Thread: Authorised LR Dealers part 3

Hi guys ,last week in Brisbane I went into a Land Rover dealership (Southside Landrover) in Woolloongabba seeking a bull bar for 1986 110, after being stared at blankly by the staff, they referred me to the small parts dealer two doors up the rd, so up the road I went, and what do you know, I got the same response a blank stare (now you have understand that this was the dealer I bought the vehicle from in the first place). Firstly the guy didn’t even have the appropriate paperwork, manual or computer system to look for the parts so he got on the phone and had a 10 or 15 minute chat to someone, meanwhile leaving me standing at the counter twiddling my thumbs, then he came back and said “sorry mate I dunno if they are available, I can’t help you “So I asked if he could tell me if a Defender Bullbar would fit my vehicle. He replied “ I don’t know, sorry”……… Now this is from an authorized Land Rover dealer that sells genuine spare parts, I was left dumbfounded.

So in a state of disbelief I went home and called Austral Motors at Newstead and guess what??? After spending 15 minutes on hold I got to speak to someone in spare parts, his reply?? “Hang on mate I’ll hand you over to one of me boys” so back on hold for ten minutes (the thumb twiddling has now turned into testicle adjusting) finally a guy comes on the phone and I proceeded to explain what I wanted………. Again a period of silence, he said “ummm not sure, hang 5 I’ll see what I can do”. Guess what?? Another 10 minute wait on the phone he comes back and says “that’s a defender right?” Again I explained that it was a 1986 110 County 3.9 lt Isuzu diesel. I get the reply “oh I dunno about them mate, we only do defenders and discoveries here sorry” so I again asked if the Bullbar he had for a Defender would fit my 110, lo and behold same answer as the other dealer “Sorry I don’t know” and he didn’t know anybody that would know. …………By this time I am starting to get a sneaking suspicion that Land Rover Dealerships in Brisbane are staffed by MORONS !!!!! So, not to be put off by this woeful display of product knowledge and customer service I thought I would try a different tack; I rang the Land Rover Information centre in Melbourne. Their response was to locate a dealer in Brisbane that I could speak to. Upon hearing this my blood pressure just ratcheted up about 5 points on the Richter scale and I politely explained to the lady that I had already tried those dealers she wanted to put me through to and the reason I was talking to her. So she said “Would I like to try a dealer on the Gold Coast?” anything to get an answer I agreed and she patched me through to Bruce Lynton Land Rover at Southport, I got through to spare parts in about 30 seconds (I was impressed, not a long wait on hold, things are looking up) and I proceeded to explain to the lady in spare parts my situation very helpfully she replied “that she would call Melbourne and see if the bar would fit and she would call me back” ………… now for the good bit. In about 15 minutes I received a call from her saying that nobody in “Land Rover in Melbourne could tell her if the bar would fit, but for $1100 plus freight I would most welcome to buy one and they would ship it overnight from Melbourne and if it didn’t fit, well sorry, but you can’t return it”

So to cut a long story short in a fit of disgust I ended up getting one made by a guy in Springwood for $1200 and a lot less headache than trying to get a genuine part.

Originally posted by Phoenix+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Phoenix)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-DionM
Guys - on the flipside, do you really think Toyota or Nissan would still stock bullbars for their 60 series or MQ (I think?) 4WDs?

That's a good point, but all the same, they should have an idea of what will fit.[/b][/quote]

LR could of just rang ARB or one of those companies !!! They would of known straight away !!! And then relayed the info !!!