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Took my fiesta st in for booked service & mot, was told i could wait by a booking confirmation the day before as i live near kimpton. Arrived at 8.30am and was told i couldn’t!!! Totally unprofessional and disinterested in helping me in any way!! Last year when i spent nearly a £1000 on a service a courtesy car was provided. Obviously only interested in revenue gathering and not the customer, waited outside ifor 15 mins before cancelling!!
Let me start this review by saying I have been a life long ford fan, from my parents owning Capri's, Cortinas, Granadas, Escort Cosworths and myself owning several cars that bare the Ford brand, mostly Mustangs, so you could say we as a family have been loyal to the brand throughout my 39 years of existence. Recently I purchased a brand new car from Gates of Stevenage, a limited edition Ford Mustang Mach 1 - With only 300 production cars entering the UK, this Almost 58k was purchased to be put away into long term storage and not used. The car was purchased with a 43k part ex, and the rest was paid in full, so no finance was used to bridge the shortfall, I guess this is a slight downfall on my side as it negates anyone to own the issue if something was wrong. Everything leading up to the purchase was excellent; the sales guy was great and very attentive, answering the phone and emails almost immediately; well, I guess they would; they wanted pound notes after all. I attentively paid for the vehicle and collected it from my home in Barnsley to Stevenage in my part ex Mercedes E53 AMG in flawless condition, and I wish I could say the same for the vehicle I picked up, more on that later. After collecting the car, I noticed something was not quite right; it felt crashy and unresponsive on the road, you could say, dangerous. Thirty miles out of the dealership, the tyre TMPS system flashed a warning of low tyre pressures, and I pulled over the Motorway service to check the tyres; all were mismatched. I put the tyre pressure down as a minor fault the PDI guy missed after delivery from the factory; no harm done. However, I sent a photograph of the vehicle to a friend, instantly he recognised that there was something not correct, the front end of the car was riding higher than usual. It became apparent that the PDR Technician left the transport shims installed into the car's suspension during transit to the dealership and let me drive away with them installed still; this explains the abysmal handling of the car on the journey to my destination, which involved some twisty national speed limit roads, this could have ended in a catastrophic accident that not only could have put my life in danger but the lives of other road users too. I made this aware to the dealership, the response: "They do not come on any other cars, so we would not have noticed" this is an inferior and passive way to deal with this situation; the Mustang Mach 1's PDI document strictly informs the PDI technician to remove them and also includes a photograph of them so they can easily be identified, that is because they are bright yellow. Not only that, their own 100% PDI document tells them to remove them, so there is no excuse for them to have not been removed. I have identified several faults with the vehicle since, primarily cosmetic, a paint drip in the nearside wing has split to bare metal, factory stone chips that have been touched up poorly and metal in the lacquer on the near side wing, amongst other minor paint defects. Now the dealership has my money, nobody wants to own the issues and are deferring me elsewhere; I am not 100% satisfied that a 100% safe PDI was carried out; in fact, I believe they have issued me with a forged document created in haste to satisfy their records and to appease me. However, they failed in their duty to hand over a 100% satisfactory product to their end-user with zero care to inspect the paint of the vehicle evident on their PDI as it's not been marked but singed off, also leaving dangerous items in the suspension of the car is unacceptable. The Dealer principal has tried to convince me that paint drips and defects are of satisfactory quality within manufacturing tolerance - never in my time buying cars here and in the US heard such nonsense in my life. Since the dealership is not willing to talk about a complete resolution to solve the problems, I am unable to recommend them as they allow cars to leave their dealership in a dangerous manner but also in an unacceptable quality, I have also issued a full complaint to Ford UK customer services as well as Lisa Brankin, Managing Director Ford of Britain. Some dealerships go above and beyond for their customers; sadly, this is not one of them. Since making my completed they are 100% not bothered about talking to me any longer; I'm sure Henry Ford would be turning in his grave, I have been a lifelong lover of the brand, and this is the only experience buying a car in the UK that could make completely flip and go to another brand. Please think twice before putting your precious children in a car from this dealership, as it could end in absolute catastrophe. ZERO Stars
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MY NEW FORD VEHICLE REQUIRES AN OIL CHANGE EVERY 1000 MILES. In August 2018 I purchased a brand new Transit Courier Sport van from Gates of Stevenage and from the time I drove it out of the showroom to this day, I have incurred endless issues. It started with the sat nav which did not appear to be working and it took Gates six weeks to find and repair the fault. I then got to 1000 miles on the dashboard and the warning light cane on confirming an engine service and oil change was needed.straightaway. Surprised. I took the van back to Gates to be fixed again. The van stayed at Gates for a further three weeks which meant in the space of three months. I was for a second time without the vehicle I had paid for in good faith.I was prepared to accept the inconvenience as long as it got repaired so I persevered. To my disbelief, at 2000 miles the same warning light came on advising me that another engine service and oil change was required. Back it went for a further three weeks and again I was inconvenienced and without the van I had bought.. To my horror at 3000 miles I received the same warning light and the same issues. At that point I realised there was an obvious fundamental fault with the mechanics of my van and so I asked Gates to take the van back and return my money in full. I could not waste any more time or energy on this especially knowing that by that point the van has spent more time with Gates’ service department then with me. To my disgust, Gates were not interested in any type of customer service or customer retention and had no intentions of refunding any monies. Following each engine change and service they advised and insisted my van was performing to “manufacturers specifications”. Having then contacted Ford UK I immediately learned there was no specification written anywhere advising the consumer that this particular make and model of transit courier would require a service and oil change every 1000 miles. Had I been made aware of this I would have known this type of van would not be appropriate for me or my business. Eventually Gates offered to refund my van at its purchase price minus the mileage to date. I was not prepared to accept this because it was significantly lower than what I had paid to own the van and the time, effort and inconvenience was not reflected in the refund in any way at all. My last resort was to appeal to Ford UK to offer me a satisfactory resolution however they offered no support or customer service and batted me back to Gates. I now have no option but to instruct a solicitor to assist with my situation. No vehicle should ever require an oil change and engine service at every 1000 miles. Would you not agree?
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As an appointed FordStore, Gates of Stevenage is one of our flagship locations and offers customers a unique retail experience. Walk through our easily navigable zones to browse our new vehicle line-up, and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere that’s enhanced by interactive technology. While there’s no pressure, our friendly staff members are on hand to help should you have any questions.
In addition to new Ford cars, our Gates of Stevenage FordStore also has a wide selection of high-quality used vehicles available. These have been thoroughly inspected by our trained technicians, and come with a host of benefits for your continued peace of mind. We also provide a host of aftersales services such and MOT testing, servicing and repairs, to help keep your Ford in prime condition.
Gates of Stevenage is situated to the south of the town centre, within easy reach of Hertford, Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin, and Biggleswade. It’s located just off the A1 (M) and A602, at Arlington Business Park on Gunnels Wood Road. Leave the A1 at Junction 7 and at the roundabout take the exit onto Broadhall Way/A602. At the next roundabout take the first exit onto Gunnels Wood Road. You will see Gates of Stevenage on the left after approximately 450 metres. Stevenage rail station is also close by, being just a 10 minute walk from the dealership. From there, trains run to London, Luton and Bedford.
Our experienced, friendly team are on hand during the hours listed above to help you with choosing a vehicle or keeping your car running smoothly. Get in touch via our enquiry form or using the phone numbers above. Alternatively, visit us today to explore our wide range of new and used vehicles.
Deals in: 4x4s, Cars
Manufacturers: Ford
Franchise Dealership
founded in 1920
Gates Of Stevenage
Arlington Business Park Gunnelswood Road
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2BE
Mon | 08.00 - 18.00 |
Tue | 08.00 - 18.00 |
Wed | 08.00 - 18.00 |
Thu | 08.00 - 18.00 |
Fri | 08.00 - 18.00 |
Sat | 08.00 - 18.00 |
Sun | 10.00 - 16.00 |
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