Nick B

Mixed bag!

I recently bought a nearly new Alfa Giulia from Mango's. The experience has been something of a mixed bag. On the positive side... - Warm and friendly staff - Good deal with decent p/ex offer - Prompt reimbursement for defects. On the negative... - Mis-sold extended warranty - Incomplete information about the vehicle I live a long way from the dealership, and the salesman was friendly and engaging during the negotiation process on the phone. After some to-ing and fro-ing, he offered me a pretty good deal. The one drawback was that he wanted to include an extended warranty on the car worth £1.5K extra, saying that there was less than 12 months left on the manufacturer's warranty. After a bit of research I found out there was in fact almost three years left. I arrived on the day of handover - very friendly and welcoming, car under a tarp in the showroom, ready to be unveiled! A couple of issues arose in the first 24 hours of ownership however: there was no second key for the vehicle at handover, Mango's said they'd ordered one and would forward it on to me. After driving back home, I also discovered two patches of old paintwork damage on the vehicle. They'd been temporarily hidden under the T-cut and shine the dealer had given the car, but now they were obvious. So, off to the body-shop for a respray... This was exasperating because I'd specifically asked the salesman about the car's exterior condition by email, and he had not replied. Mango's agreed to reimburse me for the cost of respray, and the recoding of the keys at a nearby Alfa dealership. But the whole process took another three weeks, before the car was restored to the condition in which it should have been sold initially. Would I buy from them again? Maybe, but I'd insist on seeing the car in person before putting down any money on it, and making sure all of the I's were dotted and T's crossed. Go in with your eyes wide open.