Visited Driven this morning to view a Range Rover which I have had my heart on since selling my previous one three years ago.
On arrival the ‘salesman’ seemed helpful, giving me the keys to look at the car and start it up. Unfortunately this was where the good customer service ended and became deeply disappointing and completely unacceptable.
I ended up viewing two Range Rovers. The second vehicle did not have a spare key, and the salesman explicitly advised me to take out the extended warranty and falsely claim that I had lost a key I never possessed in order to obtain a replacement. I was extremely uncomfortable with this suggestion, which amounts to insurance fraud. As a person employed by the local authority within the community, I would lose my registration to practice if I followed this advice.
After leaving briefly to consider my options between the two cars, I returned around 15 minutes later and asked to test drive the first vehicle I had viewed. I was told to sit down and confirm that I was happy with the price before being allowed a test drive.
I explained that I was willing to agree to a deal in principle, subject to liking how the car drove. Despite this, I was repeatedly told “I’m not taking it out if you’re not happy with it, because there’s no point.”
When asked whether we were happy with the price, we said yes and made a simple observation that the interior appeared more scuffed than expected. I explained that the garage lighting was very dark, making it difficult to properly assess the black interior. This had no bearing on the price that had been agreed and was merely a passing statement.
Although the salesman offered to move the car into daylight, much to his dismay, he again stated that he would not do so unless we were committing to buy it. This created immediate pressure and made us feel uncomfortable, as we should not be expected to commit to purchasing a vehicle before properly inspecting or driving it.
After viewing the car in daylight, we discussed it privately and agreed that we were very likely to purchase it, subject only to a test drive and were very honest, open and transparent throughout our discussions.
When arranging the test drive, I explained that as we had two children with us, we would need to take turns driving and test separately. I was told, “No, you both need to come.” I then explained that this was not possible, as one of our children is neurodivergent and would struggle in the car. The response I received was dismissive and rude: “Well if you’d said that, I would have known,” followed by, “You can appreciate I’m not going to go out on a five-minute test drive twice.”
I should not have to disclose my own or my children’s medical or neurodivergent conditions in order to be treated with basic respect or to test drive a vehicle. As someone with a disability myself, it was essential that I drove the car with full concentration, which would not have been possible with both children present. Again, I do not feel compelled to discuss the ins and outs of my private life with a car salesman.
Does he also think it’s normal and acceptable to want to be sat in the back of the vehicle with two young girls whilst me and my partner are testing the car in the front? I’m sure he can also appreciate I’m not going to allow him to do that.
I find it difficult to understand refusing two test drives (that literally last 5-10 minutes) particularly as other reviews suggest the salesman works until 5pm.
Would the same objection have been raised if we were two separate customers arriving five minutes apart?
Ultimately, we declined the test drive due to the rudeness, dismissiveness, and unprofessional attitude displayed and left the premises.
As a result, the dealership lost what was a 99% certain cash sale. The entire interaction felt like a power trip, and we were made to feel that even moving the car or allowing a brief test drive was an inconvenience. I have never experienced anything like this before and have never felt compelled to leave a review—until now.
I am absolutely disgusted by how we were treated and will be taking this matter further, particularly in light of the suggestion that we commit insurance fraud which has been captured on my daughters phone. We were there over two hours as a family of four so clearly were serious buyers.
I would stay well away from this garage given the customer service pre sale I dread to think what post sale service would be like. This is even more worrying given the advice is to break the law, clearly displaying the standard of morals the company employs.
*I eagerly await the response from driven denying all of the above and suggesting I visit without children in the future which isn’t possible for me unfortunately.
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Welcome to Driven of York! We are a family-run business with over 30 years of experience in the Motor Industry, we're here to simplify your car-buying journey.
At Driven of York, customer satisfaction is our number one goal. We carefully select each car in our inventory to ensure quality and reliability at competitive prices, and aim to give you the best experience in the industry. After all new car days don’t come around often, so when they do, it should be special.
Conveniently located just outside York at Bilbrough Top Services on the A64 By-pass, our showroom offers up to 100 quality used cars. From practical first cars to high-performance vehicles, there's something for everyone.
But here's the bottom line: at Driven of York, we believe in honesty and transparency. Our goal is to help you find the perfect car without any cheesy sales pitches. We want to maintain long lasting professional relationships taking care of all things automotive for our customers for life.
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