York - Jct 600

[bob-on]

Well after a search around for our ideal Cali we found one in JCT600 for £44,995. Nice Silver 180, 62 plate with 18 miles on the clock. On Wednesday I called and spoke with Andy Blakeley and asked for full details of the van and a couple of pics which he sent. He said there was a deal to be done but I needed to run it past the wife before confirming. So I tried to call at 18:30 to place a deposit on it but was told he'd left for the day.

I emailed him so that when he checked his messages in the morning he would see that I wanted the van. I eventually got a call from him at 10:30, i told him id tried to call the night before but missed him and he said that he'd only stayed until 18:45. I said i called at 18:30 but he quickly changed topic. Anyway, he took my payment details from me to reserve the van until we could go and see it today.

After almost a 2 hour trip to get there Andy told us that his business manager had to use the van to go home in on Friday night as there were no other vehicles available with tax on them so the mileage was higher than before. It was now at 113 miles so 95 more.

When we started to look around the van we noticed an extended test drive paperwork in the door pocket that was from Thursday, insurance cover from 11:00 until 16:00! When my wife questioned Andy about it he said he didn't know what it was, he was off that day!!! I'd spoken to him at 10:30 and he's the Cali specialist so you'd think he'd know about that!

We then went inside to discuss the deal and I asked him what he could do, he told us he'd be hard pushed to give us £500 off but he'd have to clear that first. We said we wouldn't be interested if that was all he could do. So he left us whilst he went off to 'call his manager'.
When he came back he told us that he'd tried his hardest for us and his manager had said that he wouldn't have offered us the £500 off and he'd rather just give us our deposit back!

So Andy said "we'll, I've offered you the £500 off and I'll stick to that" at which point we said well we'll just have our money back then please. Apparently they couldn't get the supervisor swipe card to refund the money today so we have to wait until tomorrow.

So just to confirm, I wouldn't recommend this place as we felt like we'd wasted our day and been lied to. We think that a deal may have already been done with the other couple who'd driven it after it was supposed to be reserved for us. :evil:

 

[calikev]

Sorry to hear that mate. Sounds very iffy to me. Keep looking the right one is out there

 

[BerndRos]

Can't really see there is a story here. They are trying to run a business and until you signed a contract they were free to deal with others re the van, such dealings their concern.

 

[bob-on]

Well maybe I'm just oldskool that believes in higher principles.

 

[Stu]

I'd say he's hedging his bets with those that had it on extended test drive. If they don't buy you may get a call.

 

[helenherbert]

We got our van from there a year ago. They did us a good deal and Andy was fine to deal with - spent over an hour showing us round the van and gave us a fair discount.

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

Sorry to hear of this, frustrating to say the least!

Give Hugh in our sales team a call to discuss a vehicle with him. We can deliver nationwide and won't let you down like you already have been!

cheers

 

[beardie]

There is always a danger giving a deposit prior to agreeing the exact deal. Don't take this the wrong way but you were probably giving off signals that you were desperate for this van. They probably used this technique on the other interested buyers as well. When they detect this then £500 is all you are likely to get. If you got your deposit back then I think you were lucky, not sure they would have to. Anyway suggest you play it cool and have details of the 'other' van you are about to buy when you go to the next vw dealers. Remember that most salesman have the propensity to act in this way.
Recruitment consultants can be just like this on occasions (best mates one moment, don't return calls the next) but that's a different story!!

 

[James]

The deposit can be misleading. Sorry you had such a bad experience. I think sometimes this a lack of communication.

When I was buying my Beach I initially went to Chelmaford Van centre they wanted 4k to secure a van and that would be one from their stock and was not on site. So I'd never seen it and then the despotic was reduced to 3k. Crazy because the salesman didn't even know anything about the Beach and when I asked about spec it was like I'd threatened to kidnap his family and torture them. He was flustered and tried to tell me I should have the 140 because who wants to be in the slow lane.

Suffice to say I walked away, I don't mind the hard sell but borderline bullying I don't do. I got my Beach from Peterborough in the end and although they were not the most knowledgable I was able to have an honest conversation with the salesman and we agreed a £500 deposit to secure the van with the balance to follow. And we agreed the 500 meant in principle the van was mine.

If I was buying now. I'd do it differently but it can be a really difficult experience.

You will find the van you want and the adventure will begin

 

[ROB]

i have purchased 2 from there been ok with me , but never got any discounts , but they were both used

 

[Dibz]

I bought mine from jct600 York, they were great, sorted the few things I wanted sorting no problem, did me a good deal, and followed up well when I found the fly screens were missing by ordering me some new ones (used van). No complaints here.

I would deal with again for sure.

Sorry to hear you had a less than a convincing experience

 

[Calincolnshire]

Did not get much response from York either when I enquired about buying a Cali . Ended up at Gilder van centre Sheffeld . Got discount and did the deal totally over the phone. So got top class service. Not tried the after sales yet but so far so good.

 

[DirkSquareJaw]

Another negative for York.
Long story but they did us a deal and after a few calls. They then put the pressure on , 'have to put deposit on vehicle and take before the end of the week' talk . I went to check the se today and the first thing I noted was the stains/marks on the bench seat. Also, no parking sensors , this after I'd said repeatedly on the phone prior to the deal that I needed sensors(insurance) did he not hear? I should have known better and checked the spec in more detail on't net. :doh

While I accept responsibility for this, the sales person could/should have pointed it out ( a good honest one would have).
As for the condition..messy , with 2 dark water stains.
Now awaiting refund on the deposit.

The deal in the end turned out not to be. Just a desperate bid to get a sale before the end of Feb - sales figures over honest salesmanship. My dad said they were putting on way too much pressure and not to trust the sale (wise old git).

I'm daft and should have known better. Lesson learned!

Honesty goes a long way in my book. Off to Leicester.....

who the heck sells pre reg demo Cali's with out sensors, at least rear ones. . tad clueless perhaps. Or is that me :lol:

 

[Gasgas]

Sorry to hear about your experience ,I think the problem with giving a deposit over the phone without viewing first is that they think you are a captive customer and don't need to give you the best deal ,much better to have the "if it goes it goes " attitude and keep them keen if you want the best deal,Good luck :lol:

 

[Meoncoast]

I concur with gasgas.
We found several pre registered Calis we were intrested phoned around made a short list decided on which order we would view ( part of which was dealer attitude pushy one put to bottom of the list) Then before the 1hr drive to dealer rang to see if it was still avalible Job done, no issues for us

 

[DirkSquareJaw]

To be honest I had one of those 'some thing not right here' feelings when I arrived to view the van.
I got the impression they hadn't really got a clue about the California but, a good deal is a good deal and I've put down deposits before with out any problems.
There were another couple of issues but no point getting bitter,i just didn't like their attitude.

I'd have pulled the sale on the stains alone and the grime round the tail gate seals.

For this kind of money I want excellence and an honest approach to selling.

 

[Zizzy]

So far so good!
We called in March to see if they had any demo Cali's we might possibly be able to afford. They had two that were close to our dream spec and the sales guy, Robin Fryer (now moved on) was very helpful and not at all pushy. Ours was a complicated purchase as we qualified for a VAT-free purchase due the the adaptations we need for our daughter who is a wheelchair user. We were also arranging finance from elsewhere though a personal contact which meant they had no opportunity to gain value from that.The dealership was helpful and accommodating throughout. On the collection day , Andy Blakeley did the technical part of the handover and demonstrated many features and tips that have saved us hours of wondering and fiddling. There were a couple of very minor items missing (thanks for the handover checklist guys!) and these have been ordered and are being sent on to us.
I have rung up since collecting with a typical newbie question and wasn't treated like a moron.
The only negative to date is that the valeting wasn't very good. The vehicle roof was very dirty and the interior had not been done with the care you would expect for a car of equivalent value. I assume this is because it is done by the commercial vehicle side. This was not a huge deal for me compared to the positives of the service etc...I would probably have gone over it myself anyway.
Based on my experience, I would recommend this dealership. I never felt pressured or patronised and they delivered the goods.

 

[Cameron1960]

We bought a brand new Cali' from here last week and the service was excellent. Our local dealer in Newcastle did not have the spec' we were after, hence our wider search. I spotted our vehicle online and made some initial telephone enquiries 3 weeks ago. We made an appointment to see it and test drive it. Prior to completing the 140 mile round trip, we ensured we had finance in place through VW (this was cleared in less than 15 mins) and we paid a refundable £500 deposit to ensure it wouldn't be sold.

We test drove a Caravelle as this was the only demo vehicle with the 140 PS DSG engine. However the person who showed us around the Cali' spent nearly 1.5 hrs explaining all the features etc. This was very thorough.

We decided to purchase it and during negotiations were offered a £1,000 discount in addition to a promotional (expiring end of June) VW contribution towards the deposit of £750.

We were pleasantly surprised when we were told that it would be ready for collection a week earlier than expected. Additionally I did ask if we could have a set of waterproof seat covers free of charge worth £175, which we received.

Both Chris and Dave were a delight to deal with.

I would definitely recommend JCT 900 York

 

[Richard Teale]

What are JCT 600's after sales services like? West Yorkshire Van Centre and JCT York are both about the same distance from me and I'm wondering which is better for servicing etc. I have to say that in my limited interactions with JCT 600 service department to date they have not covered themselves in glory, failing to return calls.

 

[Cameron1960]

Hi Richard, although we bought our California from JCT600, we live in Sunderland, hence all after sales have been done by Benfield Motors in Newcastle. So unfortunately I can't comment, sorry.

 

[Martin Batt]

Just had an excellent experience with JCT 600 in York. They have a brand new building and it seems to have put everyone on their mettle (or perhaps they have a new manager....!). I originally bought our Cali from VW Manchester (also very good customer service) after a rather poor response from York in Jan 2016. When I took the Cali and its melted awning/canopy into York this week they readily agreed to change it under warranty (hopefully for a replacement without the faulty seam that parts company in 35C heat). If you're looking for an enthusiastic, committed and knowledgeable service person, ask for Lucy. To cap it all, when I found I had a puncture on my folding bike, they took me right into my office on the other side of York and offered to collect me at the end of the day. Well done JCT 600 - I was impressed.

 

[deccauk]

I rang JCT600 last week to discuss my roof corrosion and was told that they don't do Californias any more. That side of the business has moved to Hull.

 

[Martin Batt]

That's interesting. They were quite happy to take on my melted awning....

 

[snowy55]

I rang JCT600 last week to discuss my roof corrosion and was told that they don't do Californias any more. That side of the business has moved to Hull.

Strange. We called in to York on the 29th September and spoke to Graham and sat in a couple of Californias.

 

[californiakid]

We bought a brand new Cali' from here last week and the service was excellent. Our local dealer in Newcastle did not have the spec' we were after, hence our wider search. I spotted our vehicle online and made some initial telephone enquiries 3 weeks ago. We made an appointment to see it and test drive it. Prior to completing the 140 mile round trip, we ensured we had finance in place through VW (this was cleared in less than 15 mins) and we paid a refundable £500 deposit to ensure it wouldn't be sold.

We test drove a Caravelle as this was the only demo vehicle with the 140 PS DSG engine. However the person who showed us around the Cali' spent nearly 1.5 hrs explaining all the features etc. This was very thorough.

We decided to purchase it and during negotiations were offered a £1,000 discount in addition to a promotional (expiring end of June) VW contribution towards the deposit of £750.

We were pleasantly surprised when we were told that it would be ready for collection a week earlier than expected. Additionally I did ask if we could have a set of waterproof seat covers free of charge worth £175, which we received.

Both Chris and Dave were a delight to deal with.

I would definitely recommend JCT 900 York

Small World bought my California last year from Benfield Newcastle last year.JCT York had nothing that met my spec. Benfield Newcastle did so purchased.
Have used JCT. @York for Warranty work and they are excellent.
World not hesitate to have a service there when due.