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I’ve just placed an order for an mg hs, the dealer has now told me that retail customers are taking priority over lease and contract hire sales. I have now been told they can’t even give me a date when I will get my new car. This feels very much like discrimination to me! I asked if I purchased the car could I have it quicker, the answer was yes!
I accept we are going through difficult times but it feels like this dealer and possibly the group have that many sales that they have little or no interest in motability.
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There is the also the complete can of worms as to whether or not many customer facing roles in general are underpaid and undervalued whilst those higher up are the opposite but that’s a different discussion altogether.
T.J. – that’s not the case with Motability Operations. The call centre staff are extremely well paid and with a gilt edged benefits package on top, quite unlike anything they would get at any other call centre. Significantly above a living wage I assure you! I know someone who works there (in Bristol as wmcforum rightly says). It’s a very sought after employer in the area for these reasons. I agree with everyone else that they are incredibly helpful and friendly when you call them. So they should be!
The call centre is in Bristol then why? please tell me why? they have an office in London
I mean just off the top of my head how much are the Nesasasry travel and subsistence costs for employees to and from London you can’t make this up it just keeps getting better and better
I am in the process of writing to Russell Brand to get a comedians perspective on this as he is on Tour next year and I hope he can have a little time in his set for the Disabled if you would also like to write to him I am sure we can get small acorn to grow into a campaign to get this investigated as to where the money goes we can also change the publics perspective that we get free cars
you can write to him from the email address on his official website Russell brand
let’s get a movement together once we get some publicity then we can start writing to our local MP”s let’s start with a small snowball and see how big we can get and roll it into the London office because we are clearly getting ripped off
Look at this photo from Motability’s own report and accounts perhaps if had paid the extortionate advance payment he could have got a bigger car and then he would be able to get his wheelchair in the boot
Perhaps
perhaps his bigger car that he ordered was given to a retail customer instead so ended up with whatever he could get
Rene, thanks for the detailed reply
Seems I was more than a bit off with the “extra pound”…. On one hand there is the argument that well paid staff in a nice environment have better moral which should lead to increased productivity and reduce staff turnover along with all the training + other costs involved in replacing people. The other side of the coin is to “over pay” by such a large amount does leave them open to criticism / scrutiny and they really should give a detailed explanation of the reasons why and certainly give some justification regarding the location and expenses associated with head office. There is the also the complete can of worms as to whether or not many customer facing roles in general are underpaid and undervalued whilst those higher up are the opposite but that’s a different discussion altogether.Absolutely, as i said, i’m happy for everyone who makes a good living wage (i wish the same could be said for carers, but here we are). I’m not asking for their pays to be reduced or anything.
What i do argue is whether or not it’s necessary to have multiple offices, one of which in one of the most prestigious parts of the capitol, for a charity that takes disabled peoples benefits, while not doing enough (and on this one i won’t let an argument sit, they’re not doing enough) to help “the most in need” or “the most disabled” to get their needs met.
Imagine how hosed you are if you’re under 25 and in a wheelchair. They make good money on every lease, so if there’s “room above”, why not raise the price cap as was mentioned, or the minimum age? Why not pay fairer rates to dealerships, leading to them not needing to make a decision on priorities, etc? Why not keep adaptations free?
It won’t get around all of the issues (some manufacturers currently simply ignore fleet operations etc), i understand that of course – but there’s enough wrong with the way the scheme runs on the most basic levels that i wouldn’t let the argument count either. Things that very much could be fixed, if Motability woke up and decided that it’s a really bad look to splurge on offices/wages etc while the people who pay for it with their benefits have to worry on renewal whether or not they can stay mobile. Something that can be incredibly bad for their mental health. It’s hard for me to understand the justification (if there even is one) for running so much profit, with that profit just benefitting the charity/employees.
Prior: SEAT Ateca Xcellence Lux 1.5 TSI DSG MY19, VW Golf GTE PHEV DSG MY23
Current: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Next: we'll see what's available in 2028.I have written to Mr Brand and also given him a link to this website so he can get a feel of the mood out there.
Also, the plight of the disabled person trying to get a car in the current conditions and fits well with the theme of his tour about the last 18 months so come and help contribute to material for his show and get writing to Russell Brand through his official website and let’s get the Motability cake sliced up so we can see what the filing is made of and does taste any good?
Because you can have the same recipe, same ingredients, and three different chefs and you will get three different cakes
Motability management is the chef and our cake is a little small and not properly formed, I’m sure for the amount spent on ingredients we can get a much better cake with a different chef because they will use a better recipe and techniques.
I can see the newspaper article in my mind
Picture one of Chef executive of Motability and Home with the caption underneath declaring his salary pension and bonus (or maybe all the senior management for fairness)
picture two a disabled person outside their home with what they have to spend on a car and detail their finances and what they have to contend with when trying to order a car to meet their needs
and a look at the whole operation from car purchase to auction what a trade person pays and what a notability customer is charged
Pictures of the offices in London and Bristol
undercover reporters with cameras
or has that happened already and we are going to find out next year after all the editing and post-production has taken place we could be in for a real treat
so, please please if you have any more to contribute then get in touch with Russell Brand
I have written to Mr Brand . . . in touch with Russell Brand
Who is Russell Brand?
Skoda Enyaq Race Blue
Here try this
I don’t think writing to Russell Brand or any comedian for that matter is a good idea.
I can’t think of any scenario where motability is in the papers and the general public read it and empathise with the people using the scheme. If anything it would create more bad feelings toward the people who use the scheme and as we know there are plenty of people around with those opinions.
Then carry on paying extortionate advance payments to a monopoly for poor car choice that an abled bodied retail customer will be prioritised over you and safe in the knowledge that cheif execute is at the Southampton boat show picking out a new yacht
Still its only £5000 for a decent Suv and 12 18 month wait for one
I can’t think of any scenario where motability is in the papers and the general public read it and empathise with the people using the scheme.
Sadly, this is true.
Still its only £5000 for a decent Suv and 12 18 month wait for one
I feel you need to back up what you are saying with numbers and demonstrate the problem.
I had a quick look at a BMW X2 2.0i Xdrive Sport retails for £38360 or £31967 ex VAT. Deposit is £3299 and three years of PIP is £6120. They sell on Autotrader after three years for about £25000 but I doubt the retailers don’t pay that at auction. Lets say they get back £23000.
So total income would be £3299+£6120+£23000 = £32419 which is £452 more than the actual car costs.
There is an argument for discounts, but so is there for additional costs – breakdown, insurance, adaptations and tyres. I know this will not be the same for all cars.
At £452 for the 650,000 customers, that equals £293,800,000 every three years(circa £98m per year). So whilst looking at profit alone, it is a big number, but look at numbers per customer and it suddenly becomes small beer.
What do you guys think?
E&OE
Skoda Enyaq Race Blue
Oh and you think motability pays retail then why do we get pushed to the back of the que or are we being discriminated against which is it?
So if motablity are not paying retail then we need to recalculate
Motability get massive discounts. You only have to take a look at the invoice when you collect your car to see how much. This is why we are at the bottom of the pile when it comes to delivery times.
Still its only £5000 for a decent Suv and 12 18 month wait for one
I feel you need to back up what you are saying with numbers and demonstrate the problem. I had a quick look at a BMW X2 2.0i Xdrive Sport retails for £38360 or £31967 ex VAT. Deposit is £3299 and three years of PIP is £6120. They sell on Autotrader after three years for about £25000 but I doubt the retailers don’t pay that at auction. Lets say they get back £23000. So total income would be £3299+£6120+£23000 = £32419 which is £452 more than the actual car costs. There is an argument for discounts, but so is there for additional costs – breakdown, insurance, adaptations and tyres. I know this will not be the same for all cars. At £452 for the 650,000 customers, that equals £293,800,000 every three years(circa £98m per year). So whilst looking at profit alone, it is a big number, but look at numbers per customer and it suddenly becomes small beer. What do you guys think? E&OE
3 years of PIP at £62.55 a week with CPI increases works out at around £10k. The VAT free purchase is basically what makes the scheme viable. The argument now is how much profit should be returned to members perhaps in the form of a dividend at the lease end.
How can it be fair value for money when as company you can donate 800 million to another entity and then charge the Advance payments that have risen faster than inflation and be treated less favourable than retail customer
I just wonder how they made 800 million in the first place
Oh yes that right it was from you so here is £50
But you are right they dont make much out of each of us at all they must be scripping together to keep the lights on
I think you have made your point, we are not going to suddenly give you an understanding of what goes into running a £4.2 billion entity. The information you require is readily available and the government review I posted earlier gives you a lot of answers.
Perhaps if the government limited the profit any scheme operator could make… seems like a smart way to keep things in balance. If Motability make above the profit cap they have to lower advance payments to balance things out over the next year.
I get that it’s not an exact science, profit forecast, but the profits they’re making are wildly out of check.
There’s no need to ‘gain an understanding in running a 4.2 billion entity’ with all due respect.
The facts are as follows:
– The cars are tax free
– Motability has significant fleet buying power
– Cars are available to the public for almost the same leasing prices in many cases.
As an example: https://www.vanarama.com/mg-motor-uk-car-leasing/zs/electric-hatchback/115kw-trophy-ev-long-range-73kwh-5dr-auto-178007.html
Mg ZS long range, not even available on motability. Total cost £19,966 over 36 months. Including insurance. You can add the ‘full servicing package’ for another £27.82 a month (£1000 over 3 years)
Equivalent to a £3200 AP for everything included. And this is a COMMERCIAL OFFER, WHERE THE SELLER PAYS VAT ON THE VEHICLE. From a fleet provider far smaller than motability.
There are various other examples, you can get a VW UP with insurance for example for zero AP commercially on about 10k miles a year.
Government need to remove the monopoly and allow any company to claim back VAT on a car sold or leased to a disabled driver. Prices would shoot down.
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