How well do you know your VW Dealer?

How well do you know your VW Dealer? This past week, I've been in around 4 times to order or collect parts, and I'm probably in there at least once or twice a week for the past 2 years! I now know many of the staff's names, hobbies, interests etc.

Does anyone have an account with their dealer (and have parts delivered by them), much like a garage might have?

Its 5+years ago now but I used Lightcliffe Motors in Halifax. I bought loads of stuff, things like the fuel lines and pipes were still available from VW back then. Remember one time ordering a load of stuff that they totted up and the figure was enormous, then I realised it was in Euros and the sterling figure was slightly more reasonable. :roll:

There was a couple of parts guys, one called Stuart who was very helpful, he?d been there that long that he remembered selling the parts when the MK1 was current. Think he got moved to the sister Skoda outlet they acquired.

i have an account with VW wolverhampton,sound blokes,and the driver is a star,he goes rummaging through the skip and in the old stock looking for bits if im stuck  :wink:
I ordered all the mk1 antiroll bar brackets off them a few weeks ago,all of it was avaliable next day,so i was pleased.
Bert

Bert said

i have an account with VW wolverhampton,sound blokes,and the driver is a star,he goes rummaging through the skip and in the old stock looking for bits if im stuck  :wink:
I ordered all the mk1 antiroll bar brackets off them a few weeks ago,all of it was avaliable next day,so i was pleased.
Bert

Do you have to give them a minimum amount of business, to open an account? And do you get a trade discount too? I get ad-hoc discounts, depending on who serves me!

no minimun spend,i am in there trade club.
Bert

I never got to know dealer very well as my local parts manager, was the most unhelpfull, nasty man I have ever had the misfortune to talk to. I actually wrote to VW uk to complain. I got a appolgy from them, but it was too late and I went elsewhere and bought a new car, and not a VW.

That was after needing parts for my old mk3 (now sold)

Any parts needed for my mk1, I get from another dealer or GSF.

On the whole I have found VW dealers ok, but i'm sorry but, my local FORD dealer was first class.

Bert said

i have an account with VW wolverhampton,sound blokes,and the driver is a star,he goes rummaging through the skip and in the old stock looking for bits if im stuck  :wink:
I ordered all the mk1 antiroll bar brackets off them a few weeks ago,all of it was avaliable next day,so i was pleased.
Bert

we used to use them too, till they change to trust vw, most the staff staid the same but service changed was crap, had known parts manager there since my 1st mk1 at 16/17 he's now moved to a different vw franchise, get most stuff cost price and delivered to my door!! :dance:

Found dealers to be very helpful, does help more if one gets to know you better, main guy i go to all of the time, any parts i need or questions need answering he's always their.
Only downside is paying on the day when ordering and having to travel bk again some 6 mile to collect them as they never have what i want in stock.

i used to work at my local dealer and still get staff discount, which might end soon when they get the letter from my insurance saying they are not getting paid for spraying my car twice , bad job each time.
    but local gfs deliver to my house and give me trade discount , good set of lads.

paul_c said

Does anyone have an account with their dealer (and have parts delivered by them), much like a garage might have?

Yes and an account with GSF, you need two trade references to get an account, no minium spend.

Most of the time they are spot on, the parts mgr knows me and two of the guys there are brilliant, still they are easily confused when I used to order bits for my old Rallye :wink:

Trade account here too. I find the parts guys very helpful, better than local GSF.

I reckon that it really pays to get to know the local dealer, although not a lot of parts for mk1's now
In a previous existance I used to work for VW's head office in Milton Keynes when they had the parts warehouse up there. I had a 80 GLi at the time and think I almost changed everything on that car for hardly anything, the guys in the warehouse were great. The returned stuff from dealers that used to go in the bin would make you weep! they couldn't be bothered sorting it out.

How well do you know your VW Dealer?

not aswell as i know my drug dealer! he he  

I avoid the local vw garage like the plague cause i cant afford their rip off prices :evil:  + learning about the buissness side of the automotive industry as well as the mechanics i have already learnt of lots of ways that they screw customers out of money.

trev56 said

I avoid the local vw garage like the plague cause i cant afford their rip off prices :evil:  + learning about the buissness side of the automotive industry as well as the mechanics i have already learnt of lots of ways that they screw customers out of money.

There's loads of parts which are tiny small items, which aren't stocked by the likes of GSF or ECP or Halfords, yet which will prevent your car running if you don't have one. So getting parts from the VW Dealer is sometimes the only place you can get them from.

I'd be interested to have examples of price comparisons of some parts, supplied by a dealer and elsewhere, to back up your argument.

Yes, I agree with Paul.  I use the local VW garage all the time for odds and ends.  Most of the expensive stuff comes from GSF, but would be lost with out the VW garage.

i have to say that the dont seem to be too helpful when younger people come in and ask for parts. They look at me as if I dont know what I am talking about.  They often ask me to show the part on the car because they dont know with path to take on ETKA to find it.

I'm sure they are not all like that. And to be honest, when they know what I want (when I give them the part number) they are very efficient.

Pricey though, but worth it to keep the originality.  :wink:

The thing is, if people don't buy the VW stuff because it's a 'rip-off' there'll be no point them making it and it will all go out of production.

Then when you need those little bits that only the dealer can get you, we'll all be well and truly stuffed. :evil:

yradave said

The thing is, if people don't buy the VW stuff because it's a 'rip-off' there'll be no point them making it and it will all go out of production.

Then when you need those little bits that only the dealer can get you, we'll all be well and truly stuffed. :evil:

Its a bit of a myth that the dealer prices are a rip off. Firstly you must compare like-for-like. This means, make sure the parts compared are OEM ones, there is a lot of cheap rubbish out there. True, certain items are expensive compared to suppliers such as ECP, GSF. Its interesting to note that trev56 has not come back with examples….

I have to agree with marsredgti about young people and garages. They tend to think that i want to put a spoiler on the back, go fast strips on the side, neons underneath and a big sound system in the back. Perhaps my comments about them were harsh but one example of parts was my big bumper kit. The kit i am getting is ?170 of the net (including posting). I will have to paint the bumpers but they do come with the indicators as well. It also includes all fixing mounts and brackets. At my local breakers yard ?80 for the same parts if i took them off the car myself. These were second hand and obviously worn/faded. I then went to my local vw garage for the same parts. ?320 FOR PARTS + LABOUR added on. They wouldn't let me do the job myself either. I then wanted a second opinion on what is up with my carb. They were clueless. Not saying they should know a 15yrs old+ car off by heart but they didnt even understand the basic principals of carbs.