Craigb Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Taken from Briskoda... This review is of my own opinion and no one else blah blah blah My Octavia vRS was booked into the newly badged Halfords Autocentre (previously Nationwide Autocentres) of Portsmouth. I’ve used this garage only once before for a MOT as Nationwide/Halfords subscribe to the Tesco clubcard deals. As I had a surplus that I needed to exchange when Tesco changed their 4x value policy to a 3x value, I cashed in £50 of tesco clubcard vouchers for £200 worth of Halfords. Car all booked in online, no problems. Dropped the car in on a Saturday morning, looking nice and shiny, and requested that they swap the front wheels for the rear, which they said was no problem. Few hours later, received a phone call stating that it’s ready for collection. In I go, to be given a list of extra work that the car would require, including a new exhaust as the mid exhaust was blowing badly – MOT fail. Online they state what is checked/replaced in a ‘full’ service and they state that the pollen filter is checked and if a new one is required it would be replaced at extra cost. Now I knew that my pollen filter was bogging, as I had looked at it before hand and had even ordered a replacement which I hadn’t yet fitted…nothing said by Halfords about the pollen filter, so I asked if it was checked, to which they replied that it was that it didn’t need replacing…hmmmm sceptical. I then walked out to my car, which was now filthy with dirty mechanic’s handprints on the wings. When asked why this was, they stated it was because they removed the wheels. Really…that needed you to put your filthy paws all over the wings, I don’t think so. Opened the door, my nice red mats are now oil stained and there are more greasemonkey paw prints on the gear knob and steering wheel. Every garage I’ve been to uses disposable covers when they need to manoeuvre customer’s vehicles, asked them why they didn’t…they didn’t have any! Expressed my displeasure - not interested. Luckily SWMBO had some baby wipes in her handbag of doom, so wiped everything down before getting in the car and driving off. Remember the exhaust? Well fastforward 2 weeks to the car’s MOT at a Skoda main dealer. Failed on a tyre, which I was expecting and approved the replacement, I asked about the exhaust as I was expecting a replacement on that, they stated that it wasn’t blowing and had passed the MOT emissions! Badly blowing indeed, thanks for your advice Halfords, good thing I didn’t take it. 20 Minutes later I received a call from the dealer, they can’t get the rear wheels off as the bolts are so tight, but they’d keep trying. When I picked the car up, the service guy showed me the wheel bolts that he had eventually been able to remove (having replaced them FOC ); the thread had been sheared off due to being tightened above the correct torque settings…I wonder who did that then? Yup, Halfords were the last ones to touch the wheels. To top all this off, I looked in the service book to make sure Halfords had stamped it…they had, but in the 2nd owner section! You couldn’t make it up! No wonder they can’t service cars correctly if they can’t even stamp a book in the right place. I went back to get them to correct it, they thought it was hilarious…I did not. So, in conclusion, I won’t be returning to a Halfords Autocentre again and would not recommend them to anyone. I think I have earned the dubious honour of being able to refer to Halfords as Halfrauds! I’m just glad Tesco paid for the service and not me. Briskodians, use Halfords Autocentres at your risk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roo Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Reading that i wouldnt let halfords near my nephews lego let alone a my car. worryingly i had a similar experience a few years back with different franchise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 You basically use Halfords for cars when; - Your a teenager and you need a luminous Blue gear knob for your Nova/Fiesta/Saxo/Corsa - Something is broken and you literally cannot get anywhere else/its a Sunday - You need some form of cleaning implement immediately so you can't wait for Tim to post it to you - You have suffered a severe head injury which resulting in you only having a 30 minute memory Garages employ mechanics who have plied their trade and trainees who are keen to learn.........Halfords employ people who couldn't make it as mechanics and gimps from the shop floor who think they've got some stones about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alessandro Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Garages employ mechanics who have plied their trade and trainees who are keen to learn.........Halfords employ people who couldn't make it as mechanics and gimps from the shop floor who think they've got some stones about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigb Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 I don't think halfords are qualified to even wash a car, nevermind service one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatterjon Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Really not sure why you would take your car to Halfords for a service!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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