KL
Member Since: 16 Jun 2005
Location: Gilling, nr York
Posts: 713
  
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| New Purchasers Free Land Rover Experience to be withdrawn |
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Did my basic Level 1 Land Rover Experience yesterday. Fantastic experience, but the instructors suggested that it is going to be withdrawn from January for new purchasers. Purchases of vehicles pre 1 Jan 06 will still get the vouchers and will have 6 months to redeem.
They said that they expected there to be uproar from this!
Having been on the session yesterday I found it invaluable for understanding how to use the features such as Hill descent and DSG (as well as a bloomin good sales pitch for a HSE).
At the same centre were a group of D2 owners. LR were apparently running 'taster' sessions for people with 2-year old D2s, hoping to encourage sales I presume. Discovery 3 tdv6 7 seat Buckingham Blue
Had it since new - sold Jun 17 after 12 years and 214,000 miles
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 28th Nov 2005 9:25 am |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
 
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Maybe we should start our own then 
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| 28th Nov 2005 10:51 am |
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Martin
Site Admin and Owner
Member Since: 06 Nov 2004
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 18452
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I think it's a bad move by LR - every I've spoken to (or heard from on here/RRSPORT) says they've had a great time on the 'freebie' LRE days and have been very impressed by what the vehicles can do.
I'm sure it's not a deal breaker for many people (i.e. they'd buy the D3 anyway if it wasn't offered) but it's a nice bonus from LR to say thanks. It's a unique extra that I imagine has done a great deal for the brand.
Sounds a bit like penny pinching to me  06 D3 SE / 15 LR D90 XS SW / 88 LR 90 Td5 / 68 BMW 2000 ti
Any issues with the site let me know!
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| 28th Nov 2005 11:38 am |
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KL
Member Since: 16 Jun 2005
Location: Gilling, nr York
Posts: 713
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Martin wrote:I think it's a bad move by LR - every I've spoken to (or heard from on here/RRSPORT) says they've had a great time on the 'freebie' LRE days and have been very impressed by what the vehicles can do.
I'm sure it's not a deal breaker for many people (i.e. they'd buy the D3 anyway if it wasn't offered) but it's a nice bonus from LR to say thanks. It's a unique extra that I imagine has done a great deal for the brand.
Sounds a bit like penny pinching to me
I'm sure that it's not a deal breaker; rather a 'nice to have'. When you are spending upwards of £25,000 (often double) on a D3, then the LRE at about £150 is only the same as haggling over free mats or discounts on a few accessories.
I think that the LRE is absolutely necessary to demonstrate the car's capabilities. HDC for example is quite a complex beast and you need to be shown to trust it 'feet off'. You're not going to try this out at home with the manual in one hand! Would LR then be liable for accidents where drivers were not adequately trained to operate its vehicles?
There's also the goodwill issue. It's a far better customer service point (many would reckon the ONLY cs positive) to show the range in the company of similar enthusiasts and instructors.
There's also the preventative part of the equation. My instructor took me out in my car for a few miles to make sure the car was set up correctly, and ran though everything from engine bay layout (hey - so that's what a Webasto heater looks like!) to the 'LR button' on the key, to the emergency stop, manual handbrake release etc. Much of this should be dealer PDI stuff but when you are picking the car up it's probably not the best time to be absorbing all the detail. Pointing out how some stuff works will avoid wasted queries / work at the dealers. Such as the 'my seat sinks overnight (base seats)- one previous customer had a replacement seat from LR after they couldn't diagnose why the seat height dropped. If they had been told (or even better- been told to look on this board) then they would have known that this is due to the ar@e cheek pressing down on the lever when exiting the vehicle. That would have saved a lot of LR time, money and goodwill in itself.
Finally an excellent marketing pitch. Having a base model but being exposed to a top of the range HSE is certain to up the desirability a few notches (still couldn't afford a HSE; even if I sold off one of the children)
Overall it seems a peculiar penny-pinching short-sighted initiative, assuming it's true. Discovery 3 tdv6 7 seat Buckingham Blue
Had it since new - sold Jun 17 after 12 years and 214,000 miles
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| 28th Nov 2005 12:05 pm |
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Mossy
Member Since: 01 Jul 2005
Location: Hollyoaks, UK
Posts: 2682
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Given the problems that many owners have with their vehicles and the nonchalant attitude of Customer Service, you'd have thought the LRE days were something they would hang on to, if only to show some goodwill and commitment to endorsing what (when they work 100%) the vehicles are really capable of.
Pity if it goes? I sincerely hope it is a rumour though, I doubt it. D3 HSE V8...
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| 28th Nov 2005 12:16 pm |
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Slimer
Site Moderator
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Last Exit to Nowhere
Posts: 16295
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Topic title edited slightly, at a glance it looked like LRE was to be withdrawn completely not just possibly the free half day you get when you buy a new LR.
I find it all a bit strange, it's a great day out, you learn a lot about your vehicle and it's capabilities. I thought only something like 10% of customers used the vouchers anyway and as the dealers supposedly pay for them it won't cost LR anything. Perhaps it's a dealer thing then, has anyone tried contacting LR to get the official line? The End
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| 28th Nov 2005 1:33 pm |
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zig
Member Since: 09 Sep 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 619
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Quote:Purchases of vehicles pre 1 Jan 06 will still get the vouchers and will have 6 months to redeem.
I only got 3 months to redeem.
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| 28th Nov 2005 1:41 pm |
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MVS
Member Since: 18 Jul 2005
Location: People's Republic of Yorkshire
Posts: 419
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Have also heard from my dealer principle that there is also going to be a list price increase in Jan across the board on D3's aswell, just to add insult to injury.
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| 28th Nov 2005 1:42 pm |
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10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
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zig wrote:Quote:Purchases of vehicles pre 1 Jan 06 will still get the vouchers and will have 6 months to redeem.
I only got 3 months to redeem.
3 months also, vehicle collected in September '05
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| 28th Nov 2005 1:51 pm |
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blue meanie
D3 Decade
Member Since: 04 Aug 2005
Location: Newbury
Posts: 6861
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| Re: New Purchasers Free Land Rover Experience to be withdraw |
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I'm off to Eastnor for one of these:KL wrote:
At the same centre were a group of D2 owners. LR were apparently running 'taster' sessions for people with 2-year old D2s, hoping to encourage sales I presume.
...on Thursday, if I hear anything I'll post it..
the voucher that came to me after purchase only gives three months to redeem as well,
M and theeeeennn......???
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| 28th Nov 2005 2:01 pm |
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Very Annoyed
Member Since: 19 Nov 2005
Location: Up there, past the strange people and the sheep.
Posts: 3698
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The 1/2 day is vital - I learnt more about my RRS on my complimentary drive that I had in the previous 3 months of ownership.
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| 28th Nov 2005 2:54 pm |
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Mossy
Member Since: 01 Jul 2005
Location: Hollyoaks, UK
Posts: 2682
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So what becomes of the LREs without the support of Land Rover?
I'm sure a good percentage of their business comes from Land Rover purchasers, especially as so many trade up, bring family and / or go for single occupancy.
Didnt LR do a used car push a while back and offer the LRE as an incentive? I heard it was very successful.
Maybe they'll [LR Corporate] will push the whole thing back to the dealer completely and leave it up to them to organise if they wish to, and have no hand in its organising.
Just had my voucher through - better getter a move on!!! Was going to do Bala (again), but any suggestions for a variation welcome. D3 HSE V8...
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| 28th Nov 2005 3:13 pm |
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BN
Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Here
Posts: 6463
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Its being replaced by Project Days next year.
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| 28th Nov 2005 3:26 pm |
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Mossy
Member Since: 01 Jul 2005
Location: Hollyoaks, UK
Posts: 2682
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Project Days? The mind boggles at that - sounds a bit scrap-heap challenge.
D3 HSE V8...
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| 28th Nov 2005 3:40 pm |
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croyde
Member Since: 17 Aug 2005
Location: SE England
Posts: 459
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Careful folks, bought mine in Sept and rang up about the voucher last week and was told that it had to be redeemed by Dec 27th.
So I went yesterday,Sunday and boy! it was an eye opener and taught me what my car was capable of. Stuff that I would never have found out on my own.
It would be pretty irresponsible for a manufacturer not to train customers on its equipment.
I put this to Porsche for my last car and hey presto! I got racetrack and skid pan tuition from a British Touring Cars Champion.
Alas the Porker had to go to finance the Disco. Not a bad swap in the end though.
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| 28th Nov 2005 6:55 pm |
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