Robinsons VW Van Centre Peterborough

[Cloud Dodger]

The vehicle is due for collection tomorrow and a refund will be given minus £2088.

We are now hiring a vehicle (at our cost), no support from VW or the dealer regarding temporary vehicle. VW executive team did say they cannot dictate how the dealer support us with the rejection.

So we will not be paying for another VW vehicle in the near future.

In the last 10 years we had had, an ex demo Scirroco and I have bought two brand new Amarok's.

Totally put off the VW badge at present, cost us a lot of money because VW allowed a vehicle to leave the factory with paint defects.

When the inspector came to check the vehicle, I watched and made notes of what he was checking and photographing. He could not tell me his thoughts because VW were paying for the paintwork check.

After he left, I went and checked everything he checked, measured and photographed and found there were more paint defects that I had not spotted.

In my opinion, 7 panels need painting, not just 3 that I reported with defects.

I don't know where this 69 plate California will end up, either on a Robinsons VW forecourt or somewhere else in the dealer network, with or without paintwork rectified.

Bottom line is, we are 100% happy with the rejection, not so happy with the financial penalty.

We did seek legal advice and was told to take the offer and run......

 

[Amarillo]

Bottom line is we are happy with the 100% happy with the rejection, not so happy with the financial penalty.

We did seek legal advice and was told to take the offer and run......

This has been a woeful tale of ineptitude by Robinson’s and VW.

I think that you will get a partial refund on your Vehicle Excise Duty.

Console yourself that at least you had some use, albeit tainted use, of your Beach, and try to put this whole sorry saga behind you.

 

[BeagleMum]

The vehicle is due for collection tomorrow and a refund will be given minus £2088.

We are now hiring a vehicle (at our cost), no support from VW or the dealer. We will not be paying for another VW vehicle in the near future.

In the last 10 years we had had, an ex demo Scirroco and I have bought two brand new Amarok's.

Totally put off the VW badge at present, cost us a lot of money because the factory allowed a vehicle to leave the factory with paint defects.

When the inspector came to check the vehicle, I watched and made notes of what he was checking and photographing. He could not tell me his thoughts because VW were paying for the paintwork check.

After he left, I went and checked everything he checked, measured and photographed and found there were more paint defects that I had not spotted.

In my opinion, 7 panels need painting, not just the 3 I reported with defects.

I don't know where this 69 plate California will end up, on a Robinsons VW forecourt or somewhere else in the dealer network, with or without paintwork rectified.

Bottom line is we are happy with the 100% happy with the rejection, not so happy with the financial penalty.

We did seek legal advice and was told to take the offer and run......

We are so sorry for the dreadful experience you’ve had with this vehicle & the dealer.
It’s unbelievable that you've been treated so appallingly. It‘s understandable you won’t want to purchase a VW again. It’s awful that VW have not done more to ensure the dealer acted in a fair & reasonable manner towards you, it must leave you with a very bitter taste.

 

[2haw]

The vehicle is due for collection tomorrow and a refund will be given minus £2088.

We are now hiring a vehicle (at our cost), no support from VW or the dealer. We will not be paying for another VW vehicle in the near future.

In the last 10 years we had had, an ex demo Scirroco and I have bought two brand new Amarok's.

Totally put off the VW badge at present, cost us a lot of money because the factory allowed a vehicle to leave the factory with paint defects.

When the inspector came to check the vehicle, I watched and made notes of what he was checking and photographing. He could not tell me his thoughts because VW were paying for the paintwork check.

After he left, I went and checked everything he checked, measured and photographed and found there were more paint defects that I had not spotted.

In my opinion, 7 panels need painting, not just the 3 I reported with defects.

I don't know where this 69 plate California will end up, on a Robinsons VW forecourt or somewhere else in the dealer network, with or without paintwork rectified.

Bottom line is we are happy with the 100% happy with the rejection, not so happy with the financial penalty.

We did seek legal advice and was told to take the offer and run......

Don’t forget to accidentally leave the rear deckchairs in the garage!

 

[2haw]

Along with the side blinds and if you bought a front mat, don’t forget to remove it..
Can you get away with removing the awning?? Removed mine before selling to Webuyanycar and sold on here for another £425!

 

[Cloud Dodger]

We are so sorry for the dreadful experience you’ve had with this vehicle & the dealer.
It’s unbelievable that you've been treated so appallingly. It‘s understandable you won’t want to purchase a VW again. It’s awful that VW have not done more to ensure the dealer acted in a fair & reasonable manner towards you, it must leave you with a very bitter taste.

Below, copied and pasted (including spelling mistake) is an extract of an email I have received from the VW Executive Office, so I am not sure VW can force the dealer(s) to do anything, even if VW have sympathy with us and think we have a moral case for a full refund?
========
It is the selling Van Centres decision in regards to the terms and conditions of your rejection and refund. Your contract of Sale is not with Volkswagen Commercial Vehilces UK it is with your selling Van Centre.

Although ++++++ at Peterborough Van Centre has spoken to me in lengths regarding your case, it is not my decision on how they support you with your rejection.

I apologise that the vehicle you purchased is no longer available for a like for like replacement, however the Van Centre has exercised your rights as a consumer in line with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
=========

Interestingly reading above, the VW Executive Office have had talks with the van centre over this issue, nobody from the Executive Office has spoken to me personally. I have had calls from customer care but not from the Executive Office, which I assume is another level above customer care....

 

[GrannyJen]

Below, copied and pasted (including spelling mistake) is an extract of an email I have received from the VW Executive Office, so I am not sure VW can force the dealer(s) to do anything, even if VW have sympathy with us and think we have a moral case for a full refund?
========
It is the selling Van Centres decision in regards to the terms and conditions of your rejection and refund. Your contract of Sale is not with Volkswagen Commercial Vehilces UK it is with your selling Van Centre.

Although *+*+*+*+*+*+ at Peterborough Van Centre has spoken to me in lengths regarding your case, it is not my decision on how they support you with your rejection.

I apologise that the vehicle you purchased is no longer available for a like for like replacement, however the Van Centre has exercised your rights as a consumer in line with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
=========

Interestingly reading above, the VW Executive Office have had talks with the van centre over this issue, nobody from the Executive Office has spoken to me personally. I have had calls from customer care but not from the Executive Office, which I assume is another level above customer care....

From my sorry experience:

EO is the boss level of customer care. It means the person you were talking to has now got fed up with you making their lives miserable and feeling totally impotent they have kicked it upstairs. It does not change in any way whatsoever the level of care that you get or the number of times you will hear "nowt we can do, it's between you and the dealer". They did arrange for me to have a nice black Audi for the 4 weeks my vehicle was off the road so at least I could pretend I was driving a high speed hearse for a while.

The experience you have suffered is sadly what happens when you get one of those dealers who have no interest in the "difficult and complex" California and even less interest in customers who carry on as if "the van" is their pride and joy. It is, after all, "only a van".

I hope you can now put all this behind you although the sour taste it has left will take a while to reduce down to level where you don't want to scream every minute of the day in frustration. Fortunately amongst the dross there are also some excellent dealers who really want to sell you a Cali and look after it for you post sale.

 

[ArunAlec]

Don’t forget to accidentally leave the rear deckchairs in the garage!

And leave a copy of all the faults in the glove box, just in case any prospective buyer is interested!

 

[Cloud Dodger]

And leave a copy of all the faults in the glove box, just in case any prospective buyer is interested!

The dealer has already said they want to do a vehicle appraisal before they refund the monies and they will not refund the cost of the rubber mats we bought from their parts department, so we have to keep them.

Our solicitor stated *DO NOT* let them take the vehicle until all monies are cleared in our bank account.

We do wonder why we are being treated like this? The only thing we are guilty of is finding paint defects that the factory and the dealer missed and our refusal to have a brand new vehicle painted.

It is now quite clear, irregardless of how many VW vehicles you have bought or how much you have spent historically with VW, that brand loyalty means absolutely nothing.

 

[Perfectos]

Hi CD

I feel your pain and sympathise immensely.

Take heart in the fact that this thread has been read thousands of times (in excess of 3000) and will continue to be available to be read for a long time so other can make an informed decision regarding this dealer and their lack of care for loyal customers.

It’s very disappointing to hear that VWuk turn a blind eye to a loyal customer, hiding behind the “contract” with the dealer blah blah.

May I suggest one final email to VW GmbH to let them know your shocking experience, from start to finish and the damage they have done to a loyal customer to their brand and your dismay at the shocking and numerous quality issues VW GmbH allowed to leave the factory.
If you don’t get a response your happy with or a gesture of good will you can ditch the brand with hand on heart knowing that you at least tried everything.

I would not blame you in ditching the VW brand after such an appalling ordeal.

I wish you all the best.

 

[Billywizz]

Don’t forget to accidentally leave the rear deckchairs in the garage!

And the safety net

 

[Rich20]

And the safety net

And the flexilight, first aid kit, warning triangle. If they query why it is all missing, tell em it must have been missing when they
did their rubbish PDI check and you didn’t even know you were missing it. It’s all got a value on fleabay

 

[GrannyJen]

and leave the tap running ....

See if anyone has a clue as to where the noise is coming from

 

[2haw]

Anychance you could unbolt the heater from under the van, they’ll never notice!

 

[steve_b]

To be honest , if it was me I would print out a history of what happened and spend a couple of quality days at the weekend handing out copies to prospective new clients. Just make sure that everything is 100% truthful and provable, and that you don't do it on their property. A billboard with "I DON'T SUGGEST THAT YOU BUY FROM HERE" ought to grab enough initial attention. And call the local press to take a picture too

Sorry you had to go through this but hopefully this thread will cost them more than you have suffered

 

[BeagleMum]

Below, copied and pasted (including spelling mistake) is an extract of an email I have received from the VW Executive Office, so I am not sure VW can force the dealer(s) to do anything, even if VW have sympathy with us and think we have a moral case for a full refund?
========
It is the selling Van Centres decision in regards to the terms and conditions of your rejection and refund. Your contract of Sale is not with Volkswagen Commercial Vehilces UK it is with your selling Van Centre.

Although *+*+*+*+*+*+ at Peterborough Van Centre has spoken to me in lengths regarding your case, it is not my decision on how they support you with your rejection.

I apologise that the vehicle you purchased is no longer available for a like for like replacement, however the Van Centre has exercised your rights as a consumer in line with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
=========

Interestingly reading above, the VW Executive Office have had talks with the van centre over this issue, nobody from the Executive Office has spoken to me personally. I have had calls from customer care but not from the Executive Office, which I assume is another level above customer care....

Its appalling that VW UK have ignored a loyal customer, hiding behind the “contract” with the dealer is indefensible & cowardly.

 

[Cloud Dodger]

Once we have our refund. I will post the text of the complaints email we sent to VW customer care and the dealer (Robinsons VW). It's a lengthy letter with dates and times of events and it does not read well. I will redact names and some personal info.

After this was sent, it then got escalated higher to the VW executive office and that swung Robinsons VW standard response of 'right to repair' to what we wanted which was 'rejection', albeit with a financial penalty.

It may help other members in the future that come across volkswagen paint defects on their VW California and a dealer reluctance to accept the customers decision to reject the vehicle.

 

[Cloud Dodger]

In hindsight, this is my advice to anyone buying or collecting a brand new VW California from a paintwork point of view.

1. On collection, *insist* the vehicle is in the showroom or under cover with good lighting and is dry and clean. If the dealer refuses, walk away and find another dealer who will comply.
2. Close all the doors and check all the paintwork thoroughly, then use steps to check the roof (see my earlier video for what to look for),
3. One of the defects was on the top edge of the sliding door but shadowed by the overhand of the awning.
4. Pop the roof and check paintwork *under* and around where the pop top sits.
5. Open the tailgate, check for defects around the tailgate aperture itself. Look around the hinge areas and seams (as per my video).
6. Open the doors and check inside the door apertures for defects.
7. Close the sliding door so you can check the sliding door rail recess for paint runs and defects (on the OSR quarter panel towards the rear light cluster).
8. Do not pay for the vehicle until this paintwork check is done, it may take 5-10 minutes.
9. Don't assume because it's a brand new vehicle that there will not be paint defects.

As per my video of the roof, do not be fobbed off with remarks like *they will buff out*, inclusions and dirt are trapped under the clear coat or paint. To buff them out you have to buff away the clear coat protection. The area will need flatting and painting.

Once a panel has been painted, it will have a different paint thickness or depth to factory paint, even if it is a perfect match. If the next buyer asks for a vehicle inspection this is easily spotted with the correct tools (do an internet search for "paint depth checker", for a few hundred pound anyone can buy one and do their own checks on every panel.

Failure to do these checks, cost us months of pain, anxiety and a financial deduction of approx £1700 (with road tax refund accounted for).

My earlier video's will help you to identify what to look for.

 

[Wondering Star]

Makes you want to buy a Mercedes Marco Polo or Ford Nugget next time round if that's the surport we can expect from VW.

When i worked for VW in the late 80's they ran two customer focused programs.

'Right first time'
For workshop staff primarily correcting defects on the first visit.

'Customer comes first'
Dedicated to high quality customer care and satisfaction.
It appears these are now defunched.

Really shocked a dealer and more importantly VW left this drift.

 

[Cloud Dodger]

The whole experience has had a negative impact on our view of VW and of owning a camper.

We did consider getting another California but did not want to wait 4-6 months for another one to be built and the cost that we would incur hiring a vehicle for that period, on top of our financial loss.

We are now in the process of deciding between either a brand new Toyota Hilux (18% discount) or Nissan Navara (28% discount). VW Amarok is out of the question, no more of our money will go to VW after being bullied into taking the £1700 financial loss.

Currently hiring a Citroen Berlingo (at our cost with no support from VW or the dealer) until we can sort another vehicle.

 

[sebking]

Look at how Nissan has treated the 1000s of Navara owners with the breaking chassis issues. That would push me to Toyota ASAP.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WelshGas]

Makes you want to buy a Mercedes Marco Polo or Ford Nugget next time round if that's the surport we can expect from VW.

When i worked for VW in the late 80's they ran two customer focused programs.

'Right first time'
For workshop staff primarily correcting defects on the first visit.

'Customer comes first'
Dedicated to high quality customer care and satisfaction.
It appears these are now defunched.

Really shocked a dealer and more importantly VW left this drift.

Don’t think Mercedes or Ford are any better. It’s all down to the Dealership in the end. Manufacturers don’t sell vehicles to the public only to Dealerships. It’s a very murky system and the buyer is expected to suck it up. Even Tesla is no better.

 

[GrannyJen]

Makes you want to buy a Mercedes Marco Polo or Ford Nugget next time round if that's the surport we can expect from VW.

When i worked for VW in the late 80's they ran two customer focused programs.

'Right first time'
For workshop staff primarily correcting defects on the first visit.

'Customer comes first'
Dedicated to high quality customer care and satisfaction.
It appears these are now defunched.

Really shocked a dealer and more importantly VW left this drift.

Reading the comments in the Marco Polo forums the dealership experience is even worse.

 

[BeagleMum]

The whole experience has had a negative impact on our view of VW and of owning a camper.

We did consider getting another California but did not want to wait 4-6 months for another one to be built and the cost that we would incur hiring a vehicle for that period, on top of our financial loss.

We are now in the process of deciding between either a brand new Toyota Hilux (18% discount) or Nissan Navara (28% discount). VW Amarok is out of the question, no more of our money will go to VW after being bullied into taking the £1700 financial loss.

Currently hiring a Citroen Berlingo (at our cost with no support from VW or the dealer) until we can sort another vehicle.

Until we bought a Cali last year we have owned nothing but Toyota’s for 30 years, we still have one as a second vehicle. Throughout this time we have had five star treatment every time we have had any dealings with Johnsons our dealership. It’s a brand we would highly recommend for vehicle reliability and being customer focused. Never owned a Nissan so can’t comment on that brand.

 

[Cloud Dodger]

Until we bought a Cali last year we have owned nothing but Toyota’s for 30 years, we still have one as a second vehicle. Throughout this time we have had five star treatment every time we have had any dealings with Johnsons our dealership. It’s a brand we would highly recommend for vehicle reliability and being customer focused. Never owned a Nissan so can’t comment on that brand.

I have had 2 Hilux's and 2 Amarok's but never had a Nissan. A guy I know has had 3 Nissan Navara's, last one had 90K miles when he sold it, no issues.

I had a test drive in the Nissan Navara and based on the size of the discount (28%), 5 years warranty and 5 years breakdown cover will probably give the Nissan a try.