork mid Jan so gave them a call the other week. To my surprise its coming first week in June! So if you want a Crafter take the lead time with a pinch of salt! Luckily my dealer is good, and delt with the same guy I bought my T6.1 from!

Ah - interesting. However since it's going to be converted the timing is a bit mission critical and thus almost certainly will be going the MAN route.

 

[Scruffy]

We were looking to change my wife's car a couple of years ago and came across the same attitude from many of the dealerships. The problem I think was they didn't really have anything to sell due to the delays in manufacturing at that point, and had probably got used to customers walking away when told of the lead times.