Preface:
My intention is to document my experience with the Volkswagen buy back process for my Jetta TDI as well as document my day to day ownership with an F30 328D.
I am currently the proud owner of a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. As you likely know, Volkswagen AG is caught up in some emissions scandal at the moment, which, will lead to the mass buy back of many of their diesel vehicles in the market today.
This all started in October of 2012. At the time, I was driving a 2007 GMC Sierra 2500HD with the Duramax/Allison combination. The vehicle was an amazing piece of machinery with plenty of utility and gobs of torque. Needless to say, I loved the truck but I felt the need to downsize due to fuel and maintenance costs as well the obvious point; I didn’t really need a truck. I started looking for a diesel automobile replacement, the TDI seemed to be one of the few choices available in the US market. I decided to visit a dealership to see if I could drive one for a few days to get a feel for the car.
The first dealership was nearby my house, the obvious choice – or so I thought. I was unable to secure a vehicle to drive for more than 5 minutes and the dealership was seemingly not interested in this potential sale. I tried to escalate my request, hoping the sales manager would be able to over ride this shut out decision. He declined my request. I mentioned that a few other dealerships in the area would happily oblige this request. Their response set me back, “Well maybe you should go talk to them”. To further my frustration, the receptionist made a comment as I was leaving the show room floor. She said, and I quote, “Your request is ridiculous and unheard of. Have a nice day”. That single comment changed the perception of my timeline for moving forward.
Ridiculous she says….. I wasn’t ready to purchase but I was upset at the way the first dealership treated me. I called another dealer, from the showroom of dealer #1, that was much farther away. I asked to speak with someone in the sales department and was immediately connected. I asked the rep the same questions as the first dealer, “Would it be possible for me to take a car for a week to ensure I’m set on what I want before making any decisions?”. Her response set the entire process into motion. I drove up to the dealer to test drive some cars, still only looking. After some time, somehow, I end up placing an order for the car I wanted during that visit, with every option I was interested in, before heading home with a smile on my face.
Stay tuned for Part 2!