Looking for specific Audi - contact each flavour dealer?

[PistonBust]

I'm on the lookout for a late model B9.5 A4 Allroad Sport TFSI in grey. Rather than scour audi.co.uk, I already have feelers out with a couple of dealers who promise "to check across the network for trade ins" but wondered how limited their searches really are.

Would it be sound to contact one each of the dealer chain members, ie Lookers, Listers, Inchcape, Sytner etc or do they communicate with each other?

I'm hoping that a 2/3 year old one will turn up in the March trade ins.

[shtu]

PistonBust said:

I'm on the lookout for a late model B9.5 A4 Allroad Sport TFSI in grey. Rather than scour audi.co.uk, I already have feelers out with a couple of dealers who promise "to check across the network for trade ins" but wondered how limited their searches really are.

Would it be sound to contact one each of the dealer chain members, ie Lookers, Listers, Inchcape, Sytner etc or do they communicate with each other?

I'm hoping that a 2/3 year old one will turn up in the March trade ins.

Hardly scouring - it took me about 45 seconds to find there are a total of 3 A4 Allroads of any sort in the approved used scheme. There's 46 on Autotrader, but I didn't filter very much beyond "a4 allroad" "sport" so that includes models you aren't interested in.

If you're relying on dealers to find the car for you, you're in for a long wait - the odds of that effort being turned into a sale are generally low, so few will bother, focussing on selling what they have in front of them.

Saved searches and email alerts are your friend.

[PistonBust]

The search itself takes moments, I do have an Autotrader search running but the Audi site doesn't allow saved searches or alerts meaning a daily search (which is what I meant by "scour").

I'm out of internet contact for much of the time over next two months which is why I thought a friendly Audi dealer might ping me a message and say "got just the right one coming in next week".

I take your point but curious Audi don't seem to list all their cars on AT.

[119]

Generally speaking, auto trader attracts tyre kickers and chancers.

[CLK-GTR]

I wouldn't expect much. When i bought mine the dealer chain were quite clear they have limited interaction with the other chains unless its something high value with delivery miles.

A lot of Audi dealers list on here instead of AT. Between those two sites and audi.co.uk you should have the market well enough covered.

[ninepoint2]

[redacted]

[DarkMatter]

PistonBust said:

I do have an Autotrader search running but the Audi site doesn't allow saved searches.

I have bookmarked an Audi.co.uk search and it seems to remember the last search criteria I'd entered, so as long as I don't change the criteria I can keep running the same search. Maybe that's dependent on the browser settings used?

[119]

[redacted]

[PistonBust]

DarkMatter said:

I have bookmarked an Audi.co.uk search and it seems to remember the last search criteria I'd entered, so as long as I don't change the criteria I can keep running the same search. Maybe that's dependent on the browser settings used?

I'll try that. I use Brave so it might be strict on the cookies.

A few years back I sold my B6 A4 Avant (with the 1.9tdi engine), 130k, owned since new, full Audi then reputable indi service, usual items done (rear wiper motor, timing belt). Decent tyres, spare set wheels with winter tyres. Put it on Autotrader at an optimistic price, the phone rang off the hook and sold to first viewer.

Now I know why as I hunt for that one owner, fsh example myself. Given the age of vehicle I'm looking for, happy to pay a premium for a main dealer car, hopefully trusting that crap doesn't end up on their forecourt.

[ninepoint2]

[redacted]

[Dimebars]

Differing dealer groups won't talk to each other about incoming PX's/stock

You'll be lucky if different branches of the same group do

[PistonBust]

Dimebars said:

Differing dealer groups won't talk to each other about incoming PX's/stock

You'll be lucky if different branches of the same group do

Beginning to feel the love already. Phoned local main dealer, "sure I've seen one or two on our system. I'll dig deeper and phone you back later". Still waiting for the call.

Phoned another near old house whom I'd done a fair amount of business with over the years about one they had listed. "Sorry, that sold a few days ago, we haven't had time to take it off the website yet". "Will see what we have in our network and phone you back". Nothing heard.

I used to teach sales and one of my mantras was "always do what you say you are going to do".