Dealer godowns, is it the same horror story everywhere?

[tsk1979]

As most of you know, I picked up my Safari from Autolinks Gurgaon yesterday.
Near the service center, I saw a huge Truck, with several Lineas being unloaded, and then being driving into a gated plot.
Inside the plot I saw many indica's lineas etc,. The plot was not cemented, but had deep kucha dust, and all the cars parked there were covered with lots of dust and sand.
They did not look like new cars, but cars which had done desert Storm.
I asked my service advisor about the same, and he told be this is the godown of ABS motors gurgaon, and they have also bought another plot opposite this one(this new plot was the one where 4x4 testing was one by me and the service advisor).
As usual, this new plot was also going to be a Kucha plot, and the cars stored there will be in the same shape.
So thats why I post this guestion. Is it the same story everywhere. Imagine cars parked in an extremely dusty environment, for days altogether.
It was so dusty, that dust was literally flying around. There was no grass or concrete, just kucha surface like the mall parking lots in ground.
I don't have any pictures currently, but if you go to Autolinks, you can see the plot to your left barely 50meters from the workshop.

So are all dealer godowns like this. There is no covering, except for the inch thick dust in cars. If it rains, I am sure many cars can get stuck in the mud.

[Rahulkool]

yeah thats true, most of the places i have seen is same as you described, when they have to deliver a vehicle, one guy will clean rather mop the car with one bucket of water and some dirty cloth.

[Technocrat]

I am afraid this is how it is in most of the places. I have seen a couple of godowns like the ones you saw. Thats the reason they do a thorough washing before delivering the car.

[h@r$h@l]

I believe thats the situation may be not with all but with most of the dealers. Specially with Maruti & TATA whose sales volumes are quite higher then the rest and do not have sufficient storage spaces for the cars they get from the company. On my way to work i pass a similar ground owned by a Maruti dealer and i see 100's of cars parked there. Also next to it is a ground owned by a Hyundai dealer. Same condition there too.

I went with a friend ones to collect the car directly from here and trust me man it hurts to see the condition there and thinking that our car was like the rest until a day before.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

So are all dealer godowns like this. There is no covering, except for the inch thick dust in cars. If it rains, I am sure many cars can get stuck in the mud.

Looks like they are all Same ,In bangalore Vinayak ( Skoda) and Concord Hosur Road ( Tata) are next to each other and their dusty grounds are separated by a solid block wall. Nandi Toyota also has a similar yard somewhere on the same road.
All these vehicles are covered in thick layer of dust and thus protected from sun , Pressure wash is done before making them ready for delivery or a one of nutcase like me reaches yard to select the vehicle himself based on T-BHP cheaklist.

[Eddy]

Unfortunately yes. It was horrible when I went to check my car in the dealer godown (Fairdeal cars, Maruti)

[mail4loys]

It is similar in Chennai Ford too. When Fiesta S was launched there were around 20-30 S vehicles standing in the open sun with dust covered it completely and few parked under tree with birds dropping . Also few of the other variant vehicles had steel wheel rim rusted!

[greenhorn]

yup. on my way to work I pass by three dealer lots, two maruti and one tata. its the same story everywhere. I've noticed the layer of dust is thicker at the tata lot, probably because the vehicles dont move out as fast

[shabahmad]

My wagonr was delevered from dealer's godown. When i reached there lots of car are standing covered with mud, dust. There is also a hyundai godown just opposite, its same story there also. I think every dealer does it.
Bad practices followed by everybody becomes a industry standard.

[humyum]

I got my swift from spectras godown in Vasai and man o man it was a sight to see.Wagon R's, Estillos and so many petrol swifts all looked like they were for sale at half the price.That dusted .

[esteem_lover]

There is a thread on this with pics.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...er-s-yard.html (Sight for Sore Eyes..State of the New Cars in the Dealer's Yard)

[breezydrive]

I know this since the time Autolinks came into existence as a Daewoo dealer.
At any given time, about 50 Cielo cars remained parked at my friend's farmhouse near vasant kunj. I still remember the manner in which those cars used to be driven by the drivers on katcha tracks & parked deep inside the huge property behind a secluded area near the cattle sheds.

The parked cars were never cleaned or taken care of by the dealer's staff, a driver used to come only to pick the vehicle supposed to be delivered. ( After that the vehicle is washed & PDI done)

[ajmat]

The skodas at least haver a plastic film on the upper panels

In the UK , cars are usually parked on disused runways. However, have seen pics of cars parked in ankle deep water

[Palio_2005]

Yes it's the same case everywhere. When I picked up my FIL's Wagon R from My Car Pune, the plot where the cars were parked wasn't even flattened. PLus lots of cars with bumpers scratched which were waiting for a part replacement. I was shocked and thanks to T-BHP's check list I was aware of the tricks of the dealers and insisted that I see the car in the yard

[rjstyles69]

tanvir you would surprised to know VW had their cars parked in muck last year before the launch.

Its a common practise methinks and this was in a vacant plot behind the Dakshin honda Showroom on hosur road.