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CB Automotive and Vehicles Review of Lindsay Saker
Lindsay Saker

Lindsay Saker review: Stay far away from Lindsay Saker 1

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Author of the review
6:23 am EDT

In September my electronic handbrakes warning light came on. Checking the handbook I took the vehicle in for repair. The manager told me it is not necessary to repair it now because in a 1000 km it is due for 60000 km service. On the 11th of October I went into a shop to by bread. on my return I started the engine and tried to drive away. To my suprise the electronic handbrake was locked. I called the emergency service who after 2 hours removed the motors from the backwheels so I could drive off. Apart from the warning noise and the flashing lights I could drive and carry on with my work. I took the car in to the garage and asked them to help me. They could only help me on thuesday with a courtesey car and do the repair and service. They phoned me to come and check the problem. There was a spillage on a circuit board underneath the cupholders and this caused all the trouble. The next day a new circuit board was installed but to no avail. There was another fault with electronics somewhere else. It was pointed out to me that I must understand that this was not under guarentee. If something like this happens on high speed the people in the car could be killed.

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Avisha Singh
, ZA
Jan 04, 2011 1:46 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

This letter was sent to the delaer principal and the manager of lindsaysaker hyde park south africa

Good morning Mike, (delaer principal)

My name is Avisha Singh and I recently purchased a BMW 130i from your dealership in Hyde Park. I regret to inform you that my service with this branch was absolutely dissatisfying to say the least.

Whilst I do appreciate the efforts that came from the finance side, I can not say much for Sales.

I visited you for the first time mid-November. I was welcomed by your sales person Randall. I was looking for a pre-owned vehicle. He introduced the BMW 130i which was not at your dealer at the time; apparently it was up the road. He said the car was going for 199k and one of the specs was a sun roof. I tried to negotiate the price and he said he can’t cos the vehicle has this extra. I then agreed to apply for finance on this.

At this point I was more worried about the finance so I started with the application process first. At approval the bank was financing me at 195k which at this point Randall said he will drop the price after much negotiating. Mid the application process another guy from your branch up the road came to visit and I asked him about the spec of the vehicle only to find out that that there was no sun-roof. Randall insisted that it was a mistake on his behalf and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. At this point the bank also only approved 195k so based on this he agreed to bring the price down. At no point did he ever mention that all 4 tyres were supposed to be replaced.

After the finance was through he advised that they will give me 2 new run flats and I asked him about the other 2 and he said those were still fine and it needs to be replaced in time but was not critical.

From there on it had been a logistical nightmare as delivery was supposed to have taken place on Tuesday the 23rd and Randall was on leave at this time. When he went away, there were lots of other sales guys trying to help me with taking the vehicle. He did not even instruct the staff taking over from him what was required with the car. I also want to note that I out no pressure on him to get the car I told him to sort out whatever he needed to. He had from the Thursday before until the Tuesday 3p.m. to get it sorted out. He gave me time of delivery so it was his responsibility to get everything sorted out whether he is on holiday was not my problem. The following was not done:

The car was not auto – valet’d ( I took delivery of a dirty car)
The quality check to BMW could not be verified
The tyres were not swapped
The trade in for my vehicle was not sorted out.

By day 3, I complained to Chris and he helped get some of the stuff sorted out like the valet.

When Randall returned my husband gave him another call to sort out the scratches he was supposed to and the tyres. This took 2 days. My holiday was then postponed because of this and at this stage (19th December) my trade in was still not sorted out. The 21st the car went for the tyre rotation and the guys that checked the car apparently said the back tyres are still fine we must not rotate them. At no point was I ever told that my tyres are un-safe to drive.

From my side I went on what I was told. On Christmas day in Durban one of the back tyres burst and then yesterday on my return to Jhb with my family in the car the other back burst. These tyres are not cheap and as you can imagine I now do not have a car and I am still shopping around to try and get good prices on those run-flats.

Firstly I just want to say that I have dealt with VW before and I have never experienced service at this level, further to this I called Randall to tell him about what happened. He screamed at me and said it was my responsibility to check etc etc. I just got the car 3 weeks prior I had no indication what that the tyres was so bad that this will happen or else I would have replaced them however in the same light VW or Lindsaysaker also has some responsibilities to their customers. If the tyres were so bad as Randall said he advised me why did VW release the car without fixing them. You can not tell a customer you can not replace a tyres cos’ of the price negotiation after the fact, it is irresponsible. Your sales person was interested in the sale and not the safety of the customer. It is like telling me I will give you the car without the engine. This is an expensive car.

This for me is unacceptable. To date the registration details and license has not been sorted out. When does the responsibility of the dealership end? I have been very patient with the incompetence from VW to a point but yesterday was the last straw.

This is not a nice letter to read at the start of the new year but I do not think it is fair of how I was treated and how much pressure I had to put to get things sorted, this was the worst deal I have gone through as there was a lot of nagging from my side to get stuff done and it seems like I am in no better situation now than I was at the start of this process.

Your sales person has put my life and the lives of my family in danger and I will not let him blame me for this. He has a responsibility when selling a car and he does not exercise it. I expressed to Chris my dis-satisfaction of my service before.

I hope this time someone in that dealership takes me seriously. My review will be posted on to the Lindsaysaker customer complaint site and I will send a copy to the regional manager if I have to.

I also do not want to deal with Randall again, when your dealership think it is priority to sort out the vehicle licensing etc. please get someone that knows what they are doing to contact me.

Thanks.