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Picture courtesy of DealHunter.
| Customer service | 3/10   |
|---|---|
| Value for Money | 6.2/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 4.2/10 |
| Overall Rating | 4.8/10 |
By mrchris
on 2nd Feb 2006
| Value for money | 8/10 |
|---|---|
| Overall value | 8/10 |
 mrchris's recommendation | |
Lack of pressure until you actually want to buy the car, large stock, no-nonsense stock-list, searchable website, umbrellas provided in the rain
Windswept 'car park' feel, when purchasing you have to turn up with the tax disc, outdoors, impersonal since it's a supermarket
Fords of Winsford (FOW) is big. Very big. The first time I visited was on a quiet Tuesday morning. It was bitterly cold, very windy, there had been a heavy dew and the sun was blindingly low in the sky. As I looked out over the sweeping forecourt of so many cars I wondered what I should buy.
Why I was there
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I was at FOW since my car (an MG ZR) had been written off just before Christmas, and I was due a financial settlement. I picked up a stock-list at the entrance and it was very well organised alphabetically by manufacturer. It is very easy to see details about every car, its location on the forecourt (it's a well organised car park) and the prices. Additionally, every car has a price tag in the windscreen so it's just as easy to "browse" the stock. If you really want detail, you can visit the website where there is every search option you'd want for the site.
Replacing my car
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I firstly looked for a replacement for my MG ZR. The real benefit of FOW is that you can go and inspect the car, and even borrow the keys and have a good look round the interior and exterior of the car. You are allowed to start the vehicle but not move it. This becomes one of the downsides - because people are starting them, or the stock has been standing a while, the battery was flat in a few cars I tried. (FOW did offer to help start the cars I was interested in.)
The used ZRs I could afford had the feeling they had been slightly abused in their time. There were bits of trim missing, or they had signs of wear and tear in them, which I know is not unusual for a used car, but felt disappointing. There were new models available too, and they were much better but overpriced (in my opinion - my ZR couldn't repaired due to severe lack of MG Rover parts now). I saw something that I wanted more though. I spotted a very nice new-shape silver Vauxhall Astra SRi with bodykit etc, low mileage and high spec, and saw immediately it was out of my price range. Still, I borrowed the keys and had a good look round and decided I probably wanted to buy it. The car was in very good condition with the only gripes being some minor kerbing to one alloy wheel and a tiny windscreen chip.
Purchasing
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If you really are interested in a vehicle you have to hold on to the keys and then "book in" with a salesman. I didn't know this, and in fact a salesman overheard me discussing this at the reception desk and sat me down in his "booth" whereupon we discussed the vehicle.
Without boring you with finance details, he explained every aspect of a typical way I could purchase this car and still didn't really pressure me into buying the car. Either I hadn't show enough interest (I probably did have the air of a 'tyre kicker' about me, as I was so jaded after having trawled around so many dealers in the past, and I was not best pleased my immaculately kept car had been written off by an untraced driver) or he thought I was very non-commital. He gave me his sales card with his mobile number and I left, still under no obligation. I had informed him about my situation with waiting for an insurance payout and he bent over backwards to help me out, although I realise he wanted the sale.
Was it a good deal?
---------------------------
I went round Vauxhall dealers, and searched the Network Q website and Evans Halshaw, and found FOW to be the best deal by some margin (around £1000) for the exact car I had seen and wanted but it would depend on the finance deal. I went back to FOW to test-drive the car a couple of days later, which was no problem for them, and promptly put a deposit on the car. The salesman stayed way past closing to help me out, as I could only go after work. He arranged to have the V5 sent to me as soon as possible, and it arrived a couple of days later by registered post so that I could tax the car. I wasn't able to pay for the car until my insurance company had paid me for my other car and he agreed to hold onto my new car for a while.
In addition, I didn't haggle on the price of the car. Every other car I have bought, I have managed to get some movement downwards on price, but this was such a good deal I think it would have felt rude to ask. I know this is typically British behaviour, and I should have asked. The salesman did offer to help with tyre insurance for two years which I thought was a bonus, since the car I was buying had 18" ultra-low profile tyres.
Collections
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I then arranged to pick the car up but here is the only downside I experienced. You have to book a collections appointment, and mine wasn't very convenient for me. However, the actual appointment was painless (except for the parting of cash) and swift, if a little impersonal. I was given all the documentation for my car, spare keys, security code documents, locking wheel nut adapter etc, and was advised that the audio unit had been refitted. In fact, every bit of paper that Vauxhall produce with every car was there, and the collections agent also explained how I could register with Vauxhall for the remaining balance of the manufacturer's warranty. He also stated that I was entitled to the remaining Vauxhall AA Assistance and should speak to Vauxhall.
Overall
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Overall, I was impressed with my experience at FOW. The salesman I dealt with was especially informative and accommodating of my insurance circumstances. With such a large stock it is hard for you to put a deposit down and collect the car a couple of weeks later. The salesman explained he could keep it for me in these special circumstances, and he did keep in touch with me every couple of days to ensure progress was being made on the paperwork. I managed to pick the car up, despite the inconvenient collection appointment, and am very happy with it indeed.
Summary
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A very large stock means that I wasn't pressured by salesmen, and easily saw what I could get for my money just by wandering round. My mobile has been ringing constantly since I expressed interest at a couple of dealers and they were taken aback when I told them of the deal I got. Looking round at various dealers, and private sellers, this seems like a good price but other reviewers have warned about rock-bottom prices for part-exchange. I was probably FOW's ideal customer which is why it was so quick.
Of the stock I saw, there were some poor examples of second-hand cars that no amount of polish and wet-look tyre dressing can hide. The interior really shows how a car has been looked after, and there were some cars there that in my opinion were overpriced. With such a massive selection though, you can virtually have your pick of engine size/trim level on popular makes.
I think it's very important to go in daylight, and really examine what you're interested in as there is no franchise-dealer peace of mind warranty (hence the lower prices I suppose). You can ring and reserve a car for inspection, and as stated you can start the car and make sure everything works as it should. You can also examine the spare wheel and any accessories. I would also advise to go on a weekday morning when it's quiet, so there's no queueing to borrow keys or discuss vehicles in more detail with salesmen. I actually went for a second visit on a Saturday morning to make sure I wanted this car and it was very busy.
I believe places like FOW help to keep used car prices down and as a customer I feel like I have got a good deal with FOW. It's up to you to do the research on what a car's worth, and I made sure I read all sorts of reviews and checked prices. You have to do the leg work to find out if it's a good deal, and it's worth checking to see if the car you're interested in has any special features. For instance, my new Astra has a 'Sport' mode which the salesman didn't realise, and I guess I could have haggled over that.
The salesman, Marvin Hall, was particularly helpful (watch out for him bombarding you with finance figures though) and the collection was relatively swift if a little impersonal. But how personal do you want a supermarket to be?
| Helpful | Unhelpful | Agree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Total Respect: +2
rarinrob
on 22nd Aug 2006
Bollingtonbob on 24th Aug 2006
mrchris
on 30th Aug 2006