I bought my first used VW from Ringwood VW (Vic) and have been regularly servicing my car there ever since. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about “New Car Sales”. In fact, it has been a horrible experience overall. VW Australia was of no help whatsoever in this matter.
Here’s what happened:
Deposit:
Upon finalising the paperwork and my own finance, I did request over the phone that I get my deposit back and have the full amount financed on the final invoice. The Business Manager casually said that he’d know what to do when he got a request for an invoice from the finance provider. I soon get an approval email from the finance provider with the deposit amount already taken off i.e. I would not be getting that deposit back. While not a huge issue, it did set me back in terms of available cash on hand for bills and other expenses.
Also, just to be clear, in terms of the price of the car, there were no discounts or favours done. The tag price was what was paid.
Car Delivery:
It took about 4 working days for the car to be ready for pickup. Apparently, new cars are kept in another facility/warehouse. It would have been nice to be told beforehand that it would take that long to have the car ready.
The car was obviously polished. Upon pickup, I saw dried compound on the rear spoiler which was wiped off with no problems. The next day, with a bit of dampness in the air, it was quite obvious that the polishing compound was not buffed out on the roof and the hood. I really did not expect such a lack of attention from the dealership.
Floor Mats:
I had requested a full set of front and rear rubber floor mats and paid for them in full on the day I was picking the car up. I was told the mats were in the boot. Upon checking, only the rear set was there. It was only then that I was told that the front set was on back-order. So, they took the money and incorrectly advised that the mats were in the boot. Moreover, they expected me to pick them up whenever they make their way to the dealership (which could be 2-3 weeks). A quick calculation in my head: if I take time off work again and spend money on gas (that apparently is an issue for VW), I might as well ask for a cheap accessory to be installed for me to make up for the inconvenience and costs I would have to incur (lost income and gas). The Sales Manager was not there (again) for approval of such a request. The mats made their way to the dealership the very next day and, instead of a meaningful apology, the Sales Manager was rude and would not admit any wrongdoing and did not approve the cheap accessory (which is fine). However, he refused to deliver the mats and would not even issue a refund. Effectively, they were too eager to take the money and then the customer can get stuffed. Hollow apologies mean nothing – not to mention the attitude and tone used. In fact, the Sales Manager got offended when I mentioned the fact that they were only too happy to take the money and not deliver, the response to which was that I was told to watch my tone!!! Seriously?!
Gas:
Apparently, it is VW policy (according to Ringwood VW) to hand over a new vehicle (that costs about $43.5k) to the customer with about half a tank of gas!!! Seriously?! The $50 to fill up the car properly would have broken VW’s bank?! Mind you, the car had a bit less than half a tank – so, it wasn’t even at the half mark!
Conclusion:
Customer service / after sales service at Ringwood VW really can do with some major reform as the way I was dealt with was absolutely appalling.
BEWARE of Ringwood VW. Any money you pay is gone. Do not pay for anything (not even a deposit) until you have everything you want right in front of you.
The complaint I made to VW Australia was met with ignorance and only focussed on the mats, to which they said: “your only option is to pick up the mats from the dealership”. None of the other issues were even touched upon. The only action they took was contact the dealership, only to re-iterate what the dealership was saying (mind you they took ages to respond). It’s as if I needed VW Australia to deliver a (slow) message to the dealership on my behalf! What a joke!!
Funny how Ringwood VW missed out on the sale of another new car for my wife and the regular servicing over the next 5 years of at least 2 cars. All of that for what would have added up to no more than $100-$150, not to mention actually providing the customer with a good experience. I always receive emails requesting feedback about the “Customer Experience” after a service, but I never received a feedback request after the sale.
The mats have been picked up and that concludes my dealings with that dealership for good despite having had no issues with the service department over the last 5 years. That is something the “New Car Sales” department can be thanked for.
While the cars themselves are alright, customer service plays a big role in buying a car. I cannot begin to image what I would have to go through for a warranty repair for example down the track!
The questions would be:
How would you suggest I proceed now that I have no pending business with them?
Any wording I should change before leaving a review on Google and Facebook?
In fact, should I post the above as a review to begin with?
Send an email or a letter to the dealer principal, and if there is a first complementary service, mention (to the service manager) that you won't be returning for the paid services due to the conduct of the sales team/manger. I'm sure if they are as good as you say there will be offers and enticements to get you back.
But we all know VW is king of throwing you under the bus when theres issues, they might even be pushing you off the curve(sic) at the same time bing in the drivers seat.