J.R. Rogers
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2000
- Location
- Dallas, TX USA
Many of you might recall my post about my first 500 miles in my problem plagued 2002 VW Golf Gl TDi. Here's the thread:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=006655
Well, I'm happy to provide the following update:
After getting absolutely nowhere with VWoA customer service, I went back to the dealer and had a chat with the sales manager - very nice guy, very helpful. He knew about the problems I had with my new Golf because I had asked for help from the dealer once before early on in this ordeal. He had also been kept up to date by the service department. He personally took my case to the VW regional rep, and got VW to commit to giving me a $1500 trade assistance credit, to help with the exchange for a new vehicle of my choice!!!!
This $1500 basically took care of the depreciation of my car since it had been titled already, and the dealer had to take it back as a used vehicle even though it only had 600 miles on it. I was told that I could choose any other vehicle, and purchase the vehicle at invoice, and only pay the difference between the cost of my first car and the invoice price of the new one, plus TTL. (Having to pay the TTL again kind of sucked, but I feel it's a good investment when I think of not having to drive that "lemon" Golf I had before.)
I took my time and test drove a few cars including a fully loaded GTI 1.8T (whoa! Fast!) After agonizing over whether to spring for the loaded up leather clad "super-car-killer" GTI or stick with my roots (TDI), I decided that I had enjoyed the great fuel mileage and torquey little TDI engine too much to leave. I settled on a 2002 Golf GLS TDI w/ Luxury Package and the new Monsoon stereo system. While it was only a $1700 difference between that car and the loaded GTI, I liked having the 4-doors, as I've been driving a Jetta loaner car for nearly two weeks. New car is Indigo Blue with Beige interior. (I would have preferred black, but I hear the Black velour is a lint magnet.
)
I'm hoping and praying that my new Golf will be as trouble-free as my Beetle TDi was. I'm optimistic.
...But most of all, I'm really very happy that my dealer stepped up and went out of their way to make a customer happy. You hear so much bad stuff about VW dealers... mine has been nothing but helpful and courteous since the very beginning. They even swapped my 17" wheels and tires over from my old car to my new one for no charge! (I'll just take the alloys that came on my new Golf and sell them here or on Ebay or something.) I highly recommend dealing with The Volkswagen Store in Dallas, Texas:
www.centralvw.com
Aside from the helpful staff, their service department is "upgrade friendly". Most of the techs and some of the service advisors are "VW geeks" and members of local VW clubs. Thanks to my cool service advisor, I'm now a member of one, too!
Big thumbs up to The Volkswagen Store!!! A happy ending at last! (As long as this Golf is trouble-free. hehe!)
J.R.
[ December 19, 2001: Message edited by: J.R. Rogers ]</p>
http://forums.tdiclub.com/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=006655
Well, I'm happy to provide the following update:
After getting absolutely nowhere with VWoA customer service, I went back to the dealer and had a chat with the sales manager - very nice guy, very helpful. He knew about the problems I had with my new Golf because I had asked for help from the dealer once before early on in this ordeal. He had also been kept up to date by the service department. He personally took my case to the VW regional rep, and got VW to commit to giving me a $1500 trade assistance credit, to help with the exchange for a new vehicle of my choice!!!!
This $1500 basically took care of the depreciation of my car since it had been titled already, and the dealer had to take it back as a used vehicle even though it only had 600 miles on it. I was told that I could choose any other vehicle, and purchase the vehicle at invoice, and only pay the difference between the cost of my first car and the invoice price of the new one, plus TTL. (Having to pay the TTL again kind of sucked, but I feel it's a good investment when I think of not having to drive that "lemon" Golf I had before.)
I took my time and test drove a few cars including a fully loaded GTI 1.8T (whoa! Fast!) After agonizing over whether to spring for the loaded up leather clad "super-car-killer" GTI or stick with my roots (TDI), I decided that I had enjoyed the great fuel mileage and torquey little TDI engine too much to leave. I settled on a 2002 Golf GLS TDI w/ Luxury Package and the new Monsoon stereo system. While it was only a $1700 difference between that car and the loaded GTI, I liked having the 4-doors, as I've been driving a Jetta loaner car for nearly two weeks. New car is Indigo Blue with Beige interior. (I would have preferred black, but I hear the Black velour is a lint magnet.
I'm hoping and praying that my new Golf will be as trouble-free as my Beetle TDi was. I'm optimistic.
...But most of all, I'm really very happy that my dealer stepped up and went out of their way to make a customer happy. You hear so much bad stuff about VW dealers... mine has been nothing but helpful and courteous since the very beginning. They even swapped my 17" wheels and tires over from my old car to my new one for no charge! (I'll just take the alloys that came on my new Golf and sell them here or on Ebay or something.) I highly recommend dealing with The Volkswagen Store in Dallas, Texas:
www.centralvw.com
Aside from the helpful staff, their service department is "upgrade friendly". Most of the techs and some of the service advisors are "VW geeks" and members of local VW clubs. Thanks to my cool service advisor, I'm now a member of one, too!
Big thumbs up to The Volkswagen Store!!! A happy ending at last! (As long as this Golf is trouble-free. hehe!)
J.R.
[ December 19, 2001: Message edited by: J.R. Rogers ]</p>