Dealer Review - where should I buy?

[Hantshog]

Hi, we are hiring an Ocean early summer and taking it to France to try before we buy. For me to spend £55k on a vehicle will be huge outlay and I need to get it right first time as I plan to keep 5-7 years. I read with dismay the increasing number of mis configured vans being delivered. Its a worry. Its not clear who is at fault, dealer or VW and I understand why members can't name and shame whilst they are in negotiations. But I welcome feedback from members who have had a faultless buying experience and what dealers they went to. Of course I want the maximum discount as I have an extensive wish list at the moment and discount equals more goodies, but I also value a smooth, honest sales experience with great after sales support.
Two dealerships keep coming up as fine examples but they are both "Up north". I dont mind a 400 mile round trip to buy a California but then there's the return journey to collect and subsequently return for servicing and niggling issues. What to do eh? I can't locate the dealer review on this forum.
Have any members had a good buying and aftersales experience from dealers in the central south, south in general? I realise that if I am going to purchase it's going to be in September for a March 1st plate. Any advice on the new 2017 vehicle tax rules would be great too.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi, we are hiring an Ocean early summer and taking it to France to try before we buy. For me to spend £55k on a vehicle will be huge outlay and I need to get it right first time as I plan to keep 5-7 years. I read with dismay the increasing number of mis configured vans being delivered. Its a worry. Its not clear who is at fault, dealer or VW and I understand why members can't name and shame whilst they are in negotiations. But I welcome feedback from members who have had a faultless buying experience and what dealers they went to. Of course I want the maximum discount as I have an extensive wish list at the moment and discount equals more goodies, but I also value a smooth, honest sales experience with great after sales support.
Two dealerships keep coming up as fine examples but they are both "Up north". I dont mind a 400 mile round trip to buy a California but then there's the return journey to collect and subsequently return for servicing and niggling issues. What to do eh? I can't locate the dealer review on this forum.
Have any members had a good buying and aftersales experience from dealers in the central south, south in general? I realise that if I am going to purchase it's going to be in September for a March 1st plate. Any advice on the new 2017 vehicle tax rules would be great too.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/forums/dealer-reviews.18/

 

[Lewis]

Hi, we are hiring an Ocean early summer and taking it to France to try before we buy. For me to spend £55k on a vehicle will be huge outlay and I need to get it right first time as I plan to keep 5-7 years. I read with dismay the increasing number of mis configured vans being delivered. Its a worry. Its not clear who is at fault, dealer or VW and I understand why members can't name and shame whilst they are in negotiations. But I welcome feedback from members who have had a faultless buying experience and what dealers they went to. Of course I want the maximum discount as I have an extensive wish list at the moment and discount equals more goodies, but I also value a smooth, honest sales experience with great after sales support.
Two dealerships keep coming up as fine examples but they are both "Up north". I dont mind a 400 mile round trip to buy a California but then there's the return journey to collect and subsequently return for servicing and niggling issues. What to do eh? I can't locate the dealer review on this forum.
Have any members had a good buying and aftersales experience from dealers in the central south, south in general? I realise that if I am going to purchase it's going to be in September for a March 1st plate. Any advice on the new 2017 vehicle tax rules would be great too.

Won't comment on the delivery / after sales as it hasn't happened yet but we did the 400 mile round trip to Preston to order and I'm certain it was the right thing to do. Good honest process from an exceptionally knowledgable dealer who gives you a strong discount from the off without the need to haggle. The journey to collect will be great, we plan to spend a few days in the Lakes getting to know the latest member of our family.

Obviously servicing and other issues will have to be dealt with closer to home but there are enough well reviewed options in the dealer review forum. Some people like to build a relationship with just one dealer, we're happy to keep sales and after service reasonably separate to maximise discount and service at point of sale. Will probably take the 200mile round trip to Hereford or 150 to SMG for everything else.

RE: tax changes, I don't feel like a definitive answer was ever reached on the forum. The changes are the main reason we brought forward our purchase, that may turn out to be unnecessary but I would advise asking the DVLA for confirmation because £500 per year in tax for the first few years is a steep price to pay for a 17 plate over a 66.

 

[Borris]

Laine Watts at SMG Tonbridge. Excellent!

 

[calimera]

Hi, we are hiring an Ocean early summer and taking it to France to try before we buy. For me to spend £55k on a vehicle will be huge outlay and I need to get it right first time as I plan to keep 5-7 years. I read with dismay the increasing number of mis configured vans being delivered. Its a worry. Its not clear who is at fault, dealer or VW and I understand why members can't name and shame whilst they are in negotiations. But I welcome feedback from members who have had a faultless buying experience and what dealers they went to. Of course I want the maximum discount as I have an extensive wish list at the moment and discount equals more goodies, but I also value a smooth, honest sales experience with great after sales support.
Two dealerships keep coming up as fine examples but they are both "Up north". I dont mind a 400 mile round trip to buy a California but then there's the return journey to collect and subsequently return for servicing and niggling issues. What to do eh? I can't locate the dealer review on this forum.
Have any members had a good buying and aftersales experience from dealers in the central south, south in general? I realise that if I am going to purchase it's going to be in September for a March 1st plate. Any advice on the new 2017 vehicle tax rules would be great too.

Key date is 1st April 2017. Cars registered before avoid the increase VED .Information on gov.uk

www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-excise-duty

 

[Rich20]

Nick (sales)at Carrs in Exeter. Pete on service. Popped in yesterday To pick up some headlight protectors and was treated like a guest in a hotel. The chap from parts also honoured the 10% club discount.

 

[Borris]

Hello Hantshog,
Sorry about my very brief reply above but I had to go out in a hurry.

For us at least, SMG at Tonbridge have been everything you would expect from a dealership selling a high value vehicle. They've been friendly, extremely helpful and have provided an excellent service on both occasions that I have purchased new vehicles from them recently. Whilst I have had little experience of the service side yet, as both vehicles are nearly new, I can thoroughly recommend that at the very least you give their sales manager Laine Watts a call. Laine is a very pleasant character and California enthusiast himself. There really isn't much he can't tell you about the Cali. When we went to SMG last summer just to make an enquiry, it was Laine who finally convinced us that a Cali SE was the way forward, (we didn't want to wait for an Ocean). I must add that this was after having visited and telephoned six other dealerships first. With the exception of South Hereford Garages at Hereford, who were also excellent, the rest were varying shades of appalling.

Laine at SMG on the other hand was fantastic. Not only did he spend more than two hours explaining and demonstrating every aspect of the SE but he went out of his way to clearly describe those issues that can go wrong or break or get damaged and why. He showed us how to treat each of these issues to avoid trouble. At no point were we put under any pressure to make a decision however two weeks later we purchased the same demo vehicle and finally collected it in October.

He ensured that we were given VIP Caliclub discount on all accessories and, of course, gave us a superb deal on the Cali. When it came to collecting it, our vehicle was immaculate and had been thoroughly checked and prepared, it even had a full tank of fuel! We are now six months down the line and have had no issues at all.

I don't know what happens at the moment, but VW really should be giving better training and carrying out regular QA checks on dealerships to ensure the same knowledgeable, attentive and comprehensive service is given to that we have received from SMG Tonbridge so far.

Just a small point, both our vehicles are ex demonstrators by choice. You know what you are getting with no disappointments when something is left off the build. You can also get a much better deal which can often include extra goodies that the dealer has included (free Brandrup carpets, cylinder of gas etc etc in our case).

I don't know much about the new VED tax system but from what I have read so far it seems to me that you would be better off buying one before this new tax regime comes into force.

Who ever you choose to go with, I hope that you have the same positive experience as we have had. Good luck.

 

[MattBW]

I used Listers Coventry and found Justin the Cali expert superb and very helpful, he knew the Cali inside out and showed us everything on the demo and again when we bought it.

I have found the rest of the Listers experience a bit poor but Justin was superb and a credit to them. FOr sales he can't be beat, for everything else I'd go elsewhere.

I also recently took my Cali in for the first annual inspection. Interestingly I checked my oil before taking it in and it was dead the middle between low and full. On the report it was reported as low/red. This has somewhat dented my confidence that there is some hidden agenda there. Are they expecting some engine issues with my cali in future and thus reporting worse than it is or am I reading my oil wrong...

 

[calimera]

Nick (sales)at Carrs in Exeter. Pete on service. Popped in yesterday To pick up some headlight protectors and was treated like a guest in a hotel. The chap from parts also honoured the 10% club discount.

Are they a VIP discount partner? Can't find them in the list.
Thanks

 

[SusiBus]

We've ordered our T6 through SMG Tonbridge but as yet have not taken delivery of the vehicle.
We have found Laine Watts very knowledgeable on California options, has been very helpful and has always returned phone calls, which is more than can be said of a lot of other dealers. I'm sure with the information that's available on the Forum a good discount would also be offered.

 

[Hantshog]

Its very encouraging to read there are some very good dealers out there. Perhaps I should have asked for a list of poor dealers but my impression now is these are definitely in the minority. I dont fully understand why the California is sold through the commercial network. Aftersales yes, but not presales. You think you are special to a dealer because you want to spend £50k but as mentioned by another member, to the dealer you are more of an inconvenience as you will be coming back with niggling issues, issues they dont get with companies buying box vans.
Its good to know there is a highly recommended dealer in Tonbridge as only 1 ½ hours from home. There's been some good reviews of Breeze in Southampton for servicing so that works well too.
Last thing you want is someone with little respect for your pride and joy to be let loose on it in the workshop who doesn't know what they are doing. Thanks for the tax advice too. I read elsewhere a comparison of tax now to tax post April 17 and I recall you are worse off for the first 6 years under the new regime, which is probably the time I would keep it. Would love to jump in now but the missus insists we must try first. I guesss she is right.
I would be interested in the scheme whereby yountake out the finance then pay it off straight away, allowing you to benefit from the service plan and the dealer contribution. Do you save money in the short term?

 

[DM]

As one of those who had a build issue I would recommend that you take steps to satisfy yourself that your Cali has been correctly ordered no matter which dealer you purchase it from. The dealer will be able to give you a print-out of the order from the VW system. This lists all of the options. The challenge here is that its the codes that matter and some of the descriptions are not obvious. Forum members can help you if you have any queries. Enough of us have taken delivery of T6s now so someone will have ordered each of the options you are considering.

Ultimately a purchase like this is about personal relationships. You need to feel comfortable with the dealership in general and the salesman you are dealing with. If you are uncomfortable at any time ask to deal with the sales manager directly.

But don't be put-off. Enjoy the whole process from your initial hire to speccing up your ideal van to the anticipation of the wait and at long last the first night away. .

 

[Island Annie]

Hi, we are hiring an Ocean early summer and taking it to France to try before we buy. For me to spend £55k on a vehicle will be huge outlay and I need to get it right first time as I plan to keep 5-7 years. I read with dismay the increasing number of mis configured vans being delivered. Its a worry. Its not clear who is at fault, dealer or VW and I understand why members can't name and shame whilst they are in negotiations. But I welcome feedback from members who have had a faultless buying experience and what dealers they went to. Of course I want the maximum discount as I have an extensive wish list at the moment and discount equals more goodies, but I also value a smooth, honest sales experience with great after sales support.
Two dealerships keep coming up as fine examples but they are both "Up north". I dont mind a 400 mile round trip to buy a California but then there's the return journey to collect and subsequently return for servicing and niggling issues. What to do eh? I can't locate the dealer review on this forum.
Have any members had a good buying and aftersales experience from dealers in the central south, south in general? I realise that if I am going to purchase it's going to be in September for a March 1st plate. Any advice on the new 2017 vehicle tax rules would be great too.

Why not buy nearly new second hand in Germany as I did? If you are going to use it mainly on the Continent it's so much easier, and even though the Euro is stronger than it was last year it's still a good option.

 

[jamesclarke]

Preston and Liverpool are both Swansway dealerships. Excellent service from them.

 

[CaliCrazy]

I have purchased two Calis from Guy Vincent at Preston. Really decent guy. Had no qualms with the after service either.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Huge new VW centre being built in Oldham.