It’s very easy to jump to the discrimination card when things like this happen. I’m sure the dealers don’t help themselves when a sales agent explains it so poorly too.
In short, with vehicles being so scarce and demand so high, dealerships are allowed to prioritise leasing, private sales, Motability, whoever they like…
Selling privately brings in more money to the dealership so they’ve exercised that right. They haven’t refused to sell you the same vehicle based on any protected characteristics, purely because of revenue. They have offered to order you the same vehicle.
It’s not an ideal situation, even normal, but we have to remember that the frustration here should be aimed at Motability themselves who are losing more of a grip on the scheme with each passing day. As much as I loathe dealerships at the best of times, this is not discrimination, and we should not keep calling it that.