Leaderboard

I do so hope RAC or Motors outpace AT!! Since Bethany from Auotrader appears to responds here more than on her own company forum - I will post here instead?!! Autotrader - do you treat all your paying customers with such contempt.... or have I been specially chosen for the privilege? Post being ignored on AT forum as follows:- Chris Robinson – can I just check my understanding? I used to get deltapoint valuation tool included in my package. Are you telling me that from 1st July this will no longer be included? Are you telling me that you need to lock me into Autotrade-mail to access trade valuations from here forward? If so – either way you are forcing a cost on me over and above my package price – either Autotrade-mail or Retail Checker – to be in the same position as I was before? If that is what you are telling me, then my account manager John Higgins has told me an untruth, as he said deltapoint would be available as the alternative, and so did Sarah Shaw, in fact I think I have it in writing from John somewhere – will check past e-mails. If you are removing this from my package (without my agreement) then what decrease in my package costs are you proposing for this reduction in service you are giving me? I take it that it will be the same amount it would cost me if I were to take this new Retail Checker product of yours? I really wouldn’t mind but your retail checker is just a load of old tosh….. as I posted following my experience this morning…. BEARING IN MIND THAT I DO NOT WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND & before I made a final decision, I decided to give it a proper go this morning – benefit of the doubt etc etc & So my trial took place on a bog standard MINI One – not to tricky a test…. Retail checker says…… AX63LBU 2013 (63) 15,000 miles, 1 owner Retail guide: £10,669 – would rank it 3 out of 8 with a level of desirability at 3.5 stars!! Part-ex guide: £7,690 This MINI One changed hands this morning in a TRADE Auction at £9,055.00 so that makes the PX figure £1,360.00 less than the actual live value today of a bog standard MINI One. So Chris Robinson, perhaps you can see my point – you intend me to accept that I will get less for my money, yet you want me to pay handsomely for rubbish valuations on Retail checker …. I would dearly love to hear your explanation as to how any of this is helping me – your paying customer…. Why do I feel like I am being shafted by AT – YET AGAIN

Sometimes I wonder what goes on in customers heads, they seem to resent spending money on cars but the case above is just someone blatantly lying. If it had happened to me I would have been producing a bill to the customer for the work carried making sure every minute is accounted for including time spent driving the car to the garage etc. The car would also be locked in the garage until the bill had been paid. I had a case about 10 years ago where a customer damaged a car I lent them whilst I was carrying out a warranty repair on their car. The damage was to the two n/s doors and I asked for £200 to repair. She sent her husband to pick up the car once it was ready, I gave him the key to swap his items between the two cars agreeing to sort out payment for the damage and tie up the warranty paperwork once car seats and children were in the car. Next thing I look up and see the Nissan Terrano leaving the forecourt in a rapid manner. So I phone the lady who refused to pay using the reasoning that if she had been driving her own car she wouldn't of repaired it, as her car was getting fixed for a fault that wasn't of her making the same should apply to the car I lent her. I them politely pointed out the in his haste to leave her husband had left his wallet and house keys in the damaged Volvo I had lent them. I did offer to take the left items to her house and discuss the situation there (outside where neighbours may hear). She refused my kind offer and agreed £200 was fair and paid over the phone there and then. 10 minutes later her husband returned looking sheepish!! To be fair to him he apologised saying 'Sorry, I had to do what she told me to do, I would have paid you !!!' I guess some people just don't want to take responsibility for there own actions.

Bethany - can I just say how nice it is to see someone from Auto Trader responding to dealers in this forum. I for one thank you for taking the time to do it.