Over some 20 odd years on mobility. If when looking for a replacement car. If you come right out and inform the sales person you are a motability customer. 1: sorry but our motability guy is on holiday. 2: it’s our motability guys day off. 3: Our motability guy is at another dealer location. Then all other sales persons find something else to do. Than talking to myself and wife. Better not to mention motability.
Many dealers are the same when it comes to company car drivers – if not worse, as they know that the order won’t even go to them! When a car sales person greets you with “are you a private or fleet customer” that’s code for “because I’m only interested in you if you’re a private buyer and I frankly can’t be arsed to waste my time on you if you are a fleet customer”. I take that as a big red flag and they’d have to go some thereafter to convince me that I’d want to place the order with them.
I always say “ my wife is entitled to a Motability car but we are keeping our options open and may buy privately”. That seems to throw them and I tend to get treated as a private customer thereafter. I also call them out on any BS about them “only getting a handling fee for Motability orders” and when they know that I know how it all works it goes one of two ways. Either they treat me as an intelligent adult and with respect, or they decide that they hate me and can’t wait to see the back of me 😂