[Riddler]

And so began my quest to search for a new car after having sold my trusted and most loved EcoSport to the unknown. I wanted a hatchback this time, primarily because of not having parking space fit for a car.

I had to park my EcoSport on the road and maintaining it was a chore. I used to spend every weekend washing and cleaning my car, making sure it was shiny and make heads turn. Yes, I am a bit of a cleanliness freak.

It's so difficult to find parking in a city like Bangalore these days. Also, my moto was to first buy a house with good parking and then go for a family SUV. Hence the decision for a hatchback. I intend to keep my hatchback as well as a primary car.

And then I started searching for possible matches for my requirement.
I finally decided upon the i20 n-line N8 IMT and started scouting showrooms for test drives. But this story is not about how I narrowed down to my preferred car, it's about the chain of events that happened next.

I reached the Lakshmi Hyundai showroom near Kalyan Nagar HBR layout and entered with much appreciation. I met the courteous receptionist who greeted with a smile and folded hands; and was assigned a sales executive (will refer to as SE hereafter).
The explaining of features was done and finally came down to test drive. Unfortunately, there was no test drive vehicle available, as I preferred an IMT, hence the SE suggested me to try a Venue IMT, citing it was the same driving experience. Having no choice, I went ahead.

All well and we came down to negotiation, finally ended up booking an N8 IMT on April 28th 2023. The SE mentioned 12-14 weeks for delivery, which was an unreasonable time period, but anyway I figured I could put some pressure on them to get the vehicle allotted fast.

Fast forward to 3 weeks and there was no sign of the allotment. SE mentioned the same story of 12-14 weeks. My daughter's birthday was fast approaching, and I wanted it to be a memorable moment and got a bit impatient. I mentioned this to my friend, and he suggested I try out other showrooms.

And then started my quest to call up showrooms and ask them for the specific model. Found Advaith Hyundai on Bellandur, a good 20km away from my house, to have a ready model for booking and allotment.

I ran to them, having braved dust sandstorms and suspension testable potholes, thanks to our metro construction, finally reaching and meeting another SE.

However, the sales experience was pathetic (no courteous smile and folded hands?). I was assigned a junior SE, seemed fresh out of college, who had no idea about the rules of negotiation. Her team lead (will refer to as TL hereafter) kept a visible distance a few feet away from us and it was obvious he was anxious on what she was talking.

He kept calling her from time to time and she would get up and go to him and come back and speak to us. This happened quite a few times enough to irk my patience and I expressed my displeasure. However, the TL was quick to console me and offered a competitive price than Lakshmi Hyundai.

It was around this period that Hyundai had also upgraded their i20 cars to have 3 head rests at the rear seat, a safety upgrade in most of their cars. They had done away with the "arm rest without cupholders" and replaced it with a middle head rest instead. So, this was one of my criteria when booking.

I mentioned this to the SE and off she galloped to her trusted TL and back to me and said there was no such announcement. I quickly showed her the team-bhp reference and other articles and also pointed to an i20 Asta right in the showroom which had a 3rd head rest. Imagine her discomfort when she found that there was a car in her own showroom with the said upgrade and she had no idea.

Off she went to her TL, but this time I had had enough. I got up and went to him and asked him if there was any concern. The TL went about his usual "no sir, like this, like that, bla bla bla" but I disagreed saying I want a vehicle of that specification. They mentioned there was a ready vehicle of March 2023 manufacturing with 2 head rest and started forcing me to take that, even offering me heavy discounts.

I held my stand and they finally agreed, booking was done and promised a waiting period of 10 weeks. After having lost an entire day travelling back and forth, I returned home and crossed my fingers eager to receive a call from someone.

Fast forward to 14th June 2023 and I got a call from Advaith citing my vehicle was allotted. But there was a catch. Since this was a "new" vehicle, the old price did not stand. The SE mentioned she cannot give the discount that was previously offered since it was a new model.

This I assume is the dirty trick used by all dealers and irritated as I was with the previous encounter, I said I would get back to her and disconnected my phone. Next her trusted TL called with the same story. I almost hated this chap, mostly because he would stare at us from a distance during the initial discussions and keep signaling the SE with blackjack gestures. I showed my displeasure again and kept the phone. Next his boss called, with a typical real estate accent and heaviness in his voice. Spoke in the most 3rd class way and I decided to cancel the booking (BIG mistake, will refer to as Mistake No 1).

Partly because the folks at Lakshmi Hyundai were very courteous and I simply liked their behavior and gestures. Surprisingly the booking cancellation was a breeze. Seems they were happy to let go of me.

Taking this chance, I called up the SE from Lakshmi Hyundai and tried to push him saying I had a ready delivery from Advaith. Our trusted SE still kept his stand saying the vehicle is not yet allotted and will do his best to get one ASAP (As Slow As Possible?)

Around 5th July, I started getting calls from parent Hyundai congratulating me for my purchase of a new vehicle from Lakshmi Hyundai. I was surprised and told them I had just booked it but not yet taken the delivery.

I passed this off as an issue in their booking software and kept quiet. I received one more call few days later congratulating me again. I was irked now and called up the SE and mentioned this to him. The SE said that the vehicle was still not allotted, and this might be a mistake at Hyundai. I was not convinced but I let it pass.

On 18th July, the SE called saying the vehicle was allotted. I asked for the VIN, and he obliged. I dashed to decode the VIN and to my relief it was a 2023 model. But I was curious to know the month of manufacture.
I mentioned this to my SE, and he said I could look at it during the PDI.

And then started the forcing of sales guys for the payment. They attacked from all directions, including the loan representative, to make the payment.
I mentioned I wanted to see the vehicle first, but the SE sweet talked me and mentioned the vehicle is in transit and will arrive in 2-3 days from Chennai.
Me being excited on the arrival of my new car, went ahead and made the payment (Mistake No 2).

On 21st July Hyundai called me a 3rd time congratulating me and I had had enough. What if my vehicle was allotted to someone else? I caught that lady at Hyundai and mentioned to please force Lakshmi Hyundai in giving my vehicle. The dear lady was confused and hadn't expected this, and she politely acknowledged and kept the phone. Guess she was well trained to expect the unexpected. I immediately called the SE and asked him this, he said the vehicle will arrive tomorrow and again lot of sweet talk.

Finally, the vehicle arrived on 24 July braving heavy rains and the SE called me up with excitement saying the vehicle has come. I was at work and mentioned I would come and see it soon. It was a Monday, and I was at work, however I was so excited that I dashed to the showroom during my lunch time. It was raining heavily when I reached the showroom and the SE made us sit, offered us hot coffee and asked his person to get the vehicle from the empty site at the back of the showroom.

The SE also offered a new discount of around 5k citing some new scheme and said I could make up with new set of accessories apart from the ones that he had previously offered. I agreed (Mistake No 3).

The vehicle arrived all drenched in rain and the SE asked me to do my PDI (Mistake No 4).
There was water all over the car, I didn't find any visible scratches (obviously, how can you see scratches on a wet car? Unless it is a deep cut) or dents. The interiors looked neat, the tires looked new (of course, they were wet and looked brand new). In all my excitement I forgot my primary requirement (3 head rest). It was my wife that remembered, and she was quick to identify this was missing. I was disappointed at first but looking at the thunder blue in all its glory I was ready to make an exception, though my wife was clearly hesitant particularly because the 2 head rest vehicle was already available at Advaith 1 month back and we had to wait all this time to get the same kind of car?

One thing that caught my eye was that the odo read 84kms. I questioned this and he mentioned that this was at Chennai dealer and rejected by another customer. Since there were 2 PDI's done by the dealers at Chennai and Bangalore, each of approx. 20kms and then having brought the vehicle from their stockyard at Hebbal Kempapura (around 8kms), it comes to 80+kms (Really?? Am I bad at math or what?). Anyway, excited as I was, I passed the PDI (Mistake No 5).

I requested for the form 22 which has the full 19-character VIN and he obliged. I quickly decoded the VIN and to my surprise found that the car was manufactured on Feb 8th, 2023. A full 6 months from when it was offered to me. I questioned this and got the same story, Chennai customer rejected it, bla bla bla.
Anyway, I was fed up of waiting for 3 months and decided to take it.
The SE asked permission to raise the insurance, registration and other formalities and I agreed. He requested me to come the next day and sign the registration copies to finalize the vehicle and I could take it home in 2-3 days' time.

Happy and excited as I was me and my wife set off the next day morning at around 9.30am to Lakshmi Hyundai. It was a bright and sunny day; the rain having stopped the previous night. However, my wife insisted we look at the vehicle one more time, in daylight, since it was raining the other day, and I was in sync with her (Aren't we all in sync with our better half's?).

During our trips to Lakshmi Hyundai, we had observed one empty site where all brand-new Hyundai cars were parked. And this was right behind the showroom. Guessing this might be the temporary dealer stockyard, we entered the place. And there she was. Looked totally different this time, not all so shiny and bright like the day before. We went round the car in disbelief and saw scratches all over the body. There were scratches on all 4 door handles, on the bonnet, tailgate, sides and roof top. Tires looked ok but not so new as the other day.

My wife was disgusted and stormed out of the area. In 2 minutes, we were at the dealer and the SE seemed very pleased, offered us to sit, coffee etc. happily got us the registration forms and asked me to sign on the dotted line.

I was still contemplating on how to start the conversation, when my wife just blurted out "Could we cancel and get another car". He immediately responded with a "Yes", as if he was aware of some mishaps of the car and kind of expected it. That is when I lost my cool.

I told him that we had seen the car in the shed, and it had all bla bla bla. He was visibly shaken and asked if we could go see the car together. We agreed, reached the spot and showed him all the stuff. My wife couldn't stop complaining about the car and kept demanding for a replacement. We came back to the showroom and as usual our trusted SE's TL came over. Same story repeated and we insisted for a replacement. The TL asked for the car to be brought to the showroom and we went over it again. He tried to pass of the scratches saying we will get it polished with a rubbing compound and it would look as brand new. I firmly disagreed and also pointed out the layer of dust in the interiors, pretty evident that this car had been lying around in the open for quite some time.

At this time there was another vehicle getting ready for delivery and it was very visible that the TL wanted us out at that time, rightly so as to not make a scene during the other vehicle delivery. We went back home heartbroken in one way, but happy that we were saved from a mishap having to live with a new car that has been so badly maintained.

The next day I got a call from the SE that they have washed the car, polished it and now it looks brand new. I politely replied, I want a new car.
The SE even offerred me a wierd suggestion. To replace all the 4 doors from another N8 DCT car that they had in stock. The one I ordered was an IMT.
I was quite amused by his offer and brushed it off asking if he's offering a secondhand car. He quickly burst out literally sobbing saying his manager was forcing him to sell the car and requested me to speak to his manager once and inform him of my refusal.

Based on my experience in the IT industry, I know how sometimes corporate life can be, people are sometimes forced to complete a sale and coax the customer into buying something they don't want. I immediately called up his manager and expressed my concern. I was careful not to raise my voice as I was not on the winning side. I had made full payment and I had no collateral whatsoever. I tried to reason with him, and I even "suggested" for a full payment refund. He seemed to have understood my determination and offered to get a new vehicle, he asked to send them an email with the reason which he would forward to his superiors. I immediately sent the email citing the VIN and asked for a replacement. I made sure to mention the 3 hear rest requirement in the mail, honestly, I felt weird for a moment, like a kid asking for a toy car.

Having sent the email, I called up the SE and told him that I have spoken to his manager and expressed him my concern. I asked him how could they have offered me a Feb manufactured car in July and why had they not offered this in April itself when I had booked? He then revealed that in fact my original allotment was not yet done, Hyundai had not yet allotted a car for me.
Lakshmi Hyundai came to know of this car from their Chennai branch, seems it was lying in the factory and offered at a discounted rate, since it was a poorly maintained car. The Bangalore office jumped at this opportunity, billed the car immediately and got it for me, hence the 5k discount.

I mentioned to the SE that I have had enough of this and this time I want a brand-new car not more than a month old. He agreed and thanked me for keeping my cool and promised to call me the moment he hears of the allotment.
So, with a heavy heart I kept the phone, and, in a day, I received a mail saying that my insurance was cancelled. This was in a way comforting because it meant that Lakshmi Hyundai have taken into consideration and cancelled my invoice.

So, few very important lessons to be learned here.

Mistake No 1:
Advaith Hyundai spoke in very unprofessional way. So what? My car was ready, new model, with 3 head rest, all that I wanted. I should have brushed aside their way of speaking and gone ahead with the vehicle. After all, it's what I wanted and as if I would be meeting them every day and having tea biscuit with them. Buying a car is a commitment, it will stay with us for a few years at least, 5-7-9 years. It's not like buying vegetables every day, where you meet the vendor and do small talk with him. I might have not even met them after the car delivery day, and I could have lived my life with my favorite car.

Mistake No 2:
Never make the payment till you have visually seen the car. The SE's will sweet talk you, blackmail you, it's what they have been trained for. They know you will be excited on your car arrival and force you to make a mistake.

Mistake No 3:
Sudden discounts after the vehicle have arrived, without you even asking for it, should be a cause for concern. Why the sudden discount? Why without you asking? Are they your relative that they felt some concern for you that they thought to give you a discount? Definitely suspicious.

Mistake No 4:
Always do a PDI in "broad daylight". Never at night, never in the rain, never in cloudy weather. Check it in daylight, where there is a lot of sun. Make sure they don't wash the car and polish it. Ask to check it in the stockyard itself, never in the showroom. And take your wife with you

Mistake No 5:
If the SE fumbles at not giving correct and convincing answers, raise an alarm. For instance, the 84kms reading on the odo that I questioned, gave an answer of 20kms Chennai PDI plus, 20kms of Bangalore PDI plus 8 kms of stockyard to showroom distance, equals 84kms? Really? So bad at math?

So after enduring all that I had to go through, as of 30th July 2023, I am still waiting for my vehicle to be allotted, counting days and hoping for a freshly baked car, right out of the oven, with 3 head rests of course (why am I so hell bent on this?). Hoping that the days ahead would be bright and sunny; not so dark and rainy.

Stay tuned for updates, hopefully nice ones, keeping my fingers crossed!

[Rudra Sen]

Mod note: thread moved to Indian Car Dealerships.

[Pyrotek]

A pity. Car dealerships these days have plunged to new depths. I still remember the distinctly underwhelming experience with the delivery of my Tucson from Trident Hyundai about 2 years ago and it just looks like all Hyundai dealers in Bangalore behave the same way. The only good thing was that in my case they brought the car to the showroom and cleaned it so that I could do my PDI accurately. Your most critical mistake was doing the PDI in sub-optimal conditions. Once this is done and you have released payment, you have zero leverage. I hope Lakshmi Hyundai acts ethically in your case and allocates your new car soon.

[wheelguy]

Sorry to say this, all I see is your mistake, be it any brand, dealerships will be like that only. Being a Hyundai dealership doesn't guarantee you that you will get a good experience by default. Seeing your rush, they found an opportunity and took advantage of it. You proceeded in rush despite multiple red flags, sorry again all I can see is your mistake. This in any way doesn't mean that I am backing their malpractices

[tharian]

Originally Posted by wheelguy

Sorry to say this, all I see is your mistake, be it any brand, dealerships will be like that only. Being a Hyundai dealership doesn't guarantee you that you will get a good experience by default. Seeing your rush, they found an opportunity and took advantage of it. You proceeded in rush despite multiple red flags, sorry again all I can see is your mistake. This in any way doesn't mean that I am backing their malpractices

If it is the OP's mistake and by confirming that, we are also accepting that this is how the showroom's do business and we need to adjust accordingly, which in my opinion is completely wrong.
It is the customer that needs to have a good overall experience and not the showroom trying to make a buck or two at the customers expense. This is just bad business.
At the end of the day, the customer pays for what he wants and not what the showroom decides to sell him and on top of that try to bump off a car that is been lying somewhere for half a year.

[IshaanIan]

Am glad to see that they are agreeing to get you a new car. I have seen several threads on this very forum of folks who have been forced by the dealership to take a less than ideal new car citing reasons like the registration is already done etc. I would count myself lucky if I were you considering you had already paid in full and given the go ahead to insure and register the car after seeing it the first time.

[Riddler]

Originally Posted by wheelguy

Sorry to say this, all I see is your mistake, be it any brand, dealerships will be like that only. Being a Hyundai dealership doesn't guarantee you that you will get a good experience by default. Seeing your rush, they found an opportunity and took advantage of it. You proceeded in rush despite multiple red flags, sorry again all I can see is your mistake. This in any way doesn't mean that I am backing their malpractices

Yes, I cannot help but agree with you. I got carried away by the excitement and did not notice the nuances that came my way. However, I am glad that I didn't sign on the dotted line for the vehicle registration. I feel lucky in that way, if I had signed, I guess I would not have had a second chance. That would have sealed the deal.

[Riddler]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Am glad to see that they are agreeing to get you a new car. I have seen several threads on this very forum of folks who have been forced by the dealership to take a less than ideal new car citing reasons like the registration is already done etc. I would count myself lucky if I were you considering you had already paid in full and given the go ahead to insure and register the car after seeing it the first time.

Yes, I feel the same way too. I think that is a silver lining for me. Had I signed the dotted line for vehicle registration, they would have backed off. Also, I just received 2 SMS's, one from Hyundai and one from HDFC Ergo, stating that my vehicle insurance has been cancelled. This seems to be a positive sign...isn't it?

[greenhorn]

any update?
You should compare notes with sixpistons - he's having more or less the same issue
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5609635 (Universal Hyundai sold a repainted car as new | Sour experience)

[Riddler]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

any update?
You should compare notes with sixpistons - he's having more or less the same issue
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5609635 (Universal Hyundai sold a repainted car as new | Sour experience)

Yes! I just received a call few days back that the original order that was placed, has now been accepted. And my car is off the production line and is in transit to the warehouse. If all goes well, I will pay a visit today evening and inspect the vehicle there. Hope to get it delivered this weekend! Will keep everyone posted.