That's a fine point about Right to Repair (in fact I just read that an 11th state has started to design legislation to prevent the restrictive practices -
DENVER POST). But in some ways, that's a corporate philosophy and mandate, and hopefully not that of the JD dealers and employees themselves.
This is a fantastic conversation and one that I am glad
@SteBay711 has started. My collective dealership experiences over the last 29 years have been more negative than positive with respect to sales, service, and overall satisfaction with the customer experience. That said, I've only purchased cars and trucks from blue collar brands, and never farm equipment, motorcycles, or anything else; perhaps those dealers provide a better experience. When you remove the greedy cash grab "market adjustments," tack-on bullshit money grabs (ie "undercoating," scotch guard, pin-striping, door edge protectors, etc, extended warranty and finance shadiness, and hawkish, over-aggressive sales tactics from car dealerships - what's left? On the sales side, that's all there seems to be. Well, maybe some ill-informed sales people who do not even know the product they're selling too.
Service wise, you
hope that the mechanics are well-trained and certified by their respective brands (I know that BMW has some fantastic training programs), you
hope that the services they claim you need are in fact legitimate and required, and finally, you
hope that they're doing what they say they are (ie giving me the full synthetic fluids I've paid for but in reality getting traditional dino ones). Let's say all of those things align, which
should be unquestionably true, dealers still juice you on parts prices (by a fair amount).
That said, I just don't know. I've expressed elsewhere that I fear BMW dealership partnerships for a number of reasons (see the preceding paragraphs), one of which the association of the Grenadier as a "premium" vehicle. That is, I see associating IA with any up-market auto dealer will lead to increased pricing for sales, service, and parts above what other dealers are ripping you off for. I am not looking for the "I bought a luxury car experience" which in the States means stuffy staff in three-piece fancy suit and tie, cappuccinos-lattes-frappa-whatevers on offer, and general snobbishness. That's not me.
I am hoping for interaction and meaningful conversation with someone equally excited about the product as I am. I don't want to feel like I've purchased a BMW or Mercedes any more that a Civic or Focus because I've actually purchased a very unique, niche product whose very existence is built upon passion. I prefer to feel like I'm sitting around a table AT the Grenadier Pub, not a car dealership. I remember US Land Rover dealerships back in the day before they got all hoity-toity, the sales reps were knowledgeable, not just about the features of the vehicle, but they also knew and appreciated the history and ethos of the brand. The walls were festooned with photographs of the Camel Trophy instead of art-gallery stuff. Heck, the employees even dressed the part by wearing normal, I-go-outside clothes (cargo khakis, hiking boots, wool sweaters, etc) instead of swanky shoes and silk ties. But, at the same time, it wasn't cheesy or fake but felt authentic. I can't speak for elsewhere in the world, but I can't imagine current USA LR sales people familiar with the Wilkes brothers, or Solihull, or that epic little road trip that began in Cambridge.
Forgive the babbling drivel, I'm just a bit passionate on the subject.
