Lewis D

Avoid Parkway VW

Avoid Parkway VW – A Dealership with a Pattern of Selling Shady Vehicles and having Shady Practices If you're looking for a dealership that sells crash-damaged cars under the radar, Parkway VW seems to have mastered the art. My experience with them spans nearly a decade, and if I thought they’d improved since my first problematic purchase in 2014, I was sorely mistaken… I should have learnt my lesson. The most recent disaster? A Golf GTI Clubsport Edition 45 (WP71 GFK) - a car that should have been well presented but had clearly been involved in an accident at some point with shocking repairs. This wasn’t some minor issue; the paintwork flaws over more than half the vehicle were undeniable and should have been flagged during a proper PDI. Unfortunately, due to poor weather, I only noticed these defects after about two weeks of ownership. By then, we had already shelled out £650 for four new tyres because the originals were cracked and rotting - another issue that never should have made it past a dealership supposedly selling decent roadworthy cars. Parkway’s attempt at rectifying the paintwork issues was equally abysmal. Their on-site body shop delivered subpar repairs, failing to resolve the problem. Given the situation, we requested to return the car within their 30-day return window. Since no suitable replacements were available, we pushed for the option to factory-order a new vehicle and was offered a supposed “discount.” The deal also included assurances that Parkway would take the faulty car back upon delivery of the new one - though I was warned there might be a small amount of negative equity. Fast forward to finalising the numbers on the new vehicle, and surprise, surprise: we were hit with £2,572.52 in negative equity - coincidentally a similar amount of the so-called discount given on the new car. Even worse, the faulty Golf (WP71 GFK) was re-listed for the same price we originally paid, despite its damage history, poor body work, and an additional owner (me). So where did that negative equity go? Right back into Parkway’s pocket. It also appears that this vehicle has now been sold on, I feel for the new owner! This is not a one-off experience for me. Parkway VW has demonstrated a consistent pattern of poor service, shady vehicles, shady sales practices, and zero accountability. A quick glance at their negative reviews confirms I’m far from the only one. There are plenty of other VW dealerships in the area - ones that will actually stand behind their cars and their customers. Do yourself a favour and steer clear of the Parkway Group.