Just thought I'd post a note to pass on a warning about my bad experience.
This afternoon I was passing Carcraft Westmidlands in Darlaston. As I'm in the market for a new car, I thought I'd pop in and see what they'd got in.
From the very second I drove onto their land I felt like I was in a concentration camp. After I'd received permission to go in I was told to go through the main entrance where I'd be met by a sales man.
On walking through the front door, I was greeted by a large area, and a small gate into the showroom, this is where the pack were standing, awaiting their hunting to begin. I explained that I was in a hurry as I was between meetings, and that I simply wanted to browse what they had in. I was made to take a seat (chair not se-at) and fill in a form while he gave me his little presentation and told me how good their finance is and how stupid people are who pay the cash price. Asked whether I was single or stupid, and led onto the shop floor. To show me where the cars are (The place is packed with 1500 of them, but I need showing where they are.)
After a while of being led round to a presentation and giving him very short sharp blunt answers, he finally left me alone to look. But told me that if anyone was to ask me what I was doing, I was to say that "Shawn" was dealing with me.
In the following 15 minutes that I spent browsing, three other salesmen came up to me, and asked what they had to do to get me to drive one of these cars away today (Or similar one-liners) I rebuffed them all. And began to leave.
I was met at the exit barrier (Yes, barrier!) by yet another guy, who continued to tell me how wonderful their finance is and how they can get anyone finance. I told him that I had to leave as I had a meeting 30 miles away in 30 minutes and I was already going to be late, to which he said "That's no good, I can't sell you a car in a hurry, I'd need at least an hour to sell you a car." To which my response was..." I don't want SELLING a car, I want to buy one of my choosing in my own time." He was a bit taken aback by this, and joked, "yeah well, you'll probly find your cars' been clamped in our car park...heh he."
I said..."Yeah, certainly feels that way."
What an utter nightmare of a place... They clearly have no respect for customers and see them only as gullible prey.
I'll certainly never be going back there, and exposing myself to that. And I suggest that no one else does either. Save yourself the patronizing and hard sell crap. These are clearly a management cultivated attitudes, and they stink.
Paul.