Letter to Simon Thomas

[matchboy]

Bear, what lead times have you been told by Elms for a new factory order?

[monkeyhanger]

These experiences with you guys are seriously putting me off buying another VW. I currently have a Scirocco that I am very pleased with, but I am eyeing up the Golf GTI seriously as my next car.

The more I read about the frustrations that you are having with VW, the less it makes me want to buy from them. It is a LOT of money, and it should be an exciting experience, you want to feel good about the whole thing, but it ends up being frustrating and stressful. This is not how it should be.

Yet BMW, to use Bear as an example here, are welcoming the opportunity to sell you a car and seemingly do all they can to encourage you into their showroom.

Is this down to supply and demand? They don't care about anyone as they know somebody will always be willing to buy. Customers may start voting with their feet though and going elsewhere if this continues.

I am very disappointed for you guys. 

I too have a Scirocco, and I will probably have had it a minimum of 3 months beyond expectations!
I have liked my Scirocco, but build quality doesn’t seem quite as good as I expect from a Golf, standard equipment levels on the GTI/GTD look great next to the Scirocco and performance/economy increases of the GTI and GTD over their predecessors are more than marginal.
If it wasn’t for the 1 series being incompatible due to my dislike of its looks I’d have considered putting my business their way. VW dealers are caught in the middle a bit too – they’re trying to sell something and are being let down by their supplier, and in the main they get the brunt of the customer’s wrath. They’re getting stuck with ever depreciating fixed p/x while the wait for the new car drags out.
I’m not that sympathetic with the dealer, they are in the best position to moan to VW and get noticed, I wonder how many of them are doing so and how soon VW will sit up and notice. The UK is the biggest new car market in the EU and VAG have quite a market share here. It’s about time they treated us like the golden goose that we are.
Standard Golf customers aren’t waiting daft lengths of time for their cars, so it seems like a self-manufactured issue affecting GTIs and GTDs. I do wonder whether VW think that by making us wait even longer, they are making the car more desirable, not less – much like those arsehole performers that make you wait hours beyond schedule for them to come on at a gig “because they can”.

[RobS23GTI]

Just one thing to note, the lead times on the M135i weren't great either when that first came out, so i'm sure it will even out with the GTI in time.

I know that's no consolation to those waiting though...

[Bill_the_Bear]

Bear, what lead times have you been told by Elms for a new factory order?

They said end September or Mid October.  That was a week ago though.  However, they don't want me in a factory order so I think this might improve when I tell them its the only option!  I'm currently getting two non local dealers to quote before going back to Elms so I can make sure I get the best deal.

A Birmingham dealer says they can adjust a slot they have for September build because they want the Q3 sales figures.  I can drive way before end of September.  Over at babybmw I've just been advised that if I can find a dealer with a September slot free I should be looking for a 19% discount. 

[matchboy]

Bear, what lead times have you been told by Elms for a new factory order?

They said end September or Mid October.  That was a week ago though.  However, they don't want me in a factory order so I think this might improve when I tell them its the only option!  I'm currently getting two non local dealers to quote before going back to Elms so I can make sure I get the best deal.

A Birmingham dealer says they can adjust a slot they have for September build because they want the Q3 sales figures.  I can drive way before end of September.  Over at babybmw I've just been advised that if I can find a dealer with a September slot free I should be looking for a 19% discount. 

Bl0ody hell, that's amazing - rip their arms off!  I hope you can find one, that is an excellent discount!!

[mk7gti]

Get on it Bear I know from a reliable source BMW car sales have dropped off big style in the UK. Audi are destroying them in the volumes game. Ask for 25%

[JJH]

These experiences with you guys are seriously putting me off buying another VW. I currently have a Scirocco that I am very pleased with, but I am eyeing up the Golf GTI seriously as my next car.

The more I read about the frustrations that you are having with VW, the less it makes me want to buy from them. It is a LOT of money, and it should be an exciting experience, you want to feel good about the whole thing, but it ends up being frustrating and stressful. This is not how it should be.

Yet BMW, to use Bear as an example here, are welcoming the opportunity to sell you a car and seemingly do all they can to encourage you into their showroom.

Is this down to supply and demand? They don't care about anyone as they know somebody will always be willing to buy. Customers may start voting with their feet though and going elsewhere if this continues.

I am very disappointed for you guys. 

I too have a Scirocco, and I will probably have had it a minimum of 3 months beyond expectations!
I have liked my Scirocco, but build quality doesn’t seem quite as good as I expect from a Golf, standard equipment levels on the GTI/GTD look great next to the Scirocco and performance/economy increases of the GTI and GTD over their predecessors are more than marginal.
If it wasn’t for the 1 series being incompatible due to my dislike of its looks I’d have considered putting my business their way. VW dealers are caught in the middle a bit too – they’re trying to sell something and are being let down by their supplier, and in the main they get the brunt of the customer’s wrath. They’re getting stuck with ever depreciating fixed p/x while the wait for the new car drags out.
I’m not that sympathetic with the dealer, they are in the best position to moan to VW and get noticed, I wonder how many of them are doing so and how soon VW will sit up and notice. The UK is the biggest new car market in the EU and VAG have quite a market share here. It’s about time they treated us like the golden goose that we are.
Standard Golf customers aren’t waiting daft lengths of time for their cars, so it seems like a self-manufactured issue affecting GTIs and GTDs. I do wonder whether VW think that by making us wait even longer, they are making the car more desirable, not less – much like those arsehole performers that make you wait hours beyond schedule for them to come on at a gig “because they can”.

Is the largest new car market in the EU not Germany by quite some distance ?

Shame to read of so many cancellers ....if your car is being built in the next week or so and after waiting so long already it seems a dam shame to switch. I waited 12 months last time round and glad I  persevered.

[Sootchucker]

Actually I read recently that for the 1st half of 2013 for VAG group, the UK was 1.5% ahead of new car registration budget, where as Germany had nose dived to a fall of 9.1% off predictions. The rest of Europe is fairing even worse, so whilst Germany may be the largest market by sheer volume, it's shrinking where as the UK is expanding (albeit slightly).

So I agree with MH, as one of the only expanding markets in Europe, VW Germany should treat us much better than they bloody well do !

[Bill_the_Bear]

Shame to read of so many cancellers ....if your car is being built in the next week or so and after waiting so long already it seems a dam shame to switch. I waited 12 months last time round and glad I  persevered.

For a lot of us I don't think it is down to the absolute delay remaining any more!  For me it is partly this but more down to a loss of excitement about the GTI due to the disappointment with the process and that I feel badly treated by VW.  At best they have misled, withheld information and been rude and dismissive.  At worst they've lied.  The distinction between lying and misleading is effectively intent and I don't know their intent so...

The final thing is that the GTI is actually not good value for money, though different specs will be very different and I did put things like leather, PP, ACC, sunroof which don't help.  In any case for my spec the price became unpleasant as soon as the excitement evaporated.

[Sootchucker]

Bear, to be honest, if the wife had let me, I'd have already been in a M135 as I tested one in Jan this year and loved it, but the wife said no, and to be fair the dealer actually said there was a new model (facelift ?) for the entire 1 series range coming around end of 2013 / early 2014 which sort of put me off as well, as the new one might be better looking ?

But ultimately you have to go where you heart leads you, and in your particular circumstances, it seems the right thing for you so go for it.