I need a new dealership for servicing - UK - London Based

928 Views 22 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Mamma Mia Monte Carlo, 6 d ago

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo

Discussion Starter · 15 d ago

Hi all,

I've read through numerous threads but most of them seem to be very dated now.

I've had a very unpleasant experience with a dealership in Hertfordshire that has left me questioning why I own an Alfa at all if the dealership selling them and servicing them hates them.

After a minor incident with my car whilst in their care, I agreed to check dashcam footage to see how the damage could have been caused. the footage has left me speechless and even after a good nights sleep I am still lost for words.

As it stands I need to find a new dealership and so I'm reaching out to you all for your recommendations before I take any further steps.

From other threads I'm seeing Mangos, Palmer and Phillips and Alfa Workshop. I don't know if these still exist so I'll look into them in the meantime

Thanks in advance for any help

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

Peteimpreza

· #2 · 15 d ago

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

If you are herts based I and I think most people would advise you to get along to Jamie Porter and his crew at Alfaworkshop.

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo

Discussion Starter · #3 · 15 d ago

Peteimpreza said:
Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

If you are herts based I and I think most people would advise you to get along to Jamie Porter and his crew at Alfaworkshop.

Thanks mate, I have 1 year remaining on my Mopar Scheduled Maintenance plan. Do they qualify?

I'm now looking to have the recent service redone as I don't think that my car has been looked after. This will of course cost but hopefully Alfa UK will help with this based on my experience

Peteimpreza

· #4 · 15 d ago

MOPAR is main dealers only I believe

Andy Bowden

· #5 · 15 d ago

Peteimpreza said:
MOPAR is main dealers only I believe

MOPAR service plan can only be used at an AR main dealer or at AR approved workshops. That would not include Alfaworkshop, I believe.

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo

Discussion Starter · #6 · 15 d ago

Andy Bowden said:
MOPAR service plan can only be used at an AR main dealer or at AR approved workshops. That would not include Alfaworkshop, I believe.

cheers. With that in mind, has anyone used Thames Slough? I don't want to go from the frying pan into the fire.

I may have to have my car checked at a trustworthy indy and then take it from there. Not sure right now, still letting the dust settle.

jparkin486

· #7 · 15 d ago

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo said:
cheers. With that in mind, has anyone used Thames Slough? I don't want to go from the frying pan into the fire.

I may have to have my car checked at a trustworthy indy and then take it from there. Not sure right now, still letting the dust settle.

I have dealt with Thames Slough when buying my previous Giulietta and they were helping me through buying a Tonale, before I pulled out. They were very efficient and Vince is very knowledgeable. Never used them for servicing. I did use WLMG in Reading (as it was nearer to where I lived). They were very good, no complaints.

Reactions: 1

Muz

· #8 · 15 d ago

jparkin486 said:
I have dealt with Thames Slough when buying my previous Giulietta and they were helping me through buying a Tonale, before I pulled out. They were very efficient and Vince is very knowledgeable. Never used them for servicing. I did use WLMG in Reading (as it was nearer to where I lived). They were very good, no complaints.

I was also going to mention them, Vince was brilliant during the purchase of my Giulia but like you I have not had a car serviced there.

Reactions: 1

allday

· #9 · 15 d ago

I used WLMG reading for my 5th year service in March, which includes cambelt and water pump (diesel). Was good

Reactions: 1

REDGTA

· #10 · 15 d ago

I have had a good experience with servicing at Thames Slough. And the Burnham station is a short walk away which is an Elizabeth line station back into central London. Convenient

Reactions: 2

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo

Discussion Starter · #11 · 14 d ago

2 great leads to go on there, thank you everyone, I really appreciate the help.

don.norchi

· #12 · 14 d ago (Edited)

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo said:
Hi all,

I've read through numerous threads but most of them seem to be very dated now.

I've had a very unpleasant experience with a dealership in Hertfordshire that has left me questioning why I own an Alfa at all if the dealership selling them and servicing them hates them.

After a minor incident with my car whilst in their care, I agreed to check dashcam footage to see how the damage could have been caused. the footage has left me speechless and even after a good nights sleep I am still lost for words.

As it stands I need to find a new dealership and so I'm reaching out to you all for your recommendations before I take any further steps.

From other threads I'm seeing Mangos, Palmer and Phillips and Alfa Workshop. I don't know if these still exist so I'll look into them in the meantime

Thanks in advance for any help

I daresay that we come sometimes to have very diverse experiences.... service and so on with just the one dealer. Six years ago I bought my Giulia QF from Palmers and the run in to my paying in full for the car and having to collect it exposed just about the biggest bunch of shysters I thought one could experience in the motor trade in this day and age.

I contacted AR head office in Slough and a very senior manager there said it was just about par for the course with Palmers and they held on to their dealership solely because they sold a good few cars.... honesty that I did not expect.

I went to the next nearest dealer, Glyn Hopkin in Hatfield and over the ensueing years find them without exception unexpectedly good in all respects.

Under the various Stellantis reshuffles Glyn Hopkin now no longer sell Alfas but remain an official service and parts supplier.

Don.

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Mamma Mia Monte Carlo

Discussion Starter · #13 · 14 d ago (Edited)

don.norchi said:
I daresay that we come sometimes to have very diverse experiences.... service and so on with just the one dealer. Six years ago I bought my Giulia QF from Palmers and the run in to my paying in full for the car and having to collect it exposed just about the biggest bunch of shysters I thought one could experience in the motor trade in this day and age.

I contacted AR head office in Slough and a very senior manager there said it was just about par for the course with Palmers and they held on to their dealership solely because they sold a good few cars.... honesty that I did not expect.

I went to the next nearest dealer, Glyn Hopkin in Hatfield and over the ensueing years find them without exception unexpectedly good in all respects.

Under the various Stellantis reshuffles Glyn Hopkin now no longer sell Alfas but remain an official service and parts supplier.

Don.

You have no idea how much this means Don, thank you.

I am writing to AR head office this weekend once I've processed everything and can detail it in a calm manner, but if you have any tips or contacts that would speed up the process I'd really appreciate it.

I've been advised to send the footage to Trading Standards as this particular dealership are knowingly selling cars that are broken/faulty.

I won't go into any other detail as I think that this is going to get ugly and go the legal route which isn't something I was expecting.

Please feel free to PM me anything that you think will help me so as to avoid libel on this forum

Jetmeister

· #14 · 12 d ago

@Mamma Mia Monte Carlo - I've just had my 5 year service at HWM in Hersham and can highly recommend them.

Reactions: 1

TonyGr

· #15 · 12 d ago

allday said:
I used WLMG reading for my 5th year service in March, which includes cambelt and water pump (diesel). Was good

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo said:
2 great leads to go on there, thank you everyone, I really appreciate the help.

@Mamma Mia Monte Carlo before you go contacting WLMG you need to note this thread
WLMG Reading - no longer Alfa dealer | Alfa Romeo Forum (alfaowner.com)

Reactions: 1

cue2

· #16 · 12 d ago

don.norchi said:
I daresay that we come sometimes to have very diverse experiences.... service and so on with just the one dealer. Six years ago I bought my Giulia QF from Palmers and the run in to my paying in full for the car and having to collect it exposed just about the biggest bunch of shysters I thought one could experience in the motor trade in this day and age.

I contacted AR head office in Slough and a very senior manager there said it was just about par for the course with Palmers and they held on to their dealership solely because they sold a good few cars.... honesty that I did not expect.

I went to the next nearest dealer, Glyn Hopkin in Hatfield and over the ensueing years find them without exception unexpectedly good in all respects.

Under the various Stellantis reshuffles Glyn Hopkin now no longer sell Alfas but remain an official service and parts supplier.

Don.

A colleague stopped letting one of those dealers wash his Abarth at service when he saw the car wash boy drop his sponge on the ground and go straight back to using it on a customer’s car. But then he did get a good price on Abarth bits, just before a big Abarth parts fraud was uncovered..
I suspect the trade is full of opportunists.

captainham

· #17 · 12 d ago

cue2 said:
A colleague stopped letting one of those dealers wash his Abarth at service when he saw the car wash boy drop his sponge on the ground and go straight back to using it on a customer’s car.

If people think that doesn’t happen everywhere then I’d say they’re mad. And if it’s not a hand wash then it’s an automated one, just as bad.
I’m so anal I put a laminated sign on the seat saying “Do not wash”. I’d never let a garage wash my car.

Reactions: 1

manc350

· #18 · 12 d ago

captainham said:
If people think that doesn’t happen everywhere then I’d say they’re mad. And if it’s not a hand wash then it’s an automated one, just as bad.
I’m so anal I put a laminated sign on the seat saying “Do not wash”. I’d never let a garage wash my car.

My wife had a black 3 series coupe from new back in '99 that we owned. and when it went for it's 1st service they valeted it . I went to pick it up and it was riddled with scratches and swirl marks. We had bought a number of cars from the dealership and knew the service manager quite well.. I showed him and he was not best pleased.. he sent me home in a nice loaner 5 series and said he would be in touch as son as sorted.

A few 2 days later I picked it up again on my way to work, it looked like brand new again. They had send it to their own bodyshop, Benhams in Stockport as was, and they did a cracking job.. Got a very nice apology and a few quid off our next service to cover the inconvenience.

Since then I never let dealers wash my car, my wife's company cars I could not care less they can stick em through auto washes if they like

.. but if my $$$ then that is a red line !

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captainham

· #19 · 12 d ago (Edited)

manc350 said:
Since then I never let dealers wash my car, my wife's company cars I could not care less they can stick em through auto washes if they like .. but if my $$$ then that is a red line !

Best one was my old F-Type. When I enquired why they'd had the car so long during a service (Jag main dealer), they finally admitted they'd scratched it and it was in their body shop about to be resprayed. Not only had they not offered this information themselves, they also hadn't realised it had PPF (which took all the damage, paintwork was perfectly fine underneath), and wondered why attempts to buff out the scratch seemed to make the whole area worse. They were about to start sanding down a door that was still covered in PPF. You couldn't make it up. I only just got there in the nick of time to rescue it from their clutches. Muppets.

Reactions: 1

Mamma Mia Monte Carlo

Discussion Starter · #20 · 6 d ago

captainham said:
If people think that doesn’t happen everywhere then I’d say they’re mad. And if it’s not a hand wash then it’s an automated one, just as bad.
I’m so anal I put a laminated sign on the seat saying “Do not wash”. I’d never let a garage wash my car.

I had a laminated sign in mine, the car was half washed until they read it and then realised. They parked it under a tree and hoped I wouldn't notice. My boot lid had lots of fine scratches on it. Was already fighting with them that day so let it slide.

Reactions: 1

1 - 20 of 23 Posts