ED30 has arrived with wrong gearbox

[Jay B]

Got a call from the dealer saying my car had arrived and for me to pop down to have a look over it if i wanted. Of course I took them up on it and went in. When I got there they said its had its PDI and the only problem was that the sat nav was in german and they would get the correct software for it, so that was fair enough. Got to the car and it looked great, the salesman had'nt got the keys so I just looked through the window and to my horror I saw the manual gear stick  . The salesmans face dropped when I pointed it out to him. They had had the car for 3 days and even done the PDI without realising it wasnt DSG.
They are saying its the VW factories fault as the order went throu with DSG. It amazes me how it got this far without someone picking up on it. They are going to update me on monday and reckon they will get me my car for the 1st of March but I really can't see that happening. Dont know what to do if i've got to wait a couple of months again.

[Andy B]

The salesmans face dropped when I pointed it out to him. They had had the car for 3 days and even done the PDI without realising it wasnt DSG.

So they manage to get this wrong...

They are saying its the VW factories fault as the order went throu with DSG. It amazes me how it got this far without someone picking up on it. They are going to update me on monday and reckon they will get me my car for the 1st of March but I really can't see that happening. Dont know what to do if i've got to wait a couple of months again.

..then claim the mistake couldn't have been theirs?

 

That's a funny one.

My ED30 had an option missing, but luckily, it was just the buttons on the steering wheel, and in the end, I didn't miss not having them. Needless to say, despite the dealer not owning up, I finally got them to accept they'd boobed.

I ordered DSG, and there's no way I would have accepted the car without it.

Get them to write to you to confirm that the error was VW's and not yours. I'm sure they'll soon own up. Ask to see their factory order. If they can prove that it *is* VW's fault, then get them to contact VW and prioritise a build for you - it shouldn't be a big deal.

On NO account accept a car which is substantially different from what you ordered - and a wrong gearbox is *definitely* a substantial difference.

In the meantime, if you've transferred the money to them, get them to return it!

What's the point of ordering a new car unless you can choose what you want?

Very sorry for you, Jay - hope you sort it soon.

[Hurdy]

I really feel for you Jay

I simply cannot believe that VW would leave off such an important option.

The fact that they are saying that they can get another one exactly like yours with all the options and the DSG gearbox in the colour you want within a month is bordering on madness....err no!....it is madness

By all means place a re-order with them if you want to, but if you do, I'd haggle a little more and even get them to agree to something like a £100 a day late contract   That would test them

In the meantime any money that has gone into their bank should be refunded to you.

[Jay B]

Thanx Andy

They accept that I ordered a DSG so no problem there. I've checked the 'details of vehicle being ordered' form and although it doesn't mention DSG the price of the car is the DSG model. This could be where its gone wrong.

I definitely wont accept the manual car as you say, its a significant difference and the DSG was a big factor in buying the car.

How long realistically do you think VW can turn a car round and deliver it to a dealer?

Cheers
Jay

[Jay B]

I really feel for you Jay

I simply cannot believe that VW would leave off such an important option.

The fact that they are saying that they can get another one exactly like yours with all the options and the DSG gearbox in the colour you want within a month is bordering on madness....err no!....it is madness

By all means place a re-order with them if you want to, but if you do, I'd haggle a little more and even get them to agree to something like a £100 a day late contract   That would test them



In the meantime any money that has gone into their bank should be refunded to you.

thanx

I was totally shocked too

A re order is probably the only option, but I want to get what I can out of them first.

The only money that has changed hands so far is the deposit thankfully. If I decide against a re order I guess I would have a good case to get that back.

[Peskarik]

What kind of putzes for dealers do you have in GB? 

Manual is not as bad as you may think.
You know what pulls the new CLK 63 AMG Black Series down? Not having a manual!
"It's not that the AMG Speedshift seven-speed unit isn't a smooth or quick enough shifter; it's just that it's an automatic and we think that, in a car this focussed, people will want to shift gears themselves with a proper stick and clutch pedal."

For me same goes for E30.

[Golfgirl]

Get them to give you the DSG for nothing on the new order.  That's the least they could do!

[Jay B]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Get them to give you the DSG for nothing on the new order.  That's the least they could do!

That would be a result.

They are calling VW tomorrow, so should know more on what they are willing to/can do.

Will keep you posted

Cheers
Jay

[Andy B]

How long realistically do you think VW can turn a car round and deliver it to a dealer?

Hi Jay,

Well, theoretically, they should be able to simply bump your order up the waiting list to the top. I don't know how late a dealership can alter the spec of a car approaching the build date, but if it's a few weeks, then I'm sure VW could simply sort something out.

Given that this sort of thing must happen occasionally, they must have a mechanism in practice to sort out customer service failures of this type from their official dealer network.

I would only be happy with a further 4 week delay if they made it worth your while in some way. After all, they wouldn't have got your business at all if you'd known they'd screw up your order.

To be honest, I think these sorts of errors are inexcusable. In today's world, it should be straightfoward to communicate without error the wishes of the customer to the factory.

The next time I buy a new car, I'll be asking for a copy of the build order to VW so I have the peace of mind that the dealers ordered what I asked for. A copy of the legal agreement you get when you put a deposit down isn't sufficient, as this document isn't what goes to the factory.

Anyway - keep us informed.

[Andy B]

Get them to give you the DSG for nothing on the new order.  That's the least they could do!

Yes, that would sweeten me for a month.

 

Definitely a good thing to ask for. VW will be mindful of the fact that if you don't come away from this episode feeling that your grievance was sorted, it'll be on your mind next time you come to replace your car... It is in VW's interests to ensure you don't get put off their brand (or their sub brands :-) )