At this point, so do I.
I'm not seeing how he's going to deliver it today, because the new driver hasn't even picked it up yet.
Cheers,
Kennith
Apparently, Buying a Car is Difficult...
- Thread starter kennith
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At this point, so do I.
I'm not seeing how he's going to deliver it today, because the new driver hasn't even picked it up yet.
Cheers,
Kennith
Now it's 8:00 tomorrow morning... Someone isn't getting the pile of cash he thinks he's getting.
I did agree to $30 more for the second driver, but that was for same-day pickup and delivery, just to get it out of my way. The terms have changed now that he failed to perform the service, and it's my turn to write them.
Now it's $50 less than the original quote, so he'll be leaving $80 shorter than he thought. It's too bad he didn't think to ask... If he want's the money, he'll have to get it out of the coordinating company.
Oh, well. He'll learn a valuable lesson: Never fuck a Ferengi.
Cheers,
Kennith
I did agree to $30 more for the second driver, but that was for same-day pickup and delivery, just to get it out of my way. The terms have changed now that he failed to perform the service, and it's my turn to write them.
Now it's $50 less than the original quote, so he'll be leaving $80 shorter than he thought. It's too bad he didn't think to ask... If he want's the money, he'll have to get it out of the coordinating company.
Oh, well. He'll learn a valuable lesson: Never fuck a Ferengi.
Cheers,
Kennith
Ha!
7:25 I call before rolling down to the ATM. I get a message back that said, among other idle information about a fantasy delay:
"...Will have ya car there dis afternoon..."
Lies. Lazy, lazy lies. He wants to sleep in. That's another $30 down. If he keeps this up, he'll be paying me.
It's not about getting the car. This is a scheduling issue. Keep to your schedule within reason or I'm going to re-write that, as well.
Cheers,
Kennith
7:25 I call before rolling down to the ATM. I get a message back that said, among other idle information about a fantasy delay:
"...Will have ya car there dis afternoon..."
Lies. Lazy, lazy lies. He wants to sleep in. That's another $30 down. If he keeps this up, he'll be paying me.
It's not about getting the car. This is a scheduling issue. Keep to your schedule within reason or I'm going to re-write that, as well.
Cheers,
Kennith
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Having lived a few years in Switzerland, one learns quickly to be on time for meetings, etc. It is a pet pieve of mine back home as “on time” has little meaning.
I look at it this way:
If I can make it somewhere on time these days, anyone can.
Now, deliveries can go awry, but not this guy's delivery. First off, he's lying. Period. I hate being lied to. I might have overlooked it just to keep things simple, otherwise. You also don't send a customer incomplete, poorly spelled sentences via text. I don't care how ghetto you are, you have a "classy" voice.
Use it when communicating with customers, and then speak however you like after. Now, if I'd just called up some random transport service myself trying to save a buck, that's different: Stewardess, I speak jive; more fluently than most would expect, actually.
That's not what happened, though. He's representing the company that contracted him, which represents the dealership. Different ballgame.
Second, however, and perhaps more importantly... I know a thing or two about difficult deliveries. No problem he could possibly encounter in his entire career could equal even one of the most pedestrian of my previous inconveniences in the profession; and I was never late. Not once.
Now, I don't hold people to my own standards, and obviously this is unreasonable here in the US, but it is a fact that there is no excuse for a failed delivery. Blown engine, broken leg, execution, alien invasion; even death... Doesn't matter. This is one of the very few core professions, and it's one with thousands of years of hardship and pride behind it.
Your last breath had better see that package along it's way with another courier that had sense enough not to die.
Of course, all I'm asking here is that I can get back to my damned schedule at some point or another. I've no idea when he intends to show up today.
Cheers,
Kennith
This is getting pretty ridiculous, now.
They finally got back to me after I had to contact the coordinator a few times, suggesting they'd just drop the car late tonight and come by tomorrow to "bring keys and get money".
Yeah... Don't work that way, poncho. I may be causing a problem tomorrow... Or tonight... Or whenever the fuck something happens.
This may well become an issue. As it stands, if someone doesn't severely impress me, I'll send it right back to Washington. They're certainly not getting paid anywhere near what they think.
Cheers,
Kennith
They finally got back to me after I had to contact the coordinator a few times, suggesting they'd just drop the car late tonight and come by tomorrow to "bring keys and get money".
Yeah... Don't work that way, poncho. I may be causing a problem tomorrow... Or tonight... Or whenever the fuck something happens.
This may well become an issue. As it stands, if someone doesn't severely impress me, I'll send it right back to Washington. They're certainly not getting paid anywhere near what they think.
Cheers,
Kennith
Well...
The other stuff is obvious, but the wheels... You can't get scuffs out of diamond turned wheels. It's simply not possible.
There's more, but the light is really bad for picking the stuff up right now, and the asshats dropped it off at the Post Office... I still don't have the key, either.
At the very least, I'll be having them pay for a body shop quote at the VW dealer, as well as one of those "128 point" or whatever inspections, and a solid evaluation of the clutch. If they can't manage to load a car on a trailer, my vote is they abused the clutch in the process, and that's not covered under VW's warranty, obviously.
Cheers,
Kennith
The other stuff is obvious, but the wheels... You can't get scuffs out of diamond turned wheels. It's simply not possible.
There's more, but the light is really bad for picking the stuff up right now, and the asshats dropped it off at the Post Office... I still don't have the key, either.
At the very least, I'll be having them pay for a body shop quote at the VW dealer, as well as one of those "128 point" or whatever inspections, and a solid evaluation of the clutch. If they can't manage to load a car on a trailer, my vote is they abused the clutch in the process, and that's not covered under VW's warranty, obviously.
Cheers,
Kennith
This is now turning into a serious shit-show.
The dealership finally showed their true colors, as well. I knew they would eventually, if something went wrong.
All that said, it finally dawned on me that this idiot doesn't know how fucked up I am... I got a satisfactory result that allows me legal freedom to get the few things fixed that I need fixed, and I told him he wouldn't get a dime, and he'd better leave the key.
He did. No papers were signed, which means tomorrow he will have exceeded his contract with the coordinator. That means he's fair game.
Cheers,
Kennith
The dealership finally showed their true colors, as well. I knew they would eventually, if something went wrong.
All that said, it finally dawned on me that this idiot doesn't know how fucked up I am... I got a satisfactory result that allows me legal freedom to get the few things fixed that I need fixed, and I told him he wouldn't get a dime, and he'd better leave the key.
He did. No papers were signed, which means tomorrow he will have exceeded his contract with the coordinator. That means he's fair game.
Cheers,
Kennith
I want to point something specific out that's good:
Red Carpet Transportation went above and beyond helping me keep a handle on this. I could hear it in his voice today. This was almost making that poor man physically ill, and I felt really bad with him having to act as a middleman, given the driver's company would not respond to me at all when things started going wrong.
So, if anyone suggests Red Carpet for your transportation needs, know that they will absolutely have your back. No question.
One must realize that the company you call for transport of a single vehicle is generally only an intermediary unless they're hauling a full load. There are benefits beyond you just hiring someone yourself, as well.
For example: Without Red Carpet, I would not have had the energy to deal with this at all. That's why these entities exist. They help you do something that, for some reason or another in your life, is a bit too complex or taxing at that time. If something goes wrong, they're supposed to be there for you.
Most aren't. Red Carpet was, and they still are. I'll be mentioning them a lot in the future.
Cheers,
Kennith
Red Carpet Transportation went above and beyond helping me keep a handle on this. I could hear it in his voice today. This was almost making that poor man physically ill, and I felt really bad with him having to act as a middleman, given the driver's company would not respond to me at all when things started going wrong.
So, if anyone suggests Red Carpet for your transportation needs, know that they will absolutely have your back. No question.
One must realize that the company you call for transport of a single vehicle is generally only an intermediary unless they're hauling a full load. There are benefits beyond you just hiring someone yourself, as well.
For example: Without Red Carpet, I would not have had the energy to deal with this at all. That's why these entities exist. They help you do something that, for some reason or another in your life, is a bit too complex or taxing at that time. If something goes wrong, they're supposed to be there for you.
Most aren't. Red Carpet was, and they still are. I'll be mentioning them a lot in the future.
Cheers,
Kennith
A letter I sent about a man called Rick Gaudreau, and Red Carpet Transportation:
"Things are partially worked out on my end, and I’m doing my best to have it all worked out, but I want to be absolutely clear:
Red Carpet transportation has gone above and beyond any reasonable requirement helping me with these issues. That poor man has been at his wit’s end over this affair, and he steps right back into the breach every time an issue crops up; doesn’t matter what day, and doesn’t matter what time. He doesn’t know how to fail. This is not on Red Carpet. They’re just in the middle of the issue.
If there’s a single entity that I have felt has been my die-hard advocate through this nonsense it’s Red Carpet. Don’t think for a single second they have done anything wrong.
Indeed, you’re lucky to be able to deal with them. Their response, throughout all of this, even at the most stressful points when I was letting reason slip “a bit” (I’m being generous with myself, there), was far better than the two from this address. Do not write these people off. Understand the difference between being careful in recommendation, and an accidentally suggested outstanding transport company.
Just because they had my back this time, doesn’t mean a different suggestion will have the back of the next customer. Stick with Rick… Well, that’s a slogan in the making… Probably a used car dealer using it already, or a personal injury lawyer. Regardless:
That man saved everyone from being wrapped up in problems, because it doesn’t matter who I had to go after, in that regard… It was going to be pushed uphill by someone. It was going to end up in your lap whether I liked it or not. Red Carpet has been trying to insulate everyone from this driver’s foolishness this entire time, and has prevented that from happening.
Hell, at this point, I’d say you owe Rick Gaudreau a case of his favorite beverage at the absolute bare minimum. We all do. He took all of these hits for us, and he defended you, as well. One should never forget that kind of honorable performance. He’s a better man than I am, and one should hope that a company like that is willing to associate with their business.
Don’t throw that away. They, and specifically Rick, were the best parts of this entire experience."
It's just as important to praise people as it is to condemn them, and I'm starting at the dealership, because they are in the "pass the buck" mode right now.
Cheers,
Kennith
"Things are partially worked out on my end, and I’m doing my best to have it all worked out, but I want to be absolutely clear:
Red Carpet transportation has gone above and beyond any reasonable requirement helping me with these issues. That poor man has been at his wit’s end over this affair, and he steps right back into the breach every time an issue crops up; doesn’t matter what day, and doesn’t matter what time. He doesn’t know how to fail. This is not on Red Carpet. They’re just in the middle of the issue.
If there’s a single entity that I have felt has been my die-hard advocate through this nonsense it’s Red Carpet. Don’t think for a single second they have done anything wrong.
Indeed, you’re lucky to be able to deal with them. Their response, throughout all of this, even at the most stressful points when I was letting reason slip “a bit” (I’m being generous with myself, there), was far better than the two from this address. Do not write these people off. Understand the difference between being careful in recommendation, and an accidentally suggested outstanding transport company.
Just because they had my back this time, doesn’t mean a different suggestion will have the back of the next customer. Stick with Rick… Well, that’s a slogan in the making… Probably a used car dealer using it already, or a personal injury lawyer. Regardless:
That man saved everyone from being wrapped up in problems, because it doesn’t matter who I had to go after, in that regard… It was going to be pushed uphill by someone. It was going to end up in your lap whether I liked it or not. Red Carpet has been trying to insulate everyone from this driver’s foolishness this entire time, and has prevented that from happening.
Hell, at this point, I’d say you owe Rick Gaudreau a case of his favorite beverage at the absolute bare minimum. We all do. He took all of these hits for us, and he defended you, as well. One should never forget that kind of honorable performance. He’s a better man than I am, and one should hope that a company like that is willing to associate with their business.
Don’t throw that away. They, and specifically Rick, were the best parts of this entire experience."
It's just as important to praise people as it is to condemn them, and I'm starting at the dealership, because they are in the "pass the buck" mode right now.
Cheers,
Kennith
...and for the record, this thing looks way cooler in person than in any picture I've seen, and the bugger is quick.
Cheers,
Kennith
Cheers,
Kennith
Initial impressions:
1: Quality is outstanding.
2: The ride is probably too harsh for me every day. I anticipate moving down a wheel size.
3: The center arm rest is ridiculously adjustable.
4: It will take quite some time to find the perfect position, and the gear lever is at what I consider a slightly odd angle.
5: Not too keen on a reverse lock out. I'd rather just have a dog leg with a far left shunt, but nobody's going to sell anything like that these days. At least it's just a simple matter of pushing it down.
6: I am not quite sure what to do with the launch assist system... If you just let off the clutch, it starts moving by itself with no stalls. Strange as hell.
7: The CD player isn't a CD player. It's a stylized slot with an SD interface in the middle. Whatever. I'll sort that out. How fucked up is the world when a vestigial, blanked CD slot is considered a style statement?
8: I don't like that shift knob at all. Hopefully it just spins on or something. Hell, knowing what I do about this car, I wouldn't be surprised if it had a computer in it.
9: In pictures, it looks like a sedate hatchback with some hints of performance. In person, in this color, it looks like it's about to shove a fork in your ass and back you up to a wall socket. That thing looks mean.
Honestly, the biggest impression I have is this: This car is under-priced. Slap a BMW badge on this thing and you could sell it for $45,000 in base trim.
I've got rain-sensing wipers, automatic lights (don't like either, but there are ways around it), fog lights as standard, power seatbacks that show VW understands the TRUE point of power seats, which is finer adjustment... It's even got ambient illumination and neat little LED bar touches in the trim, and illuminated door sills which, fuck you, I happen to like.
Won't be long before I have some lights under this thing.
As for the color? I've no idea how to describe it. It's as confusing in person as it is in pictures, but it looks great. It was silver, then it was gray, then it was white, then it was pearl... Every little hiccup in light temperature just flat-out fires off a different color. In some light, you'd swear it had a satin gray finish.
I would not have called that "White Silver Metallic".
I'd have charged $1,500 extra for the color and called it "Morpheus", and selecting that color would inform the factory to add a small aluminum badge inside the glove box that identifies the car as a "Nightmare Edition". It would be visible nowhere else; not even on the window sticker or in marketing materials; just a nice little Easter egg.
Cheers,
Kennith
1: Quality is outstanding.
2: The ride is probably too harsh for me every day. I anticipate moving down a wheel size.
3: The center arm rest is ridiculously adjustable.
4: It will take quite some time to find the perfect position, and the gear lever is at what I consider a slightly odd angle.
5: Not too keen on a reverse lock out. I'd rather just have a dog leg with a far left shunt, but nobody's going to sell anything like that these days. At least it's just a simple matter of pushing it down.
6: I am not quite sure what to do with the launch assist system... If you just let off the clutch, it starts moving by itself with no stalls. Strange as hell.
7: The CD player isn't a CD player. It's a stylized slot with an SD interface in the middle. Whatever. I'll sort that out. How fucked up is the world when a vestigial, blanked CD slot is considered a style statement?
8: I don't like that shift knob at all. Hopefully it just spins on or something. Hell, knowing what I do about this car, I wouldn't be surprised if it had a computer in it.
9: In pictures, it looks like a sedate hatchback with some hints of performance. In person, in this color, it looks like it's about to shove a fork in your ass and back you up to a wall socket. That thing looks mean.
Honestly, the biggest impression I have is this: This car is under-priced. Slap a BMW badge on this thing and you could sell it for $45,000 in base trim.
I've got rain-sensing wipers, automatic lights (don't like either, but there are ways around it), fog lights as standard, power seatbacks that show VW understands the TRUE point of power seats, which is finer adjustment... It's even got ambient illumination and neat little LED bar touches in the trim, and illuminated door sills which, fuck you, I happen to like.
Won't be long before I have some lights under this thing.
As for the color? I've no idea how to describe it. It's as confusing in person as it is in pictures, but it looks great. It was silver, then it was gray, then it was white, then it was pearl... Every little hiccup in light temperature just flat-out fires off a different color. In some light, you'd swear it had a satin gray finish.
I would not have called that "White Silver Metallic".
I'd have charged $1,500 extra for the color and called it "Morpheus", and selecting that color would inform the factory to add a small aluminum badge inside the glove box that identifies the car as a "Nightmare Edition". It would be visible nowhere else; not even on the window sticker or in marketing materials; just a nice little Easter egg.
Cheers,
Kennith
VWs have come a long way in recent years. One can definitely feel the cars are made to be topped out on the “Legal Public German Speedway” aka the Autobahn.Initial impressions:
1: Quality is outstanding.
2: The ride is probably too harsh for me every day. I anticipate moving down a wheel size.
3: The center arm rest is ridiculously adjustable.
4: It will take quite some time to find the perfect position, and the gear lever is at what I consider a slightly odd angle.
5: Not too keen on a reverse lock out. I'd rather just have a dog leg with a far left shunt, but nobody's going to sell anything like that these days. At least it's just a simple matter of pushing it down.
6: I am not quite sure what to do with the launch assist system... If you just let off the clutch, it starts moving by itself with no stalls. Strange as hell.
7: The CD player isn't a CD player. It's a stylized slot with an SD interface in the middle. Whatever. I'll sort that out. How fucked up is the world when a vestigial, blanked CD slot is considered a style statement?
8: I don't like that shift knob at all. Hopefully it just spins on or something. Hell, knowing what I do about this car, I wouldn't be surprised if it had a computer in it.
9: In pictures, it looks like a sedate hatchback with some hints of performance. In person, in this color, it looks like it's about to shove a fork in your ass and back you up to a wall socket. That thing looks mean.
Honestly, the biggest impression I have is this: This car is under-priced. Slap a BMW badge on this thing and you could sell it for $45,000 in base trim.
I've got rain-sensing wipers, automatic lights (don't like either, but there are ways around it), fog lights as standard, power seatbacks that show VW understands the TRUE point of power seats, which is finer adjustment... It's even got ambient illumination and neat little LED bar touches in the trim, and illuminated door sills which, fuck you, I happen to like.
Won't be long before I have some lights under this thing.
As for the color? I've no idea how to describe it. It's as confusing in person as it is in pictures, but it looks great. It was silver, then it was gray, then it was white, then it was pearl... Every little hiccup in light temperature just flat-out fires off a different color. In some light, you'd swear it had a satin gray finish.
I would not have called that "White Silver Metallic".
I'd have charged $1,500 extra for the color and called it "Morpheus", and selecting that color would inform the factory to add a small aluminum badge inside the glove box that identifies the car as a "Nightmare Edition". It would be visible nowhere else; not even on the window sticker or in marketing materials; just a nice little Easter egg.
Cheers,
Kennith
Thx for sharing first impressions.
And good luck with the new ride!!
Thanks, man.
It's strange, because I've driven various VW models in the past, but not as many as you'd think. It seemed to me that once they got hold of Rolls Royce (in all but name) it's like someone flipped on a light switch in the engineering department. In five years they went from "it won't break, and it's fun" to "yes, we made the Phaeton". Sometimes, two very different perspectives go quite well together.
Now I've got a $25,000 car that feels like a $45,000 car, and has equipment that some $55,000 cars don't.
I thought the exhaust note sounded impossible, and as it turns out I was right. They're actively processing what I assume are pressure pulses from somewhere in the engine bay to produce a deeper note and it's being transmitted into the cabin. What a strange choice. The thing sounds like it has a V8 inside, and outside it's not bothering anyone.
It works pretty well, actually. Since loud pipes don't actually get you much nowadays, I suppose it makes sense. Get the noise without the attention.
This becomes incredibly amusing when you are accelerating down a back road with all that fire and fury in your head, and yet outside it probably sounds like a mosquito flying by your ear.
Cheers,
Kennith
There is still something to be said though for the whine of a Lambo or Ferrari or pick your choice going through a tunnel with the windows down.
There is still something to be said though for the whine of a Lambo or Ferrari or pick your choice going through a tunnel with the windows down.
Oh, no argument here. I do like the feature, though.
This clutch is strange. It's got some starting aid feature that I seem to be confusing when I launch. If I just let the clutch out, the car just moves by itself with no issue, and most of the time it launches fine normally; but somehow I'm stepping in right when it doesn't want me to, at times.
I did try to see if the car would get itself rolling on a hill by itself, but it wouldn't do it. It did hold the vehicle steady, though.
It's certainly not an "analog" car from any perspective, but I haven't had much time to get used to the way it wants me to do things just yet; and that's the main takeaway, I think: There is a proper way to drive this car, and if you don't drive it that way, it's just not going to cooperate. That makes me wonder if the stalling issues people have encountered were less of a malfunction and more of an inability to adapt.
Nothing wrong with that; it's just different. I'm not so sure it's "easier", but it's certainly different.
Another odd thing is that it seems to neuter throttle response in first gear, but then again, I'm still trying out the different drive modes and seeing what sticks and what I have to select every time I start it. Hey, at the very least, it's good practice for something like that Cybertruck.
This thing actually has a 12V socket in the cargo area, ambient lighting... I'm starting to wonder if there are options that don't end up on the window sticker, here.
Cheers,
Kennith
Ah yes - The Right Way, The Wrong Way, The German Way. Every German car I’ve owned was / is like this.
Yes, so does my 2004 A4 Avant. Great feature and std. one on VW/Audi vehicles for awhile.
Feeling you’re going to like it more and more as you get used it.
It's certainly amazing how much stuff they put on this thing at the price, and an amusing illustration of how cars have different personalities.
I ended up with some funny light, but here's the Golf:
That's just a quick shot with my phone that accidentally looks pretentious. Sun must have got in the side of the lens.
Now it's time to measure up for that little Jazz Jackrabbit badge. I forgot to yesterday.
I did manage to make it to the tint shop to quote the windows and some paint protection film for the front end, as it's low enough for grass to bother it in fields and things of that nature.
Cheers,
Kennith
Had that installed on my 2004 Saab. Never yellowed and really kept the front chip free as more hwy than around driving. Tinted windows are a huge plus to keep interior fresh and cool. Very nice looking!! Enjoy!!