was having second thoughts about going Audi, so emailed two dealers re two different VRS petrol estates yesterday evening giving my full contact details including my mobile.

Not a peep !

I am seriously thinking about coming back to Skoda too

was having second thoughts about going Audi, so emailed two dealers re two different VRS petrol estates yesterday evening giving my full contact details including my mobile.

Not a peep !

I am seriously thinking about coming back to Skoda too

My advice is forget about the branding (i.e Audi v Skoda) and decide which is actually the best car to suit your needs (although this doesn't work if one of your needs is a premium badge).

That's what I did and the Octy VRs won hands down - it simply met more of my needs than any other car (I actually wanted a Golf GTI but needed more boot space).

Your needs will be different to mine I'm sure but the point is to see past the badge on the front but many people can't manage that.

Shame the dealers don't want to sell him one though.

Steve

Shame the dealers don't want to sell him one though.

Steve

E-mail is a waste of time. He should pick up the phone or go in person.

E-mail is a waste of time. He should pick up the phone or go in person.

Why is it ?

This was outside of opening hours and both the cars are over 100 miles away.

It was also via the skoda used car search and I received confirmation emails saying my enquiry had been passed to the dealers ?

I went into a dealer when I was thinking for changing cars from my my Fabia to an Octavia. Told them what sort of engine, trim level and colour I was interested in. Left my details and they had a stock clearance event the following week and a car that matched came in as a trade in. I'm still waiting for them to call me back. And they wonder why my family went to different dealers to get cars.

But your still better off going into the dealer though.

Why is it ?

This was outside of opening hours and both the cars are over 100 miles away.

It was also via the skoda used car search and I received confirmation emails saying my enquiry had been passed to the dealers ?

You've proved it was a waste of time by the fact you haven't had a response.

Pick up the phone my friend - it's good to talk - didn't you know?

Pick up the phone my friend - it's good to talk - didn't you know?

If you take your argument further, I guess its even better to visit a dealer in person.

I visited three dealers over two weeks ago. All took details and were going to get back to me. So far only one of them has.

Two were Ford dealers and one was a Skoda dealer. My point is that all brands have good and bad dealers.

In my case it was the Skoda dealer who got back, but no doubt others have had different experiences.

I visited three dealers over two weeks ago. All took details and were going to get back to me. So far only one of them has.

Oooh watcha after Andy? Is it for you or Katie?

When I was looking for my vRS, I emailed ALL the dealers in Scotland and the north of England leaving email address and phone numbers. Several got back and 1 in particular (Inverness dealer) spent quite a bit of time checking Skoda UK stock that matched what I wanted. Unfortunatly they were too expensive for me. Out of 20 I emailed only 5 got back in touch and some of them took a couple of days.

Steve

You've proved it was a waste of time by the fact you haven't had a response.

Pick up the phone my friend - it's good to talk - didn't you know?

I got my first Octy VRS II at a good price by haggling via email with a dealer - so that clearly wasn't a waste of time.

I got my first Octy VRS II at a good price by haggling via email with a dealer - so that clearly wasn't a waste of time.

Me too, but I did also email about 7 dealers and only one bothered to reply - that's the one I bought the car from. In this day and age, it is unforgivable for dealers not to be monitoring and responding to emails from prospective customers.

With most dealers only open during office hours during the week and busy at the weekends, it can be difficult to go through the negotiations on the phone when you are working also. Email also has the added bonus that you have everything in writing and you have consideration time so you don't agree to anything spur of the moment (maybe that's why the salesmen don't like it!).

yep, and it's easy to be 'brave' when haggling by email

As an ex car saleswoman, I can say that unless the dealer is frantically busy, or has the exact car you need and wants shot of it, face to face is best. When biuying, I beat ‘Drive the Deals’ prices by haggling with a few dealers face to face. It really is best as it shows commitment and that is what a seller looks for. Of course one or two people will get good internet/e-mail deals, but do visit the dealer when buying. After all you want to strike up a good relationship with one for when you need servicing, or warranty work doing. You would be surprised as to who does and who doesn’t get a loan car at short notice (or if you think about it, you wouldn’t be surprised)

I think this is reflected in the rest of life - some people are "email" people - others are not, it just doesn't occur to them how good it is compared with trying to get somebody [who is busy right] then on the phone.

I may be a lucky guy then, comparatively.

When I phoned the six local dealers with a spec for my car they all phoned me back the same day bar one. They phoned the following day.

They all seemed hungry for the sale but I did stress ont he inital call I was ready to purchase now.

Lee

E-mail is a waste of time. He should pick up the phone or go in person.

Thing is , it shouldn't be.

Plenty of people find it easier to make an initial enquiry by email - it's something I prefer - and these are customers that dealers are losing out on.

If they don't want people to use this method to contact them , then they shouldn't make it available.

It's just the same as having a phone number that nobody answers - utterly pointless.

Actually , thinking about it , that's something that plenty of dealers do anyway

As far as I can see, its a chicken and egg situation.

Most dealers are in the dark ages by sticking to the Monday-Friday 9-5 principal. This is completely alien to the society structure in which we live nowadays. Therefore, quite often, email is the only option open to folks anxious to contact their dealers. Those that can't/don't want/or just plain can't be bothered to get back to questioning emails, deserve to go out of business. I really have very little sympathy for them.

Well I phoned said dealer today at lunch time

"sorry sir all salesmen busy"

no phone call back !!!!! :thumbdwn:

I got my first Octy VRS II at a good price by haggling via email with a dealer - so that clearly wasn't a waste of time.

Well continue with your tried and trusted method then.

When I wanted to buy a 2.0 TDI Elegance Estate for cash money I was very ill so I wrote to five dealers in my area telling what I wanted and asking for a quotation for my business.

None of the five responded, well not quite true two did well over a month after my letter.

I went on line to four Brokers and inside 24 hours had a detailed response from all four.

The deal was done in 72 hours.

Franchised dealers are their own enemy, the times I have been told this or that punter is a waste of time only to see the time waster driving a new vehicle shortly afterwards.

The trade is still a very slow learner and going by Skoda UK they regard the customer as a pain in the **** and something to be ignored when ever possible.

I thinks it's a cultural thing. Email isn't stressed as being as important as other means of communication. If the manager or MD made email an equal priority it would get the attention it deserves. Also salesmen are luddites, and franchise IT is done on a shoestring and often doesn't work properly.

My Dad enquired about release dates for the Fabia estate via email. He had little luck with dealers or Skoda UK. Conversely Skoda SK replied to him in perfect English in less than 24hr.

No call back today either

If it was an enquiry about something completely random I could understand their apathy.

I basically left a detailed message with the guy who answered the call saying which car I was interested in, when I could pick it up, that I have no PX, that I have owned an octavia VRS before so knew what I'd be buying, and I was a cash buyer. I gave my mobile number and got the chap to read it back to me so I know he wrote it down properly.

No messages, no contact, nothing.

Thing is, as much as I like the look of the car they're selling, I really don't think I should have to chase them to hand over £10k+

No call back today either

If it was an enquiry about something completely random I could understand their apathy.

I basically left a detailed message with the guy who answered the call saying which car I was interested in, when I could pick it, that I have no PX, that I have owned an octavia VRS before so knew what I'd be buying, and I was a cash buyer. I gave my mobile number and got the chap to read it back to me so I know he wrote it down properly.

No messages, no contact, nothing.

Thing is, as much as I like the look of the car they're selling, I really don't think I should have to chase them to hand over £10k+

Have you tried emailing again?

Have you tried emailing again?

Er.... No