Refused test drive

john_white

[QUOTE=colino;58246863 The most obvious thing any real buyer would do to familiarise themselves what a tight, right one should be like.
.[/QUOTE]

Not sure I agree with this. My last car I bought was under 3k, but a new one would be over 30k. Not sure what the point of driving a 30k would be ???

colino

Well John if you went in to the BMW dealer and headed straight for the e46 you'd seen in autotrader, a) I'd have sold it to you at no discount, extras, freebees at highest apr as possible and b) It would have been the easiest sale of the month as you hadn't driven the new version to castigate me for the worn out ones failings that it would surely have. c) It wasn't the right car for you, but no amount of my expensive time would have turned you, so in the words of AC, serves you right.

john_white

So you'd prefer I waste your expensive time test driving cars I have no intention of buying?

27col

When I bought my ex-demonstrator Fiat Stilo Multiwagon in 2004 the salesman, who was on his own, let my take the car out without the slightest suggestion that I needed anyone with me.
In fact, once when I bought a Fiat 131, I asked to take it for a half day as I was not sure that it would be comfortable on a long run.
On both occasions I did actually buy the car.

1jim

I remember going to a used car garage some years ago, the salesman said I could only take a test drive if I guaranteed to buy it... I laughed and walked away, lots more garages, lots more cars. Plenty of other places for me to spend my cash, never been back to that garage in the years since, who knows how things would have turned out ..... all for the sake of a test drive

richard734

well, sounds like a bad car to me....
As it was a main dealer, try emailing the Dealer Principle and copy in Ford UK, (email addies available online) and ask why you were not told of this 'no test drive' policy before you made the journey and ask for your mileage to be paid at 40p a mile for your wasted trip.

1jim

richard734 wrote: »

well, sounds like a bad car to me....
As it was a main dealer, try emailing the Dealer Principle and copy in Ford UK, (email addies available online) and ask why you were not told of this 'no test drive' policy before you made the journey and ask for your mileage to be paid at 40p a mile for your wasted trip.

Similar to that, but I'd probably emailing the head of the dealership and ford pointing out your dissapointment in the experience and saying you found the Vauxhall (or someone else) dealership much more accommodating and you have now sourced a car through them and have passed on your experiences to all and sundry! I would then set about naming and shaming the dealership across all Internet forums like this, eh ford xyz dealership in abc place won't allow test drives..... A few reposts by willing volunteers will soon have that high up the google ranks

Flugelhorn

had similar at a landrover garage - very annoying - allowed me to drive it round the garage site only. Hopeless. Other garages have been very helpful and these are the ones I have bought cars from

londonTiger

salesman suspected you of being a tyre kicker. You as a buyer should test drive and get a feel of as many different vehicles as you want. However, dont tell the dealer that you want to compare how they drive. If you test drive 4 vehicles and run it around local roads and dual carriageway it can be expensive in fuel. Dealers dont like that too much so you have to play your cards close to your chest.

GlynD

I'd write a letter to the sales director informing him WHY you won't be buying from their dealership.

I like getting my own back