Driving along on the Anzac bridge, a new F-type Jag caught my eye. The lines and the classical Jaguar logo were a sight to behold. We played look-and-see for a little while until he veered off and continued on his way.

On Monday, I called up Alto Jag in Artarmon and spoke to sales guy by the name of Allan Lequesne. I explained that my car is less than year old and that I change cars every four years. Whilst I said I was not yet ready to buy, I relayed the story of the sighting on Anzac bridge. To cut a long story short, we arranged to meet on Saturday at Alto Jaguar for me to see the car close up and for him to provide a high-level price range.

My first surprise came on Thursday at 5 pm, when Allan Lequesne rang to tell me about a super interest rate offer. I stressed yet again that I was not buying now, as my car was less than one year old. The conversation ended with my new best friend Allan emphasising that I was welcome any time to see the car and to speak to him. On Saturday I arrived as pre-arranged at Alto in Artarmon, only to find that the customer car park was filled to overflowing with new stock of Range Rovers and Jaguars, with not a single space for customers to park. Parking in the street was not an option, as the surrounding area is filled with small industrial units mostly open on Saturday. No parking was to be had for two blocks. In sheer desperation, I rang the sales consultant whom I had been dealing with only to be told that no parking was available and that they were expecting a very busy day. In a voice that indicated that I was bothering him, he told me to park on the street. I did not even try to explain that this was something I had been attempting for the past 15 minutes. The conversation ended with me apologizing in a sarcastic voice for bothering him. Thank you Allan, I will ensure that Alto Jag will never get my business despite the fact it is two-minute drive from where I live.

That afternoon I took a drive to Alexandria to Trivett Jaguar. Plenty of parking was available. I walked into the showroom with no appointment, and despite the fact that they were certainly busy, within a few minutes I was introduced to Jennifer McCarron. I explained the sighting on Anzac Bridge, the fact that my car is less than 12 months old and that I was not looking to change yet. Jennifer spent about 30 minutes with me and showed me the car. We played around with options and how much the car would be worth and I left with a huge smile on my face.

Outcome:

Jaguar F type                     11/10. What a stunning car.

Trivett Jaguar                   10/10. Customer parking, pleasant receptionist, stunning showroom.

Jennifer McCarron            10/10, thank you.

Alto Jag                                  0/10. That is not the way to treat a customer.

Allan Lequesne                 -5/10. You should consider selling used cars on Parramatta Road.