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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 808   
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Thanks for the story, I'm sorry for your trouble but it is nicely written. You would think that Land Rover - defender company whatever they call themselves would want their loaner back and your car out of their shop ..
What was the breakdown, may I ask? I once bought a new car once. What a hassle, had to go back to the garage 3 times in the first month (Toyota). Much easier to buy a reasonably new used car, have someone else deal with all the niggles. Also allows me to do my own maintenance, much easier than all this garage hassle. |
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21st Jun 2023 6:31pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2557 
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Usual standard of crappy service from car dealers I’m afraid - certainly similar to what I have experienced. Make a lot of noise and escalate your complaint, it’s the only way to get meaningful progress.
I had to do it several times, most notably when they pretended to have fixed something but hadn’t actually bothered. Called them out on it with the DP present and cue one very sheepish service manager, a written apology and compensation for my time. I still wouldn’t trust them to know which way round to sit on a lavatory frankly, so as soon as mine is out of warranty it’ll not go back there! |
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21st Jun 2023 6:54pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2283 
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I don't think it's too bad that you were in a courtesy vehicle the same day, after turning up at a random dealership unannounced with a broken down vehicle.
They were likely pulled out with work and had no vehicle to give you (when l booked mine in for a recall l had to wait two months for an appointment with a courtesy vehicle) Then they found you a vehicle but called a taxi that never turned up. Thats not want you want, but not their fault. l am sure they didn't do it on purpose! l broke down in my 2005 Defender in the middle of town, it took four hours for the RAC to arrive and then it wasn't an engineer it was just a contractor sent to recover the vehicle. People think that dealers have an endless supply of courtesy vehicles but they don't. Eventually someone who turns up at their door with a broken down vehicle will be the one after they've loaned their last vehicle. With regards to the repair, they'll have to find a technician to deal with it and they'll all be booked up with work. if you've got a Defender on loan, just leave them to it, they'll call you when yours is ready. Look at it this way, the longer you have their car the less miles yours will do. Last edited by lightning on 21st Jun 2023 9:27pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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21st Jun 2023 9:21pm |
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| Mr Fox Member Since: 10 Sep 2011 Location: green & pleasant land Posts: 1037 
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As has been said, the issue is that ‘technicians’ work on the cars, not mechanics. They plug the car into a diagnostics computer and if it doesn’t tell them which part to replace to fix the error, more often than not, they bumble around taking an age to solve the issue (or not!) and usually based on reviewing all the known faults in the AD info system.
As for the poor customer service, it really is par for the course. I had a laughable experience with another ‘premium’ manufacturer earlier this year, where a car I purchased (used) 4-months before, went in for a service. Car went in, driven into the building over ramps that scan the tyres, etc, they do the fancy inspection of it in a clean room environment before letting you leave. Next day I get the call, service done BUT they have found various things, one of which is an issue which they feel needs to be rectified and the inference is that no self respecting dealership would have sold the car to me with the issue (upshot is £2k+). When asked where the car came from, I was happy to inform that it was their sister branch. Cue embarrassment, thankfully no back peddling that it wasn’t an issue, but it did take pressure from both myself, and the service manager where my car was, to get the selling dealership to pay for it. Customer service from car dealers has deteriorated, imho, in the past decade. It used to be easy to have a relationship with one sales person and you would build that rapport and buy from them over many years - good service and decent deals. Now, and this is not my theory but have been told by two people at a management level in UK wide national auto groups, the push is to decrease sales teams and automated the sales process. Push it online, avoid costly overheads of dealerships, including staff and have regional hubs to offer test drives (but even those are being discouraged) and let customer order the car online and collect it, or have it delivered to their home, when it is ready. Just like automated checkouts in supermarkets, banks, restaurants, etc. On that note, recently took my daily driver into a main dealer and the entire service process was automated - one person at the dealership to point customer to the terminal where they logged their car in and dropped the keys into the terminal that accepted the booking. Got chatting with the chap and he said the dealership had reduced the service advisors from ten to 2 and the two worked shifts standing beside the machines, helping people who couldn’t work out what to do. No surprise that service is so poor. Upside, enjoy putting miles on their loan car, rather than your own. Last edited by Mr Fox on 22nd Jun 2023 9:42am. Edited 1 time in total |
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21st Jun 2023 9:23pm |
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| Leamreject Member Since: 19 Dec 2020 Location: Middle Earth - Leamington Spa Posts: 960  
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That’s why they call Land Rover “off roaders”
I’ve been managing fleet operations for over 30years and my experience with many LR dealers mirrors yours, and this doesn’t make it acceptable but LR are one of many Franchised dealers that are just as bad.  Ride like you stole it!!
If I’m not on a bike it’s because only a 4x4 will do… 2011 2.4 Puma 90 HT |
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21st Jun 2023 9:30pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2283
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Remember back in the day when loyal customers were respected by the dealerships
l was in the VW dealer just before covid, an old boy was buying a new Golf, (l overheard the conversation) "I've had six off you now" the old boy said to the salesman After he walked off the salesman said to his mate "what a to$$er" and made a signal with his hand. Charming. l still bought my VW Up GTi. Fortunately the girl l dealt with was much nicer, at least to my face. She even said hello to me when our paths crossed at a supermarket, l hadn't recognised her out of her work environment. |
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21st Jun 2023 9:35pm |
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| Clemmo Member Since: 03 Aug 2012 Location: Mile Oak Posts: 1195  
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The service Dealers give is generally poor.
When you enter a dealer it’s like a time warp… “ take a seat, drink coffee, we will be with you shortly” I’ve experienced it..and I’m through with it…nobody cares. Here is the email for the Land Rover Customer Experiences Team lradvice@jaguarlandrover.com You can try…but don’t hold your breath Clemmo  Make today a little better than yesterday but not so good as tomorrow....
Defender 90 HT............Pangea Green BMW X3 Msport............Carbon Black Mini Electric................Grey. (wow!) MGB Roadster……..........Vermillion Honda Benly CD200....Maroon ------------- Chausson 98.........7.5m of fun |
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21st Jun 2023 9:50pm |
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| Muddybigdog Member Since: 11 Apr 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 993 
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Copy and paste your story all over the Land Rover Facebook page, and the dealers Facebook page. This really
 off the marketing and PR people, they throw their toys around and will get quick attention from customer services. Jumped ship to reliability - Mitsubishi L200
Puma 90 XS - Sold D3 - 2.7 S x2 (both Sold) Freelander 2 HSE - Sold Freelander 1 - Sold Disco 2 - Sold |
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21st Jun 2023 10:12pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2283
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Do you think doing that will change anything? All it will do is reduce staff morale even further.
l don't see any sectors now where customers are valued. lt's all about the sales, l work in consumer electronics and there's no customer service at all any more, once your appliance is out of warranty they don't care if you threaten never to darken their door again. The only way you can get anywhere is through threat of legal action, and you have to be convincing because they know most won't bother to follow up their threat. |
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21st Jun 2023 11:32pm |
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| Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: Bath Posts: 1063 
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Use linked in. Find CEO and dealer principle then email both together. I’ve found it highly effective ……… Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy.
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22nd Jun 2023 12:40am |
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| Leamreject Member Since: 19 Dec 2020 Location: Middle Earth - Leamington Spa Posts: 960
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Sadly the Land Rover Customer Services have become accustomed to this as it’s appears to be the norm, so don’t expect much sympathetic support from them. Ride like you stole it!! If I’m not on a bike it’s because only a 4x4 will do… 2011 2.4 Puma 90 HT |
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22nd Jun 2023 2:47am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2283
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l am not sure what the big deal is with this one. The O/P turned up unannounced at a dealer with a broken down Defender.
The dealer took his vehicle in, and arranged a courtesy vehicle, another Defender. The vehicle was at another dealer so they arranged a taxi. lt never turned up so they arranged another. The O/P is now in a courtesy vehicle and his will get repaired as soon as the dealer can get a tech on it and find the fault. |
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22nd Jun 2023 8:29am |
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| Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: Bath Posts: 1063
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The issue is the poor level of communication and action and the hassle the OP went through. Not unreasonable in my view. Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy.
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22nd Jun 2023 8:33am |
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| the_lincs_landies Member Since: 29 May 2023 Location: Boston, Lincs Posts: 230
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I has issues with my approved used Disco 5, I say "issues" - they wouldnt respect the free incontrol upgrade for CarPlay... I ended up dealing with a chap called Andrew at lradvice@jaguarlandrover.com - very helpful and did all he could to get a resolution.
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22nd Jun 2023 8:40am |
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