Anyone ever managed to negotiate any optional extras on motability car?

sardine

easy wrote: »

Sardine I agree with you. But none of the dealers are keeping automatics in stock as demonstrators any more (unless you go to the upper end, mercs & Beamers of course). They claim they don't sell enough autos to justify tying up money in a demonstrator. But I argue they won't sell them if no one can test drive them.
One dealer - only one - says that every time he gets one in as a demonstrator, it sells straight away, so then he has to wait 3 months for another ...

Whatever, the dealers aren't holding automatics as demonstrators, and the manufacturers don't give a stuff. Personally, I believe that Motability should insist that manufacturers make sure potential Motability clients can get test drives in the vehicles they require, but that seems to be impossible.

Sad, very sad!

who would buy a bed or a three piece suite without actually trying it out (not at home obviously or indeed having 40 winks!). The dealers are actually telling the customer what it looks like and here is a picture of it - would that suit you? Crazy absolutely crazy!!

daska

sardine wrote: »

Sad, very sad!

who would buy a bed or a three piece suite without actually trying it out (not at home obviously or indeed having 40 winks!). The dealers are actually telling the customer what it looks like and here is a picture of it - would that suit you? Crazy absolutely crazy!!

I think the dealers possibly also think of it in terms of "they're not paying customers, they're getting it free" when in reality motability customers are usually giving up £18,000 (all their HRM for 3 years)

jetta_wales

daska wrote: »

I think the dealers possibly also think of it in terms of "they're not paying customers, they're getting it free" when in reality motability customers are usually giving up £18,000 (all their HRM for 3 years)

I think you got your maths wrong but it is still a lot of money about 7.8k ish.

It is excellent value but the assumption that it's free is quite misplaced indeed.

easy

daska wrote: »

I think the dealers possibly also think of it in terms of "they're not paying customers, they're getting it free" when in reality motability customers are usually giving up £18,000 (all their HRM for 3 years)

Surely, the dealers should be considering it as another sale on their books ?? I thought new car sales were pretty depressed at present?

I understand that a single dealer cannot invest money in an automatic version of every model as demonstrator. But I really do feel the manufacturers should centrally hold automatics (and other low-volume examples), to loan out to franchised dealers when necessary - in order to help the dealer make the sale.

Some years ago- when I bought my own cars - Volvo head office arranged for one of their directors' cars to be lent to a dealership in Chesterfield for me to test drive (I've always drive automatics, you see). That is the kind of effort I anticipate they should be making to get a sale.

daska

jetta_wales wrote: »

I think you got your maths wrong but it is still a lot of money about 7.8k ish.

It is excellent value but the assumption that it's free is quite misplaced indeed.

Sorry, it wasn't quite as simple as that, I struggle to concentrate and sometimes find I've missed bits of sentences. In this case making it very obviously wrong. The missing words should have read "giving up nearly £8,000 for loan of a car worth £18,000 (all their HRM for 3 years)"

I usually check back what I've written which is why a lot of my posts get edited within minutes of being posted.

Thank you for pointing it out

jetta_wales

daska wrote: »

Sorry, it wasn't quite as simple as that, I struggle to concentrate and sometimes find I've missed bits of sentences. In this case making it very obviously wrong. The missing words should have read "giving up nearly £8,000 for loan of a car worth £18,000 (all their HRM for 3 years)"

I usually check back what I've written which is why a lot of my posts get edited within minutes of being posted.

Thank you for pointing it out

Ahh now that makes much more sense :-)

I'm treble for typo's and not spotting them or when iPhone (which is how I often use the net as I can hold it really close and zoom in huge) likes to correct a typo by making a new word all together and I often don't notice when it does that. The funniest one was "Department of work and penguins" on a post on an RNIB page once lol. That did tickle me pink though.

easy

Oh Jetta, I think that might stick - DWP might well permanently be the dept of work & penguins in my mind now

jetta_wales

easy wrote: »

Oh Jetta, I think that might stick - DWP might well permanently be the dept of work & penguins in my mind now

I did think it was rather apt and the thought of them waddling around their offices did make me smile.

Buffer

To return to the original topic, In the city where I live we have two competing Ford dealerships. One is a long established family firm the other is a national chain (Evans Halshaw).

When I had to order my car in January of this year, Evans Halshaw were running an ad in the local free paper offering £200 cashback on various Ford models if the potential hirer was a 'new' Motability customer. Also the ad had to be taken in when ordering.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I managed to play off both Ford dealers against each other and got the £200 cashback (which was actually discounted off the Advance Payment). As I had also specced a few optional extras they also threw in the 'City Pack' and half a tank of diesel for nothing.

So it is possible to get a few things, it does help though to have competing dealers.

I did also notice that the VW dealers have some special offers for those who like me get the War Pension to lease their Motability Car. It is in partnership with the British Legion and the MOD Discount Scheme and offers either a cash discount or a few free bits and pieces so it is worth trying for.

easy

Right to go back to my original topic - off to the renault dealer in Derby tomorrow, who have an auto clio hatchback I can test drive (whoopee) , and a second-hand clio estate (sport tourer !!) manual that we can try putting my scooter into.

If the scooter doesn't fit, one Renault dealer suggested I might like the Grand Scenic. However 4 different dealers have told me there isn't a hope in hell of finding an automatic one to test drive . This despite Renault UK customer services promising me that a dealer will manage this !!

It's a recent model too, so no second hand ones anywhere to take a look at.