Reply from CarShop Swindon
[REPLY]
- Reviews (17)
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- Andy Bashford
- 1 Review
Great Idea throughly enjoyed the experience
We recently purchased a Citroen C1 and was very happy with the whole experience. Went in to have a look and drove home in a new purchase, so far have found it to be ideal. Reading other reviews I can honestly say that nothing like has happened to us, we noted that the vehicle we purchased was flashing fuel warning, so we asked for enough fuel to get us to a garage and got 1/2 tank! On arriving home noticed that there was no handbook, so rang the next day and received the next day by recorded delivery! They asked us if we would like the extended warranty, stainguard, gap insurance, all of which we refused with no problem! We were processed quickly and efficiently and know other people who old say the same.
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- Gary Edwards
- Swindon, US
- 1 Review
Pushy Sellers
When you enter carshop swindon you are greeted by a salesperson who does not accept 'I'm just looking' and continues to keep on. I entered the carshop at 17:30 and it was gone 20:00 before i left, so i was fed up in the end. Apart from that i got a good p/x for my car and i am happy with the car i got. I know salespeople need to make sales but let customers look then come to you when they have an idea what they are looking for.
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- Tammy Jones
- 1 Review
Car not as it seems
We purchase a Ford Focus 1.8 Ghia in late 2011 and still have. Service was fine upto collection day when car had not been valeted as promised and several bonnet scratches had not been erased. We had to wait for hours for car to be ready to drive away.
The car in all is not anywhere near as good as it appeared on the shop floor. The marks on the bonnet are still there plus several around the whole car. There are many staines on the upholstery and the previous owner was a smoker (this smell was cleverly disguised in show room). We have repeatedly asked for the manual and still not received.
All in all would I go back - probably not.
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- Emma Hansen
- Witney, US
- 1 Review
Good products, value for money, average service
Went to look at cars with a view to part exchanging and driving away same day.
Was poorly advised regarding the paperwork required and had to return another day to collect the car. The entire process was incredibly long and probably took 5 hours in total. Starting with Sales, then Business for finance and at last Collection.
I was disappointed that I wasn't told prior to collection that the only place I could tax my car was at the DVLA, requiring me to take time off work the following morning. Possibly this could have been done the same day if the process hadn't been so time consuming. The young man in collections did have some sense of customer service and advised that as a gesture of goodwill he'd given me a little extra diesal (hope this doesn't get him in trouble!) which I felt did compensate a little for struggling through the process with a very miserable 18 month old.
That said, I'm happy with the car and the price I paid and if I had to buy another car I would return (very early in the morning), but this time without children.
- Umesh Solanki
- 1 Review
Follow your instinct and you won't go wrong!
Went to see a Nissan Qashqai. As Swindon is 2.5 hours away, i spoke to the sales team before coming down so all my questions were answered before i got there. Got there took it for a test drive, sorted out the payment and drove off. So was i a happy customer? Well considering the whole process took 5 hours to sort out - not entirely. It took far too long with the salesman, the manager and then the finance chap. They need to streamline so for those who don't have much time or have a big journey ahead of them, can be on their way quickly. They didn't throw in any extras either which is disappointing, not even some fuel to get back home! Customer experience - not great! Not the most friendliest car sales people i've come across - which could put you off the car if you were in two minds but i knew what i wanted and got it.
- tm
- Bristol, GB
- 1 Review
Friendly salesmen that was ruined by rude and patronizing finance guy
Myself and my partner went into the Car Shop in Swindon for the first time on Sunday last week. My car had broken down so we were in need of a reliable car that would be suitable for family use. When we arrived, we were greeted by a gentleman that sat us down and we went through what we were looking for. We then went onto the floor and looked around at all the cars, was very impressed. We ended up liking a car that was the opposite to what we went in for but again the sales man was friendly enough. He left us to it and came over every now and again, My partner and I then left with no problems,
The following day, i googled the car and found 2 others that were in Swindon. I called the shop and they informed me that they can put them aside so we can test drive them after work. We arrived around 6.30pm, again friendly serivce by a man called Mo, he was lovely throughout. I personally am always on a back burner when buying second hand cars but everything seemed ok. One of the cars had a dodgy seat that was failed to be mentioned but we noticed this during the test drive.
We decided on a car and was directed back to the seats, We then had to watch footage which was trying to sell us GuardEx. We said no and heard no more on the matter.
The next stage was then what ruined my excitement of buying a nice new car. The finance man, At first he was friendly and took my deposit. His words were then 'Now lets try and save you some money today' Funny that when all that followed was extras! . I am very wary of sales men and this gentleman was your perfect example. He was pushy, rude and i felt very patronized. When saying we would think about the warranty. He said 'No we are going to sort this tonight' This man did not appreciate it when i said no and at one point said i would be an idiot if i didn't take the gap insurance and also informed me that i couldn't come running back when something goes wrong with the car...
I had been given a loan from the bank that day so did not require their finance, again i had to say this several times before he accepted this.
Bearing in mind i knew two people that have purchased a car and have had no problems i continued with the purchase but left his office exhausted and frustrated with his attitude and customer service. We left the car shop at 10pm bearing in mind they close at 9pm.
We have a lovely car but its a big shame that the purchase was let down but the pushy finance worker when we was greeted and dealt with my a lovely gentleman earlier in the evening.
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- Kieren Elliot Bourne
- Semington, GB
- 1 Review
Stress free experience.
Girding ourselves in having to buy a new car we found on line the car we wanted at the car shop in Swindon. Having never been there we were not sure what to expect. We were met at the reception by Stuart who took us through to the main showroom and sat us down to ascertain what we wanted. We had a test drive and were left on our own with no pressure to have a good look around the car. Once we had made the decision to purchase the car Stuart took us through the extras you can purchase once again with no pressure. We paid a deposit arranging to collect the car a few days later.
When we did collect the car we saw a business manager and paid and were taken through to swap log books etc in the collection dept. I can honestly say we received friendly and professional service in all departments in particular the salesman Stuart, and what we thought would be a stressful experience turned out to be quite the opposite.
- A B
- 1 Review
Go well prepared & be thorough - but good experience overall
We have never bourght from a car supermarket before and were reluctant to start now. However they were the nearest place that had the car we were looking for (Nissan Qashqai)at the right price (found car through Auto Trader search). We were extremely thorough in our research before we arrived and had noted the price/details of like for like vehicles in other parts of the UK which proved to be a very good thing. The car we were interested in was being viewed / considered by another couple when we got there so we had to wait until they declared no interest before we were allowed to view it...which was a bit annoying. We eventually got to look at it but it was a different colour to that advertised (purple, not black)and in a poor state (both back electric windows were not working - so much for the 114 point check!). But we were then shown an alternative car the same spec but slightly higher mileage which turned out to be in great condition. The sales people were probably some of the nicest car salesmen we have met and NOT pushy at all. In fact we were encouraged to go away and think about it which has never happened to us at a dealership before. There was no hard sell for all the extras, we politely declined and they readily accepted our decision. We then showed our research on other cars further afield at a lower price and the price was then dropped significantly to try and price match it...without us being pushy at all. There was one fault on the car that needed fixed which they have guaranteed their work on for 1 year (in writing) for our peace of mind. There was no handover chat explaining how everything worked and where key buttons, etc were which was a little disappointing. Only a drop of fuel in the tank on leaving...however we didn't negotiate fuel or car mats so didn't expect them included (as with any other garage). They did make it clear that the £300 deposit would only be refunded if they didn't carry out the MOT/repair work as they'd promised. We couldn't simply change our mind...so BEWARE! We found that one wiper blade was shredded on the drive home which was a shame..again, we don't think their 114 point check is worth much! However overall we think we have a great car at a very fair price and didn't have to deal with any obnoxious pushy sales people for a change. The car was MOT'd the day before we collected it and had been serviced 2 months prior..came with a full service history (ex motorbility car...which many of them are) and low low mileage...well valeted. We've only had it 24 hours...so its early days, but so far we are pretty pleased with the overall service from Car Shop.
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- Kathleen Christine Elliott
- 1 Review
Happy Customer
Purchased a Ford S-Max this week. Very happy so far with staff at the Car Shop, bearing one in the "Customer Experience" office, Denise, who acted very unprofessionally in our presence whilst we waited to be served. Pulled faces at her colleague over missing paperwork and lots of raised eyebrows and "the system down AGAIN" comments in full view and hearing of us. She needs more training in good customer experience.
Only had the car two days, but no problems so far. Will keep you informed!
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- Lucy Basingstoke
- Basingstoke, GB
- 1 Review
DON'T DEAL WITH THEM!!
Purchased a car from them around 18 months ago, now in a position to pay it off it seems that they added gap and warranty after I had stated (and got written confirmation) that they were not required.
My solicitor is now taking the case on as it seems that the monkeys they employ do not understand British law's surrounding fraud and misleading customers.
I look forward to seeing them in court.
- Rob
- 1 Review
Seems like a good deal at the time but it really isn't
After a visit to the car shop in Swindon on monday I still find myself going over the way we were treated a day later. I've never wanted, or needed to write a bad review about a company, but our expeariance was so bad that I feel the need to share and warn others.
I was looking at a BMW touring, and found they had 2 in the speck I was looking for. After speaking to them over the phone, and them doing the video chat where they show you around the car and point things out, everything looked and sounded good. I decided to make the 2 and a half hour drive to go and look at the cars, and was even thinking that if it was as they said it was, do a deal there and then.
So on arrival, we asked for the sales man we were dealing with. He came and introduced himself and said the cars were all ready, cleaned and prepped for us. We were told to take a seat and went over all the normal things, eg how much was I looking to spend, and how much I wanted for my old car. After all of this we were ready to look at the cars. We headed over to the viewing area, and on route we were introduced to the salesman's manager, and I asked for my driving lience. Thinking they were just going to look at it I handed it over, but they put it in a lock drawer thing behind the desk and I was given the key! Very odd!
We then walked over to the cars and had a walk round. I was unhappy with a few things on the first car and made this clear from the start. I was told that it was a second hand car, preped to a high standard, but as they don't have the mark up of a main dealer, what else should I expect?! We took the car for a test drive, and that was fine, but when we returned we walked around the car again, and found more things we were unhappy with. When I ran my hand over the paint work it was like rubbing sand paper. My first thought was that it was over spray, and I still think that, but the sales man said it was because new paint is water based, and you can not polish it. I've never heard that before. That's a new one on me!
I opened the boot and found all the boot seal was white with paint, and not black, and that the over spray was in the boot too. I was then told that after pointing most of this out to the sales man, that I was nit picking and going over it with a fine tooth comb, and turning it into a game with how many faults I could find. How insulting!Then he even said that he would go and do the same to my part exchange which they'd offered me less than market value for.
We decided this wasn't the right car and the sales man was sure he had a better car and would be able to show us in the same way. We took a seat again and he went off for a chat with his work mates and the found the other car. We were taken over to that car and walked around it. The car was exactly the same as the first, it had damage, overspray all over the lights from where the bumper was sprayed, and had the smell of paint in the car. Again we were told we were being too fussy and that I should look a a new car, as that's all I would be happy with.
After we had said this car was no good for us, he got his manager and told us to go take a seat agian. This time they came over and said " if we offer you the best price in the world for your car, the lowest finance rate you can get and rebuild the car to brand new have we got a deal". Were they joking?? By this point all I wanted was my driving lience back and to run. But you even have to try your hardest to get that back. It's as if they're holding you to ransom!
You will hear this a lot "If the car is not right then we say good bye and thank you for the opportunity" However they don't let you say goodbye, they try every trick they can to make you stay and purchase a car.
Save your time and don't go in. You'll not be allowed to walk round and look at the cars on your own, as they don't like you doing that, hence all the sitting down. But even if you do, you'll see that all the cars have things wrong with them!!! Oh, but don't forget that every car has been through a rigerous 114 point safety check! I lost count of how many times we heard that pharase too! It's as if have all swallowed their training manuals and are stuck on repeat! STAY WELL CLEAR!
- Gareth Legg
- 1 Review
Pushy Liars
I went to the car shop at Swindon in November with the intentions of Trading in my nearly new Zafira for a nearly new Focus. I was met with a friendly manager who took some details and then introduced me to my salesman Mark. Anyway after i told them what i wanted he drove a couple of Focuses out for me to look at. I said i wanted to look round and choose but no.... they drive cars out to you. Anyway the first car i looked at looked ok , low miles nice colour ,test drive was ok. Got back to the show room and had a really good look over the car.( i know a bit about cars). This is when i noticed the rear quarter panel paint looked wrong you only could see this at certain angles. There was dust specks in the lacquer. It looked like it had been resprayed so i look closer and run my hands over the rear wheel arch where the paint just pealed away revealing rust.... a lot of rust. Rust on a 3 year old car!!!. I pointed this out to Mark who just shrugged his shoulders and said that's modern paint for you?!!!!!!!. Now i am suspicious of what they are trying to sell me.
So i start to look at the other Focus. This one had slightly higher miles but looked ok at a quick glance. Again this one had been resprayed as there was over spray on the window rubbers and had a big fag burn on the drivers seat. Also parts of the interior was broken.
I turned round to Mark and said what crap are you trying to sell me?.
So off he went to speak to the manager . He comes back and said we have another Focus out the back i will bring it down to show you. This one had very low miles one owner (ex motability) and looked absolutely mint. Test drive was good the only problem was the interior light would not turn off which did concern me as i knew it was a problem with either the timer module or door lock or wiring which can be quite expensive to fix. He assured me that this would be fixed before i took delivery. Fair enough i said.They wanted to look at my car to offer a part ex price which they did. I know my car is in good condition and Dealer serviced. The price they offered me was rubbish i said i was not interested. So now comes the pressure selling.....
They will increased the part ex price if i do the deal now. Ok the price now seems fair and shook on it. Salesman goes of to get the paper work, he comes back after 10 or so minutes and says we fixed the interior light on the focus it was just the bulb was loose. Thats good i thought.
So now comes the sales patter.
The finance deal they offered was a joke even when i said i have the cash they were still pushing for there expensive finance. Not interested i said as i have the cash. Still pushing for the finance when i said i will walk out in a minute so he backed off.
Now sir it only comes with one key. That's no good i need two keys. Well it only comes with one was the reply. Look i said i know that Fords come with three keys new and are anywhere between £100 to £250 to replace at a main dealer. By this time i lost all interest in this sale. Told him i.m leaving ,he started getting nasty at this point and said why just because of a key?. I said no its because your attitude towards me. He asked me to wait while he talks to the manager.
I decided then to look at the car again and check out the interior light only to find all they had done was remove the bulb.Liars i thought. Now the salesman and manager come over to talk. The manager then says we will get you your spare key thats not a problem. I asked again if the interior light was fixed? The manager replied yes that is sorted. Liar all you have done is taken the bulb out. If you can lie about that then as far as i am concerned everything else is a just a lie for me to part with my money. I then left.
After reading some of the other reviews on here i think i made a lucky escape as they will say anything and not deliver just to get your deposit. Nothing was ever written down on paper it was all verbal promises which i now know they will deny later just to get your money.
I am not an awkward customer by no means. I just had a bad feeling about this place and felt i was being ripped off.
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- Darren Bayliss
- 1 Review
Not great!!!!!
Please THINK before putting deposit on a car at Car Shop Swindon as you will not get your money back if you change your mind. I phoned the next morning (15 hours after) as I decided that it was a diesel that I wanted but had one of their managers saying that they required the money to buy the car. Be careful as they look to sell you polish and extended warranties. They also keep you hanging around. Wouldnt go near the place again.
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- Matt Coverley
- London, GB
- 1 Review
IGNORES CORRESPONDENCE... AVOID AT ALL COSTS
i bought a BMW 7 series from them. the TV, Cd player and Cd mulitplayer all stopped working within weeks. the (extensive, plan A) warranty i bought doesn't cover these problems and isn't worth the paper it is written on.
i spoke to the "customer service manager" (what a joke). they said they will sort it out for me...."your custom is important to us" (another Joke). i heard nothing.
i spoke to a lawer and he told me to write to them and make sure the complaint/problem is documented. The Car Shop just ignored my letter. How long can they remain in business... ?
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- Amy Maggs
- Southwest, GB
- 9 Reviews
Robots with no compassion
They are just salesmen, that is literally all that's in there.
I'll tell the whole story --- we went in on Saturday of the jubilee weekend, and put a £300 deposit down on a car ready to pick up the following Saturday.
Over that weekend, I lost my job and we were therefore unable to complete the transaction. We called them straight away on Wednesday morning (next working day) and let Marc Adair know, and then sent an email to both him and quality@carshop.co.uk informing them of the circumstances.
We thought, given the advertisements everywhere, that we would have the 7 days in which to cancel and given that we told them the next working day, more than 3 days before we were due to complete, that we would receive a refund of the £300.
I've just spent the last 30-45 minutes on the phone in tears with first Steve Bryant, who was indifferent and short with me, kept repeatedly telling me that the deposit was non-refundable and to come into the branch and discuss it with them, despite us now not being able to afford the journey from Poole to Swindon. I then asked to speak to his manager, who he said had gone home. I told him that there would be a manager somewhere and I wanted to speak to him... he then miraculously magicked Neil Robins (another manager) from somewhere in a split second, who I then had to go through the whole rigmarole again with.
He was also short and quite patronising towards me and made me feel like an idiot when he was quoting parts of the t&c; I had thought that the 7-day money back guarantee would cover this, especially given the short time period in which we notified them -- which it apparently doesn't. He also told me that they don't accept cancellation of order over the phone, even though they had relisted the car again - so they clearly do.
I have trawled their t&c and read the refund bit, which basically means they can give a refund if they want to but they obviously didn't feel any compassion to my losing my job and having a one-year old to feed and look after.
So now after me being in tears for the past 45-minutes, talking to completely uncompassionate salesmen with apparently no soul, I am still not in possession of my £300 and very, VERY unhappy with carshop and the two managers I have had to deal with.
I think customer service needs to be reviewed, and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone after my horrible experience.
- Mike Andrews
- London, GB
- 1 Review
Extremely Poor service - DON'T GO HERE
Carshop Swindon
Pushy manipulative sales staff was going to force my wife to buy there expensive GAP insurance. Generally the staff do not listen to the customers and are scripted to load the sale the expensive financial product which are available elsewhere at more competitive prices.
It is clear that there aggressive sales approach is model that is part of the carshop's ethos.
I would not recommend the carshop to any of my foes let alone my friends.
Read the other reviews, and you will find that my comments are typical of the general experiences from other customers.
- m v
- london, GB
- 1 Review
mik
Please if you have money to spent do not go on here.i paid a lot of money for a car and find out that had an accident,HPI clear but had bad accident and not writeoff,when i call them, they told me "we didn't knew about that" we can't help you....please check any report for accidents before buy a car,,in my opinion if you go on here you get the risk to buy a car that make your live hard and your pocket light when you want to sell it next time.i was expected a perfect car from them .i will review this carshop in all possible online forms. thx to this that we can tell our problem and help people not to buy unsafe staff.
