Vw moving to a direct sales model

You can test drive car in limerick now and call a dealer in cork, Carlow or Clare and place an order and play them off against each other for price.

Only thing you can't do now is play off anyone against anyone else for price

That's the situation, there will be one price.

As for wasting the dealers time, I expect VW will be reimbursing dealers for services rendered.

But that is the price. Did you not try to negotiate?

Thats what I thought too. How else are they supposed to know the exact price

I went in and asked for the price of an id4 pro plus in blue with a tow bar and no trade in. I was very specific. I can look up the website myself.

When he showed me the price I told him another vw desler had given me a better price. And … nothing. And yes then I walked out.

Tesla have transparent pricing. Vw do not.

My issue is that he made no effort to sell me a car. The price on vw website is clearly not the final dealer price.

I’m glad they are going to a direct sales models. I am not impressed with the sales people I have encountered with the exception of one who was clearly an enthusiast and I would have ordered through her if the figures had added up in our side.

vw are moving to a direct sales model in *2026*. That is not their modus operandi right now. There’s a direct sales model and then there’s can’t be arsed looking up a price. I’m sure this is boring for everyone so bowing out. You clearly don’t get it.

He seems to have met an unmotivated salesman who told him to go home and do his homework.

He took exception to this approach and took his business elsewhere.

As for everyone getting it, well yes we get it but some of us are still a bit sceptical about aspects of this sales model.

I think those customers that did like to negotiate or visit a number of dealers in order to minimise their cost to change figure which I have found can vary by thousands will look to purchasing nearly new cars 6mths-1yr as oppose brand new, however this brings its own downsides in terms of exact spec etc versus a unique factory order.

I wonder will be see the introduction of independent new car online sellers like the UK who use their muscle to buy in bulk and offer discounted new cars to consumer?

Yes they don't hold stock but they can get discounts that a single purchaser can't. That can only be down to them buying lots and lots of cars or signing up to a promised number of purchases per year or whatever.

Anyway, my point was whether we might see something like that here in a time where the manufacturers are selling at a fixed price via website, a discount seller with more bargaining power offering new stock for less.

This has been on the cards for years. Personally I'm fine with it as I've no desire to speak to the sales staff in my VW garage

I had one clown from sales there call and ask how the car is going while it was sitting in the repair bay after a software update bricked it. Needless to say I didn't give him good feedback and he just said sorry and hung up

If VW want to impress me they can move away from this franchised service model where you have preferred garages in an area which seem to have 5 service managers per actual mechanic

It should be a case that a mechanic can pay to be trained and certified and then they're able to advertise themselves as a VW service agent

It would also be great to see a mobile repair service like Tesla. A lot of the smaller repairs seem to be done by a mechanic calling out to you with the correct parts. Much better than dragging your car to the garage and having to organise a lift home somehow