Motorhome Dealers, do they really want my business? (1 Viewer)

[MichaelT]

We are just in the process of hopefully buying our first M/H after caravanning for 16 years. We have narrowed down the model we we want only problem is there are only 2 dealers in the UK. So trying to get them to give us a price by email of a van with some extras we want added/fitted is seemingly impossible.

I have to keep chasing them and they do not seem to want to email anything at all. I do not have the time to keep visiting as they are both 3 hours drive away and am busy in the day so sitting on a phone all day is not possible.

Anyone else has this problem, we need the base price so we can start serious negotiations and want get an order in as build is not till next year.

Are all dealers like this, only want to give you a price in person?

 

[Jim]

If they are not answering your emails when you want to buy from them. Imagine the responses, you'll get (not) should something go wrong after a sale!

 

[MichaelT]

One of them is one of the largest dealers in the UK, but I think I got a duff salesman as he did not even know how much a Truma hotwater system held!

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[MichaelT]

Spoke too soon unless one dealer is watching this forum, just had a reply this minute.

 

[mariner]

One of them is one of the largest dealers in the UK, but I think I got a duff salesman as he did not even know how much a Truma hotwater system held!

Just another reason to look elsewhere

 

[DBK]

Don't begin with a letter B do they?

But however they are spelt use the search facility on here to see if there are any comments about them. Except being read-only I'm not sure you will be able to use the search which might be a good excuse to sign up here as the consequences of buying from a poor dealer could be dire.

Also worth searching on here for the MH you are planning to buy.

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[Minxy]

Are you after a brand new out model? ... if not don't restrict yourself to just the 2 dealers.

 

[Big Nick]

Lots will so try some others?

I got numerous prices emailed to me and ultimately bought from the one who quoted the cheapest price by a country mile

People say buy local but I bought from the 3rd nearest dealer to me (110 miles away opposed to 25 and 50) as £5k cheaper buys a lot of diesel for going the extra miles needed for the round trip!!

 

[Robert Clark]

What brand are you considering?

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[Cal54]

You can always approach a reputable dealer and ask if they could source the vehicle you want. My 'local' has always said they would try to assist, however I have bought from them in the past, on more than one occasion!!

 

[Enword]

Some are strange, a few years back we went to paignton to look, Asked if we could have a couple of MH unlocked to have a look around, But I felt because we had turned up in a older small car they had little interest in us, so we had a look. We went away & bought else where. My advice to some dealers never make an assumption about customers!!

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

What you wear on your back and what you turn up in bears no relation to whats in your wallet !

Try phoning us or email

Peter

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[steviebouy]

Was looking to buy a new car in the early eighties (a Metro Turbo) and called into a local Rover dealer mid week in my scruffy working clothes. Came out with a one page brochure and a flea in my ear. I subsequently bought from a dealer nearer home, this was when there was a Rover dealer every five miles, but still keep my dirty clothes to "test" dealers with.
Steve
PS No comments on my choice of car please - it was a cracker and lasted until the family outgrew it. Changed to Rover Vitesse. Now drive German!!

 

[pigginchilli]

What you wear on your back and what you turn up in bears no relation to whats in your wallet !

Try phoning us or email

Peter

Don't agree, tyne valley motorhomes could have had a sale with us, mind you all dealers in the north east think you have no money unless you fit in the norm category looks wise, we bought from preston caravans from a nice chap called Richard who didn't patronige us as if we were peasants, Test drive after I looked around the van for at least 2 hours and asked loads of questions, we went away to think to walk our dogs, Richard seems totally surprised when we went back, He said 99% of people looking at an older van like ours are time wasters. we are so happy with our van and it does everything we need.

 

[DanielFord]

PS No comments on my choice of car please - it was a cracker and lasted until the family outgrew it. Changed to Rover Vitesse. Now drive German!!

I feel I must comment on your choice of car, I SERIOUSLY wanted one of those in the 80's but having just passed my test, insuring a turbo charged car was totally out of the question. Actually, they are a fairly excellent piece of engineering, the tried and tested 1375 A-Series with a turbo charger, simple to maintain and went like a rocket. Sadly most of them went like rockets into ditches!

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[gus-lopez]

[

I feel I must comment on your choice of car, I SERIOUSLY wanted one of those in the 80's but having just passed my test, insuring a turbo charged car was totally out of the question. Actually, they are a fairly excellent piece of engineering, the tried and tested 1375 A-Series with a turbo charger, simple to maintain and went like a rocket. Sadly most of them went like rockets into ditches!

Yes lovely car . I had one second hand & eventually traded it for an xr2. Didn't have the same grin factor. When I eventually bought an Fiesta Rs turbo , now that did.

 

[MattR]

We are just in the process of hopefully buying our first M/H after caravanning for 16 years. We have narrowed down the model we we want only problem is there are only 2 dealers in the UK. So trying to get them to give us a price by email of a van with some extras we want added/fitted is seemingly impossible.

I have to keep chasing them and they do not seem to want to email anything at all. I do not have the time to keep visiting as they are both 3 hours drive away and am busy in the day so sitting on a phone all day is not possible.

Anyone else has this problem, we need the base price so we can start serious negotiations and want get an order in as build is not till next year.

Are all dealers like this, only want to give you a price in person?

When you sign up, I'll be able to give you another reason why that company might not be ideal for you

 

[MichaelT]

When you sign up, I'll be able to give you another reason why that company might not be ideal for you

OK I am now signed up, didn't realise you had to pay. What company are you talking about?

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[MichaelT]

Since this post the dealer has got in touch, he was out of the office hence the delay so all is fine but the other one has not contacted us!

So we are looking at a knaus sky ti and they only have 2 dealers in the UK. We want a new one not used so we are stuck. We have looked at several makes and are looking at a couple more tomorrow but so far the knaus is ticking most of our boxes on the wish list.

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN as you will soon find this is the best forum on the net and you will receive your annual subscription back in advice. As you are finding some dealers in the UK are, to say the least, slow in their responce to potential big money enquirers. Hope you get the van of your dreams.

 

[Photo4x4]

Yes it does make you wonder, especially as most salesmen are on commission! I wonder what their boss/manager would think.

Four years ago I was changing my vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, for a 4x4 truck. One Saturday morning I drove into a Ford dealer in the Jeep which was just under two years old and is not a cheap vehicle, and yes I was tidily dressed.

I mooched about the showroom for about 10 minutes trying to attract the attention of a salesman, all of whom seemed to be on the telephone.

Eventually I managed to get the attention of a person in a suit. I told him that I was interested in a brand new Ford Ranger truck, I wanted an automatic gearbox, leather seats, climate control, cruise control etc. Now we are talking at a motor costing over £30,000 here, so a good slice of commission for the salesman.

He told me that the commercial vehicle salesmen did not work on Saturdays and gave me the card of one of them and told ME to telephone on Monday!

Well, I went straight over the road to the Mitsubishi dealer and purchased an L200 Barbarian with all the toys that I had asked for. So the Ford dealership lost a £30,000 + sale and the salesman lost his commission!

By the way the Barbarian is a great motor, I just love it and still have it.

It does make you think that they don't want your business. As has been said if they are like that when they are selling the vehicle what would they be like if you need after sales service?

KH

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[Judge Mental]

Yes it does make you wonder, especially as most salesmen are on commission! I wonder what their boss/manager would think.

Four years ago I was changing my vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, for a 4x4 truck. One Saturday morning I drove into a Ford dealer in the Jeep which was just under two years old and is not a cheap vehicle, and yes I was tidily dressed.

I mooched about the showroom for about 10 minutes trying to attract the attention of a salesman, all of whom seemed to be on the telephone.

Eventually I managed to get the attention of a person in a suit. I told him that I was interested in a brand new Ford Ranger truck, I wanted an automatic gearbox, leather seats, climate control, cruise control etc. Now we are talking at a motor costing over £30,000 here, so a good slice of commission for the salesman.

He told me that the commercial vehicle salesmen did not work on Saturdays and gave me the card of one of them and told ME to telephone on Monday!

Well, I went straight over the road to the Mitsubishi dealer and purchased an L200 Barbarian with all the toys that I had asked for. So the Ford dealership lost a £30,000 + sale and the salesman lost his commission!

By the way the Barbarian is a great motor, I just love it and still have it.

It does make you think that they don't want your business. As has been said if they are like that when they are selling the vehicle what would they be like if you need after sales service?

KH

I used to import my Mitsubishi from Cyprus at near half the price...

 

[DBK]

Since this post the dealer has got in touch, he was out of the office hence the delay so all is fine but the other one has not contacted us!

So we are looking at a knaus sky ti and they only have 2 dealers in the UK. We want a new one not used so we are stuck. We have looked at several makes and are looking at a couple more tomorrow but so far the knaus is ticking most of our boxes on the wish list.

You might want to check what the vehicle would cost if you bought it in say Belgium. Quite a few on here have bought new in Europe and saved a lot of money. It would mean LHD but that isn't a disadvantage if you intend to use the vehicle in motorhome-friendly Europe.

 

[MichaelT]

I think for the first one we will buy here and get a rhd model. Maybe look abroad next time once we know what's what.

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[Gizmouk]

Was looking to buy a new car in the early eighties (a Metro Turbo) and called into a local Rover dealer mid week in my scruffy working clothes. Came out with a one page brochure and a flea in my ear. I subsequently bought from a dealer nearer home, this was when there was a Rover dealer every five miles, but still keep my dirty clothes to "test" dealers with.
Steve
PS No comments on my choice of car please - it was a cracker and lasted until the family outgrew it. Changed to Rover Vitesse. Now drive German!!

I had the Montego Turbo. Great fun to drive - in the dry. But on a wet bend - you learn how strong the muscles were in your backside

 

[Charlie]

What you wear on your back and what you turn up in bears no relation to whats in your wallet !

Try phoning us or email

Peter

Absolutely spot on ! As an advid weekend worker and tinkerer around the house and workshop I often go to look at vehicles in my "working" come knock about gear. Why should I get changed from me comfys to go and look at cars. I have been fortunate enough to have owned some high end cars and always pay cash for them. I go as Im dressed which for the reasons above is usually bloody scruffy. But I go to buy not to arse around. Well said that man !!

 

[Steve and Kat]

I feel I must comment on your choice of car, I SERIOUSLY wanted one of those in the 80's but having just passed my test, insuring a turbo charged car was totally out of the question. Actually, they are a fairly excellent piece of engineering, the tried and tested 1375 A-Series with a turbo charger, simple to maintain and went like a rocket. Sadly most of them went like rockets into ditches!

I too had a Metro Turbo D55TAM (if it’s still kicking about), great little car for it’s time, go kart handling and reasonable acceleration... Started to rust so moved on... Worth a lot of money now..

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[Steve and Kat]

Hi and welcome to FUN as you will soon find this is the best forum on the net and you will receive your annual subscription back in advice. As you are finding some dealers in the UK are, to say the least, slow in their responce to potential big money enquirers. Hope you get the van of your dreams.

Agreed. We saw many dealers and got very good offers. We chose our A-Trail as the vehicle we wanted and then went about getting the best deal.. In the end it saved us almost £8k...

 

[Gromett]

I had the same issue as some of you. I didn't look the part when I went into a merc dealer to buy an SLK that day.
They treated me like crap. I had travelled quite a way so went over the road to have a nose at the Chrysler dealership out of curiousity.
Ended up buying a new Crossfire which is based on the same chassis. Got it within a month of them being released in the UK.
If I was ever buying a car again I would go to a Chrysler dealer. They treated me like royalty and the after sales service was superb.

 

[The Wino]

Years ago someone I worked with had a friend same thing happened went to look at a Jag dressed scruffy got the brush off went elsewhere treated well bought it. Then went back to show it to the first salesmann....wish I had seen his face.