Fords Of Winsford, Cheshire www.fow.co.uk Review

Overall Rating

Cheap prices on most cars - but watch out for the odd over-priced vehicle.

Rock bottom trade-in values given for your own car. Some of the Sales Staff have a very arrogant attitude and all adopt a "take it or leave it" approach - which can be taken as offensive.

I purchased an MGZT from FOW in March 2003 and accepted the deal that was on offer. As my car was only equipped with an emergency "tyreweld" repair kit (and didn't have a spare wheel) I was told by the salesman concerned that I would receive a 'spacesaver' wheel as soon as they could order one. Needless to say, this did not arrive - they argued that this was not a standard option fitted to the car!

Furthermore, due to the fact that my trade-in car had a private registration (which was being removed) they insisted on holding a £200 deposit until receipt of a new V5 registration document (as this was retained for a week by the DVLA) pending issue of a new registration number. It took them 2 MONTHS and several unpleasant letters - including the threat of Legal Action before my money was eventually returned!

For Car choice excellent - but poor service and customer relations! BUYER BEWARE!

I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY AGAIN! - Indeed, I have just renewed my vehicle again via another dealer.

Members' Comments onTopbanana4uxxx's Review

• hobbitt2001 on 18th Nov 2005

  Just found your website and having read the review on the company that I have worked for a number of years i feel compelled to put keyboard to screen. The prices are cheap due to small profit margin and large buying power. Trade in value`s we give the value we would exspect to get at an auction not the inflated price given by a dealer who out of his £2000 profit may add £500 of his profit on to your car. MG ZT did not come with space saver spare but with tyreweld, the salesman made a mistake we are human after all and on occasions make mistakes. And finally private plate (nightmare waiting to happen) we cannot sell a car with no v5 document, if I had a £1 for everytime a customer told me I forgot the MOT v5 but I will bring it in next day I would be a millionaire so take £200 off the customer they soon bring in the new v5 when the DVLA send it to them. It does not req letters to get the money back speak to the salesman its his job to sort out the paperwork otherwise he loses his hard earned £15 for selling you the car in the first place. Happy Buying, lots of love an FOW salesman.

• Topbanana4uxxx on 21st Nov 2005

  I admire the loyalty and committment to his job of the FOW Salesman - but feel compelled to comment nevertheless!
  
  As a paying customer, I feel entitled to comment of the standard of service I get, including value for money and the way I am treated by at least one of the Salesmen employed by FOW.
  
  It is everyone's privilege to shop around for the best possible car deal - yes some of the FOW prices are cheap, but don't be fooled into thinking that every single one is cheap - they are not! Balance that against the price they will give you for your Part-exchange and the deal may not sound quite as good as it first sounded!
  
  Lastly, I would like to offer my sympathy for the poor FOW Salesman that gets paid just £15 a sale - perhaps the experience I had was a reflection on the quality of their Staff Training ... or that there is some truth in the old saying "you pay peanuts and you employ monkeys!". A former FOW Paying Customer.

• hobbitt2001 on 22nd Nov 2005

  One complaint out of twelve thounsand cars a year. Enough said!

• bazaall on 5th Jan 2006

  I am in the process of buying a car from FOW, paid the depoisit on a car worth £5399, my seperate finance company paid the rest entirely yesterday and now i find that FOW has no V5 document for the car and it will take 4 - 6 weeks to get a new one. and they did not tell me while i asked abou the car and test drove it, they did not tell me when i paid the deposit, but now 1 day before pick up i find out. THANKS FOW for nothing, now i have to get lifts somehow to work for a month!!!! this cannot be right, and to the trading rules, arn't i entitled to some reimbursement for this?

• mrchris on 2nd Feb 2006

  Having owned 2 MG ZR's (not a ZT), one with a space-saver wheel, and one with the IMS (Instant Mobility System) I know how annoying it can be to not have a spare wheel. The cost-cutting on MGs was a feature of the entire range, and some came with spare wheels, and some didn't, just like one of my ZR's turned out to have non-standard spec ABS. I have just replaced my MG (due to accident) with a nearly new Astra SRi. I hunted round dealers for ages and found FOW to have an excellent deal. I cannot speak for part-exchanging a car as the insurance company gave me a cheque to pay for a new car, whilst the remaining balance was paid on finance. The salesman could not have been more helpful, even holding the car for me while I waited for my insurance company to pay out. He sent me the V5 by registered post as soon as he could, and had all paperwork, spare keys, security codes, locking wheel nut adapter etc sorted at very short notice for my collection. All finance options were discussed in detail, even when I turned up near closing - he stayed an extra half hour just to talk me through the options (although I realise he wanted the sale!) The only downside I found was with collecting the car. You have to 'book' a collections appointment and therefore you do not have the luxury of just turning up. However, with the very large stock I suppose there has to be some sort of system in place to make sure there is never a massive queue. Overall I was impressed with FOW. Perhaps I should write a review...

• mrchris on 2nd Feb 2006

  As a previous owner of 2 MG ZR's, and knowing someone else with one, I can say that the issue of spacesaver wheels appeared to be more of a 'pot luck'. In one of mine I got one, in the other I got the IMS (Instant Mobility System, which apparently caused problems when you actually tried to have the tyre replaced).
  
  Just like in my first MG I didn't get ABS, but on the second one I got non-standard spec ABS.
  
  Having been in two accidents with them, (last ZR couldn't be repaired due to sever lack of body panels and bonnet landing panels - MG owners beware) I have now just bought an Astra from FOW and was overall very pleased with the service and helpfulness of my salesman. On the downside, I was probably their ideal customer, wanting a car quickly and coming with a wad of cash as an insurance payout on my last car.
  
  Perhaps I'll write a review!

• mrchris on 3rd Feb 2006

  And perhaps I'll learn not to be so click-happy with the "submit comments" button...

• Topbanana4uxxx on 3rd Feb 2006

  As in any Commission Driven Sales environment it's a case of "Buyer Beware" ... I think it would be a good idea for everyone to familiarise themselves with the "Sale Of Goods Act" which gives the Consumer a great deal of rights and give the less Professional Car Dealers a kick in the teeth! ... FOW is a great place to spend looking at and comparing different cars 'side by side' - whether you choose to buy from them is another matter! Take care! ;o)