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General Thank you Fiat!

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General Thank you Fiat!

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MartinHodgson

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I am a current MK1 Fiat Punto owner and having no problems with Fiat thus far i had set my sights on an update to the new Grande Punto 1.4 Active Sport.

However, when i went into a couple of local dealerships they didnt' seem that bothered about selling me one!

Walking into the dealership in Grantham, Lincs the salesman approached me. He did well at first showing me the range but, then he took me into his office to talk about figures. Not even offering a test drive. Despite me enquiring!

I told him exactly what i wanted but he decided to quote for the higher model. I know this could be a sales trick that may work from time to time but in this case it wasted nearly half an hour of my time!

He then showed me what i wanted but by this time it was too late. He had already annoyed me!

Then my journey took me to the dealership at Tritton Road, Lincoln. This was even worse!!

I enquired about a Active Sport in Red with air con as an extra. He told me this would take about 3 months. After reading this forum i could quite believe it, so we continued! I then asked about a test drive. To which he replied that there was no a vehicle available. This is understandable but when i asked when a car would be available he told me that i would have to place an order. ie Buy the car without even driving it! I'm sorry but would anyone do that!

So at this point i left so he could not waste anymore of my time!

At this point totally disgruntled by FIAT, i wandered across to Renault where they were more than happy to reach my every need. With a cheaper deal on a better spec car.

So when i come to think of it THANK YOU FIAT!! you may have done me a favour in the end!

For a once struggling car company you dont do yourself any favours!! If thats the service you give when your trying to sell a car whats the aftersales service going to be like!

Martin
 
Some dealers are awful, some are good, and some are inbetween. Of course they can be having a bad day as well. If they get in a car for a test drive (from another dealer) and don't get an order for thier effort and expense they're probably a bit put off. Therefore some dealers don't do it. I would have thought they could do a test drive of a GP for you, even if it's no the model or engine you're after.

Last year we were look at the Mitsubishi Colt and our local dealer gave us a couple of test drives in a diesel auto, before letting us go for a quick drive in the model we were interested in (petrol auto) - the car had been sold, but they still let us! Unfortunatly no discount and a low trade in made the deal too much.

Aren't Fiat & Alfa trying to shake up the UK dealers to get it right before they go back to the US?
 
They didnt have a single grande punto there to be used for test drives. Which brought to my mind, "So they wont sell any then" They had a car that had been sold but they couldn't give me a drive in that. Which is understandable.

They just werent helpful and when i'm spending that amount of money. a lot for a 20 year old, i want someone that i can trust. If they can't be bothered with me then i cant be bothered with them. A big dissapointment!

They are going to have to do something if they want to break the US.

Martin
 
I just ordered a GP 1.4 16v Eleganza over the phone. I tried out 4 local fiat dealers around Derbya area and Reg Vardy Fiat up in Stockport. Most of them don't seem interested at all in selling me a car. And apart from a dealer in Kegworth who were very helpful, the others were awful. I walked into one were I was asked to wait whilst he did something in his office, while I was waiting all manner of things were happening in the showroom, some car pick up/delivery guy came in argueing about something in front of all the customers. I'd decided not to buy from them before even speaking to anybody as my first impression was abissmal. I can sympathise with you on them trying to sell you a higher spec as well. I did thorough research (as most people do) before deciding on the model i wanted, but they still want to talk to you about another model and tell you its got four wheels etc... etc.... Dealers seriously need to sort themselves out if they want to sell more cars. I've jumped from Renault to Fiat with little faith because I love the look of the GP. I hope that my fears of aftersales service are proved wrong. My waiting time is 10-12 weeks.
 
Sorry to hear this Martin,most salesmen 'bend over backwards' to sell cars(oh my god i'm defending salesmen:eek: )may I suggest you phone Fiat customer services & explain your experience.
Where these big dealerships you went to? I certainly would not buy a car I have never driven,I think too many salesmen think the punto grande sells itself(which to a extent it does)but to not listen to your needs & offer a test drive is poor:(
 
Yeah i will certainly be posting a letter similar to initial post to the Fiat head office! I know that not all salesmen are bad, as the Renault guy was exceptional. He catered for my every need, i was only looking for alternatives initially but after looking closely at the Clio and discussing the possibilities i think i may be swayed towards buying one! I can get a 1.4 16V 98HP Clio with Air Con for marginally more than the GP Active sport but with 0% interest on finance. For people over 21 they are doing free insurance too!

With all that and the build quality there is no contest!

Mart
 
Not all dealers are bad
when i bought mine i went to my local dealer LC motors Newport - he was very honest and told me cars delivery would be at least 3 months ( i could not wait that long )- he then searched the fiat database and located cars that were available in other parts of the country even though there was nothing in the deal for him - but he may get my servicing now. I then drove 100 miles and bought a GP 2 weeks before they launched them.
 
MartinHodgson said:
I told him exactly what i wanted but he decided to quote for the higher model. I know this could be a sales trick that may work from time to time but in this case it wasted nearly half an hour of my time!
Click to expand...

You do realise most models of the GP are due to go up in price after today.

He may have been qouting you the higher model price as that could be the price of your vehicle follwing the price increase.
 
MartinHodgson

With all that and the build quality there is no contest!

Mart
Click to expand...

AppleSei said:
The french cars are as bad as fiat in terms of build quality
Click to expand...


Renault Clio = Quality? "No contest!"? Sorry but I have to agree with AppleSei. Anyway goodluck with your new car whatever it will be!(y)
 
MartinHodgson said:
Yeah i will certainly be posting a letter similar to initial post to the Fiat head office! I know that not all salesmen are bad, as the Renault guy was exceptional. He catered for my every need, i was only looking for alternatives initially but after looking closely at the Clio and discussing the possibilities i think i may be swayed towards buying one! I can get a 1.4 16V 98HP Clio with Air Con for marginally more than the GP Active sport but with 0% interest on finance. For people over 21 they are doing free insurance too!

With all that and the build quality there is no contest!

Mart
Click to expand...
I have posted before on here about my local Fiat dealer, and i will say it again, that they have been absolutely superb, from the first time i expressed interest in the Grande Punto, through test drives in different models, petrol and diesel, and to purchasing one. The disappointment is in ownership, after a few months i've had various mechanical and quality issues with the vehicle, and the dealer has/is doing a grand(e) job of addressing all the problems, but i feel that long term, the Fiat is not for me. Also, the dealer has two franchises on one premises, Fiat and Renault, and i would have to agree with Martin on the build quality between the Grande Punto and the Clio,.........
 
I've experienced poor fiat dealers and found one brilliant one that i'm always gonna use from now on. Reading Fiat are quite possiblely the worst garage i've ever been in. But when i was looking at the grande punto i rang basingstoke fiat to ask if they knew anything about it. Spoke to a guy in sales who said we just got our first one in (was about 3 weeks before they were due out) come over and i'll let you have a look at it, cant take it for a drive cause its not pdi'ed, prepared, etc thought cool seems nice enough dealer. Went over there looked at the car and fell in love the second i see it, even tho it was only a 1.2 dynamic :eek: said i'd like to test drive one, preferabley a 1.9 sporting and he said he'll see what he can do....

Week before launch he rang me saying they got a 1.3 90bhp in which is the fastest diesel theyre gonna have from launch, they wont have a sporting for another month or so, but i was welcome to come and drive that on the launch weekend. Went over drove it, bought a sporting and then had the wait to contend with!

Had a huge delay on my car, not the dealers fault at all but he would ring me every week updating me on the progress and what was happening and sorted all my compensation with fiat customer services. When the car came in he made it a priority to be made ready and it was in 2 days :)

I really can't fault that garage and i'm happy driving the extra milage to use basingstoke fiat even though i live in Reading!

So theyre not all bad :p

I've had a similar experiences with saab, seat and VW dealers so its not just fiat! :rolleyes:

Have fun with your clio though, i looked at the 197 sport yesterday and thought thats the only french car i would seriously consider owning, cant stand the rest of the clio range though :eek:
 
My nearest Fiat & Alfa dealership are a joke! I was wanting to look at a 159 Est, I wandered in and the first guy I got talking to didn't know what an Alfa 159 was despite him literally standing under a giant Alfa/Fiat logo! I made it round to the Alfa & Fiat section to find a solitary Panda only to be told that the Alfa specialist wasn't trained yet so they couldn't really help me...

I wandered into another dealership while in the Bury area, very helpful & gave me lots of, real, reasons to take the 159 over the V70 (though had to admit defeat on the load space problem).
 
I went into the very same Fiat garage 2 weekends ago in Grantham and the salesman was superb. There were about 5 grande punto's there as well. A red 1.4 sporting and the one I'm interested in, a 1.9 Sporting. The 1.9 was there demonstrator and for sale. The salesman offered me a testdrive without me even asking. Then priced me up a very good 0% finance deal. If I could have bought one there and then I would have, but don't have the funds in place yet, but hopefully will soon.

Does anyone know a way of locating what demonstrators/cars are for sale through Fiat as I don't want the 14 week wait I was quoted, but would happily buy a demonstrator. I am looking for the 1.9 sporting, in new orleans blue, with climate control and skydome roof. Can anyone help me find one?
 
AppleSei said:
You do realise most models of the GP are due to go up in price after today.

He may have been qouting you the higher model price as that could be the price of your vehicle follwing the price increase.
Click to expand...

yeah i know and he told me that but i asked for the active sport and he priced up the Sporting!

Why do what i didnt want?

Mart
 
Alex_gregory_uk said:
I went into the very same Fiat garage 2 weekends ago in Grantham and the salesman was superb. There were about 5 grande punto's there as well. A red 1.4 sporting and the one I'm interested in, a 1.9 Sporting. The 1.9 was there demonstrator and for sale. The salesman offered me a testdrive without me even asking. Then priced me up a very good 0% finance deal. If I could have bought one there and then I would have, but don't have the funds in place yet, but hopefully will soon.
QUOTE]

Sounds like you were lucky. The guy didnt offer me 0%, he offered nothing. But he was still better than Lincoln! I know they had loads of em' when i went on Saturday but he seemed to steer completeley away from a Test drive! And its not like he was the only salesman there!
Click to expand...
 
The salesman that delt with me was not english, not sure where he was from though. But was really good, infact got his card and he was called, San Asbridge. He did me 3 different quotes and all seemed very reasonable. I am guessing it depends on who the salesman is really. I had really bad service from a Ford garage and that has put me off the fiesta.
 
renault in general are bad cars, i owned a clio last and i had nothing but problems and my g/f's mam had a scenic also had nothing but problems also they are slow for there power and the build quality is cheap imo.
 
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