Adelaide LR dealer losing franchise?

Not long after the Black Forest joint opened, I went in there looking for some banana clips for the door trims on my Defender (I was in a hurry and didn't want to wait for them to come from my regular supplier in Sydney).

The conversation went something like:

"Hi, I'm looking for some {insert LR part #}" (since I have the parts catalogue, I could give them the actual number)

"Yes, what vehicle is that for?"

"A 200tdi Defender"

"Sorry, you mean a 300tdi or a TD5?"

"No, I mean a 200tdi"

"They had 300tdis in the old Defenders and TD5s in the new ones, the only Series 2 is for the new Discoverys"

"No, there was a 200tdi before the 300tdi, in both the Discovery and the Defender"

"...we definately wouldn't have parts that old"

"That part number is still current...for the TD5 Defender..."

"I'll check...................yes, it's a TD5 part number, but we don't have any stock, would you like me to order it in?"

"How long will it take to get here?"

"Well, it's got to come from Sydney and I don't know if they'll have any stock, which means it might have to come from the UK"

"Ummm...OK, don't worry...thanks"

Strangley, I haven't been back since.:mad:

Paul:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jsp

yes they have lost their franchise - and some people there have noted why - I wont say publicly.

Solitare I believe have the new franchise from the fianacial year - with a 22 million dollar facility currently being built behind Bunnings Mile end to be a LR / Jag / Volvo I think dealer in one. Its pretty big.

---

Yep!

PAG wants *all* its brands under the one roof...

Solitaire, BF/Prestige and the other one slips my mind... All quoted and Solitaire won...

Seems that the "test track" will not be heading that way though.. PAG is aiming its branding at the suit and tie market now and thats the end of the game for the "adventure" lifestyle in the branding...

This has been on the cards (dealership closure) since last year...

Adelaides worst kept secret!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tombraider

This has been on the cards (dealership closure) since last year...

Adelaides worst kept secret!!!

---

I must admit I was surprised to see this now on the forum as newish news - I am fairly new to this forum but have been buzzing around rangerovers.net forum for some time.

Its a pity, I bought my P38 through Black Forrest, and in one sense I managed to screw them over on it, but I have to admit there is some very nice and genuiune people there, Bill and Ryan spring to mind have always been great and I wish them well in the future, but I have litterally had slanging matches with other staff including management. I have also been heavily involved with a small fleet of TD disco's bought and serviced by black forrest over a 6 year period. I bought my P38 after seeking legal advice on how to deal with issues I knew it had before I bought it ;)

I don't wish to go into detail on a public forum, but its been long comming. All business's have fans and critic's, and its good to see I guess black forrest deciding to take on other local LR spare parts dealers by importing direct from both LR and 3rd party parts suppliers as they have advised me they wish to be a competetive force against others such as TRS.

Quote:

---

nd the bits in Blue hard to believe.....

---

That is what I was told after they both shopped around. Times & people change & move on, so I guess your lot could have bad experiences as well.

Quote:

---

Nothing but negative from this side of the gulf.

---

For whom?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jsp

I don't wish to go into detail on a public forum, but its been long comming. All business's have fans and critic's, and its good to see I guess black forrest deciding to take on other local LR spare parts dealers by importing direct from both LR and 3rd party parts suppliers as they have advised me they wish to be a competetive force against others such as TRS.

---

I'm not sure I understand this para ^^. Do you mean they are going to continue trading as a LR supplier/workshop, just not official? Or are they closing down?

They still won't get any of my hard earned dosh. I'll stick with those that have looked after me.

Land Rover would have to be the most annoying company on earth.Great machines long history but they just seem to shoot themselves in the foot all the time.All they need to do is keep sorted engines,tranny's,vehicles, dealers going and build on a solid foundation and they would grow.Teasdales was my local dealer and had no problems,now I have to travel to get parts and like alot of other people talk to idiots who don't know any model before the disco1.The good news is it forced me onto the internet and now I get parts straight from England far cheaper than here. Pat

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spudboy

I'm not sure I understand this para ^^. Do you mean they are going to continue trading as a LR supplier/workshop, just not official? Or are they closing down?

---

Well they advised me they are going to continue servicing / repairs and they hope to import their own spare parts from the UK and sell them at competetive rates.

They just lose the franchise, meaning they no longer can sell brand new land rovers, and aparently they loose a fair bit of the land rover support software etc. I could be wrong but I also believe allot of thier spares inventory is not actually theirs but part of the franchise arangement so they will loose allot of spare parts stock also.

I haven't had a single good dealing with prestige, even though its the same owner, but there is some good people at black forrest, its just a pity theres also some very bad people.

OK - thanks jsp.

I reckon they'll have trouble competing with Soveriegn and Land Ranger though without the new LRs to prop them up. Maybe they will drop their costs and become reasonable.

I haven't been past black forrest for a few weeks now, but I became aware of the whole franchise thing late last year when I went in looking for a classic range rover and they didn't have a single second hand rangie for sale, they only had a few disco's. They do now how ever have heaps of nissans, toyota's, mitsubishi's, lexus's even some honda's, lots of different second hand 4wd's. I think they have just shifted focus. Whereas prestige - near where I work so I go past often, still has a fair number of shiny dico3's etc out the front but mainly now deals in smaller upper market sports cars, I think like alfa's, they have things like citroens, etc.