[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by dular

So, the final update is that Jeep India admits over a phone call that it is no longer making the Longitude variant and therefore asking me to cancel my booking. The same information is shared by the dealership. But no one wants to give this in writing, in an email because then it might put them in legal troubles. Reason being that Longitude is still advertised on Jeep India website and you can even book it today through the website. Such kind of fraudulent activities are being carried out by Jeep India.

When asked to Jeep India:
1. Why did the dealership took the booking when Jeep India was not making this variant anymore? - No answer
2. What is the compensation offered for waiting more than 6 months for a product which can not be delivered? - No answer

This is the kind of management at Jeep India ! If they cant even deliver a product to a willing buyer why are they talking about low sales in India ? If this is the pre sales experience, I can only have sympathy with Jeep customers for their after sales horror stories.

I was going to ask you to cancel the booking after reading your post since you have only paid the booking amount. But just saw your latest post - guess Jeep says that themselves.

I know 6mths wait for a car that you so badly wanted is not pleasant at all. But i will take that over losing hard earned money! Its a heartbreak but you will find love again.

[dular]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

I know 6mths wait for a car that you so badly wanted is not pleasant at all. But i will take that over losing hard earned money! Its a heartbreak but you will find love again.

A heartbreak, it truly was! However, the totally unconcerned behavior, both from Landmark Noida and Jeep themselves made me overcome this situation. The GM Sales at Landmark Noida and the CRM Head at Landmark just did not cared.

Jeep customer care was no different. Here is a screenshot of my interactions with them from May 2022 to Aug 2022. More than 16 emails exchanges happened over 3 months. I kept writing to them regularly (almost every week) but each time it was kind of that automated reply from them: We are looking into the matter.

No resolution was ever offered. It is just a shame at how Jeep is running its business in India. Their twitter timeline also says a lot about the quality of their product.

[PowerSpike]

Originally Posted by dular

Disclaimer: I still like Jeep Compass (as a product) very much.

I have exhausted all my means to get answers to my question from Landmark and Jeep India. I am now asking for your help to get these answers.

Sorry to hear about your ordeal.
The sales is supposed to be the best part of a car ownership. If the sale itself is this bad and the dealership is so clueless, how would the A.S.S. be?
By this time you would have been enjoying a Harrier / Safari. Both are built very well and have better road presence than Compass. If you aren't into off-roading, either of these 2 vehicles are an excellent option for you with realistic waiting periods. If you don't mind waiting longer you should consider Xuv700 which remains the best vehicle in this segment by a long distance. I believe the petrol MT version is available in about 3 months time. If you want more bells and whistles, the wait time is higher. It may give you additional time to accumulate a higher budget and by that time the XUV is ready for delivery (1-1.5 yrs) you may even have more alternative options available to choose from. Happy driving!

[dular]

Originally Posted by PowerSpike

The sales is supposed to be the best part of a car ownership. If the sale itself is this bad and the dealership is so clueless, how would the A.S.S. be?

I think you have hit the nail on the head. I was assuming the buying part to be the happy part of things but it turned out otherwise. Like they say, every cloud has a silver lining. The only silver lining here was that I do not have to go through the pathetic A.S.S being currently offered by Jeep and its dealerships. It would have been a bigger heartache to spend a fortune and then having regular breakdowns.

Actually, I was in double minds about Harrier and then went with my heart towards Jeep. But, the whole experience was really like a heartbreak.

The biggest grudge I have with Jeep is that they could have just said that the car is not available when the booking was done. I could have went with another car and would have a car by now. So, now not only I had to go through the complete buying process again, but I had to face the price rise in cars (in general) over the 9 month period that I lost.

With this experience, my recommendation to new car buyers is to not fixate yourself on a single car. Shortlist, 4-5 cars and then make a booking for all of them. Buy the one which gets delivered first. I know this is not the most ethical way of being a buyer but the way how dealerships and OEMs are treating their customers, this is the only way out to shift the focus back on the buyer.

[PowerSpike]

Originally Posted by dular

The only silver lining here was that I do not have to go through the pathetic A.S.S being currently offered by Jeep and its dealerships.

Actually, I was in double minds about Harrier and then went with my heart towards Jeep. But, the whole experience was really like a heartbreak.

I drove my cousin's Harrier a month ago. The car eats up bad roads where a hatchback will throw you around. At speed the car is like its on rails. Breaks work very well. The sports mode actually works and makes the car lurch forward at the dab of the accelerator pedal. His vehicle doesn't have ventilated seats as it's an older model. Build quality is like a tank. Car still feels like new after 1.5 years. Newer models have ventilated seats plus few more safety options. The good part is that there are so many variants available, there is a car to suit anyones needs and budget. But automatic is the way to go. This engine and Hyundai sourced auto tranny are tuned really well together and work very nicely in this vehicle. You also have option to buy Safari and get ventilated seats in the 2nd row which is a great option not available in any other vehicle in this price range. The A.S.S. of Tata is a hit and miss, but I think if you ask around, you should find a good service center in your area that's more reliable. The product is made very well. Plus you will be buying a (partly) made in India product whose profits will be used to made defense products, so there is a pride factor also in play if that is something you consider. I had convinced my cousin to pursue the Harrier for this very same reason. He is really happy with his car and has built a relationship with the service center guy and they give him right advice and maintain the vehicle in top condition. If you want a more made in India product, you can go for Scorpio N or XUV. Their engine and tranny are also made in India and both are superior products that deserve the support of Indians.

Originally Posted by dular

The biggest grudge I have with Jeep is that they could have just said that the car is not available when the booking was done. I could have went with another car and would have a car by now. So, now not only I had to go through the complete buying process again, but I had to face the price rise in cars (in general) over the 9 month period that I lost.

No salesman is this honest unless you have a personal relationship with the dealership or with the individual. Their salary depends upon sales numbers. Their silence is to be interpreted by the customer and one needs to be vigilant based on the information they are hiding.

Originally Posted by dular

With this experience, my recommendation to new car buyers is to not fixate yourself on a single car. Shortlist, 4-5 cars and then make a booking for all of them. Buy the one which gets delivered first. I know this is not the most ethical way of being a buyer but the way how dealerships and OEMs are treating their customers, this is the only way out to shift the focus back on the buyer.

While this suggestion is logical, it is slightly impractical, as a person buying in this price range would more often than not, narrow down a vehicle after a lot of research and calculations and would have convinced himself in his mind on which vehicle to buy. Any other vehicle would then feel like a compromise. But to cover all bases, your advice, coming from your own personal experience, is sound and logical.

Happy hunting.

[akg7091]

Nothing that can be done about what's happened now. If you buy the car now from Landmark now, they win ! If pre sales is so bad then service, especially from a monopoly dealer, will be really bad. This is the same Landmark whose staff was seen beating up one of it's customers a few months ago IIRC.

Speaking from experience, get a full refund and go for a vehicle from a decent OEM like maruti, hyundai/kia, tata, Mahindra etc. Do not buy a vehicle where the OEM customer care is non existant and dealerships are monopoly / duopoly.

[ajayc123]

Is this the same Landmark promoter that has now got dealership for BYD in Delhi and Mumbai?

https://www.bydautoindia.com/find-dealer

[Torque_Curve]

Originally Posted by ajayc123

Is this the same Landmark promoter that has now got dealership for BYD in Delhi and Mumbai?

https://www.bydautoindia.com/find-dealer

Yes, it is the same one. They have BYD dealerships across Mumbai and Delhi (and a monopoly at that too, I believe).