I m genuinely wondering if the lord almighty is trying to tell me something where SVR ownership is concerned.

After one dealer dragging their feet with a car supposedly ready to go from the factory, I found a pre Reg but new all black one at a Range Rover dealer with fish for a name about 100 miles outside of London.

Initial phone call I made it very clear I was ready to buy, asked the usual questions, I d seen the photos and spec list it was exactly the spec I wanted. After doing some homework on my part exchange, I Made an agreement with the salesman, paid deposit making clear the terms of our deal before parting with my debit card details, all the monies are ready to go to complete the deal promptly.

Receive a phone call back from the sales manager - changing facets of the deal as obviously the salesman had made promises beyond his pay grade,I think the sales manager called the salesman naive at one point . I ve bent over to accommodate and even let them collect my part exchange 2-3 days early so they could check it over .

All going swimmingly for collection on Monday.

Until I receive a video presentation of the car this afternoon - the wheels are no longer black but silver - contrary to all the photos and spec list i d been sent . Whoever took the video even described them as an upgrade over the black ones- no actually they are a downgrade, its 400 quid less to spec the silver wheels. They also went to great lengths to show the deployable side steps that weren't on the specs or description either.

Email sent straight off saying I m not happy, at no point were the wheels being different mentioned, despite numerous phonecalls and having received the spec list this afternoon it specifies black wheels as do the photos. I'm sure there ll be some sort of push back mentioning the steps as an 'added' bonus- I neither care or want the steps, I m 6,4 I don't need steps and my missus is 5,11.

Now I know I m not wrong in wanting what I ve paid for, and was advertised in the first place.

I should also mention that the dealer will owe me over 10k once the deal is done and I will essentially walk out of the dealership empty handed on collection day and wait for a transfer for a day or two later supposedly. As far as I can see the dealer has had it pretty much all their own way so far, the changing of the wheels is the straw that's straining the camels back tonight.

What would you do ?!

Insist on getting your preferred wheels!

Landrover dealers take courses on how to lie and bull s*** some are better than others but in general they are all pretty rubbish at it, it's all part of the " Land Rover experience " unfortunately you have to accept it as part of ownership

Demand the wheels as per the description and settle for nothing less

If the original deal had black wheels insist on them or you want compensation to buy the black wheels it should have come with as per original spec

Are the steps in the photos? Either they've swapped the wheels off, possibly because someone at the dealership wants them on their car, or it's not the same car. Do the photos you have show the reg? 

Is it summer SVR up time?

Surely in all honesty they can put the black wheels on as stated so as not to lose the deal?

Can you trust them now? They are completely in the wrong as in
all the other cases here have proved as well that it has not been the buyers fault what so ever.  SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

10am this morning and the manager of the dealer is onto me, apologising and explaining the mistake, apparently the chap who was going to be the original buyer for the car asked for silver wheels to be fitted before disappearing off the face of the earth (his words) . The black wheels are available and will be refitted before I collect. Unsure how that story stacks up with the photos of the advert etc. It's the same car though.

Then rather cheekily he asked me if I wanted the side steps to stay on. Well since I ve obviously paid for them somewhere along the line, yes I do! I said if you want to take them off I ll have 500 quid back. He's getting back for me on that.

Hopefully I ll have a smile on my face and all the sillyness will quickly be forgotten. However not sure I ll be singing anyone's praises come the end of all of this.

Good news james and look forward to some photos .  SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

james5599 wrote:

10am this morning and the manager of the dealer is onto me, apologising and explaining the mistake, apparently the chap who was going to be the original buyer for the car asked for silver wheels to be fitted before disappearing off the face of the earth (his words) . The black wheels are available and will be refitted before I collect. Unsure how that story stacks up with the photos of the advert etc. It's the same car though.

Then rather cheekily he asked me if I wanted the side steps to stay on. Well since I ve obviously paid for them somewhere along the line, yes I do! I said if you want to take them off I ll have 500 quid back. He's getting back for me on that.

Hopefully I ll have a smile on my face and all the sillyness will quickly be forgotten. However not sure I ll be singing anyone's praises come the end of all of this.

To be fair, that sounds reasonably plausible, although they could have handled it better.

I'd want more than £500 back for the deployable side steps, though, there's £2,300+ worth of tackle there! If you keep them, other passengers may get the benefit and they may offer a small premium at trade in time.

If they hadn't resolved the wheels it would certainly have left a bad taste, but hopefully you will soon be able to put this behind you and get on with enjoying the car.

Well it sounds like a result

So I made the journey up today to collect the car,

Aside from our driver being at the wrong station to collect us it went pretty smoothly!

Correct wheels refitted and side steps left on ! They Even fitted the carbon bits I d bought off another forum member.

Long slog home due to an accident on the m40, but it gave me time to fiddle and discover a few of the bits they d missed off the spec list , soft close doors, 360 park.

Hesitant to say it's all worked out great but so far not bad!

I know we hear a lot of problems with LR dealerships, but I think I should give praise where due, as I found a dealership that gives good service, quickly corrects faults or anything your not happy with. On services always ring up if a fault found or anything costly needs fitting. The name of the group is Hatfields, they have a few branches, but the one I have always been happy with is the Pickering. North Yorkshire branch. They said they didn't do trade ins on old cars, (2004MG ZTT) but knocked off the trade in value of my old car £1100 as well other special offers and upgrade prices. I then sold car privately for £1000 so, Its not a bad deal all round. Been using them since 2011.  John

RRS MY12 SDV6 HSE. Sumatra Black/Ebony & Walnut + Dynamic Pack, + Cold Climate Pack + Memory Pack, Digital TV/DVD, Premium Leather, Cornering Lights, Cooler/Fridge Box, & most Options.

james5599 wrote:

a few of the bits they d missed off the spec list , soft close doors, 360 park.

Hesitant to say it's all worked out great but so far not bad!

james5599 wrote:

Long slog home due to an accident on the m40

I saw a blue SVR going south on the M40 near Banbury this evening - around 5pm. Was it you perhaps? I was north bound so only saw it briefly in the other direction.

Edit: of course yours is black so that wasn't you...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Black SVR #drool

Pics when you can. #wantsvr

 Gone:
2016.5MY RRS HSE Dyn
2015MY Disco Sport HSE
2011MY FL2 HSE
2010MY RRS HSE
2008MY D3 HSE