Singuy, I have dealt with 2 Jaguar dealerships. One of them I walked into the dealership and was treated like any other dealership. The second dealership I have dealt with online and they have bent over backwards for me. So, I would consider this a sign of a dealership that has a significant number of people with more dollars than sense (hate to put it that way, but find it normally fairly true). When I walked into the Jag dealership, I was driving up in my X-Type and got out of the car wearing jeans and a leather coat. So, I wasn't dressed to impress as the saying goes. So, I would think that if the clothing a person was wearing was a factor based on Jag requirements, we have a difference in standards between the dealerships. part of it may be that the dealership you are dealing with gets a bunch of younger people (use this term loosely) that just want to come in and drive a nice car with no intention of buying a vehicle. They see it as a complete waste of their time (I can understand that).

If you are dead set on getting an XF and you have 2 dealerships in the area, the quicker way to get the car is to go to the second dealership and deal with them, see if it is just how the dealerships in the area are or if it was simply a situational thing. Your other option is to go to a website like http://www.edmunds.com and custom order the vehicle that way. They will deliver it right to the dealership and the dealership can't sell the car out from under you as it will already be paid for. The benefits of doing it this way is that 1) you get the car exactly how you want it, in the colors that you want and may even open your eyes to options that you deem necessary. 2) doing it this way you tend to get a better price as they will sell you the vehicle normally at 1.5% over the invoice price. The down sides is that 1) you normally have to wait 12 weeks for the car to be built to order and then delivered, 2) you have to arrange your own financing (a good idea anyways as now you have more bargaining ability if you are buying the car right then and there), and 3) it has a tendency to **** off the dealership because you are buying a car from them that they get no credit for (the whole kickback aspect and dealership performance issues). So, as long as you have that second dealership, you can give the first dealership the same treatment they gave you and then go to the second dealership for all your servicing. I'm sure they will be more than glad to have you as a customer.

 

The only reason you would order a car is if they do not have what you are looking for on the lot. I find it hard to believe that any dealer does not want to deal on an XF considering how slow the market is.

I would go to a couple dealers, get their business cards with their e-mail addresses, then send them an e-mail with your offer. That takes all the pressure and emotion out of it. Leave a little room to negotiate and two or three e-mails later you will come to agreement on price.

Then if they don't have the car you want, or one is not on the way, just tell them for $xxx I would like to order the car.

That is what I did, I wanted Indigo Blue and Charcoal Interior & Oak Trim with Active Cruise. The Jag dealer was only too happy to negotiate and put the order in for me. 8 weeks later I had the car shipped from the U.K. Pretty cool.

I gave them $500 down and they changed the order for their next Super Charged car in line to the color and options I wanted. Very easy.

 

Singuy,

I don't know anything about the Edmunds thing, but Thermo is right; a lot of high dollar car dealerships will get younger people who come in just to drive a high class car they have no earthly intention of buying, and they get tired of that. So they were probably assuming (dangerous territory) that you were one of the same.

Here's my suggestion (because I'm hateful like this): if you DO find a second dealership, go to them and see if they treat you different (I feel that was an isolated incident). If they do (as I think they will), pick out your car, haggle, etc., then buy it. THEN (and here's the hateful part), get dressed up in the same outfit you wore the first time you went to the first dealership, drive up in your Celica, go talk to the same saleman or manager as if you were still needing to buy one, and if they give you more attention, say..."Oh Wait...Never mind...(show them the key to your new XF from the other dealership)...I forgot that I already bought one because on my first trip here, your lot showed me nothing but contempt and rudeness probably because of how I was dressed, and my guess is that you assumed I was here for nothing more than a joyride in a hot car. Your loss. I got the car and you're out some money." Then simply walk away. lol

But, yea, I think it would be an isolated incident.

 

Unfortunately, the higher the price tag on the cars on the lot (I can see BMW, Porsche, Mercedes being similar), the more likely you will be looked at and pre-judged on your approach. I mean, after all, they're salespeople...if you don't give them a vibe you are there to buy, they may miss out on another buyer if they took the time to 'entertain' you. Sadly, this is common practice.

Now, this is just me, but I often dress just a bit more formally when I go to the dealer for service, parts, whatever it may be. Even if its simply jeans and a t-shirt, I throw a sports jacket over it and I feel like I fit in better. I'm not saying that you should do this, and you are ultimately correct, appearance should not matter in sales.

Go find your new XF and come back here where we'll only judge you based on how clean you keep it. Promise!

 

I think if I were you this should be taken to a higher level cause NO Dealership should treat you this way..... I have a Very good business making well in the 6 digit range, but if you were to meet me you would not ever know this cause I feel that everyone is equal..... I have an 05 XKR and plan on an XFR in Spring to add to my auto stable..LOL.. I am from Miami and do understand what you are dealing with when it come to the Snooty Salesman in that area, so go back and DEMAND respect, if they do not give you any call the Jaguar Support Line and tell them what you were wanting and the way you were treated and you just might lean another direction from another auto after this.... I have delt with Jaguar for some time now and have not had any issues with there staff at the Atlanta Locations or Asheville.... I also hear alot of good about Knoxville Tenn. Jaguar....

Good Luck...
Donny

 

The sales person will look at what you drove up in and make a judgement call based on that. He will look at clothes, watches, accent, whether your brought a domestic partner and decide if he thinks you're serious. Every sales person, regardless of industry does something similar when they are talking to a prospect. If you don't like that then I suggest buy on line.

 

I haven't been around in a while, but this thread caught my eye as I like this topic. I purposely look bummy when I buy a car to find a salesman that will show respect first. When I purchased my wife's Lexus, I was wearing my Adidas, Jeans and a white T shirt. The dealer we purchased the car from had one of the best salesmen I've ever dealt with - there was no hesitation from him, I specifically said I wasn't buying but just looking. He spent 2 hours with me, my wife and my son. He ended up getting my business.

My Jag experience was a bit different as I started by email to 2 dealers in my area. One emailed me right away and gave all his info. He was also very kind on the phone.

So you could also start on the phone and make sure you get treated right first - it also avoids that first visual judgement.

 

Well I didnt purchase XF but an X-Type, this was a few yrs back. I was turning 30 and wanted to upgrade my car to something nicer/more luxurious. I went into my local Jaguar dealer (Great Neck Jaguar) and a salesman came right up to me and answered all my questions and showed me what they hand in stock, took test drives, crunch numbers, etc. I pulled up in my 2001 Mazda Protege MP3, Laser Blue Mica with lots of carbon fiber (Tastefully done ricer car) and this was the car I was trading in, plus I am a jeans, t-shirt and sneakers kinda guy so I dont fit the stereotypical mold of "The Jaguar Owner".

Well I was blown away by their customer service and they gave me more then a fair price for my trade. And since I have owned my Jaguar they have been nothing but good to me and their service is top notch in my book. And I remember what the salesman said to me when I took delivery of my X, he said "hand over those Mazda keys.. You own a Jaguar now" And the car still gets looks and compliments and I would definitely purchase another Jaguar..

 

Actually the fact that I am able to go into a dealer and NOT be bothered by pesky salesmen is exactly the reason that I keep buying Jags. They let me look around without hounding me and when I am ready to test drive or talk they are happy to oblige. I just think that the average person is so used to being attacked by salesmen as soon as they walk in to a regular dealer that they are a little put off when that doesn't happen. Personally I hate being approached by them as soon as I walk in the door. Plus, I know I can afford the car so who cares what they think?

 

As a sales assciate, and still a teen, its a pain in the but when this happens man, but all you gotta do is look around. I had a simlar problem too, but not with a car, i just went to a different place, if thier not commiting to you, then f*** them, theres n point in crying over spilled milk. Don't let it geet you down and prevent you from driving your dream car.

And as a sales associate, thats one of the rules were supposed to follow, DO NOT PROFILE A CUSTOMER, you don't know what they will purchase or ask. Alot of higher end places ( like dealerships) don't follow this, the same thing happened to my freinds dad when he went to pick up his xj, he never dealth with those guys again. They just don't want to wase their time on us average looking joe's, jus the guys that want to blow money, becuase those guys are almost always a 100% likely to buy something.

Sorry for the essay

 

I recently bought my XFR, When i went into the dealership i was treated very well. Iam 32 years old, professional, dressed well, i did however pull up in my new X5 4.8 so perhaps the salesman took me a litle more seriously.

Purchasing the car was a ton of fun, the sales guy at the dealership was very plesant to deal with, the sales manager was a riot, joked around alot. I did grind them for 4600.00 off my XFR and got him to toss in a set of winters for 500.00. Which took longer then he expected to come in, so to make up for it he had a pair of Chrome pedals installed when i was getting the rubbers switched over.

Big thumbs up for Calgary Jaguar and its staff


Best of luck.

 

Buying the wife's ML320 at the MB Dealer.

Pulled up in a rusted 87 Monte Carlo SS with half an exhaust system jeans and bears hoodie. Within 5 min a older salesman was out on the lot talking with us and helping us find the ML she wanted. They did not have a used one on the lot that met our options color etc.. Took my information and promised me a call back within 8 hours with the details on the one we wanted. Off we went to look at a few other dealers. At this point the Monte blew a plug and was running on 7 cylinders(I bought this car for her while we were dating for 250 bucks to use as college transportation). So we took it home and switched to my Range Rover (a 1991 that I use a lot off road and looks it). Went to the VW dealer as they had a pair of ML's on the lot. We were snubbed for about 20 min than a salesman came over to talk with us as one of them was exactly what we were after. Test drove and all was well, it was perfect for us. We wanted a few things done as part of the deal so the salesman set that up and we were left a deposit on the it. The salesman in his excitement drove the ML himself to the shop and wrecked it in route. I watched him do it, as it was my Range Rover he rearended at the stoplight. I guess he learned that talking on the phone and driving is bad for your sales figures. We wanted nothing to do with that ML as I didn't want a repaired one. Went to Lexus and were totally blown off, same with the bmw dealer and cadillac. All of them had a truck that fit the bill on the lot but, were utterly worthless when it came to customer service. About this time we had given up for the day and were heading home when my phone rang and it was the salesman from MB he had found exactly what we were after at the MB dealer in Indianapolis. We told him that her car had broke down and I wasn't inclined to drive the 4 hour round trip in the Rover so he picked us up in a S class drove us down there bought us dinner and let us test drive the ML. It was the perfect one. He drove us home, we slept on it for the night and gave them the go ahead the next morning to get it from that dealer so we could buy it from them. They started out with exceptional service and never let me down while we lived there and went for service etc.

Dealing with Jaguar.

I have a 20 year old XJ6, not exactly a premier Jag customer lol. The dealer by my work is my stop for a quick part etc. I pulled up in the old girl in ACU's (army combat uniform) grubby as hell from a hard day at work. A salesman was by my side in minutes and was more than willing to show me the new XJ series and a nice used 01 XJ. Even though I was just there to pick up a few hoses for mine, coffee was served a tour was given and I was made to feel like this place was my own personnel Jag club house. Great guys with great service, also they give 25% off for military discount on parts

 

yea dude, calgary's pretty good to deal with, and thier service is good, exceptional customer care too. UNlike those faggets at edmonton who don't give a whoot.

 

I know I'm late to the party here but wanted to comment.

Always thought you should "dress the part" when buying a nice car. But when shopping for my first lux car (I'm age 30), I showed up in old jeans and tshirt to our Jag dealer. From the start, we had an excellent time and was showed respect. Of course, this was the dealership in Tulsa, OK but there was no way I was going to buy from a place that didn't show respect. I do understand that most "younger" peeps/couples might not be the "type" to buy a Jag and come in wearing just tshirt/jeans. But some of us who have our own small biz, make money, have 2 kids...really don't feel like getting dressed up to go car shopping. LOL The funny part is...the XF is suppose to be the car for the YOUNGER crowd.

Right now, we are shopping for our next car (replacing a '00 Miata that's showing her wear and tear...plus that's the car we were driving when we bought our XF). I was surprised when I drove up to the MB dealership in my XF and they barely noticed. Still shown respect so that's all that matters. But we'll most likely be buying from across the street at the Jag dealership...still wearing jeans, tshirt, and hair up in a messy ponytail. LOL

 

I always get ignored at first as I just look scruffy. Then I go and speak to someone and then I get their attention. I have quite a refined accent.

If you go and speak to someone and make sure they become aware you are a serious buyer, you should overcome any initial misapprehensions.

 

I drive an 06 XKR and am treated very poorly at the deal
ership where I purchased the car in 2009. The service manager does not respond to me and acts as though his time is too valuable to waste on me. I admit that I live in coastal Delaware and travel to Md. for service so perhaps I don't dress as formally as some but I am driving a Jaguar they sold me. Age is not the issue as I am in my sixties. I don't know what their problem is, but this is my first and last Jag and that is a shame.

 

I'm a proud owner of an XFR because: as being barely over 30, I still look like I'm a kid (baby face I guess), I walked in with my black band t-shirt, tight legged pants, tattoo covered arms, faux hawk and mangy beard....and was well greated by a sales person. I told him that I'd like some time to just look over the XF (the R wasn't out yet) and that I'd come and get him if I had questions.

He did, and I later got back to him. He answered EVER one of my questions very professionally. He asked me what other cars I was interested in (the new CTS-V and Audi S6 or 8). He knew his car IN & OUT!! Chevy dealer was just all about how "awesome" the caddy was. And although I agreed, it wasn't that informative. The Audi dealer..well, they just didn't know their stuff. I was a little sad leaving Audi.

He asked me if I wanted to take it for a test drive. Of course i said yes...you don't have to ask!

I will continue to go back to my salesperson at the Jag dealer in Boise. He treated me with respect, which should be how it is for everyone. He even calls me from time to time to check up on the satisfaction of my purchase, and oil change reminders. Double edged purhaps, on a sales perspective, but I am overly pleased with my purchase, and from whom I purchased it as well.

 

Here are my two main dealership storys:

I had been looking for a few months for an XK8/XKR that was optioned and priced the way I wanted one, but given that I live somewhat in the middle of nowhere right now, I expected to have to drive a bit to find one. I found a nice black 2000 XK8 Convertible that looked promising. The price was a little high, but I figured I could talk him down a bit. It had the black interior and I prefer Oatmeal or Cashmere, but from what I could see online, this seemed to be the one....but it was almost 200 miles away. I talked to the salesman (it was from a Volkswagen dealer, but they had a couple XK8s on the lot so the guy seemed to know his stuff) and set up a time to test drive it. Since I'm 25 and look even younger I took my father with me, both to create a better impression and for his opinion on the vehicle.

When I arrived the receptionist was rude, but I didn't think much of it since I wouldn't be dealing with her. Then I found out despite the fact that I set up an appointment over a week in advance, that the person I talked to couldn't help me for at least a half hour and nobody else was willing to help me. After traveling all of this distance I was a bit upset, but I wasn't willing to just waste the trip.

Finally the salesman I talked to on the phone came out to talked to me. It seemed quickly apparent that he didn't think I was willing to buy and when I asked for my test drive he said he would have to move a few vehicles in the warehouse to get the car out. After having scheduled this appointment, and having waited already, I was a bit shocked. Finally the beautiful car slithered up to the front of the dealership. It was already drawing a crowd and my smile was quickly growing. I took it on a nice long drive with my father and it was the first real long drive I took in an XK8 (the others were short with the realization that I wouldn't be buying the car) I was hooked and new I had to have one. This car had some flaws: a cracked dash, badly scuffed sill plates, and cracking leather, coupled with higher mileage than I really liked and the dealer scoffed at my offer of a lower price. I had my financing in line, knew more about the car than he did, and was prepared to drive the car home that day, but we couldn't come close to a deal and the dealer seemed annoyed that I was apparently wasting his time. While I was leaving I took one last look at the car and met another sales associate that was entering. He was much older and friendlier than the guy that helped me and told how much he would miss seeing the car if I bought it. I asked him if he was willing to sell me the car to which he smiled and told me he couldn't do that to another associate, but that he would talk to the other associate and try to smooth things out. He also offered to sell me a VW Tourag, which I'm sure he knew I wasn't interested in.

Fast forward a few months to a new dealer. I kept my search up, mostly on the internet and finally a 2000 XK8 in British Racing Green popped up about 30 miles form my house. The ad had very little information on it, but being so close I quickly drove to the dealer. The dealer had just shipped the car from Florida and it had a few known issues that needed to be fixed, but I could drive it if I wanted.

This car was perfect in every way and optioned exactly the way I would have ordered it new (except it was an XK8 rather than an XKR, but I had pretty much eliminated XKRs at that point) One drive and I knew the car was the right one. The salesman was excellent and had a ton of other interesting vehicles on the lot that he showed me. After telling him I wanted the XK8 we began to deal.

He couldn't budge much on the price, but he told me all of the things they were planning on fixing and asked if there was anything else I noticed that should be addressed since they didn't deal with very many Jaguars. We made a deal for a good price on the condition all of the issues were fixed to my specifications. This ended up being a little more than they were capable of doing, so the shipped the car, for free, to Jaguar of Omaha to complete the work (If they had only known there was a great independent shop just a few blocks from them that would have saved them a ton of cash).

A few very impatient weeks later (I'm sure they were sick of me calling about the status of the car, especially when they didn't know much) I had the perfect car. Now it's a few weeks short of a year from the day I found her.