Martin Weingärtner (55), owner of the car dealerships of the same name in Miesbach and Waakirchen, is feeling the delivery bottlenecks in the automotive market.
He believes the problem will continue.
Miesbach - In a fire letter to industry and the government, German automotive suppliers recently warned of a collapse in the supply chain in the new car segment (we reported in the supraregional section).
Problems such as the lack of chips, however, are not new - and are also noticeable in the Miesbach district.
Martin Weingärtner (55), owner of the car dealerships of the same name in Miesbach and Waakirchen, reveals how long customers currently have to wait - and what consequences this has for drivers and employees.
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“We don't get any more cars” - Martin Weingärtner on delivery bottlenecks and lack of chips
Mr. Weingärtner, will your customers soon have to walk?
We can still compensate with replacement vehicles (laughs).
But yes, we are also feeling the delivery bottlenecks very strongly.
We don't get any more cars - whether from VW or Skoda.
Few vehicles can be delivered in three to four months.
Most of them only in up to a year.
And it is very questionable whether they will actually roll off the production line as announced.
Which bottleneck is responsible for this?
Indeed the lack of chips.
The cars are often finished - except for one or two components.
Then they stand in rented parking garages and wait for completion.
How do the customers react?
I am pleasantly surprised: the customers are very understanding about the delivery times.
The lack of chips is known everywhere, probably also because of the widespread information in the media.
So far there has not been a cancellation because of the waiting times.
Only one customer wanted to withdraw from the purchase.
During the conversation it was then clear that other manufacturers would not get any faster delivery.
There was then no need to cancel - after all, the customer would have to wait longer.
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Cars are becoming more expensive due to delivery bottlenecks
What do those who urgently need a car do?
They switch to the used car market.
But that's where things get critical too: the market has been swept empty - especially for annual or company cars.
The overproduction of the past few years has just subsided.
In addition, many customers - around 70 percent - rely on financial services with a return option.
Nobody knows how the value of diesel, gasoline or electric cars will develop.
The customers are accordingly cautious.
But orders are made despite the long delivery times.
I feel like people are coming early because they know the problem.
Are cars more expensive now when the supply is falling?
Yes.
Both used and new cars have picked up significantly.
Financially, however, the used cars are more the problem for customers: If the cars are driven longer, the repair costs increase.
Do you have financial worries because of the bottlenecks?
I have no existential worries.
Sure, it's not nice - and it would be better otherwise.
But the customers come anyway.
I can use any car I can get.
There are no sales problems.
However, the lack of sales is particularly problematic for the sellers - who earn commissions from handing over cars.
And they are currently a long time coming.
From my point of view, we must expect the problem to continue into the next year.
Sometimes it's not the chip production, but the logistics.