I unfortunately have to balance the good review of ACG, with a not so good one of ACE.
ACE is my nearest Abarth dealer, only 10miles from my home... so naturally was my first port of call when looking to buy a 500.
I need to set the scene that initially we thought about an F500 1.2 Sport, although I had my concerns that it would just be too weak for anything out of town... so was also considering an A500 (along with some other cars in the A500 bracket).
On 1st visit we had a look around the showroom & arranged a test-drive for the following evening.
Next evening we were taken out in a 1.2 Pop. For 5 minutes. Shared between my wife & I driving. Around the immediate industrial estate only.
The reason I was given for not being allowed to have a proper test drive was that there was not enough fuel. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find this a suitable excuse for a test drive which has been arranged 24hrs in advance, and shows lack of preparation and suggests that we were not valued as customers.
Anyway, we made it clear after that test drive that a 1.2 sport was not for us & that we would be looking to buy an Abarth500 instead. There was no offer of a test drive in an A500 (in fact, the salesman said that they didn't like taking their one outside because they need to get it all cleaned up again afterwards).
When we mentioned that we were now looking for an A500, the salesman advised that he didn't know much about them, he was used to just selling the cars off the lot & that the specialist was busy. So, my wife & I had to guide him through the spec/options (lucky I'd done some research). When the Abarth specialist became available, we were not offered the opportunity deal with him... so had to plough on with the original sales guy.
We discussed finance & were given a headline % figure... which on a number of occassions I tried to clarify whether that was APR or Flat rate (so I could work out how it compared to the market & other manufacturers offers). We were told it was APR, which I felt must have been just wrong. I later worked out that their figures were about 3% off what they were advising us for the APR (compared to loans available on the market).. so I reckon it WAS a Flat Rate I was being told as the headline %. Had I believed them & not done my own digging I would have been mistaken in to thinking they were offering a competitive APR... when in fact it was not even close to what personal loans were available. That's not on.
Anyway, we declined any finance but put a deposit down against a car which was apparantly already ordered by ACE, and were told it would be ready "beginning of June, but possibly end of May". That worked out as 4 weeks wait which was fine, as it would be before our holiday. After about a week or 2, I tried calling ACE on a number of different days to try and get a status code/update to make sure the car was progressing... but each time I hit a brick wall. Either getting no call back, being told I needed to speak with my salesman who was on a day off, next day I was told I needed to speak with the Abarth specialist who was on his day off, then I went down in person & was told the systems were down...
I finally got told that it had slipped a couple of weeks (still no status code though), however I recon that the initial date given may have been fudged... which was undoubtedly a factor for us placing the order there & then (had we known it was going to be delivered near our holiday time, I would have likely held off & ordered one for the new reg#'s later this year). The date given at time of ordering may have been an honest mistake, or a tactic to get an order, I can't honestly say.
Once it was clear the date was getting very close to our holiday, I asked if they had any others coming earlier, or in stock that weren't necessarily the same colour or spec, that we could consider changing to. I was told catagorically 'No, there are none, you will just need to wait but we are sure it will arrive before your holiday'. Now, for a salespeson, a request like that from a customer is an open invitation to upsell... getting them in to a higher spec more expensive car... so naturally I thought that answer must have been correct.
Imagine my surprise when I found out a day later that there were at least 6 brand new A500's of varying spec just 40 miles away at another dealership... which was part of the same dealership group !!
That was pretty much the nail in the coffin for ACE as far as I was concerned. From test drive, to status queries through to alternative car sourcing we just did not feel valued at this dealership. There is no fuzzy feeling that you normally get when buying a new car. It's more than a transaction, it should be an experience (memorable for the right reasons). My wife & I are were left with the impression that they do the bare minimum to get a sale, and once it's in the bag.. job done, move on. I won't even go in to the reaction from the Sales Manager when we cancelled & requested our deposit back.. we got it in the end though.
Baring in mind this dealership is on the old AC-Motorstore site, I don't think they have really moved their mindset on from that kind of bang 'em out customer transaction.
I am really gutted to be writing that, because it would have been so much easier to have an Abarth dealership within 10miles of my house that I felt valued at.
Thankfully, ACG is only about 30-40miles away and operate in such a different manner. ACE need to take lessons from them.
Andy.
