Here is my review so far of Bristols Street Motors - Derby Seat.
The wife and I went in to our local chilwell Seat to look for an exeo, they had nothing and couldn't get us anything either as we wanted a 12my car with the new lights etc, Bristol on the other hand couldn't help enough, they had a 140 we could test drive, when I said it wasn't pokie enough they arranged a 24hr test drive in their 170 st so I could see how bad the fuel economy was on my trip to work and around town.
I came back very happy it wasn't too bad, and Johnathan and Neil couldn't do enough to help! Neil got me the exact car I wanted, color, spec, even down to it having a factory fitted Towbar! And the price was good too! (I even upped my budget a bit they were soo good! But I didn't have to go as high as expected!)
When the car was delivered from Seat fleet management johnathan called me and let me come see the car before it was prepped so I could snag any faults, the only issue being a cracked lower grill where it looked like it had hit a bird at some point (we will come back to this... It seemed a bit poor at the time a car had been sent from fleet with a defect but the rad looked ok so I asked them to check it and replace the grill which they did)
A couple of days later and the car was ready, paper work went ok, for my £100 toward accessories I asked for a rear roof spoiler to be ordered..(I had to find the part number for the sales guy! And note I ordered it when I signed for the car on the 20th July 12). We then went out to double check the car, the grill had been changed, but I noticed a defect in both headlamps with them melting inside, I front of the hid projector. I pointed it out to Gary the sales man who was doing the hand over, and he said to book it in for a warrantee claim when I was back of holiday (we went away the next day, but took the old car so it sat on the drive).
I went straight from the dealer to pick the wife up from work who noticed the number plates were wrong! The last 3 letters were KKY not HKY as it should have been! Also the wheel bolt cap puller and screwdriver was missing from the tool kits, So I was back on the phone to derby, and they said they couldn't change the plates till tomorrow, no good for me as I was going away, so they agreed to make new plates and I would fit them. To apologise they gave use a complimentary cup, and sponge and chamoise in a leather seat bag.
I came back off holz, and that week called up to book the car in for the headlights, the lady on the phone was a bit snooty as said they wouldn't replace headlights without good reason, and bi had to book the car into be assessed. So took the car down to be checked. The service manager Ash agreed it wasn't right, took photos and said he would write the report for seat. I also asked where my spoiler was as it had been 2 weeks by then. Ash checked and said it had not been ordered! Not happy! Ash then ordered it for me, but I have now been told it is on back order with no expected date.
I waited another 2+ weeks and had no contact re the lights or spoiler. So I called in when I was next derby way, Ash was on holiday so I spoke to Rich in service. He checked the system and no report about my lights had been done! (spoiler was also still on back order) not happy by this point! So I showed yet another person the issue, Rich said he would make a report and call me Monday to let me know the progress.. Monday came and went, called up tues afternoon, got passed around, and finally some one admitted they should have called just out of courtesy to say there was no progress.
Wednesday I had a call to say that there was no news, which I didn't mind because at least I was now being informed. Thursday they said seat was very interested and gave the green light to change both my headlights and both the lamps on the demo car which had done the same.
The car was booked in for the 30th aug before the lamps had arrived, I called up the afternoon before to confirm the lamps were there, but as usual I got passed around, no one new anything, I got transferred to different departments, and kept getting back to a lady in the central call centre who could only apologise and keep trying for me, in the end I gave her my number and asked her to get anyone in the branch to call me! As I would be very annoyed if I arrived at 8am to find no lamps. About 30 mins later one of the sales guys called to say they did have the lamps.
Arrived at 8:30 and all was good, was told it should be done by lunch. Just before lunch I was called to say it would be just after lunch as one lamp wasn talking to the car. Got a call at 1 all was done and ok. Picked the car up at 2, noticed both lamps had a fair bit of condensation in them, but thought i would check when home if it had started to clear.
Got home went to pull the backs of the lamps off to allow them to breathe for a few hours, only to see warrantee seals on all the covers, which had all been voided and then stuck back down, inc on the indicator covers! I then noticed the bumper had a slight gap where it joins the wing in places, it's only slight, but noticeable especially as a new car has no gap at all! Then I went to my folks after dark, and the headlights haven't been set correctly, one is slightly higher than the other!
I called up as soon as I noticed the bumper but the lady on the service desk first said I could poss book it in for next week... Not an option as I am away on business, and it's the wife's car, they then offered to collect it from her work, but that's no good as she works on a secure site.
She then asked what the exact problem was, so I explained it, she went to speak to the tech, who told her and I quote " he did pull part of a dead pheasant from behind the bumper" which when I pointed out that would have been from before I took delivery of the car and it was in seat fleet, and I know this due to them having to fit a new grill when it arrived from seat fleet.. It then changed to " it was only a few feathers..."
After much pushing the lady on service agreed to look at it this morning, now seat in their reception watching kids TV, I have already been called into the workshop to show the problem as she can't see much wrong...but if I'm honest looking at the ones in the showroom the bumper fit it mint, no gaps at all! So there is very little excuse as I see it, the car clear looks to a trained eye like the bumpers been off!
They only agreed to fit me in when I ponied out the view of users on owners clubs was new sales are brill, after sales is lacking, and I had found just that, plus I hadn't writen my letter to seat hq yet that I promised Johnathan I would write, mainly because of the headlight issue! (I promised Johnathan I would write it, as he is pretty new to the job, but went more than the e extra mile for me and the wife!! And sadly people are quick to complain but slow to praise.)
I will keep you updated how I get on, but I am tempted to go to my local small seat garage for the servicing at this rate! It's less than a mile from my front door! I just hope their after sales is better than their new sales..
The wife and I went in to our local chilwell Seat to look for an exeo, they had nothing and couldn't get us anything either as we wanted a 12my car with the new lights etc, Bristol on the other hand couldn't help enough, they had a 140 we could test drive, when I said it wasn't pokie enough they arranged a 24hr test drive in their 170 st so I could see how bad the fuel economy was on my trip to work and around town.
I came back very happy it wasn't too bad, and Johnathan and Neil couldn't do enough to help! Neil got me the exact car I wanted, color, spec, even down to it having a factory fitted Towbar! And the price was good too! (I even upped my budget a bit they were soo good! But I didn't have to go as high as expected!)
When the car was delivered from Seat fleet management johnathan called me and let me come see the car before it was prepped so I could snag any faults, the only issue being a cracked lower grill where it looked like it had hit a bird at some point (we will come back to this... It seemed a bit poor at the time a car had been sent from fleet with a defect but the rad looked ok so I asked them to check it and replace the grill which they did)
A couple of days later and the car was ready, paper work went ok, for my £100 toward accessories I asked for a rear roof spoiler to be ordered..(I had to find the part number for the sales guy! And note I ordered it when I signed for the car on the 20th July 12). We then went out to double check the car, the grill had been changed, but I noticed a defect in both headlamps with them melting inside, I front of the hid projector. I pointed it out to Gary the sales man who was doing the hand over, and he said to book it in for a warrantee claim when I was back of holiday (we went away the next day, but took the old car so it sat on the drive).
I went straight from the dealer to pick the wife up from work who noticed the number plates were wrong! The last 3 letters were KKY not HKY as it should have been! Also the wheel bolt cap puller and screwdriver was missing from the tool kits, So I was back on the phone to derby, and they said they couldn't change the plates till tomorrow, no good for me as I was going away, so they agreed to make new plates and I would fit them. To apologise they gave use a complimentary cup, and sponge and chamoise in a leather seat bag.
I came back off holz, and that week called up to book the car in for the headlights, the lady on the phone was a bit snooty as said they wouldn't replace headlights without good reason, and bi had to book the car into be assessed. So took the car down to be checked. The service manager Ash agreed it wasn't right, took photos and said he would write the report for seat. I also asked where my spoiler was as it had been 2 weeks by then. Ash checked and said it had not been ordered! Not happy! Ash then ordered it for me, but I have now been told it is on back order with no expected date.
I waited another 2+ weeks and had no contact re the lights or spoiler. So I called in when I was next derby way, Ash was on holiday so I spoke to Rich in service. He checked the system and no report about my lights had been done! (spoiler was also still on back order) not happy by this point! So I showed yet another person the issue, Rich said he would make a report and call me Monday to let me know the progress.. Monday came and went, called up tues afternoon, got passed around, and finally some one admitted they should have called just out of courtesy to say there was no progress.
Wednesday I had a call to say that there was no news, which I didn't mind because at least I was now being informed. Thursday they said seat was very interested and gave the green light to change both my headlights and both the lamps on the demo car which had done the same.
The car was booked in for the 30th aug before the lamps had arrived, I called up the afternoon before to confirm the lamps were there, but as usual I got passed around, no one new anything, I got transferred to different departments, and kept getting back to a lady in the central call centre who could only apologise and keep trying for me, in the end I gave her my number and asked her to get anyone in the branch to call me! As I would be very annoyed if I arrived at 8am to find no lamps. About 30 mins later one of the sales guys called to say they did have the lamps.
Arrived at 8:30 and all was good, was told it should be done by lunch. Just before lunch I was called to say it would be just after lunch as one lamp wasn talking to the car. Got a call at 1 all was done and ok. Picked the car up at 2, noticed both lamps had a fair bit of condensation in them, but thought i would check when home if it had started to clear.
Got home went to pull the backs of the lamps off to allow them to breathe for a few hours, only to see warrantee seals on all the covers, which had all been voided and then stuck back down, inc on the indicator covers! I then noticed the bumper had a slight gap where it joins the wing in places, it's only slight, but noticeable especially as a new car has no gap at all! Then I went to my folks after dark, and the headlights haven't been set correctly, one is slightly higher than the other!
I called up as soon as I noticed the bumper but the lady on the service desk first said I could poss book it in for next week... Not an option as I am away on business, and it's the wife's car, they then offered to collect it from her work, but that's no good as she works on a secure site.
She then asked what the exact problem was, so I explained it, she went to speak to the tech, who told her and I quote " he did pull part of a dead pheasant from behind the bumper" which when I pointed out that would have been from before I took delivery of the car and it was in seat fleet, and I know this due to them having to fit a new grill when it arrived from seat fleet.. It then changed to " it was only a few feathers..."
After much pushing the lady on service agreed to look at it this morning, now seat in their reception watching kids TV, I have already been called into the workshop to show the problem as she can't see much wrong...but if I'm honest looking at the ones in the showroom the bumper fit it mint, no gaps at all! So there is very little excuse as I see it, the car clear looks to a trained eye like the bumpers been off!
They only agreed to fit me in when I ponied out the view of users on owners clubs was new sales are brill, after sales is lacking, and I had found just that, plus I hadn't writen my letter to seat hq yet that I promised Johnathan I would write, mainly because of the headlight issue! (I promised Johnathan I would write it, as he is pretty new to the job, but went more than the e extra mile for me and the wife!! And sadly people are quick to complain but slow to praise.)
I will keep you updated how I get on, but I am tempted to go to my local small seat garage for the servicing at this rate! It's less than a mile from my front door! I just hope their after sales is better than their new sales..
