Another one lost!

So for the Bunch of Loosers JLR Dealership Award 2013 goes to :
1) Stratstone dealership in Newcastle..
The rest is open to the forum....

(18-05-2013 02:25pm)Wicksy Wrote:  Being one of the "new customers" that Land Rover were hoping to attract with the Evoque I sadly now have to leave the marque after only 18 months.

Apart from a little lack of refinement around town I have been totally satisfied with the car overall but did suffer from the dreaded rattle syndrome from the rear (oo err)

My gripe is totally with the Stratstone dealership in Newcastle - they are so inept its untrue. In my short time as a Land Rover customer they have

- failed to turn up for the car when a pick up time had been agreed for a service
- serviced the car and returned it without a valet and also without any attempt to fix the rattling tailgate
- then took it back for 8 weeks after which they said the rattle was resolved - as soon as I drove out of the dealership the rattle was actually twice as bad!
- They then told me that they would make another attempt at a fix and would ring me when a courtesy car became available - that was two months ago and I still haven't heard a thing from them

That was the final straw and despite Liam from LRCR being absolutely brilliant in trying to placate me in attempting to get me to stay within the brand, this morning I have signed up for a Lexus IS300h F Sport.

I had been a Lexus customer previously so I know for fact that I will get top class service from them - if only Land Rover could follow suit instead of taking their clients for granted - their product is fantastic and it deserves better.

Good luck to you all, I'm sure all of the dealers can't be as bad as ours "up north"

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totaly agree stratstone newcastle service is dreadfull but there might be a change on the way i am waiting for a change of car arriving this week i hope and having spoken to the new head of sales some changes are being made in the dealership to change the way customers are treated. but i must mention Saira Khatoon at L R customer services she was fantastic with her help change of car is on its way.

To be honest I'd agree that Stratestone Newcastle aren't the best as they have me the run around when I was shopping for my evoque in Feb.

However, it's a complete contrast with their Teeside / Stockton branch who I finally went with as the sales team were brutally honest, knowleadgable and ultimately very helpful over the time it took me to decide to go with my eD4.

Additionally, they been great on the servicing side when (a) my brother came to drop his defender 90 in @ 120K miles it only cost him £220; and (b) also when I've had then fit various accessories.

(19-05-2013 06:33pm)xxxx5 Wrote:  One of the main reasons I sold and got out of JLR product, dealers need a big wake up call espically Hunters Preston. They don't know how to treat and retain customers.

Snap - bought a discovery from them three years ago. Took them two months to locate a wiring problem (car off the road about six weeks of that time) - which was less of a problem than the behaviour of the dealer principal. He lied to me in respect of my rights to reject the car and suggested (in relation to an unrelated problem that was of my doing) that I do something that I consider dishonest in order to rid myself of the car

It's a shame as they are the nearest main dealer to where I live of any kind of car. But under no circumstances will I ever put myself in a position to have to hand over any money to them

And you can see I haven't really calmed down after three years!

(18-05-2013 02:25pm)Wicksy Wrote:  Being one of the "new customers" that Land Rover were hoping to attract with the Evoque I sadly now have to leave the marque after only 18 months.

Apart from a little lack of refinement around town I have been totally satisfied with the car overall but did suffer from the dreaded rattle syndrome from the rear (oo err)

My gripe is totally with the Stratstone dealership in Newcastle - they are so inept its untrue. In my short time as a Land Rover customer they have

- failed to turn up for the car when a pick up time had been agreed for a service
- serviced the car and returned it without a valet and also without any attempt to fix the rattling tailgate
- then took it back for 8 weeks after which they said the rattle was resolved - as soon as I drove out of the dealership the rattle was actually twice as bad!
- They then told me that they would make another attempt at a fix and would ring me when a courtesy car became available - that was two months ago and I still haven't heard a thing from them

That was the final straw and despite Liam from LRCR being absolutely brilliant in trying to placate me in attempting to get me to stay within the brand, this morning I have signed up for a Lexus IS300h F Sport.

I had been a Lexus customer previously so I know for fact that I will get top class service from them - if only Land Rover could follow suit instead of taking their clients for granted - their product is fantastic and it deserves better.

Good luck to you all, I'm sure all of the dealers can't be as bad as ours "up north"

I too had a lot of issues with the level of service recieved pre-delivery, as for post delivery, I took to option never to return to ScrapStone and have always taken my LRE to Team Valley, they are approved LR repair and maintenace organisation and will look after any warrenty issues too (also my 1st service cost a damn site less than the cost quoted by Scrapstone) !

Doe you not mean Team Valley?

(24-05-2013 09:38am)ED209 Wrote:  Doe you not mean Team Valley?

Aye, thats the one

I have purchased many cars over the years. I have enjoyed both prestige and also mainstream product. I have dealt with many main dealers and I can state that Stratestone Newcastle take number one spot for the worst customer service received. They were very very bad, best avoid this dealership I say.

Stratstone in general, Cupar are great as long as you're not complaining, as soon as you start to complain and have issues they are useless.

I have to say that Trevor the sales guy is a gem, the dealership aftersales lets him down badly.

I can only think complacency is to blame - why are Land Rover dealers so different to Lexus? - I just don't know. I know for fact when I return to Lexus that their attitude and determination to look after me post delivery will be so much different to what I have experienced with Land Rover. Cars like the Evoque deserve so much more - the model itself could well end up being unfairly tarnished by shoddy dealerships who just don't seem to care