New california advice required please...

primrose · Oct 25, 2013

Hi team,

Please help, I have paid out a small fortune only to have my dream car/wheels turn up with the required optional extras missing, my main headache is the parking sensors??? How can these be fitted in a retro/aftermarket style without the horrendous looking drill hole covers, as opposed to the sleek factory fitted behind bumper style? Also lane change assist? (okay probable a pain in the butt, paid for nonetheless) not lowered, no front spoiler, wrong alloys, are VW right in saying these are all after factory fit and should be retrofitted or like me believe the sales team are frantically covering the behinds on a booboo which they are struggling to resolve? My or someones brand new Dark Wood california is sitting in the car park now for two weeks while VW scratch their heads.

regards :-(

calikev · Oct 25, 2013

Hi welcome along sorry to hear of your problems.im sure alex at smg can confirm for you but I
would say that lane change assist and parking sensors are definitely factory fit.alloys and lowering will be retro fit.dont let them fob you off

James · Oct 25, 2013

If you've ordered from factory and you've specified those options they should be there - I guess spoilers and splitters and alloys can be dealer fit but even alloys can be specced.

retro fitting parking sensors possible - lane assist - i would imagine possible but expensive. If its not the van you ordered maybe a call to customer services.

James

smgcowfoldparts · Oct 25, 2013

Unfortunately no retrofit kit from VW for parking sensors or lane change assist. Lowering springs are not factory fit, but dealer fit. Depending on what wheels you ordered these could be factory fit or dealer fit. Sportline spoiler wouldn't be factory fit either.

They should start by checking if it is a misbuild or if it was ordered incorrectly. Have you contacted customer care yet? If not, call them to tell them what has happened and at least VW will be aware of it.

cheers and good luck

primrose · Nov 3, 2013

Cheers for the advice guys, I have a meeting tomorrow morning with the branch manager will find out exactly what my options are.

BMVS-Camper-Hire · Nov 3, 2013

Hazzy days 'would' be able to retrofit the pdf, not sure about the lane assist, however if it was mine, Id get them to order another Cali :thumb

primrose · Nov 3, 2013

From what I've been told so far there was confussion on the order initially. I can get a reversing camera on the Alpine stereo to use instead of the parking sensors, lane change assist was never my choice but part of the deal so not sure how much I would miss it. But the van has now been sat in the fore court for 3 weeks and I'm no closer to actually driving away in it. I'll see what compensation I get offered tomorrow, but I'm considering refusing the camper but it's 6/7 months lead time for a new one. By which point I'll have paid for it for a year. I also have £0000's on extras like drive away awnings generators etc etc... As I was using their demo.

Thanks

fordyski100 · Nov 3, 2013

Consider telling the dealer that you will not accept the van supplied and require them to re-order the correct specification. However you will use the van they have supplied until your new (correct) van arrives. OK it will be 6-7 months , but……...
You use this van 6-7 months , you put 6-7 months of mileage on there van , not yours , you get to know the do's and dont's with "there " van , and the best bit is when your new van arrives it will be a 2014 model on a 14 plate which will be worth more money.
And if you think they wont do it , i think they will as this is exactly what a friend of mine did when his California was incorrectly specced by our local dealership . Yes he had to wait 6-7 months also (and believe it or not the 1st replacement van they ordered for him was also wrong!) but in the end he has the correct spec and a newer van.
Good luck.

primrose · Nov 15, 2013

Good morning All, I finally took delivery of my new wheels and managed to negotiate a deal I was happy with. Thanks to all for responses and good advice.

I did have a 6 month 7000mile stint in there demo while my own was getting built, so picked up valuable do's and dont's along that journey. But was just wanting to get settled and make a feet tweeks to my own.

Cheers once again and may meet some if you along the way.

Nathan

Stuartcarpenter · Dec 7, 2013

We use a company called Richter based at Milton Keynes, they are on the web, they can fit most parts that are factory options including front and rear parking sensors. Generally, if its fittable at factory, they can fit aftermarket. Speak to Neil and tell him Stuart at Kettering put you in touch.

primrose · Jul 19, 2014

Hi all, thanks for the replies and sorry for my delay....

I collected my cali, after some toing a froing, only for the VW glasgow to go in liquidation 2 weeks later. I've haggled my case but at least I wasnt stuck with a £45K plus seat ibiza. OOFT!

Thanks for all replies, I've racked up 9000 mile in my dream car.