A Deal Gone Before It Began: How Barons VW Broke a Loyal Family’s Trust”

I have purchased every one of my vehicles through this VW dealership over the years – from my Audi to a Golf 6 GTI, a Golf 7 GTI and a Tiguan 2.0 TSI. Because of that long-standing loyalty, I never expected the shocking experience I had with the white Golf 6 GTI on Friday, 19 September 2025 @ Baron’s Woodmead

My family and I were the first customers to view this vehicle. I made it clear to the salesperson that I intended to buy it. I even discussed paying cash or using finance as a way to teach my son responsibility. I asked only whether a small discount might be possible and was told that the price could only be finalised after the 80-point workshop check. I was specifically instructed to wait for the workshop feedback before anything else could happen.

At no point did anyone: • Ask me for a holding deposit, • Request that I sign an Offer to Purchase, or • Warn me that if I did not act immediately the car would be sold to another buyer.

This morning I phoned to check on the car and was told it was still in the workshop. Later the same day—without a single warning, deadline, or opportunity to respond—I simply received an email stating that the car had been sold to another buyer.

I was never given the option to: • Match the other buyer’s offer, • Pay a deposit, or • Make a decision within a set timeframe.

It now feels as though the car could have been quietly earmarked for someone else, because the process followed bears no resemblance to the transparent, professional sales practice that a reputable dealership should uphold.

What makes this even harder is telling my son, who had already grown attached to the car, that it was sold without us ever being given a chance to buy it first.

As a loyal customer who has repeatedly supported this dealership, this experience is both heartbreaking and unacceptable. If the real policy is “first person with cash wins,” then customers might as well stay home and race to pay online—because having a salesperson and a dealership process clearly means nothing.

I call on the Dealer Principal to: 1. Personally investigate this matter, 2. Provide a transparent account of how this sale was allowed to proceed despite clear interest from the first viewing customer, and 3. Explain what the correct process should have been so that loyal customers are never placed in this position again.

This is not just about one car. It is about fairness, integrity, and the treatment of South African consumers.