What a sad day its been. Took my immaculate Impreza turbo registered 01/01/00 to Subaru dealer (WHITES of Blackburn)to have its intermediate service and to get a price for trading up to a STi. Suppose I knew I was in for a kicking on the price due to the "BUG EYED" however!. The sales staff told me that they are due to loose the franchise 01/09/03 and when asked who was taking over was met by a blank expression.
Come on Subaru what are you playing at???. First we loose GIBSONS at PRESTON now WHITES, (who say they have known for some time) Just were do I take my car now??.
If this has been known for some time where is the new dealership in this area??
I now expect to take a GOOD kicking on the price of my vehicle with only 21k on the clock when trading in at another garage after being loyal to WHITES for 4years, (Oh and from the wife after both me and WHITES told her it would be worth a lot more come change time).
I also do not propose to travel 45+ miles to the next nearest SUBARU dealership just to be ripped off again come 2006.
I would dearly like to stay with SUBARU and but a STi however if this is how they look after there customer base !!!!, well,
Oh I did try to e-mail my feelings on the customer web site !!! guess what!!!, it doesn't work.

 

I would suggest Tim @ Scoobynorth in Wigan,

Steve

 

Is that a dealer???

 

Dealers are given a 2 year notice period when they loose/walk away from a Franchise. A shame if your next nearest one is 45 miles away. It does make you wander what there playing at sometimes....

Nath

 

This has happened to me .......TWICE now in 5 years:. First the dealer I bought the car from went belly up, then the one I had built up a loyalty with from service etc, dropped the Subaru franchise in favour of Saab, but KEPT the Mitsubishi one![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Now I have a choice of 30 miles to a place I personally wouldn't take a tractor:, or 26 miles over the Humber bridge at £5 return, to a dealer I don't know. After that, it's 55, or 70 miles!!!

I was TOLD that most dealers have given up their franchise because IM required them to spend a LOT of money doing up the dealership in corporate colours etc, and they felt that what with sevicing requirements, they'd spent enough already. Subaru is a bit of a one model range isn't it? This, if true, seems to be a bit short sited by IM, and more evidence that FHI need to get in here and do it properly!!!
Alcazar

 

Welcome to the club mate, my Scooby was booked in with my local dealer, and then I get a letter saying "Sorry we don't do Scoobies now" My nearest good dealer is in Yeovil

 

Mill Lane have finished with Subaru too!!

The party is over for the 'one model car maker'

Pete

 

Do Subaru ever open any new dealerships?

In the last couple of years I've heard of plenty closing but none actually opening.

Chris

 

It's your fault actually Pete. 40k miles out of a set of pads - how's the Service Manager going to feed his wife and kids with no sales?

 

Exactly the same has happened to Chapelgate in bournemouth

 

Brian,

I can definately recommend Mainland Subaru in Widnes.

It may be a 50 mile trip either way but they know their stuff and are really helpful.

I found Whites didn't know what they were talking about when I phoned for a quote for a 15k service (cyprus import) on my MY02 bugeye. Mainland did, and they were cheaper.

Tony

 

bryan

No that's certainly not a franchised dealer, and sorry but I just don't understand your point on the trade in.

You believe because you are not an existing customer you will be "ripped off again"

I have never bought a Scoob from a local garage, the sales teams don't give a monkeys about revenue for the service department.

The last car was purchased new from Tilley at Bristol, they beat the best price offered by outlets that had serviced my cars & Listers (suppliers of the part ex) by a mile. Your pals at Blackburn wouldn't have a serious conversation unless I trailed over to see 'em.

With regard to losing outlets, yes it's frustrating. I've done the 45 mile trip (more in fact) but that's the way with peripheral manufactures.

Subaru, has recognised it cannot hope to compete effectively with a network based upon Mom, Dad and their offspring trading from a converted barn. Rightly or wrongly IM in it's attempt to break into the mainstream is implementing a corporate branding policy. It's nothing more than the uniformity of presentation seen in other outlets but requires a committment from it's dealers.

I understand that Gibsons, and Intermoto another lost N West dealer, were unwilling to provide the necessary cash injection and also continued to ignore certain franchise conditions.

There could be a multitude of reasons for Whites decision, but replacing them may be a slow process. As a guide it was over three years before Mainland (Widnes) replaced the defunct Liverpool outlet.

 

Try Robinson's of Rochdale.
I live down the road from Whites but still travel to Robinson's for servicing etc.
White's just didn't seem to want to sell cars !
Could'nt get a test drive for more than 1/2 hour and then they offered bottom book for my trade in and asked top book for theirs - and would'nt shift on price at all.
Found Robinson's to be friendly and helpfull - doing little extra's on servicing and not charging etc.... also did an excellant deal on my car evan though they did'nt want it - hence they get my custom.

 

Bryan

Being an ex-Blackburner, I feel sorry for the the likes of A&J Whites.

International Motors (Subaru UK) allegedly appear to be adopting a strategy of driving the independently owned dealers out of business in favour of the conglomerate national dealer groups.

I.M appear to have forgotten that it is the personal service that you receive(d) from the privately run dealerships that established the brand in the UK, when the big dealerships would have laughed at the prospect.

I.M also appear to have forgotten that the level of competition is much higher than from 94-99 when the Impreza Turbo was the market leader. So why should a dealer invest £x million on the premises and image when the product range and profit potential are not as 'great' as they used to be ?

Call me cynical but the public is not stupid. People do consider dealer service and service cost. Private dealers tend to charge less and give more individual service that generates repeat business.

I am proud to say that I drive a Skoda Turbo now and I hope that their (typically privately-run) dealers continue to keep customers happy, and steal sales from International Motors conglomerate partners.





[Edited by Flat 4x4 - 6/18/2003 5:17:58 PM]

 

Alcazar, if its the one named after a Middle Eastern Country, DON'T EVER THINK ABOUT IT !! AVOID!

I have the same problem. In the end settled for a local chap I know personally and have done for a good few years now who does engine tuning etc and who services TVR's, Skylines etc.. Can more than handle my WRX

 

A new Subaru dealership opened up round my way a few months ago (Infact it may be a year now.)

 

Montys Subaru opened in Sheffield, January 2002
Triangle of Chesterfield had a major refurbishment take place last year

Losses in this area were : Bentleys of Sheffield and Farmers of Matlock