How rubbish are Audi now...

[DJones]

Up date..... ECU on back order surprise surprise..... Hopefully have it by the end of next week, that will be nearly 6 weeks, I'm still not convinced they know what they are doing..

[hunker7]

...and then I wasn't happy that something is back order for my 20 year old banger. Horrible service.

[mackenzie50]

I love driving my S2 and hope I can keep it, the NLA situation doesn't help -it is a big worry for me...I know folk on here are both helpful (in selling parts needed) and resourceful (in passing on their own manufactured products) so fingers crossed for the near future anyway...
..I must confess to fancying an x-drive Beemer saloon, but out of my reach fundswise.

[quattrostyle]

From what I've heard it's not an Audi UK thing only. Stories of (possible) customers being neglected is nothing new to me, must have been at least ten years ago when I first heard stories like that and it seems they can still permit it

[sidrick]

A lot of the Audi and VW dealers in the UK are either joint owned or owned outright by Audi/VW UK. As I'm sure everyone will have noticed all the buildings that they operate from have the same corporate face and do not deviate much from town to town.
The two big dealers in the south of England that are Audi owned are Aston Green in Slough and the huge one you can see from the elevated section of the M4 as you drive in or out of London.
I think it unlikely that the emission scandal will have too much effect on the business and it would be very foolhardy for a global company not to have some form of risk insurance for any litigation it may face in any of the markets it dose business in.
I do have to agree with everybody regarding the UK dealers total lack of interest in their customers and the appalling parts situation.I also have an 850 CSi BMW that is now 21 years old and I can get the most obscure parts for it mostly next day from my local BMW dealer

Is this true? It wasn't when I worked for them, the vast, vast majority were privately owned/operated franchises. As terms of the franchise building has to be the Audi style, the furniture, signage, everything as Audi specify, in the same manner that all McDonalds look the same yet every restaurant is owned by someone as a franchise. They have to follow the corporate branding and look.

[mullder]

Is this true? It wasn't when I worked for them, the vast, vast majority were privately owned/operated franchises. As terms of the franchise building has to be the Audi style, the furniture, signage, everything as Audi specify, in the same manner that all McDonalds look the same yet every restaurant is owned by someone as a franchise. They have to follow the corporate branding and look.

Yes TRUE. even the Large Motor Groups are in "partnership" with the manufacture.
If you have worked for an Audi dealer you must have realized it was the manufacture who would call the shots regardless of who may have "owned" the business.
Look at the volume of both new and used cars the dealers hold not to mention the workshop equipment they have to have it runs into millions.

[Error404]

The premises might be owned by the brand but the businesses are franchises.

[DJones]

Yes TRUE. even the Large Motor Groups are in "partnership" with the manufacture.
If you have worked for an Audi dealer you must have realized it was the manufacture who would call the shots regardless of who may have "owned" the business.
Look at the volume of both new and used cars the dealers hold not to mention the workshop equipment they have to have it runs into millions.

Haha, just no parts!

[jogi730]

And/or NLA

[jogi730]

I've posted on the Audi UK Facebook page my annoance at the NLA issue. Perhaps if everyone piled in, they would listen as writing a letter to them directly falls on deaf ears

[sidrick]

The premises might be owned by the brand but the businesses are franchises.

Yes, this is what I was getting at. I think there's a misunderstanding of how franchises work here. The dealerships are not 'joint owned or owned outright by Audi/VW UK', and the only partnership is Audi (etc) saying 'if you want to run this money maker then you must look and act like Audi by doing x, y, z'. Maybe I'm just nit-picking or misinterpreted what was meant.

Dealerships are shop windows operated by 3rd parties in order to sell the manufacturers vehicles. I've never known one to be owned and run by the manufacturer directly.

That's why it gets to me when folk say 'oh, I went to Audi and their salesman wasn't interested so I won't buy an Audi because of that'

Although I agree that the salesman is there to represent the brand, he actually works for 'Bill Smith Audi' rather than Audi UK. Bill Smith doesn't really care if you don't buy an Audi if you go to Bill Smith BMW next door and the salesman is a good one, you're still giving your money to the same company who gave you bad service at Audi The smart guy goes to 'Mike Jones Audi' in the next town

Sorry to derail.

[Error404]

[DJones]

Yes, this is what I was getting at. I think there's a misunderstanding of how franchises work here. The dealerships are not 'joint owned or owned outright by Audi/VW UK', and the only partnership is Audi (etc) saying 'if you want to run this money maker then you must look and act like Audi by doing x, y, z'. Maybe I'm just nit-picking or misinterpreted what was meant.

Dealerships are shop windows operated by 3rd parties in order to sell the manufacturers vehicles. I've never known one to be owned and run by the manufacturer directly.

That's why it gets to me when folk say 'oh, I went to Audi and their salesman wasn't interested so I won't buy an Audi because of that'

Although I agree that the salesman is there to represent the brand, he actually works for 'Bill Smith Audi' rather than Audi UK. Bill Smith doesn't really care if you don't buy an Audi if you go to Bill Smith BMW next door and the salesman is a good one, you're still giving your money to the same company who gave you bad service at Audi The smart guy goes to 'Mike Jones Audi' in the next town

Sorry to derail.

I agree too, but I've never really cared if the salesman are good or bad, in fact can't remember meeting one (sounds posh but I know what I want and the transport manager buys it)

The Audi bit that is annoying me is the fact I could go to any of them in the country and none of them could get the parts to fix it, now that's Audi not the dealership

Darren

[jogi730]

Yep that sums it up perfectly Darren

[Greg_S]

I've posted on the Audi UK Facebook page my annoance at the NLA issue. Perhaps if everyone piled in, they would listen as writing a letter to them directly falls on deaf ears

I've found this generally works with Twitter too