Used car from main dealership missold 27 January at 2:31PM in Consumer rights 50 replies 2.7K views

diystarter7

Hi
As posters are talking about "extras on cars"  I seriously miss the heated screen that i I had in my brand new st v6 ondeoa got new over 20 years ago and i ordered side airbags as well which was rare

Not 100% sure why only Ford and Audi do them possibly because of licensing?

The heater in the front screen was magic in frost and rain

Thnaks

Grumpy_chap

MobileSaver said:

on a car costing £60k. I never really understood why they didn't just include it as standard given the LS was marketed as a luxury car that had everything.

Such is the power of marketing.  It works on several metrics:

1.  People like to feel special - "bought top of the range with every extra" is a way to achieve that.  Without any "extra" some would feel short-changed.

2.  Getting that car to market with a headline price on the correct side of £60k (or any other threshold price) can be important.  At any level, a lot of people may dismiss the car if it's marginally above the threshold, but then gladly get upsold.


3.  At £60k, no-one (private buyer) will not pay the extra £100 if they want the HSW.  Pennies to the individual.  All those £100's rather soon add up to a useful amount.

4. The £100 give the retailer a negotiation point.

5.  The car price hits firm thresholds for the large fleet / lease purchasers, after whatever generous discount is in place.  Very few of those sales will be won or lost over a HSW, but an extra £70 in the fleet price could be a deal-breaker.

MobileSaver

Grumpy_chap said:

MobileSaver said:

on a car costing £60k. I never really understood why they didn't just include it as standard given the LS was marketed as a luxury car that had everything.

1.  People like to feel special - "bought top of the range with every extra" is a way to achieve that.  Without any "extra" some would feel short-changed.

3.  At £60k, no-one will not pay the extra £100 if they want the HSW.  Pennies to the individual.  All those £100's rather soon add up to a useful amount.

Yes, that was what always threw me, it was pocket-change compared to the price of the car and I often thought the same as you - surely everyone would add it anyway at that price.

In hindsight you may be right about the bragging rights and it may actually have been a form of viral marketing... It seemed so unusual to have one and only one optional extra and for it to be so random as a heated steering wheel that, just like today, I have repeated this story amongst friends, family and acquaintances on numerous occasions over the years.

It didn't hurt that it was a fantastic car but (simply because of the HSW) I've definitely extolled the virtues of that one car more than all the other cars I've ever owned put together so if it was a marketing trick it definitely worked!

SpudGunPaul

diystarter7 said:

Hi
As posters are talking about "extras on cars"  I seriously miss the heated screen that i I had in my brand new st v6 ondeoa got new over 20 years ago and i ordered side airbags as well which was rare

Not 100% sure why only Ford and Audi do them possibly because of licensing?

The heater in the front screen was magic in frost and rain

Thnaks

It's not only Ford and Audi that have them. 

@diystarter7

HillStreetBlues

oldagetraveller1 said:

"Not having auto high beams is a little bit of a hassle."

Why? Is it a hassle to flick a switch between high and dipped beams as required?

Also, from some instances, the function doesn't work all the time much to the inconvenience of on coming drivers.

I have wondered why it is mostly the high end of cars that seem to delay dipping their beam, never thought of that as a reason.

Grumpy_chap

SpudGunPaul said:

diystarter7 said:

Hi
As posters are talking about "extras on cars"  I seriously miss the heated screen that i I had in my brand new st v6 ondeoa got new over 20 years ago and i ordered side airbags as well which was rare

Not 100% sure why only Ford and Audi do them possibly because of licensing?

The heater in the front screen was magic in frost and rain

Thnaks

It's not only Ford and Audi that have them. 

@diystarter7

I understand that Mercedes offer the heated windscreen also - very surprised the poster was not aware of that.

Amongst many other premium brands that offer the feature - Range Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, Skoda. 

My Nephew just got an Octavia and I think the heated windscreen was the only option he selected - it was a "pack" with Heated Steering Wheel also.

Grumpy_chap

MobileSaver said:

It didn't hurt that it was a fantastic car but (simply because of the HSW) I've definitely extolled the virtues of that one car more than all the other cars I've ever owned put together so if it was a marketing trick it definitely worked!

Work it certainly has 😁

Maybe HSW is an option as not in demand in some geographic areas.

SpudGunPaul

Grumpy_chap said:

SpudGunPaul said:

diystarter7 said:

Hi
As posters are talking about "extras on cars"  I seriously miss the heated screen that i I had in my brand new st v6 ondeoa got new over 20 years ago and i ordered side airbags as well which was rare

Not 100% sure why only Ford and Audi do them possibly because of licensing?

The heater in the front screen was magic in frost and rain

Thnaks

It's not only Ford and Audi that have them. 

@diystarter7

I understand that Mercedes offer the heated windscreen also - very surprised the poster was not aware of that.

Amongst many other premium brands that offer the feature - Range Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, Skoda. 

My Nephew just got an Octavia and I think the heated windscreen was the only option he selected - it was a "pack" with Heated Steering Wheel also.

Can't believe his top of the range GLS doesn't have it if Mercedes do it, his car must have cost a hundred grand. 

oldagetraveller1

HillStreetBlues said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

"Not having auto high beams is a little bit of a hassle."

Why? Is it a hassle to flick a switch between high and dipped beams as required?

Also, from some instances, the function doesn't work all the time much to the inconvenience of on coming drivers.

I have wondered why it is mostly the high end of cars that seem to delay dipping their beam, never thought of that as a reason.

Not really because it's impossible to determine the marque when some twonk is driving towards you and their super duper auto dip doesn't work!

But, that does give some food for thought.

Grumpy_chap

SpudGunPaul said:

if Mercedes do it,  

Certainly seems to be available if you ask:
https://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/vans/en/sprinter-panel-van/optional-equipment-highlights2/teaser-group/heated-windscreen