koksy
New member
I have finally decided to part ex my Grande Punto and buy a fiat 500. After experiencing extremely poor service from my local dealer PDH in Hassocks near Brighton, I decided to try SGM Fiat in Segensworth near Southampton not far from where I work.
I went to their showrooms on Wednesday of last week and spoke to one of their salesmen. Wasn't sure quite what I wanted, but they had a lovely 1.3Mj Lounge with lots of extras in the showroom, already registered (in Feb 08 looking at tax disc) but with delivery miles as it was a cancelled order. The salesman advised me it was £11,400. Unsure of whether I wanted a diesel or not, I decided to take an identical car for a test drive. That was the clincher.
Arriving back at the showroom, I told the salesman I wanted to buy the pre-registered Lounge and asked what they could give me for my GP in part-ex. He disappeared for a few minutes to speak to his manager.
"Sorry the lounge is £11,975" he said.
"I thought you said it was £11,400?" I replied.
"Yeh sorry I was wrong- it's £400 off list price I got confused" he said
"Right... ok so what are you going to give me for mine?" I asked, already a bit miffed that the price had increased.
"£6000 we will give you which is above book price" he replied.
Thinking I was getting a bargain, I signed and paid my £500 deposit. I then left for work as I hadn't time to finish the paperwork. I promised to return the next day to sign the dotted line. On returning home, I thought i'd check the list of extras and was annoyed to discover that £11,975 was in fact the normal list price and NOT the £400 discount the salesman has told me I was getting.
The next morning (Thursday) I returned to sign the paperwork. The guy who had served me the day before wasn't there and neither was the manager. I spoke to another salesman and told him I wasn't happy that I had been told that I was getting a £400 discount when, in fact, I wasn't. He looked at me as if to say "well what do you expect me to do?". I had asked for a spoiler to be fitted to the car as an extra, and this salesman said they would probably add it for free to make up for the misunderstanding. He wrote this on the order form, but also wrote that it would be subject to confirmation with his manager who was uncontactable that day. Happy with that, I left.
The next day, the original salesman I had dealt with called me to say that they would NOT give me the spoiler for free. I pointed out that he had a) increased the price of the car after I had agreed to buy it and b) lied to me that I was getting a £400 discount off list price, but his reply was that they were giving me above book price for my GP. I pointed out that this was irrelevant as that price was agreed AFTER he had tld me that £11,975 was a £400 discount off list. So I said that I may as well buy a brand new unregistered 500 and he said fine but we cant give you £6000 for your GP ona new one. A heated discussion ensued on the phone during which I threatened to pull out of the sale and take my £500 deposit back. He didn't say it, specifically, but he more or less hinted that they wouldn't give me my £500 back.
So what would you do? This whole experience has left a really sour taste in my mouth and I don't actually feel as if I want to spend £12k on a Fiat any more. I love the pre-registered Lounge but when I think about it I feel as if they are trying to take me for a mug and I don't want to give SGM Fiat a single penny of my money.
I went to their showrooms on Wednesday of last week and spoke to one of their salesmen. Wasn't sure quite what I wanted, but they had a lovely 1.3Mj Lounge with lots of extras in the showroom, already registered (in Feb 08 looking at tax disc) but with delivery miles as it was a cancelled order. The salesman advised me it was £11,400. Unsure of whether I wanted a diesel or not, I decided to take an identical car for a test drive. That was the clincher.
Arriving back at the showroom, I told the salesman I wanted to buy the pre-registered Lounge and asked what they could give me for my GP in part-ex. He disappeared for a few minutes to speak to his manager.
"Sorry the lounge is £11,975" he said.
"I thought you said it was £11,400?" I replied.
"Yeh sorry I was wrong- it's £400 off list price I got confused" he said
"Right... ok so what are you going to give me for mine?" I asked, already a bit miffed that the price had increased.
"£6000 we will give you which is above book price" he replied.
Thinking I was getting a bargain, I signed and paid my £500 deposit. I then left for work as I hadn't time to finish the paperwork. I promised to return the next day to sign the dotted line. On returning home, I thought i'd check the list of extras and was annoyed to discover that £11,975 was in fact the normal list price and NOT the £400 discount the salesman has told me I was getting.
The next morning (Thursday) I returned to sign the paperwork. The guy who had served me the day before wasn't there and neither was the manager. I spoke to another salesman and told him I wasn't happy that I had been told that I was getting a £400 discount when, in fact, I wasn't. He looked at me as if to say "well what do you expect me to do?". I had asked for a spoiler to be fitted to the car as an extra, and this salesman said they would probably add it for free to make up for the misunderstanding. He wrote this on the order form, but also wrote that it would be subject to confirmation with his manager who was uncontactable that day. Happy with that, I left.
The next day, the original salesman I had dealt with called me to say that they would NOT give me the spoiler for free. I pointed out that he had a) increased the price of the car after I had agreed to buy it and b) lied to me that I was getting a £400 discount off list price, but his reply was that they were giving me above book price for my GP. I pointed out that this was irrelevant as that price was agreed AFTER he had tld me that £11,975 was a £400 discount off list. So I said that I may as well buy a brand new unregistered 500 and he said fine but we cant give you £6000 for your GP ona new one. A heated discussion ensued on the phone during which I threatened to pull out of the sale and take my £500 deposit back. He didn't say it, specifically, but he more or less hinted that they wouldn't give me my £500 back.
So what would you do? This whole experience has left a really sour taste in my mouth and I don't actually feel as if I want to spend £12k on a Fiat any more. I love the pre-registered Lounge but when I think about it I feel as if they are trying to take me for a mug and I don't want to give SGM Fiat a single penny of my money.