September

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sat 1 Aug 2020 10:13
September - mcb100

If anyone is out car hunting this weekend or in the near future, please do yourself and the dealer a favour and make an appointment in advance. A large number of sales execs, and service advisors, have been hit with redundancy instead of being brought back from furlough, which means that staff headcount is down.

Add to that the requirement to sanitise cars on a regular basis, it would seem a shame to turn up to view new cars and not have someone available to assist you.

If you're looking at used cars, always check the dealer's own website once you've found a car on Autotrader or Motors, that will be the most up to date if the car sells. And if you're offered chance to reserve a car for a nominal fee, take it. Used cars are selling very quickly at the moment.

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 16:21
Visiting dealers - Avant

Good advice, MCB.

Personally if I want to arrange a test drive I always either ring in advance or fill in a request on the manufacturer's website and have the dealer ring me. That seems to act as confirmation to them that your interest is genuine. Then when you turn up someone is expecting to see you.

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 17:58
Visiting dealers - veloceman
I get where you coming from but we were passing a ford dealer on Monday. Just wondered in to have a look at the new Puma.
Offered us a great deal and we bought there and then. Ok we were semi interested but not enough to book in advance.
Collected car yesterday and what a fantastic car it is.
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Sat 1 Aug 2020 18:25
Visiting dealers - Andrew-T
I get where you coming from but we were passing a ford dealer on Monday. Just wondered in to have a look at the new Puma. Offered us a great deal and we bought there and then. OK we were semi interested but not enough to book in advance. Collected car yesterday and what a fantastic car it is.

How nice it must be to just impulse-buy a new car .... :-)

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 18:27
Visiting dealers - _

How nice it must be to just impulse-buy a new car .... :-)

Have done it and regretted it !!!

Buying my Lotus back in 1987...

Edited by _ORB_ on 01/08/2020 at 18:28

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 18:49
Visiting dealers - veloceman
Not strictly impulse. Had been thinking about it.
We tried our local dealer who Didn’t have much to show us so gave up for a bit.
We were in York and the guys were really helpful and had one in stock.
My main point if we had to book we wouldn’t have gone.
My motto is work hard play hard.
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Sat 1 Aug 2020 19:06
Visiting dealers - _
Not strictly impulse. Had been thinking about it. We tried our local dealer who Didn’t have much to show us so gave up for a bit. We were in York and the guys were really helpful and had one in stock. My main point if we had to book we wouldn’t have gone. My motto is work hard play hard.

Enjoy.. Lovely looking car in the flesh.

Tell us how you find the seats, for future reference.

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 19:25
Visiting dealers - mcb100
No dealer is going to turn you away, assuming they’ve got time between pre-booked appointments.

Whilst I’m waiting for my own job to come back, post pandemic, I’m working on the Live Chat facility of a major dealer group, handling enquires whilst it can be difficult to get through on the phone, and the stated advice is always to appoint people in order to ensure there’s somebody available to see them and that the relevant car is sanitised. Aircon bombs seem to be being used regularly.

My point about Autotrader and Motors is that people are messaging about car x, which is still on AT, but has now disappeared off the group’s website as it has sold. If you see a used car for sale on Saturday, don’t expect it to be there on Thursday when you turn up for your appointment. If, however, there is the potential to take it off the market for a refundable fee, that has to be worth it.
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Sat 1 Aug 2020 19:40
Visiting dealers - Big John

Have done it and regretted it !!!

Buying my Lotus back in 1987...

"Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious"

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 19:53
Visiting dealers - _

Lots Of Terminal Up Sets.

The guy who bought it from me (cheaply) ran it for a year and then it sat in his garage for about 20 years.. don't know what happened to it since

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 20:01
Visiting dealers - veloceman
Standard titanium seats were average at best.
ST LineX are excellent.
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Sat 1 Aug 2020 21:10
Visiting dealers - Will deBeast

A smart looking car pulled up behind me at the fuel station today. I had to go and look at the back to see the model - it was the new puma.

Very stylish.

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 21:14
Visiting dealers - dan86

A smart looking car pulled up behind me at the fuel station today. I had to go and look at the back to see the model - it was the new puma.

Very stylish.

Just my personal opinion but the car makes me think of a hipo I also think the BMW Z4 looks like a shark so may be it's ust me.

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Sat 1 Aug 2020 21:42
Visiting dealers - veloceman
To be honest I’m not a ford person. It was for my other half who’s had a couple of Fiestas both of which impressed me.
She’s had an Arona FR for nearly 3 years which has been a good car but looks a bit frumpy next to the puma.
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