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Funniest Thing You Have Been Told By A Dealer...



Martin_172

ClioSport Club Member
went in to look at the clio GT and said i was interested in ordering a 1.5 DCi 106 one, in Glacier White, with climate control, keyless entry, uprated stereo, start stop button, reach adjustable steering, guy pops out a price list book, adds the list price of car with the list price for all options and says, that will be £17,xxx cant remember exactly and looked at me bluntly as i started laughing, 20 minutes later we were down in the £14k's lol

the best part was when he told me it would be here 3 weeks later, i said are you sure, i expected a bit of a wait, yep no problem, 3 weeks time it will be ready.

3 months later they still didnt know where the thing was lol!!
 
  Clio 1.2 16v
If there's something I've learned from reading this thread, it's that I should take my car anywhere but a dealer to get a service and MOT. Anyone got any good places in Cambridge?
 

cafcross

ClioSport Club Member
I've just read through this whole thread again. In stitches!

There's got to have been a few more stories from the past 2 years?
 
  Ford Fiesta
Have the dealers improved over the last few years or not? they were the major problem imo
 

DB.

  BMW 440i
Not car related, but kind of fits and made me laugh.

Just sorted out my dads home insurance as they quoted a stupid amount, found one for £400 less and a normal rate for a fairly good level of home insurance and when explaining this to Direct Line as a reason we won't be renewing, she said "Ah yes, but I bet it doesn't include travel insurance", I asked her how many times she had paid £400 for annual travel insurance and she was then a bit stumped and said "Ok i see your point, i'll make sure it doesn't renew".
 

ourboy

ClioSport Club Member
  172 cup
me : How much to change the timing belt/water pump /aux belt etc on my 172?
ren: (went away ,checked and with a few different guys and came back)
ren: that will be £1150 we will need the car for 2days as the engine will have to come out.
me: what ?
ren: yea they say its a pig of a job and the last one we did we had to weld up brackets to set the timing so it a big job.
me:aaahhhh thanks but I think I'll leave it

The minute he mentioned welding brackets to set the timing I knew they wouldn't be getting anywhere near my car.


Ended up following the Renault manual and guides on here and did it myself with all the genuine Renault tools and genuine parts .

so although it did take me longer as I was taking my time I was happy with the outcome .
 

Advikaz

ClioSport Club Member
My bird had issues with her new polo, car lurched across the road when driving.

I had a look at it and there were metal filings in the cv boot. She took it in and they told her "that's perfectly normal"

I went in there and drilled the w/shop manager a new arsehole.
 

Jaff.

ClioSport Club Member
When trying to sell me my focus st the dealer mentioned the style pack which gives you lit door strips, darker wheels and... Brembo brakes. all for a measly £350! I'll take it!

imagine my disappointment when I picked it up and found it was just the standard callipers painted red
 

Short Norman

ClioSport Club Member
  997 C4S
Thought I'd add to this old thread.

A friend recently bought a brand new Renault van. He's noticed that on the motorways it pulls slightly to the left. So he took it back and their tech guy took it out and his reply was "because it's a French car the geometry is set up to suit the camber on French roads (meaning driving on the right), so it will always pull on English roads".

All I can say is wow.
 
Most salesmen I worked with (and not just at Renault) knew little about cars, they were sales people not car enthusiasts and that's where the problem lies. They also rarely stay at dealerships longer than a year or two in most places so never truly learn enough to be described as knowledgeable.

Albeit I have to admit we'd occasionally challenge one another to get ridiculous words or things in the spec. Being told your Scenic has a flux capacitor must be obvious though thinking back.
 

CrippsCorner

ClioSport Club Member
  Astra VXR
Anyone else get 'engine cover fitted obscuring components' on their MOT? So stupid! It's factory fitted your dumb arses.
 

Short Norman

ClioSport Club Member
  997 C4S
Most salesmen I worked with (and not just at Renault) knew little about cars, they were sales people not car enthusiasts and that's where the problem lies. They also rarely stay at dealerships longer than a year or two in most places so never truly learn enough to be described as knowledgeable.

I agree but this was one of their mechanics you'd have expected a little more from him.
 

CrippsCorner

ClioSport Club Member
  Astra VXR
Yeah I nearly took it off to stop that from happening, but I forgot. Also get 'under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components' :(
 

Knuckles

ClioSport Admin
Speaking of things being obscured.

I once got on a Renault vehicle health check

'Spare wheel not checked because boot was full' - Clio 197.

Thought I'd add to this old thread.

A friend recently bought a brand new Renault van. He's noticed that on the motorways it pulls slightly to the left. So he took it back and their tech guy took it out and his reply was "because it's a French car the geometry is set up to suit the camber on French roads (meaning driving on the right), so it will always pull on English roads".

All I can say is wow.

This is scary as my dad was told a very similar thing when having his old clio checked over.


..."all cars pull to the left so if you fall asleep at the wheel it'll pull you to the side of the road rather than into oncoming traffic"

Jesus.
 
  RB Clio 182
I took my corsa vxr in for warranty one time, on the health check sheet it said that the front tyres were fine with 4mm of tread left. Went in for more warranty work a few months later and on the new health check i got back, the fronts had 6mm of tread left, same tyres lol.
 

KitsonRis

ClioSport Club Member
Went to look at an MG ZS before buying my Clio at a second hand car dealer (why i have no idea, it was a bit of a bargain) so I asked:
Me: "When was the head gasket done last, the millage is on 130k and they go every 70k miles"
Dealer: "A local couple had it so it should be fine"
How should where they used to live make any difference to a head gasket being done??!!
He also said it had some poke to it and was the best example he had ever driven, being a 1.8 I was expecting some...there wasn't, my old 899cc Fiat Cinquecento had more poke in it! So had a look under the bonnet and found that milky crap in the oil filler cap, yes the head was going. He didn't believe me. I didn't buy it. I quickly went home and told my step dad I was buying the Clio off him.
 

Chris V6 255

ClioSport Club Member
  V6 255, 182 Trophy
Flol!

At a main dealer?!

Yep Renault St. Helens, when I explained what it was they had never heard of one.

The reason I will never take my V6 to a main dealer for any work doing.

Also been asked if my ph1 172 was a 1.4
 

Knuckles

ClioSport Admin
Yep Renault St. Helens, when I explained what it was they had never heard of one.

The reason I will never take my V6 to a main dealer for any work doing.

Also been asked if my ph1 172 was a 1.4

That is brilliant.

Will you be coming (in the vee) to the pub meet tomorrow by the way? I've only ever seen ash's vee round here.
 

RMDavis

ClioSport Club Member
Not a dealer as such, but years ago when I owned my Toyota Glanza V I took it to Halfords to get a headunit wiring adaptor. The "audio specialist" informed me that my car "didn't exist!" I had to laugh, and offered to show him the miracle car parked outside. :wink:
 

Chris V6 255

ClioSport Club Member
  V6 255, 182 Trophy
That is brilliant.

Will you be coming (in the vee) to the pub meet tomorrow by the way? I've only ever seen ash's vee round here.

What time u guys meeting?
Got a bit of a busy day tomorrow but if I can pop over for an hour I will do
 
MOT testers can't start removing stuff, so to cover themselves they will state what's in the way.

Take side skirts for example. Likely to hide rot so they will poke at what they can but if they feel there's probably something under there, they will note it.
 
  Phase 1 172, boxster
Not so much a dealer in my case also but I once took my old corrado to audio specialist because my head unit stopped working, they took a look at it and informed me that they had no idea how it was working as there was no power cable attached to it

How odd
 
  172
Toomey Renault Southend.

Me: (on the Renaultsport Twingo) I guess I could always pay and have the cup chassis spec on the car (upgrade the springs and dampers)
salesguy: I don't think thats possible to put the cup chassis on your car at a later date....would have to weld a whole new chassis on to it!


........
 
  172
After having the slave cylinder replaced after it failed at Bedford Autodrome...

Dealer: Here's you car sir.

Me: Any particular reason my steering wheel is on the piss?!

Dealer: Oh I thought that was how you gave it to us?

Me: No I don't tend to have my steering wheel facing fully right when driving straight

Dealer: Oh yeah just checked with the garage and they are supposed to do an alignment after removing front subframe.

Me: Guess I'll be driving round in your Clio for a bit longer then!
 
  172
That reminds me of the RS trackday.

Some guy got out of his Clio V6 in trousers shirt, shoes and a tie(!) to which my brother loudly said "future bmw driver" so everyone heard! Embarassed wasnt the word
 


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