Valeting at car dealerships
Discussion
So a couple of days ago i purchased a (new to me) car 21 plate from a very well known car dealership where they have a few of them scattered around the country, now when you are spending the best part of just over £20k on a car you'd expect that the valeting side of things would be very good, I'm not expecting perfection but cleanliness is up there for most people i would assume.
Having turned up to it sat on the forecourt for handover yesterday to find that there was still polish that hadn't been buffed off, alloys looking dirty and someone with a slap dash method of applying tyre black, wipe marks all over the dials and screens and not buffed off, crumbs in crevices everywhere, yet when i mentioned about it they kinda looked at me as if this was normal? Do these things not get checked off?
As someone who's new to this game, especially buying from car dealers, is this the same for everyone else who's bought a near new car or are they simply sent to the nearest wash and scratch before being stuck outside?
Having turned up to it sat on the forecourt for handover yesterday to find that there was still polish that hadn't been buffed off, alloys looking dirty and someone with a slap dash method of applying tyre black, wipe marks all over the dials and screens and not buffed off, crumbs in crevices everywhere, yet when i mentioned about it they kinda looked at me as if this was normal? Do these things not get checked off?
As someone who's new to this game, especially buying from car dealers, is this the same for everyone else who's bought a near new car or are they simply sent to the nearest wash and scratch before being stuck outside?
Flumpo said:
Sadly I think those days are long gone. Unfortunately £20k isn’t what it used to be and dealers generally don’t care.
Numerous other threads on here where main/well known dealers won’t even give cars a basic clean before you view them.
I was just a little taken back by the fact that when i questioned it they had this look of they couldn't see what my issue was and that they all leave the place like this, £20k clearly isn't what it used to be, again I'm new to buying from big car dealers, maybe i was drawn in by the fancy showroom (naivety?) and expecting the standard would be applied to the cars sold.Numerous other threads on here where main/well known dealers won’t even give cars a basic clean before you view them.
Most dealers are chasing max profits wherever they can. Lots of valeting now carried out by external contractors on a fixed £ per car (variable rates depending on the work required) so they get churned through as quickly as possible.
There was a time when the last place I worked had a team of 8 Valeters, preparation was superb. When I left, it was 2 contracted in Valeter’s doing the same (or more) workload, the quality was obviously not the same standard, but it was cheaper.
There was a time when the last place I worked had a team of 8 Valeters, preparation was superb. When I left, it was 2 contracted in Valeter’s doing the same (or more) workload, the quality was obviously not the same standard, but it was cheaper.
James_33 said:
I was just a little taken back by the fact that when i questioned it they had this look of they couldn't see what my issue was and that they all leave the place like this, £20k clearly isn't what it used to be, again I'm new to buying from big car dealers, maybe i was drawn in by the fancy showroom (naivety?) and expecting the standard would be applied to the cars sold.
Is the “big dealer” an independent (such as a car supermarket) or a dealer for a brand (like BMW), and what was the brand of car?I’d expect a main dealer BMW prepared car to be better done than similar from a car supermarket, and I’d anticipate that the “premium” main dealers might have a higher standard of preparation than something more mass market, although I’d expect a car to be well prepared and clean from a main dealer regardless of brand.
It’s like when you buy GardX or Lifeshine (or whatever paintwork protection) from a car dealer.
Spend £200-300 on a product but whether it’s applied correctly I highly doubt. They throw in a kit to make it look like it’s great value for money.
GardX etc probably works quite well if applied correctly but when it’s thrown in for the salesperson’s commission and they are desperate for you to purchase it, I don’t think they apply it correctly. I’d rather spend said £200-300 on a detailer properly cleaning and polishing it with the correct equipment.
Apologies gone off on a tangent, but in a word No. It’s just done as long as the car is presentable and not muddy etc.
Spend £200-300 on a product but whether it’s applied correctly I highly doubt. They throw in a kit to make it look like it’s great value for money.
GardX etc probably works quite well if applied correctly but when it’s thrown in for the salesperson’s commission and they are desperate for you to purchase it, I don’t think they apply it correctly. I’d rather spend said £200-300 on a detailer properly cleaning and polishing it with the correct equipment.
Apologies gone off on a tangent, but in a word No. It’s just done as long as the car is presentable and not muddy etc.
Bought my Landrover Freelander 2 at 4 years old as a Landrover approved used car from a main dealer. It was truly immaculate, prepared to perfection looking like a brand new car. The same dealer group have multiple franchises and also have a selection of 1st time buyers cars. Went to look at a few VW Ups for our son's first car. They were filthy, inside and out, unprepared and apparently don't get prepped until they are sold. Didn't buy one from there and bought a lovely example from a small indie. First impressions count.
A work colleague bought a SUV from a car supermarket. He also remarked that it turned up pretty grubby. He complained and they chucked him £50 towards a car wash. Might be worth sounding out their customer services.
He then took the car to the localmoney laundering, European gangster run car wash place and was pretty hapy with the results
(Sorry, "hard working entrepreneurs, who are not at all dodgy and fully in line with H&S standards and definitely pay their staff NMW for the 90 hrs a week they are sat there in all weathers smoking imported fags and drinking Monster"
)
He also found the iirc cup holder/ashtray in the rear was broken, they said they'd get back to him, but never did. And he found one on eBay a few months later as he got bored of chasing them every few weeks. I'm not sure why people think they will be getting a premium service from a car supermarket in general
He then took the car to the local
(Sorry, "hard working entrepreneurs, who are not at all dodgy and fully in line with H&S standards and definitely pay their staff NMW for the 90 hrs a week they are sat there in all weathers smoking imported fags and drinking Monster"
)He also found the iirc cup holder/ashtray in the rear was broken, they said they'd get back to him, but never did. And he found one on eBay a few months later as he got bored of chasing them every few weeks. I'm not sure why people think they will be getting a premium service from a car supermarket in general
My car with 7 miles on the clock turned up abused. All the black plastic was scratched to s
t. I think the only reason you couldn't see it on the paint was because it's matte and gloss.
Picture won't upload but imagine a car that's been washed a 100 times by a toddler that drops the sponge every 5 minutes and you won't be far off.
t. I think the only reason you couldn't see it on the paint was because it's matte and gloss. Picture won't upload but imagine a car that's been washed a 100 times by a toddler that drops the sponge every 5 minutes and you won't be far off.
I had the same thing recently similar value car, it had their snake oil applied FOC in lieu of being unable to discount the car any further:
- Touch ups were still wet when I collected it at 9am and didn’t even last the way home
- The bonnet was resprayed (did a great job actually)
- The snake oil was allegedly applied after the bonnet job - which is funny as there was masking tape residue on the bonnet …..
- I assume the snake oil wasn’t applied but can’t prove it - doubt it does anything anyway
- Virtual dash during test drive was covered in grease from dash sprays - I cleaned it before buying it to make sure it wasn’t damaged !
-Windscreen was covered in valeting gunk - took several rounds of polishing for the wipers to work
- Tyre gel absolutely coating the tyres has turned them brown - luckily need replacing soon.
I honestly don’t know who they get to valet cars at dealerships!
Here’s a cracker :
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6W00VgxJwv/?igsh=c...
- Touch ups were still wet when I collected it at 9am and didn’t even last the way home
- The bonnet was resprayed (did a great job actually)
- The snake oil was allegedly applied after the bonnet job - which is funny as there was masking tape residue on the bonnet …..
- I assume the snake oil wasn’t applied but can’t prove it - doubt it does anything anyway
- Virtual dash during test drive was covered in grease from dash sprays - I cleaned it before buying it to make sure it wasn’t damaged !
-Windscreen was covered in valeting gunk - took several rounds of polishing for the wipers to work
- Tyre gel absolutely coating the tyres has turned them brown - luckily need replacing soon.
I honestly don’t know who they get to valet cars at dealerships!
Here’s a cracker :
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6W00VgxJwv/?igsh=c...
IMO 20K or any amount the car should be well prepped but unfortunately, there is no pride in these people's work ,see my post about a smart repair.
They valeted my recent purchase and I have just spent all weekend removing the overspray dust and getting it to my standard I expected this though.
They valeted my recent purchase and I have just spent all weekend removing the overspray dust and getting it to my standard I expected this though.
I actually looked at a cheap Mondeo estate a few weeks back. Dealer at a village garage in the West Country.
The car was just overwhelmingly grubby inside and out.
In the old days, a bloke running a sales plot like that would have either had some lads cleaning the cars for him, or he'd be cleaning and sorting the cars whenever he wasn't with a customer or on the phone.
I think maybe there is an element of 'people from different cultures' who have a different view about cars and dealing them?
I can sympathise, I normally only hoover my car if I'm taking older relatives somewhere.
Or to celebrate passing an MOT.
Or if I want to sell it...
The car was just overwhelmingly grubby inside and out.
In the old days, a bloke running a sales plot like that would have either had some lads cleaning the cars for him, or he'd be cleaning and sorting the cars whenever he wasn't with a customer or on the phone.
I think maybe there is an element of 'people from different cultures' who have a different view about cars and dealing them?
I can sympathise, I normally only hoover my car if I'm taking older relatives somewhere.
Or to celebrate passing an MOT.
Or if I want to sell it...
cayman-black said:
IMO 20K or any amount the car should be well prepped but unfortunately, there is no pride in these people's work ,see my post about a smart repair.
They valeted my recent purchase and I have just spent all weekend removing the overspray dust and getting it to my standard I expected this though.
This is my opinion too, all the cars i have bought in the past have either been private sales in which the sellers have done their best to clean them up or small independent garages that have also been pretty well presented, but this one i have just bought is the most i have ever spent and as i said earlier i maybe naively expected a fancy looking showroom and forecourt would be presented into their cars at handover but whoever did mine most certainly had no pride in their work whatsoever that day.They valeted my recent purchase and I have just spent all weekend removing the overspray dust and getting it to my standard I expected this though.
Reading the comments though it seems fairly common by the looks of it.
Seems people people wouldnt expect it on a 20k car then, reading this thread.
I used to be a valeter in my younger days (early 2000's) and every car would at least get a polish and polished glass inside and out, steamed engine bay and underneath, and wet vac'd of needed. If it needed touch ups or scuffs sorting it would see a machine polisher. We had pride in the job and got some good compliments.
The last 4 cars I've bought from a dealer have not even been polished which should be a bare minimum imo.
I used to be a valeter in my younger days (early 2000's) and every car would at least get a polish and polished glass inside and out, steamed engine bay and underneath, and wet vac'd of needed. If it needed touch ups or scuffs sorting it would see a machine polisher. We had pride in the job and got some good compliments.
The last 4 cars I've bought from a dealer have not even been polished which should be a bare minimum imo.
Edited by Torquey on Monday 6th May 20:52
Bobupndown said:
Bought my Landrover Freelander 2 at 4 years old as a Landrover approved used car from a main dealer. It was truly immaculate, prepared to perfection looking like a brand new car. The same dealer group have multiple franchises and also have a selection of 1st time buyers cars. Went to look at a few VW Ups for our son's first car. They were filthy, inside and out, unprepared and apparently don't get prepped until they are sold. Didn't buy one from there and bought a lovely example from a small indie. First impressions count.
Exactly that. People commenting "for £20k it should be immaculate" - why £20k ? Where is the lower limit for when it's acceptable to not bother prepping a car? It's a nonsense argument. If you're selling anything, then presenting it in its best possible condition (at least cosmetically) is most likely going to give the best chance of selling it and the best price. Doesn't matter whether it's a 20 year old £500 banger or £20k "premium" car.A clean polished and vac'd car inside and out gives the buyer the impression that it's been looked after and is in good condition and that's what you need to sell it.
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