GloP

Hi there,

I just want to make a post about the Audi dealer in San Raphael (on San Francisco West Av.). The name of the guy is Nicolas or Nick.
First I want to tell that I am 23 and I look kinda young, not the regular kind of guy that would get a TT, but ... here is the story.

I first went to this dealership hoping to find a TTR 180. They had one inside. I asked a few questions and the guys started on how marvelous this car is and so on (I know that he was quite arrogant and was of the type "I am the dealer I know better than you young ignorant". He told me the car always has zero defect. That's where I spoke about the DV. He gave me some "no no not at all". I can understand this one. Then he told me the 180 roadster is available as a quaddro (big news ... this one I cannot forgive ).

Anyhow I told him I would like to come the following day to give it a try, even if the price was $2000 over MSRP, with an added $1000 for protecting the paint (which I find quite useless in CA but ...). Moreover the seats are damaged (small white traces on the side of the passanger seat), for a total over $44000 I think it's not fair.

When I came the following day to try the car I could see the guy was not willing to take let me drive the car. After a short drive (too short for me) where he told me they were the less expensive of the bay area and that $2000 mark up is standard blablabla I told him I called Diablo Audi in Concord and that they dont mark up their cars and that they'll probably have one available too. He said nothing, went back in the car and left me and my gf there in the middle of the parking.


I have never seen such a bad attitude toward a potential customer ! And it was not like I didnt have the money : I told him I was willing to pay cash!

Anyway... do not go there !!!

Julien.

Lloyd of the Rings

Courteous, knowledgeable salesmen (particularly Marc Fleischer and Mitch Lader) and a first-class service department - they repaired my "anvil" 180.

Reading between the lines, and looking at the spelling mistakes and mis-information, I'm guessing that this person doesn't approach the sales people in the right manner. Any dealer is going to ask for $X over MSRP: that's just a standard negotiating gambit.

There are an awful lot of "tire-kickers" out there who want to take "test drives." My guess is the salesman didn't take him seriously.<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/keyfob.jpg">
"The key to having fun"

ChrisTTopher Lloyd

2001 225 TTQ coupe Silver/Ebony
Premium package, Audio package, Navigation System

GloP

I just want to add that I am French and moved in the US a few months ago, hence the spelling errors. I would like to add that I was very clear from the start that I was willing to buy the car and not just go for a drive. I doesnt want to sound like I master negotiations and all but I had no problem negotiating with Diablo Audi and no problem getting a very interesting insurance quote. It's perhaps just that this Nick is a real @#%$%&* and other dealers at Sonnen Motors are great.

Lloyd of the Rings

Je fais des excuses. Ceci n'a pas été signifié comme critique. Vous avez pu avoir rencontré un pauvre vendeur.<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/keyfob.jpg">
"The key to having fun"

ChrisTTopher Lloyd

2001 225 TTQ coupe Silver/Ebony
Premium package, Audio package, Navigation System

OTOF

Ouu la la!

Don

$2000 over MSRP + $1000 "paint protectorant" (read swirl marks) is the standard deal at Sonnen - no room for negotiation. That is why I moved my order to Diablo. I also had a great salesperson in Jenya there, but she had no power over the head guy there. When I told Jenya that I wouldn't be taking the car, but that I would hold off "officially" so that she might find another buyer (I posted that it was available to the forum). Another salesperson who monitors this board turned her in and took the sale away. Sonnen are cutting their own throats with their sales policy - eventually they will run out of uninformed buyers in Marin County and wish they had a better reputation.

This only applies to their sales department - I have had no experience with service at Sonnen.

YosemyTT

I called them to ask about a 225 and they said 2k premium plus 1k paint damaging (they called it protection). They also failed to live up to their previous MSRP tag as stated by Lloyd in a previous post. Sorry Lloyd I guess things have changed since you dealt with them. I have since spoken with Diablo and they can get me one at MSRP. It makes me really angry that people are willing to pay over sticker for any car because it allows dealer (not generally the best people anyway) to treat a lot of potential customers very badly.

evan

<p><A HREF="mailto:evan@evan.com"><IMG SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/EVAN_RING_SIG.gif" BORDER="0"></A>

GloP

Hey that's good french ... I dont see a lot of american people speaking french cool to see that you are one of them !

Lloyd of the Rings

<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/keyfob.jpg">
"The key to having fun"

ChrisTTopher Lloyd

2001 225 TTQ coupe Silver/Ebony
Premium package, Audio package, Navigation System