How can I tell if my Dealer has reallocated my Car ?

[jaxx]

Heres the story :
Ordered in early Auguest, got the commission number s few weeks later and given a delivery date of early November.
I called the VW Contact Center with the comm no., and they too confirmed the above details.

I followed up twice more with the Contact Center, with the latest being a few weeks ago when I was told that car was being shipped, docking early November.

Forward wind to last Monday - call my dealer - confirm that vehicle has docked, and awaiting customs cleareance (a week or so).

Today, after more pestering on a status update, I get a call from my saleslady, telling me that they made a mistake with the commission number, and that my vehicle is only landing late November - this was after months of confirming commission numbers, status, etc. Her explanation is that their logistics controller made a mistake, and the original commission number was not for my order. However the vehicle associated with the orig. comm no. has landed.

Her story was inconsitant, at first the old commission number was for a vehicle different from mine, then same spec/colorr but DSG, as so on. Thing is I told her early on I would be confirming her dates with VW directly, so she couldnt fake a delay.

I called VW once again, asking them to confirm the spec / color of my original commission number.
They werent sure if they could, but would look into it.
If this matches my order, then my dealer has reallocated my car.

How can I prove that this is indeed the case (assuming the CC can give me more info), and what can i do about it ?

After waiting for 3 months, and putting down a deposit, I feel cheated.
I know its only another 3 weeks, but whos to say that this story wont change closer to the time.
If I walk away, there goes my deposit.

Any advice please ? Im f#$&*^@ peeved!

Edit to Add : Also just confirmed that the New Commission number does not match my spec either. 

[Egbutt Wash]

Datsun did this with me.
Turned out my car had arrived on time but was damaged in unloading.
They needed the extra time to replace and paint the drivers door.
That door was a sheet of rust after a couple of years.

Car salesmen don't have their reputation for nothing.

[jaxx]

Thanks Egbert.

Just confirmed that both the original commission number and the new comm. no. do not match my order.
Original is a DSG without PDC and Dynaudio, new is without PDC and Dynaudio.

Im speechless.

[mac7]

I think the problem is deeper than car sales people with not enough info trying to give a coherent answer. It is more than poor customer service (and doesn't excuse it) and it involves some of us, as new car buyers. Jaxx, this is not aimed personally at you.

The car manufacturers, like many businesses, are having to operate in a different way to pre-recession times. Their production plants, procedures, suppliers, shipping agents, etc are all geared up for 1000 cars a day rolling of the line (or what ever the number is) and now it's only 100 cars a day.

In the mean time suppliers have gone bust, shipping companies have mothballed half their fleet, people have been laid off, skills and knowledge have been lost and everything got more expensive. It was all humming along happily and now it has changed. It'll come back again but just for the moment there will be more mistakes, information errors, misbuilds and disruption than anyone is used to.

Inevitably this will mean disgruntled customers who are unaware of these kinds of problems and don't care anyway. Our new cars are not a fridge, or a mobile phone, or an ipod. They are highly complex machines built from thousands of parts made by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world who have been disrupted just like those of us who have to wait an extra month or two for our shiney new car. Or more so, since we can still afford to buy a new car whilst they sit at home in the cold with no heating, no money and no prospect of that changing any time soon.

Do you seriously think businesses and individuals want to make mistakes, damage their reputations or have to tell an irksome and irate man opposite them that his new car is delayed? The answer is no. So we have to drive last years model for a few extra months - boo hoo. Suck it up or buy one from stock.

And be tolerant. The world has been through a great deal of disruption of late. It'll take some time to get close to having back the smooth running consumer monster we all so took for granted.

In my humble opinion.

[R32UK]

Did you get any discount on the car jaxx??

[jaxx]

Not taken personally mac7.
But in my personal situation, I ordered my car to Spec on the 3rd of August this year.
I ordered a manual, PDC, S/R, Dynaudio, Xenon.

Nobody bothered to check my order, until this morning (even though Ive been following up with them on an almost forthnightly basis), and only because I was expecting to take delivery this weekend.
This week they 'received' a DSG,  S/R, RCD510, Xenon.
In 3 weeks time I can have a car, but without PDC and Dynaudio.

Why should consumers accept this type of service? If anything, during tough times, businesses should look to improving service to retain customers.

Im sorry, but I wont be surprised if dealers that cannot get the fundamentals of their business right go bust, and it wont be the fault of the recession.

[jaxx]

Did you get any discount on the car jaxx??

Hey,

Yes I did - just under 5%.
But the sad thing is I had another dealer down the road from my office willing to match that offer, with the same lead times.
Just called him - he ordered my spec in any case (back in August when I was enquiring), and delivered it two weeks ago

The only reason I went with my current saleslady was that she offered me the discount 1st, and I felt like I owed it to her to give her the business (even though she is based 50kms from my office, and out of my way). Never again.

I know there are bigger issues in life, but the dissapointment still hurts.
 

[Snoopy]

You may find the dealer is trying to cover a mistake at there end and they missed off something from your order. Or VW made a build error so the dealer is trying to cover it up. Or somethings happened in transit and they don't want you to have that damaged car.
IMO If i was you i would think myself luckie that ordering in August your actually going to get a car this year. Most other August orders have been delayed till next years build weeks.

[jaxx]

You may find the dealer is trying to cover a mistake at there end and they missed off something from your order. Or VW made a build error so the dealer is trying to cover it up. Or somethings happened in transit and they don't want you to have that damaged car.
IMO If i was you i would think myself luckie that ordering in August your actually going to get a car this year. Most other August orders have been delayed till next years build weeks.

If I could have the car that I ordered before the end of the year, I wouldnt be making such a fuss.
I now either have to accept whatever spec they can offer me, or start afresh which means another 3-4 month wait.

I just know that if I take the one without PDC and Dynaudio, Ill regret it a few months down the line.
I dont buy cars very often ( my last was a GTI in 2001), so this is a big deal for me.

[Snoopy]

Sorry i took it from
"Today, after more pestering on a status update, I get a call from my saleslady, telling me that they made a mistake with the commission number, and that my vehicle is only landing late November"

That this one was going to be your spec, I misunderstood the link between the two posts.

Build errors do happen all the time and i think this is maybe whats happened. Not thats any help but i do understand were your coming from. But i think you maybe reading more into it than there is. I think She has either a)made a mistake ordering it (often happens). b)VW has made a build error (often happens.)