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Daves Jaguar Pages :: General Jaguar :: Dealerships :: Stratstone's Manchester

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Topic: Stratstone's Manchester (Read 516 times)

Pete
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Stratstone's Manchester
« Thread Started on May 6, 2005, 11:56am »

I'll try and keep to the facts here, but I'm seething with my treatment, so forgive me if I veer off in a rant...

My car, which I bought just over 2 months ago and have done just over 1k miles in, had it's 20k service today. When bought, the car was previously owned by Jaguar, so I was told that as far as Jaguar were concerned, it was a NEW car - and my ownership was to be conducted on that level.

During the buying process, I asked if Jaguar finance incurred any fees, as if it did, I would go elsewhere as I had several offers of finance at extremely competitive rates. I was told that there were no fees and so went down that road as it was more convenient - if a little more expensive. You can imagine my disgust at finding that there were indeed a signing on AND a signing off fee for Jaguar finance - I was outraged. After complaining at this, I was promised either a letter waving these fees, or "a little something" when I had my first service - this service was to be complimentary as the purchase date and service date were sufficiently close, but not close enough to have the service done before delivery - I hope that is clear.

Anyway, the finance took an age to clear, I had to wait over two weeks before being able to collect my car - my patience isn't renowned for being too robust. I was given a date for collection but had to go in a week earlier to pay a deposit - now why this was done this way, I can't fathom, but I went along with it anyway. We all know how much these cars cost, I asked if the car could be delivered, or someone could be sent to collect me - no deal, I had to catch the bus to collect my car. Upon arrival, I was told that there had been a clerical error and the deposit (that I'd paid a WEEK earlier) hadn't been put through so I couldn't have the car. Now completely inconsolable, I was flabbergasted by how a Jaguar Main Dealer could be so incompetent. Having to travel through Moss Side on a bus, I decided to leave my wallet at home, I think all people who know Manchester could understand this, so I had no other way of paying a deposit - and this was the only way they would allow me to drive MY car away. They generously offered to pay for a taxi to take me home though. The salesman then suddenly remembered that my wife worked at Manchester Royal Infirmary - about a mile down the road, and suggested that I contact her to pay the deposit. Being a medical professional, she was in a meeting when I rang her, but was sufficiently aware of my own stress to come to my aid and make the payment. But why couldn't they either just clear the payment made the week before, or trust a customer who had already signed a financial agreement for a significant amount of money (you know what I'm talking about here!). Calling my wife away from a meeting made the salesman rightfully ashamed and he promised that a full tank of petrol would be put into the car at the next service, and told me to remind him the week before I booked the car in (frankly, he should have put this in capital red letters in his diary, a reminder should not have been needed) as I waited to drive away, he said "make sure your tank is empty when you bring it in".

So, to today. No courtesy car available, nobody available to drive me home or collect me - what a surprise. I got the car there for 8.30 and asked when I could expect to collect it, I was told late afternoon! I explained that I would like to do other things than wander around Manchester City centre all day long, so they said they'd mark it as ASAP - remember that the car was booked in for 9.00 (the earliest available appointment). 12.15 I get a call telling me that my rear brake pads needed replacing and it was going to cost £157 plus labour plus VAT. I went straight to the garage hoping to see for myself what had obviously been missed in the "fine tooth-comb" pre-delivery inspection that had only been carried out 1k miles ago, but the car was in the workshop where customers were not allowed. I was left in the showroom for twenty minutes while the service manager was trying to find the salesman who sold the car to me, I could see him sat on a wall outside his little port-a-cabin in the yard outside, but what he had to do with this predicament I couldn't guess? After 20 minutes, I could feel my blood-pressure rising, so not wishing to make a sad situation worse, I decided to go for some lunch. There were no staff members in the showroom, there hadn't been for a good 10 minutes so I just left.

After lunch and trying my utmost to relax, my wife rang the garage, I was still just a little too annoyed! She was told that the brake pads would be replaced as part of the service and no charges would be incurred – well thanks for telling me. 15.30, no news of what was going on, I had finally calmed down enough to venture up and see for myself what was going on. Upon arrival I was greeted by the service manager telling me the car had been waiting outside for some time, I asked why I hadn’t been contacted, he said I had – I wasn’t in the mood to argue. Well, no paperwork of the work carried out was left, only a sheet telling me my tyre pressures were far too low – another pre-delivery inspection error? No petrol had been put into the car, the nice gift from the finance manager for lying to me about £200 worth of fees – a half empty bottle of Jaguar screen wash. Well, thanks a lot Stratstone, Manchester, just don’t expect a recommendation or to see my face, or my money ever again.

If Jaguar is serious about taking on the Germans in the executive car market, they need to get their dealerships into better order, this is the worst treatment I have ever encountered from any dealer – and believe me, I’ve suffered before!!

« Last Edit: May 7, 2005, 7:15am by Pete »

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2003 3.5 SE JRG - Slightly Modified...
Manchester UK

Dave
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Re: Stratstone's Manchester
« Reply #1 on May 12, 2005, 3:05am »

Pete,

Sorry to hear of your frustrations, but glad to hear that at least you didn't have to pay for the brake pads. As with all makes of car it seems Jaguar have good and bad dealers because I can assure you that my dealers would never treat any customer in such a manner you describe. In fact I have just returned from a 1800 mile round trip to Germany and I had my car given it's 20K service just before we left last week. My dealer booked me in for first service (8.15am) and did it while I waited in the showroom being fed cups of coffee, buscuits, magazines and the TV. I was back on my way home by 11.00am.

We all react differently to situations and your annoyance and frustration comes across very clearly in your message. I absolutely agree with you that as a private purchaser of a Jaguar XJ flagship, you should be treated with respect by your dealership. However, to them, I suspect this is just a car and you are just a customer and you're extremely unlikely to buy from them again. I am not defending this attitude by the way, merely presenting it as the most likely factor. This coupled with the fact that they misled you during the purchase must leave a very bitter taste.

My advice if at all possible would be to change dealers immediately. It sounds as though they have done all they commited now during the purchase and so you have no real tie to them other than perhaps distance.

Good luck and I hope you gain great enjoyment from your car.

Regards,

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Dave B
2003 Jaguar XJ8 4.2 SE
Wiltshire, UK.

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