Wednesday, November 14, 2012

An end to prevarication .



The trusty old Volkswagen develops another rattle. Time to trade it in for something new. Before we head off to the garage ' the font ' spends half an hour  trying to scrub off the drool stains on the back seat where Digby used to snore happily away. The stains prove to be quite immovable. Never buy a used car from a dog owner.

A new Golf in the forecourt. We know this because there is a big sign on the side saying ' Nouvelle Golf '. €40,000 ! That's $52,000 in real money. When did Volkswagens become so expensive ?

At the Mini garage the young salesman has broken his leg playing football. He shouts encouragement to us from across the showroom, his plastered leg propped up on a chair in front of him. ' The font ' feels sorry for the young man. '' Why don't we buy one ? ".  Angus feels that this is a less than logical reason for chosing a car and that anyone who has broken his leg playing football is going to be quite capable of looking after himself .

At the BMW garage there's a young woman in a suede mini skirt and black fishnet tights. She speaks , huskily, to Angus and pointedly ignores ' the font '. This is not the best of sales strategies. So it is we settle on a Skoda with a glass roof. It will be delivered on Friday. 20% off and €2,000 for the old Golf. Not a bad valuation for a health hazard on wheels with a 100,000 miles on the clock. The salesman doesn't seem to notice the stains on the back seat.

Home to find the gardeners hard at work. We'd expected them in September.

19 comments:

  1. Can't believe the Mini saleswoman. What a perfectly dreadful sales strategy. Surely the great majority of Minis are purchased by women? My neighbour bought a Skoda Fabia earlier this year and is delighted with it.

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  2. Bertie - This will be a Roomster. Have you ever seen one ? Looks like a great dog car. Even has a fixed metal dog grille between the back seat and the tailgate . We never need worry about it being stolen.

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    1. So, with that grille, all prepared for the next big decision then....

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  3. We hope that in the future the Skoda has drool marks on its seats, too.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  4. Congratulations on your new addition! I don't think that they sell Skoda's or Roomsters here in the US, but we certainly see plenty of Volkswagen's, BMW's etc.

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  5. Preparation is key in my book....Congrats on the purchase of your new car... a new car for transporting bow wows in the near future. Will the glass roof not contribute to more heat inside on a hot steamy day? I'm sure that will be counteracted with a good a/c unit.
    Maybe the gardeners got wind of your travels, so they have now shown up on your return, but then again September, November, what's the difference??? Smile.

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  6. Uhg, car shopping - this is why I plan on driving my Nissan Pathfinder until it falls apart around me. Skoda? Roomster?? These are new names to this American, LOL. Hope you love it :)

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    1. Also, when a friend was visiting me recently, she reached up and opened the sunroof. I was astonished - forgot there was one! Had the vehicle almost 5 years, don't believe I've ever opened it, lol...

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  7. Congrats on the new car. Kind of sad to see the old one go, what with it's connection with "the boyz".
    Hopefully, the new Skoda will be getting it's christening soon.

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  8. I hate car shopping with the fire of a thousand blazing suns! *shudder* I'm glad you found something that works for you, though, and where the people treated you both well.

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  9. A Skoda! One of my boyfriends 100 years ago used to drive a Skoda. It had windshield wipers on the headlights.

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    1. Mrs DM - are you sure ? I don't want to be impolite but you're lucky if the Skoda factory remembers to put windscreen wipers on the windscreen let alone the headlights. Skoda is the bargain basement brand for VW and accessories are few and far between . Perhaps he drove a SAAB ? Swedish and much more stylish and much more likely to have wipers on the headlights. I am willing to be corrected.

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  10. Smart salespeople ALWAYS know to court the wife! Happy Wife = Happy Life.

    congrats on the new wheels and Wow.... $52K for a VW??????????????

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  11. No idea Volkswagen were so expensive...Congrats to a new vehicle - still waiting for more occupants??????
    Southern damp Italy greets you - Susanne, Daisy, Foxiie and Kiri
    Craftspeople and gardeners seem work on the same pattern here, too.

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  12. I hope the new car gets dog drool marks on the back seats really soon.

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  13. What is it with women in France wearing fishnet stockings? First the lady at the airport and now the husky voiced woman! I never see them anymore, and that is a good thing. Fishnets, in my opinion, are not the most attractive look.

    I got a HORRIBLE migraine (vomiting, couldn't stand any bright lights or noises) the last time we went car shopping several years ago, the salesman kept saying it would only be 20 more minutes until all the paperwork was done. He lied. Only the second migraine of my life, and I hope the last and I now never want to go inside another bright, noisy and hyper upbeat car dealership ever again. I'll just ride my cute yellow bike or get a horse if necessary . . .

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  14. Congrats on the new car. May you drive many happy, safe miles in it!

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  15. Thanks for clearing up [sorta] what a Skoda is. Never heard of it. Does the glass roof imply you are departing for cooler, cloudier climes in the near future? Infer a glass roof is what we'd call a sun roof [opens] or moon roof [doesn't open] here in the States. Neither is pleasant in 100 degree summer weather, even when tinted. But we're happiest about the built in dog grill :) Now that is a promising sign. Of course, the dog will ride in the back seat and the grill is to keep the luggage from falling on his or her head, right?

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