Being a young person as well, only 22 when I bought my S-Type last January, I have some fairly divergent dealership stories as well. When I finally completed my research and decided to bite the bullet, I went to the local Jag dealership on I-394 just outside of Minneapolis. From the moment I stepped foot inside, I was treated with the utmost respect by every employee, from the receptionist to the GM. It was amazing to me after having been completely blown off by the salesmen at the M-B dealership a few miles away in Minnetonka.

At the Jag dealership, I told my salesman exactly what I wanted: color, price range, options, mileage, etc. He didn't roll his eyes or anything, just told me to give him a few weeks to search for it and he would get back to me. While he was unable to find the exact car I wanted, we were able to negotiate an agreeable price on a very similar car that was on their lot for 100+ days (had everything I wanted except the color).

After one year with my baby, the salesman still seeks me out to see how I am enjoying the car when I stop by the dealership for service and general gawking at the new models.

I think it is a shame that some Jag dealerships are as off-putting as people are alluding to, especially since their American market share is only 0.4%.

(And to K.Westra, nice to see a fellow Minnesotan on here, even if you are really more South Dakotan...Pipestone!...j/k!)

 

Thanks The black car I passed on [if you read my loooong story] was located in Minneapolis (Luther Westside Volkswagen)

I actually consider Jaguar of Omaha my "local" dealer, mostly because I lived in Lincoln for years and am more familiar with the area, but also since it is about equal distance from where I am now.

 

Your story is not unique to Jaguar, but does costs sales. Long ago I pulled into a Chevy dealer looking to buy a new Impala (this LONG ago). I was on a Norton wearing my leather.
Incredibly, the salesman told me from the start that I really couldn't afford one straight up front. When I then walked around him to the sales manager's office, from his chair the sales manager bluntly declared the same thing after I had only said "I'm interested in a new Impala."
Just down the way was a packinghouse, I guess they figured I worked there - but if they did that too a mistake as it was a union packinghouse where the hourlies made more than management.
I certainly am never going to beg someone to allow me to give them my money. I'm rather big on that concept actually.
So I drove across the street to the Ford Dealership and before the hour was over drove off in a new T-Bird for my wife instead.
Don't hold it against Jaguar or dealerships. No matter where you go or what venture you are about, the world is full of stupid people. The worst ones are little people who somehow conclude they are superior to you and act accordingly.
There was a humor ending. About 4 months later that GM sales manager was attempting to explain to me how "customer service" was the most important thing at their dealership, explaining their defense to a customer suing over a claim of a bad repair job after waiting nearly a month to get it back. It didn't work out to well for that manager (I was the judge.)
A couple years later the dealership went under.
That was long ago and a fond memory.

"What goes around, comes around."

 

Rest assured that your story is NOT Jaguar specific....
I was looking at an Audi A6 around 3 years ago now and went to Glasagow Audi.....long story short I felt I was treated very poorly ( I'm in sales and have been for over 20 years so I know the script )
The car I was looking at was £30,000.00 ( around $47,000US ) and couldn't believe the response.
A few days later I visited another dealer around 25 miles away and was treated like a king......5 hours later I left with the car I wanted at the price I wanted
The first guy missed out on some serious commission!!!!