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WHITE BISHOP CLOSED DOWN 5PM 5/3/09

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Comments

  • #32
    pburns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭pburns


    milltown wrote: »
    The manufacturers and importers are largely culpable in some of these cases, and definitely in the case of White Bishop. WB had a nice little business on the Drimnagh road with a lot of repeat customers and were one of the top Seat dealers in the country. SEAT/OHM decided they should be selling a lot more cars and demanded that dealers brought their showrooms up to their new standard including x amount of indoor showroom space, y signage and z amount of yard space. This meant moving up the Long Mile road.

    Around this time SEAT started to make all their cars look the same unfortunately and sales were less than spectacular. It was soon obvious that they were never going to shift enough SEATs to keep the new premises in the black. After failing to get Renault, they took on Opel, who wanted further changes to the showroom including the 2 storey greenhouse. The fact that that work kept the showroom closed for the order taking/ new registration period 18 months ago was probably the real beginning of the end.

    Really sad to see them go. Some lovely lads in there. Hopefully Pat will bounce back. He's mad as a brush but a likable character.

    I've never dealt with WB but what you say is spot on. I actually don't think dealers made a fortune even in the good times. The pressure put on them by the marketing oiks to have space-age showrooms brought 'em down. Some were lucky enough to have ample space for expansion or could sell the traditional town-centre sites for apartments and maybe do well out of the move.

    But many others are fooked...


  • #33
    CL32
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 269 ✭✭CL32


    milltown wrote: »
    SEAT/OHM decided they should be selling a lot more cars and demanded that dealers brought their showrooms up to their new standard including x amount of indoor showroom space, y signage and z amount of yard space.

    Really sad to see them go. Some lovely lads in there. Hopefully Pat will bounce back. He's mad as a brush but a likable character.

    SEAT decided, OHM delivered the news. Do you think they had a choice?

    I work in a completely different (multinational) industry and we regularly have to follow new x, y, z standards. Some of these are financially crippling but they are a cost of doing (our) business.

    As you said, he's one of the good 'uns. I hope he and his staff will be back soon.


  • #34
    testicle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,426 ✭✭✭testicle


    dmca77 wrote: »
    only country in the european union

    No it isn't. Far from it...


  • #35
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,053 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    TomMc wrote: »
    It is easy to knock motor dealers in general for what happened in the past and kick them further now when they are down. But with the amount of unemployment, the credit crunch and the public not spending on anything but essential items, even a good dealer could go under very easily. ....

    A good dealer. Whats that then?

    In fairness WB had a good rep. One of the few that did.


  • #36
    agent_smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 356 ✭✭agent_smith


    We bought 3 cars from White Bishop in the past few years. I'm very sorry to see them go. I always bought from Karl in WB and a nicer, more honest and decent guy you would find hard to meet. He would be an asset to any motor dealer. I'm very sorry for all the guys in WB. They were lovely to deal with.

    Where is the best place now in dub to get your SEAT serviced? Sheehans in rathmines ?


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  • #37
    CarCity
    Closed Accounts Posts: 70 ✭✭CarCity


    Weren't White Bishop main dealers for Rover for many years? If so, the transition was probably tough also.


  • #38
    road_high
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,142 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    ned78 wrote: »
    Welcome to my world. I feel like a turkey at Christmas. The uncertainty is frightening, and it makes it impossible to plan anything major like holidays, or purchases for the house. Really frightening time. Even if you're doing a good job in the trade at the moment, whether you're at the top, or the bottom of the food chain you're at risk.

    And of course having morons on here doing the whole fire and pitchfork routines, and wishing us the very worst of health isn't helping things either.

    I wonder if they could introduce some kind of scrappage scheme to boost the trade might be a runner?


  • #39
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,053 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    mfitzy wrote: »
    I wonder if they could introduce some kind of scrappage scheme to boost the trade might be a runner?


    Some already are...
    http://www.airside-nissan.com/promotions/promotions.aspx?section=current_offer&content_rid=940


  • #40
    S.I.R
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭S.I.R


    meh, them and crawfords are down the swanny....


    time for the under dogs to rise !


  • #41
    pppspecial
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 446 ✭✭pppspecial


    The ones who are going to survive are the ones who do things differently from here on in.
    Guys the industry needs to be changed. The consumer has been shafted for many decades. Garage owners now need to start looking after there new customers and old ones in a completly different light. No more getting the claws in on deals . finance has to become much more strict. garages who lie about the value of a car and manage to gain finance for a consumer under false pretences need to be heavily fined.
    One off the main reasons why people nowadays cant gain finance is for years dealers have been over financing cars for customers.
    This "engine and gear box warrenty only"is a load off bull and a complete copout for irish car dealers as a whole. If you sell a product and stand over it people will part with there cash easier and increases there chances off returning in a few years.

    Its bad news out there right now for everyone but tis will soon change.
    come 2010 most that were stuck in finance deals with a good ft job will no doubt be able to secure finances then.

    "mary higgins down the road got a new car...a one 0 plate she has"
    "JOHN JOHN i want new car"

    Maybe not as effective as the 00 plate but the 10 plates should stimulate the market somewhat. IMO rant over.


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  • #42
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,053 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Its not only about finance. Its the whole overcharging and delivering a sub par service. Especially for serving and parts. As a result a full dealer service history has been devalued as it may not indicate a car has been well maintained at all. Obviously difference in price is still the major issue between UK and Irish cars. But the lack of history on many UK cars isn't putting people off either.


  • #43
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,203 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    pppspecial wrote: »
    The ones who are going to survive are the ones who do things differently from here on in.

    I agree here...same goes for all the other businesses out there struggling at the moment....

    to give an example....

    I've bought a few bits of furniture recently from a place in Belfast, not that they are massively cheaper than down here, but the fact that they don't take a deposit, they deliver for free and within 2 weeks, assemble for free and take payment next day after delivery when you are happy.

    Any place I have gone to down here, whether it be 10 min up the road, they always want a deposit, take min 8 weeks to deliver, never ring you the morning they deliver to give you a time, always want to charge for delivery and payment up front.

    I really feel for the people there losing their jobs...its not a nice time for it to happen


  • #44
    Darragh29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,097 ✭✭✭Darragh29


    CarCity wrote: »
    Weren't White Bishop main dealers for Rover for many years? If so, the transition was probably tough also.

    I ordered Rover parts off them recently. Peter in parts in a great lad for getting you sorted out with your parts, I was glad to do business with them over the last few years, in parts anyway, they couldn't do enough for you, extremely helpful and I know I knock main dealers every day of the week on the forum but I was always impressed with White Bishop when it came to parts. I can't understand why they have closed down, I always got the impression that the aftersales end of the operation was extremely busy. When I was calling in to collect parts, the workshop always seemed to be out the door and last time I was there, they said they had a 4-6 week waiting period for the workshop, which had at least 15 service bays...


  • #45
    j4vier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,893 ✭✭✭j4vier


    so are they totally gone then?
    i bought a car off them an year ago and had a service due this april!


  • #46
    Johnboy Mac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 644 ✭✭✭Johnboy Mac


    Darragh29 wrote: »
    I ordered Rover parts off them recently. Peter in parts in a great lad for getting you sorted out with your parts, I was glad to do business with them over the last few years, in parts anyway, they couldn't do enough for you, extremely helpful and I know I knock main dealers every day of the week on the forum but I was always impressed with White Bishop when it came to parts. I can't understand why they have closed down, I always got the impression that the aftersales end of the operation was extremely busy. When I was calling in to collect parts, the workshop always seemed to be out the door and last time I was there, they said they had a 4-6 week waiting period for the workshop, which had at least 15 service bays...



    Peter is a gentleman really one of the better one's in the trade. Hope he gets sorted with an job.


  • #47
    Darragh29
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,097 ✭✭✭Darragh29


    Johnboy Mac wrote: »
    Peter is a gentleman really one of the better one's in the trade. Hope he gets sorted with an job.

    I was driving past White Bishop last Friday on the way down to a meeting on the Naas Road and it was so errie looking at the "To Let" sign up on White Bishop's new building across from EP Mooney's, and not a car or employee in sight, with only a stray bit of an Opel bunting getting swept around the forecourt by a gust of wind, to show for all the people who used to work there.


  • #48
    congo_90
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,339 ✭✭✭congo_90


    A lot of my family dealt with them a lot of the time and I knew several of the staff personally. As I can see no names will be mentioned (no worries peasent).
    Sorry to hear they folded. Never had a bad thing to say about em.


  • #49
    milltown
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,624 ✭✭✭milltown


    j4vier wrote: »
    so are they totally gone then?
    i bought a car off them an year ago and had a service due this april!

    Well Ken, who was their service manager for years, went out on his own a while back and is operating from the back of Parkwest Autopoint now. I wouldn't think a dealer service history is worth a whole lot on a SEAT, Opel or Citroen so I'd save a few a few quid and bring it to someone who knows his onions if I were you.


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