Was Bridgegate, now Stratstone Derby

[MiniAdventurer]

Well, my MINI is with Stratstone at this very moment

I had only heard bad things about Bridgegate Derby and so I've always used Radford Stafford in the past (the car was bought in the south before we moved up here).

Since the brakes were not very healthy and Radford couldn't fit me in, I bit the bullet and booked it into Bridgegate, only to find that it's become Stratstone now.

Does anyone know if Stratstone have a lot of dealers? (In the way that there are Rydale dealers all over the place!) I know they have a Jaguar dealer in Derby but I have no idea of their reputation.

So far they've been very helpful and if they complete this job well, then I am tempted to stop using Radford because it's such a trek and Stratstone is so much nearer.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had any experience because so far I've found the Bridgegate reputation not to be fair to the new owners - although the staff members are all the same

[martyn*w]

How did you find stratstone?
They're poppoing up everywhere in Derby now! Aston garage as well as Jag, which look like they are moving next door together again.

My MCS is due its first service soon and i'm likely to go there.
I only went in to Bridgegate once when I was looking for a car and once to get my indicators fixed.

Although I didn't get my car from them i found them ok. The service department that fixed my indicators were excellent, I just popped in to see about booking it in, 10 mins later they had been replaced and i was on my way!

[MiniAdventurer]

well....

the service guy was very helpful. the fixed all the problems fine etc etc... but they scratched the back bumper of the car. stupid me didn't realise until i had got it home, so i rang them straight away and after a bit of indignant refusal from me to wait a week for it to be fixed they agreed to take it the next day. i ended up having to take it to the body shop myself (which is pretty near the meteor centre anyway) and getting it sorted, for free of course!!! it was only a tiny scratch but it was more the principle of the thing. i accept that it could happen anywhere, but it tarnished what had otherwise been a surprisingly pleasant experience with them.

i proabably won't be using them again, as my family (2 MINIs and a BMW!!) have a good relationship with radford stafford, and the stratsone situation was mainly because it was an emergency. but all in all, i felt they did an OK job. but it does help that i am a 20 year old girl with a gleaming smile and the service bloke seemed reasonably susceptible to this!!!

on a serious note though, no complaints really and they dealt with the scratch on the car very well no question of it not being their fault etc etc... quite understanding

[Grimbo]

Not happy with Stratstone Derby!!

They genuinely can't be bothered to track down faults. Most of the service guys are decent blokes. Cept for one guy who is a complete patronising ar$e. I won't name names.

My worst experience was when my traction control broke and the light came on permanently. Stratstone 'fixed' it.. and it broke again 100 yards down the road. I went back in immediately and spoke to this guy. He told me that it wasn't the car, it was because I was probably driving it too hard. (Wha??)
I told him he was wrong, the manual said a permanently lit traction light was a fault. He got an engineer to 'look at it' .. ie reset the light.
He then told me there was definately nothing wrong and it was clearly the way I'd driven the car. 100 yards down the road.. back on again.

Turns out the ABS computer was blown and I got a complete appology.


Currently trying to get my engine cooling fan fixed. It comes on FULL every time I stick the AC on. Been in 3 times now, different excuse or 'fix' each time.
They replaced some expansion valve under the dashboard and ripped half a panel off. When I went in to complain and state that it wasn't fixed, I got the same guy again. HE tried to tell me it was because it was hot and the mini's engine bay is small, thats why the fan was on. I then gave him the lump of damaged trim and she shut his trap straight away and booked the car in.
Alas, they completely failed to fix the fan again. They said it was now working ok, but as usual, within minutes their fix failed.

In short, useless. If they can't look after a MINI, how can anyone trust them with a top line BMW?

[MiniAdventurer]

sorry to hear of your experience

i still use them occasionally, but all our cars go to knights south staffs if possible...

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiniAdventurer (original)

Does anyone know if Stratstone have a lot of dealers? (In the way that there are Rydale dealers all over the place!) I know they have a Jaguar dealer in Derby but I have no idea of their reputation.

Stratstone is the trading name for all prestige brand dealerships owned by Pendragon, the largest motor retailer in the UK. They also own Evans Halshaw - their 'volume' dealerships.

Everyone I know that works for them hates them, but they obviously haven't got to be the biggest (they recently bought CD Bramall and Reg Vardy) by not knowing what they are doing!

My advice is, if you are happy with the service they provide then stick with them, if not, go somewhere else. Sytner Nottingham or Leicester are not a million miles from you and everyone I know that has had dealings with them cannot praise them enough!!

[binchybabes]

My dealer is Stratstone at Chesterfield (formally Bridgegate) and they are for want of a better word useless!

See all my other posts...!

I had a brand new Mini One in March 05 and in hindsight should have never bought that from them! When I went in to look at the cars in November 04 they were rude and ignored me! But it was the best placed garage for travelling to work etc so I went back and got apologies etc and bought my car. By November the car had been in and out of the dealership 6 times! For problems they couldn't fix or that apparantly weren't there!

The dealership knew I was planning to change my car for a convertible in about a years time and as a good will gesture I was given money off my new Cooper Convertible I picked up March 06. So stupidly I bought another car from them...

The same story...

The staff are all pleasant enough but they
a) don't believe you that there is a problem half the time
b) don't seem to be able to fix anything!

I now have all the faults fixed except the roof and windows issue which MINI are trying to resolve at the plant! But it's taken me since April until now.. I've had to get trading standards involved, regional technical manager of MINI, legal advice and hours of my time just to get my car how it should have been in the first place!

I wouldn't recommend the dealership to anyone!

[adeykitch]

Just bought from them today,must say they seem excellent so far,will let you know if i have any probs,have mostly heard positive feedback about them.