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Model specific boards => Golf mk6 => Topic started by: Radek on 17 August 2009, 21:25
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Hello everyone!
Have been reading the forum for a while now (during work obviously!) and finally decided to join.
I've got a GTI on order, carbon grey, 18", 5dr, DSG, plus eveything except leather seats and sunroof, ordered 11th July, build week 34 (yes, this week), delivery middle of Sept.
I'd like to ask those who have already picked up their cars and those who are getting there about the payment method.
Now, I want to pay the balance (£19000) with a debit card and my dealer says they need to have the "funds cleared" before collection (2-3 days) which seems a little strange to me as everyone I asked around has paid with their debit cards on the day of collection and there was never any problem with that. I paid for my previous car (£11200) with a Solo card and I just had a quick chat with the bank and that's it.
Is that normal for VW? Others dealers seem to be just fine with debit card payment on collection. There is no way I'm going to hand over the money without having inspected the car first!
Any thoughts?
Radek
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Debit card payment will be cleared funds mate, you should be fine, just tell the bank about the transaction beforehand to avoid the potentially embarressing phonecall!
Bet you can't wait?
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Sounds ridiculous to me - Inspect the car first, then pay.
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paid for mine by cheque myself...
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paid for mine by cheque myself...
Doubt that'll work in most places, a cheque aint cleared funds, or worth the paper it's written on if it exceeds the guarantee card amount
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Interesting. When I paid my deposit for the GTD, the dealer mentioned something about paying the balance when the car was ready, and then collecting it the next day. Seemed strange at the time as on the last two occasions I've paid the balance with my debit card and driven away the same day.
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I'd never pay before inspecting the car first....for my mk 5 I spent at least an hour going over it before paying by switch...same with the mk 6..only this time they said a cheque would be fine...but in both cases I took time to check it out first as much as I could..
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I'd never pay before inspecting the car first....for my mk 5 I spent at least an hour going over it before paying by switch...same with the mk 6..only this time they said a cheque would be fine...but in both cases I took time to check it out first as much as I could..
though isn't that why you have a warranty? anything wrong with it just take it back.
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For the simple reason that something like bodywork damage - a dent or scratch - can be picked up during a detailed customer inspection. Otherwise the dealer could claim that the damage was inflicted by the customer after collection.
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Cheers guys. I thought that debit cards are as safe as... well money transfers.
They probably want me to inspect the car, pay and then to come a couple of days later when the funds are safe in their accounts to pick it up. Which asks a question - what is the status of the car in these 2-3 days? is it mine or not? Is it insured or not? What if the dealer goes bust? It doesn't happen everyday but who knows... If they need the money so much!
AlanH is right - if there is a damage you could have spotted and should have spotted during inspection and you didn't you can't claim it later.
Consumer rights:
If it was the case that you were invited to carry out a thorough inspection of the car before purchase, and then you go back to complain about something which that inspection should have revealed, you will have no legal rights in that regard.
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fair point, will defo have a good look around the car when i get it. though an hour seems slightly OTT
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I'd never pay before inspecting the car first....for my mk 5 I spent at least an hour going over it before paying by switch...same with the mk 6..only this time they said a cheque would be fine...but in both cases I took time to check it out first as much as I could..
though isn't that why you have a warranty? anything wrong with it just take it back.
They are a bit like builders...once they have your money it's harder to get things sorted quickly and properly. If I'd found any issues, I'd have just walked away from the car as they didn't ask me for a deposit when I ordered mine :smiley:
Having said that, I've a mark 6 with an engine problem, in that it sometimes idles far too high. They hook it up to vagcom and it says all is fine....VW haven't heard of this before (standard answer). Now they want to take the car for a week and have someone drive about in it with a laptop connected..
...so check it out as much as you can before handing over your cash...hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a dog like mine :sad:
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A week :shocked: Worth making a careful note of the mileage before and after. And check for signs of sand in the boot. Sounds like someone's looking for a cheap holiday car for a week :smiley:
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Oh, there is no chance I'm leaving it with them for a week, for someone in the workshop to take home every night and rag the ass off it...to be honest, after 3 weeks of this nonsense and all the other issues I'd rather just try and get rid of it.
Going to ring the stealer today and see how much they will buy the car off me for....3 weeks old and 400 miles on it. They mentioned numerous times they have a waiting list for people wanting to order one so I'm sure they could shift the dog onto some other poor soul :wink:
the mk 6 is a great car if you get a good one, but I should have kept my mk5 GTI or gone down the BMW route after all....ahhhh...
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I cant believe some dealers are taking a cheque and then letting you walk out with a 22k car ! :shocked:
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How about a bank's cheque or debit card payment?
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well, other members of the family have bought cars from the same stealer...so I guess they are trusting..
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I paid for mine with a bankers draft, phoned bank the day before collection and popped in past on the morning of collection. No problems at all and no embarrasing phone calls and having to give pass words and what the last use of your card was for etc.
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I paid £22,000 on my debit card on the day i picked it up,no security checks or anything like that.
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Oh, there is no chance I'm leaving it with them for a week, for some loon in the workshop to take home every night and rag the ass off it...to be honest, after 3 weeks of this nonsense and all the other issues I'd rather just try and get rid of it.
Going to ring the stealer today and see how much they will buy the car off me for....3 weeks old and 400 miles on it. They mentioned numerous times they have a waiting list for people wanting to order one so I'm sure they could shift the dog onto some other poor soul :wink:
the mk 6 is a great car if you get a good one, but I should have kept my mk5 GTI or gone down the BMW route after all....ahhhh...
don't they do the 1,000 mile/ 1 month no questions exchange anymore? if it is a lemon they should do it anyway- don't take a trade price off them for a problem car
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I got an email from the dealer today saying that it's the group policy to have funds in their account before delivery. And they can not accept debit card payment on the day. And they are sorry for inconvenience:)
I replied saying it's my policy not to pay before inspection. We'll see how it goes. The only problem is they actually bought my previous car and I agreed they could keep it as deposit(£9200)....
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This wouldn't be a dealer based in Northampton/Kettering by any chance?
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Bedford but it's the same group I guess... :huh:
Anyway, I've just read the small print on the new vehicle order: The goods shall remain the property of the Seller until the price has been discharged in full. A cheque shall not be treated as a discharge until has been cleared.
Fair enough, cheques take time but the rest is fine.
Now I need to find out how to "discharge the price" with a debit card :)
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And they can not accept debit card payment on the day.
that sounds like bullsh1t to me, i paid my finance on my mk 5 off with my debit card and that was 15k - over the phone. debit/credit cards go through instantly - at most you will have to confirm it over the phone to your bank.
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Exactly what I've done with my last two cars - but given my bank a heads-up that a large sum would be leaving my account via debit card on collection day in case alarm bells started ringing.
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A quick update - the dealer said that on this occasion they will accept debit card payment so thumbs up to them for not turning it into an unpleasant experience.
Good service.
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I payed 24k on my debit card when I bought mine, no problems what so ever. To be honest I would be more worried about paying the money over before I got the car for the simple fact a lot of car dealers have gone bump! And then you will have to go through all the hassel of trying to get your money back.
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My dealer asked me for a bankers draft.
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My dealer asked me for a bankers draft.
I paid for mine by bankers draft. It's as good as cash and if something is wrong with the car, just rip up the draft!
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I'm surprised they prefer a bankers draft, what with forgeries... This has been brought up elsewhere for private sellers to beware of and as said an electronic payment can be verified on the spot. You also normally have to pay for a bankers draft.
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My dealer asked me for a bankers draft.
I paid for mine by bankers draft. It's as good as cash and if something is wrong with the car, just rip up the draft!
That's why in my group we don't accept them!
It is getting increasingly common practice for dealers to request payment a few days prior to collection. Although the money leaves your bank straight away, it doesn't land in the dealers bank straight away. We don't accept cheques at all and bankers drafts are accepted but we'll allow 5 working days to ensure it's not a fake. In my group we have recieved fake bank drafts so the policy is very rigid.
We occasionally do debit cards same day but only usually if we have dealt with the customer before and know that they are genuine. I won't reveal where I am in the UK but we do see some unsavouries around our way and for this reason we have to be very strict.
One thing we do always do however, is show the customer their new car at this payment visit to make sure they are happy. Almost a mini pre-handover if you will. This allows us to a) make sure there isn't any extras you want and b) make sure we haven't forgotton anything.
If you are concerned that once paying for your car, your dealer will then not care if the car is damaged or not worry about the handover, then I think you should use a different dealer. We are not all w4nkers.
VWmd
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That's an intresting point.
Some dealers make it sound as it is a safety issue but it seems to me (maybe just my personal experience) that it has more to do with forcing someone to take the delivery of a car. If you have paid your money and you don't have the car you are in a very difficult position to reject it if something is wrong with it. And I'm not saying a missing wheel but even a simple scratch. Is easier to motivate a dealer to fix your car before you've paid.
The dealer has your money and would probably refund it but I would bet it would take them the maximum allowed 30 days. Can you allow to be without a car and money?
There are ways to ensure a safe payment - go to the bank together and make a payment from one account to another. If you use CHAPS and you do it before 3.30PM the transfer is instant. Safe and sound.
In my case (that ended well, for what I'm really thankful to the dealer - thx guys) I wasn't told about the payment at any time when I placed the order. I learned it the hard way. But as far as I know the only legaly binding terms were these written on the back of the order form plus Sales of Goods Act. They didn't mention anything about payment before collection.
And there is a good reason for that - they would be considered unfair stright away by any court because they give unfair advantage to the Seller at the cost of the Buyer well beyond what is required to protect commercial interests.
"A term is unfair if:
Contrary to the requirement of good faith it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations under the contract, to the detriment of consumers.
'Good faith' means that traders must deal fairly and openly with you.
Although standard terms may be drafted to protect commercial needs, they must also take account of your interests and rights by going no further than is necessary to protect those legitimate commercial interests."
If I knew that no one is allowed to pay on the day that would be fine with me but knowing that it is possible with sums going into £25000 begged the question - if there are some who accept the payment why can't you?
That's my 2p
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A payment by debit card is the same as paying by cash, and is based on cleared funds. The transfer is immediate and the funds cannot be returned to the originating bank. That's a fact of life. As far as I'm concerned, when I walk into the dealership to pay the balance owing, and my card has been swiped, then I have every right to insist on driving away my new car.
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We make sure that our customers are completely aware that they need to pay early when they order the car. This raises any concerns/objections very early on. It isn't really fair for a dealer to not mention this until shortly before the car is due to be collected.
This removes the potential problem on the day such as that from AlanH (Above). At any of our dealerships, you wouldn't be taking your car that day. Crucially though, you would know that 3 or 4 months before hand....
It amazes me that in this day and age, there are still main dealers out there who jsut don't communicate with their customers.......
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It amazes me that in this day and age, there are still main dealers out there who jsut don't communicate with their customers.......
It doesn't amaze me. I am only going my own experience but I have used various different VW dealers over the years and only ONE gave service that I thought was acceptable (i.e. communicating with me and treating me decently!). Oh, and they let me pay by debit card when i collected the car and after I had inspected it (although the balance was only £11k).
If all the dealers gave the same standard of service as them (and you) then I wouldn't feel too concerned about paying in advance because I would have confidence that any issues would be dealt with in the correct manner.
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Sorry, but VWmaindealer's last post still doesn't explain satisfactorily why I should drive to my dealer, pay for my new car by debit card (the equivalent of paying by cash), drive home again, drive back to the dealer the next day and only then be allowed to take delivery. Not only is this a waste of my time and my petrol, but I don't see this policy being applied anywhere else within the retail environment. Consumers wouldn't accept traveling to Currys, PC World, John Lewis, the nearest Apple Store etc, paying for an item that was in stock, and then being told that they would have to return the following day to collect said item.
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You would be lucky is that was the next day! Payments take 3 working days (if you stick to the policy mentioned ealier).
If you pay on Friday the funds are transfered to another account on Tuesday the earliest so that'd the collection day.
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I presume that by pcp'ing it, I'll be able to drive away on the same day? Though I suppose there is the deposit I need to pay...
When I got my last car, debit cards were fine and I got the car straight away.
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A lot has changed regardin card fraud over the last few years and a large proportion of dealer groups are just covering themselves. A fraudulent transaction for £25000 has significantly more impact on a business than a £100 iPod at the Apple Store.
I'm not saying it's right/wrong/fair, I'm just explaining that this is what is happening.
Incidentally, from next year, Volkswagen is recommending to dealers that even if you finance your car with Volkswagen, funds will need to be transferred to the dealers account befire releasing the vehicle (three days).
We've turned the pre-collection visit into a positive though, we get all the paperwork out of the way, give the customers the book pack for the new car etc etc. We also double check all the paperwork for the part ex to make sure the customer hasn't forgotton anything etc.
Being absolutely honest, we don't have any customer complaints about them paying prior to handover BUT as I said earlier, this never comes as a surprise to our customers because we tell them when they order it. We also give them a timeline checklist which details what happens next. Order car, receive weekly updates, arrange insurance, come in and pay, collect car etc etc.
I am not high enough in my dealer groups food chain to contest the idea or change it. I just have to make the best of it. So far so good.
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Sounds like you've got your internal processess pretty well nailed down.
Perhaps i'll buy my next one from you...........
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I presume that by pcp'ing it, I'll be able to drive away on the same day? Though I suppose there is the deposit I need to pay...
When I got my last car, debit cards were fine and I got the car straight away.
yes this is correct. i am pcp'ing it (as i did with my mk5 gti) - pay the deposit on the day (debit card is fine) and away you go!
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Someone else pays the money for you so the dealer gets the whole amount. It's a loan basically.
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I presume that by pcp'ing it, I'll be able to drive away on the same day? Though I suppose there is the deposit I need to pay...
When I got my last car, debit cards were fine and I got the car straight away.
yes this is correct. i am pcp'ing it (as i did with my mk5 gti) - pay the deposit on the day (debit card is fine) and away you go!
In theory yes, but I would urge you to check your dealerships requirements. It does seem to vary from group to group. To avoid dissapointment, just call the business manager/sales executive and say that this is what you would like to do. We wouldn't have a problem with it but some larger PLC groups would.... :evil: