Remote delivery walkthrough

Bav

Bav

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If my factory-build ever arrives, the plan is to have the dealer (in Kent) deliver the van directly to the convertor (in Essex). As I'm in Yorkshire and won't be around for the handover, I'm wondering what the best approach would be to the delivery walkthrough.

A live video walkthrough with the dealer prior to delivery would be useful, but isn't ideal for spotting visual issues like paintwork blemishes or colour mismatches, and won't help with any issues that arise during transportation to the convertor. Alternatively, if the dealer conducts the walkthrough with the convertor, then I'm out of the loop and completely reliant on the convertor to spot anything that's amiss.

Has anyone else been in this position? How did you approach the walkthrough and do you have any recommendations as to how/where/with whom the walkthrough should be conducted?

TIA.
 
@Bav. It's not what you want to hear but was I you I'd move heaven and earth to be there in person. Even with a live video walkthrough, it would be easy for the dealer to skirt around any potential faults etc. and I firmly believe that they will if they can - they're car dealers after all. You would also have a potential problem with things happening at the converter and them just saying something like 'not me guv, it's how it arrived', Not being funny but I'm surprised you're even considering that approach unless there really is no other option, particularly with the amount of money involved. Call yourself a yorkshireman? Sorry to be so negative.
 
Ayjay said:
@Bav. It's not what you want to hear but was I you I'd move heaven and earth to be there in person. Even with a live video walkthrough, it would be easy for the dealer to skirt around any potential faults etc. and I firmly believe that they will if they can - they're car dealers after all. You would also have a potential problem with things happening at the converter and them just saying something like 'not me guv, it's how it arrived', Not being funny but I'm surprised you're even considering that approach unless there really is no other option, particularly with the amount of money involved. Call yourself a yorkshireman? Sorry to be so negative.
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Thanks for your thoughts @Ayjay. It seems obvious now you've said it - for the cost of a tank of fuel and a night in a Premier Inn, it could well avoid lots of potential issues and heartache. No doubt they'll want to deliver Christmas Eve, New Years Eve or something equally convenient. :rolleyes:
 
@Bav. IMHO, that's a more sensible approach. That said, an even more sensible approach would be to take delivery and drive it for a couple of weeks before it goes to the converters - that way, you might pick up any major snags before it disappears into the converters black hole.
 
If you trust the converter with your van, won't you trust them with the handover?
 
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I would definitely collect my self it’s a lot of money and you’ve waited a long time for it! If I was lucky enough to be able to order a factory ordered van you wouldn’t be able to stop me from collecting in person
 
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TrevorK said:
If you trust the converter with your van, won't you trust them with the handover?
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I trust my convertor, that's true (much more than any dealer), and I'm confident they'd spot things that I might miss (what does an upgraded alternator actually look like anyway? :oops:), I'm just not sure I want to push the responsibility for the handover completely onto them. A good compromise might be for me to be present when the van is delivered to them and we can view it together... maybe, perhaps, possibly(?)
 
If I was buying a new vehicle for upwards of £40k I’d want to be present for the handover and inspect it myself.
Once it’s left their premises to go to the converter VW can wash their hands of any minor marks/damage etc as they will just blame the converter. The converter will blame VW and you’ll be the one with the problem.
 
I'd have to be there at handover. It baffles me that people buy cars from the internet without seeing them. It's not just the likes of Cazoo, I was speaking on the phone with a dealer 150 miles away about a 10 year old car. He was offering to deliver it the next day if I paid him there and then. I'm to old school to do that. We've all got used to buying from our sofas, which is fine for a phone case from Amazon, but a vehicle is a completely different purchase.

I know your van should be factory fresh, but it's not unheard of for options to be missed off, or even transit damage being repaired and kept quiet.
 
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Bigsidavies said:
If I was buying a new vehicle for upwards of £40k I’d want to be present for the handover and inspect it myself.
Once it’s left their premises to go to the converter VW can wash their hands of any minor marks/damage etc as they will just blame the converter. The converter will blame VW and you’ll be the one with the problem.
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dubber36 said:
I'd have to be there at handover. It baffles me that people buy cars from the internet without seeing them. It's not just the likes of Cazoo, I was speaking on the phone with a dealer 150 miles away about a 10 year old car. He was offering to deliver it the next day if I paid him there and then. I'm to old school to do that. We've all got used to buying from our sofas, which is fine for a phone case from Amazon, but a vehicle is a completely different purchase.

I know your van should be factory fresh, but it's not unheard of for options to be missed off, or even transit damage being repaired and kept quiet.
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I'll speak to the convertor and see what they say - this can't be the first time they've come across this scenario. My current thinking is to have the van delivered to them, but be present for the handover, as that way I can take full responsibility whilst having the convertor to hand if I need their input.

As per @Ayjay's suggestion, I might have entertained having it delivered to home, playing with it for a couple of weeks and then driving it back down to the convertor, but there are a couple of potential drawbacks with this:
  1. Due to access and parking constraints, I'd probably end up having to conduct the handover at the roadside, down in the village - not ideal
  2. If the van is delivered to me, I'd have to insure it as a van and then change the insurance once the conversion is complete, whereas if it's delivered to the convertor it goes straight onto their insurance and I insure it as a camper once converted - not the end of the world, but more faff and likely more cost.
 
Bav said:
I'll speak to the convertor and see what they say - this can't be the first time they've come across this scenario. My current thinking is to have the van delivered to them, but be present for the handover, as that way I can take full responsibility whilst having the convertor to hand if I need their input.

As per @Ayjay's suggestion, I might have entertained having it delivered to home, playing with it for a couple of weeks and then driving it back down to the convertor, but there are a couple of potential drawbacks with this:
  1. Due to access and parking constraints, I'd probably end up having to conduct the handover at the roadside, down in the village - not ideal
  2. If the van is delivered to me, I'd have to insure it as a van and then change the insurance once the conversion is complete, whereas if it's delivered to the convertor it goes straight onto their insurance and I insure it as a camper once converted - not the end of the world, but more faff and likely more cost.
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Re point 2 Bav, I insured my panel van with Brentacre on the understanding that I was converting it to a camper van and just gave them updates and photos as each stage got completed. I think most of the specialist insurers do this, although some have a 3 month time limit for the conversion to be completed.
I’d still be insuring the van myself the moment I take ownership of it.
You’re relying on someone else’s insurance to give a level of cover that meets your needs.
Plus, what if it gets damaged and they go out of business or for some reason their insurance is void?
I know you’re a tight (sorry, value orientated) Yorkshireman like myself, but plan for all contingencies.
 
Bigsidavies said:
Re point 2 Bav, I insured my panel van with Brentacre on the understanding that I was converting it to a camper van and just gave them updates and photos as each stage got completed. I think most of the specialist insurers do this, although some have a 3 month time limit for the conversion to be completed.
I’d still be insuring the van myself the moment I take ownership of it.
You’re relying on someone else’s insurance to give a level of cover that meets your needs.
Plus, what if it gets damaged and they go out of business or for some reason their insurance is void?
I know you’re a tight (sorry, value orientated) Yorkshireman like myself, but plan for all contingencies.
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Value oriented? :rofl: Let's not disguise my shortcoming as a virtue - "tight" is accurate. ;)

Appreciate specialist insurers cover the transformation from van to camper, but they aren't necessarily the ones that offer the best cover/ most competitive premium post-conversion. Besides, I'd get 2 extra months' insurance for my money if I insure after conversion - what right-thinking Tyke could resist that?:fast rofl:
 
hey @Bav my initial reaction to reading this was why would you spend all that time and effort finding the perfect convertor (i know you've travelled to view 2/3 if memory serves) and then not spend time and effort making sure the base van (which in essence is the foundation of your conversion) is to the same standard...

just my thoughts of course, but as you've invested spending all that time/money/effort already...
 
Trouts said:
hey @Bav my initial reaction to reading this was why would you spend all that time and effort finding the perfect convertor (i know you've travelled to view 2/3 if memory serves) and then not spend time and effort making sure the base van (which in essence is the foundation of your conversion) is to the same standard...

just my thoughts of course, but as you've invested spending all that time/money/effort already...
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I actually visited 10 different convertors... and then chose the one furthest away. :rolleyes:

You are, of course, correct, I should take another road-trip for the handover - after all, it would be one dumb schmuck that bought a camper but didn't like going on road trips!!!o_O:oops:
 
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Go see the van yourself!
Had 2 blind handover during pandemic and of course their video didn’t show the blamish on the van… resulting in “not possible at this time to proceed with a claim, we would challenge it in Court”.
Most important, Insure it before sending it to conversion specialist. In case they go out of business, insurance will treat it as complete loss and refund you.
 
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