Southern States Volkswagen of Durham

Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Southern States Volkswagen of Durham:
It helps if you submit internet price requests ahead of time -turned out to be about $1,000 less on an already good fair price Josh offered. So, overall, price was definitely a "5" after SSVW matched the internet quote (from the same dealer, but internet department interestingly). Chavis, the finance guy was really pushing the over-priced warranty stuff but was genuinely friendly and respectful.

I personally think a bottle of krytox (super special and expensive lube NEEDED for the seals on the Eos's convertible roof, seriously) should be included with every new Eos purchase -maybe service department will do themselves? I kinda doubt it. Oh, and one of the clips on my all season mats was broken -but the dealer had no way to know that.

I'm looking forward to my first service interval to rate that separately. Past routine service was great on my last car after some early new car problems -that they seemed disinterested in "replicating"- were finally resolved.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Southern States Volkswagen of Durham:
My appointment with the Service Department was delayed due to their error in scheduling and they offered me the option of "renting" a car. Even after Service personnel had seen and witnessed some of the problems with my car, because the actual Technician could not "re-create" the problem, I was told they could do nothing. Their customer service and attitude is really bad.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Southern States Volkswagen of Durham:
I am a new customer to this dealership recently moved here. In my last two experiences here I have been treated like royalty. I cannot identify with the negative reviews I have read here and frankly don't understand how any dealership could stay in business very long if they were so poor. Volkswagen would not tolerate it. I would be happy to give this dealer an excellent testimonial. I had a check engine light and various electrical bugaboos that were butchered by an independent shop (you live & learn) while trying to "save money". Although it took an extra day than what I had anticipated, I'm happy they took extra time to fix it right. Sam the service manager saved me time and money and treated me professionally throughout.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Southern States Volkswagen of Durham:
My four months old New Beetle has a safety recall Tech Bulletin 69-04-03-2004. This dealer failed to notified. I found out when my car has the 'Airbag Mulfunction' alarm appeared. I took the car to the dealer in early morning. They send me home because I failed to call for the appointmen. It was not pleasure to deal with people there. For instance, it was 28 degree F outside and they will not open the door for us to wait inside because we came at 7:00am and they open at 7:30am. The service advisor told me: I can drive the car and ignore the Airbag alarm. The only time this dealer can schedule and service my car was 3 days later on 12/23 at 1:00pm and they will close until Monday 12/26. He said that there is potential the car has to stay over night because they are shortage on technician due to end of year holiday. I took the car to another dealer 40 miles away, they helped and got it fixed. Their website has a welcome message: 'After all, we are here to help'. Really!

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Southern States Volkswagen of Durham:
My experiences haven't been quite as bad as those detailed by these other customers, but overall, I haven't been very impressed by this dealer - either sales or service. <br><br>I bought my car elsewhere because the salesman told me that the car I was looking for was not available anywhere on the east coast, and would take 8 or more weeks to deliver. I then sent an e-mail query to 3 other dealers within a 150 mile radius, and suddenly there were 3 offers of models that were exactly what I was looking for (and had been told did not exist in this hemisphere). I bought mine in Richmond Va. Of course I have to have it serviced here since I live in Durham, so I still have ties to this dealership unfortunately. <br><br>The dealer put new tires on last week, but did not do an alignment or balance, so I need to take it back yet again for them to complete their service. I called this morning to make an appointment. I was told that everyone in the service department was busy but that they'd return my call. I'm still waiting. Unfortunately, I've been down this road many times with them. In the past, I've had to make repeated phone calls to get through, and they have yet to return a phone call as promised.<br><br>I love my Passat, but I have to agree with the other raters. Being tied (or chained is more like it) to this particular dealership will make me think very hard before buying another VW. That's unfortunate for the company and the consumer alike.

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Reason for Visit: Service

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Southern States Volkswagen of Durham:
As a Volkswagen owner since 1998 and the premiere of the new beetle, I have never been irrate or offended by an experience with VW dealers until the harassment that occurred at Southern States Volkswagen of Durham in 2004! These experiences included dealers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Please realize, there is no Southern hospitality to be found at Southern States. After being told several times that the appointment I made was &quot;only in my mind&quot;, though several other customers that very morning showed up with appointments in their minds as well, a service advisor pretended to work with me in terms of working my car into the day. Although still insisting my appointment was nonexistent he offered a free rental twice only for me to be told by the manager I would not be offered one. Imagine my surprise when the rental service came to tell me the VW manager wanted a word with me. I was screamed at to get into a HIS OFFICE and sit down <br>because it was HIS OFFICE. Furthermore, according to his assesment of a conversation which he was not present for, I was out of control. Imagine trying to get a diagnosis for your engine light to receive-a physchological assesment from a car dealership's manager. Not only did I find this to be an ill-found, ladies when you go there alone, realize you have no right to ask two men that where calling you unstable to open the door to their office for your comfort level. Which would leave me to question why manager's of a service station have the authority to sequester you to an office --if the problem was actually thought to be generated by the customer-would they not simply have told me to leave? With this behavior, they were still willing to work on my car. Funny, I was not that much out of my mind to allow that to happen. Can I rate the repair work-not this time-but the management is inadequate at running a consumer friendly business that can maintain clients. My advice-skip it and go down the street. In the words of a worker of the new dealership that I have an appointment with next week-going to Southern States Volkswagen of Durham is like going to a third world country. I'd rather take my chances elsewhere!

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