I have moved from the northeast to the northwest and the MCS is ready for the first inspection on the TLC. My dealer in NE was cooper Sunderland mini. They have been great, every time I had a problem it was sorted out no questions asked and a free car wash.
I ask my dealer (cooper Sunderland) who they recommend and said Williams Manchester as they are one of the biggest around. So I booked it in. The woman on the phone said it will get a oil service, brake fluid service etc etc. She asks if it was any problems other than the service, yes the back washer isn't working. They asked if I used bmw screen wash as they said it is not covered in the warranty if I don't use bmw products. What? They said they will check it out and tell what the problem is. Block by screen wash or a component failure. This afternoon I dropped it off after 20 mins trying to park (nightmare). She said she would give me a ring when it was ready. When I went back my car was parked at the front of the service department and MCS wasn't washed:angry:. I went inside and she told me what they had done. And in their notes they had cover on wiper arm missing, yes I know, they didn't tell me how much for a replacement, next front side lamps are not mini ones and could fail MOT, WHAT? It is only two years old and doesn't need a MOT for another year and they are Halo ring sidelamps and I’m sure they are road legal fools. Finally left disappointed and thinking never too go back, I got home and looked at my service books and they are not signed or stamped. I think next year I will try another Mini dealer.
Has anybody else had this sort of experience and is it worth complaining
Welcome to the North West Paul Have a look in Dealership feedback and you fill find plenty of negative feedback for the Williams group, especially the branches at Manchester, Bolton, and Rochdale. I have vowed after various bad experiences with Rochdale that I would never use any of their dealers again. I swapped to Derek Woodman about two years ago even though it is a long drive up there.
I'm with Humph i've took mine to Bolton don't know there ar*e from their elbow i've used Derek Woodmans and the differance is unexplanable well worth the extra miles to get there as you know the car will be in excellent hands.
Yep, another recommendation for Woodmans from me too. I live right in the top corner of NW Lancs. (I can walk into Cumbria from my house)
Anyway.... tried the local dealer (Bateman) for a few jobs, and after they refused to acknowledge that my R99's were in fact
a) a MINI designed wheel (I had to physically show them to the guy at the desk in the MINI brochure)
b) genuine wheels (they printed out the spec from the factory, which showed 15" Rockets, neglecting the fact that R99's are in fact dealer fit ONLY.
c) not, to quote, "too shiny" to be real R99's
Now all my business goes down to Woodmans, well worth the blast down the motorway.
Go back, complain, get your book stamped and give them a bill for the petrol, inconvenience then go see Dave at Woodmans ... you'll get the service you'd expect, hope for, want when owning a MINI
Go back, complain, get your book stamped and give them a bill for the petrol, inconvenience then go see Dave at Woodmans ... you'll get the service you'd expect, hope for, want when owning a MINI
thanks for all the replies, I will keep it in mine. I have to take it back next week as power steering pipe is starting to leak, they are coming to collect it from work and then return it but i'm having second thoughts
I'm sure that I've read somewhere else on here that the halos are a MOT failure?
As for the wiper / BMW screen wash, that is rather silly. I cannot imagine for a second that the three BMW / MINI dealers I've used so far would claim this.
Williams are pants!
It feels as though they are always looking for a way to avoid replacing anything under warranty.
I have LED sidelamps too and it recently had its MOT and they did state that it MAY fail in the future if there are changes in the law making LED sidelights illegal.
Car Parking is a joke - The Sales Team hate the Service Team and both of them hate the Bodyshop so god help you if you park in either or of the above. You are guaranteed some abusive idiot from the Bodywork shop to storm in asking who has parked on his "plot".
Do they know what there looking for - Nope!
The women in the Service Dept always and i mean always have a chip on their shoulder and a face like a slapped a55. There is one guy there who speaks to you how you expect you should be spoken to and really does want to help you. No sexism just fact!
Oh and you really dont want them to wash your car unless you want the paint scratched to high heaven.
Funny really, when my dad goes to Mercedes for his service the experience is a totally different one in EVERY way! .... gone of the day when Mercedes were exclusive cars..... most minis are more expensive!
If others give good advice on other dealerships - follow their advice and hope for much better service
The dealership I bought my car from looks after my mini and are always willing to help. They make you feel proud of having a mini. I thought all dealers will be the same, I think I need to wake up to real life.
I have never used Williams, but like many others highly recommend Woodmans in Blackpool. I drive past about five dealerships to get to them - they are really that good!
Phil (Service) really knows his stuff and is very helpful, Chris (Parts) is also very helpful and will give discount prices, and sales are excellent too (Dave and Alison).
I have never used Williams, but like many others highly recommend Woodmans in Blackpool. I drive past about five dealerships to get to them - they are really that good!
Phil (Service) really knows his stuff and is very helpful, Chris (Parts) is also very helpful and will give discount prices, and sales are excellent too (Dave and Alison).
Williams are completely rubbish. My two experiences:
1. My old JCW S they refused to do any warranty work on the car because the JCW kit was fitted by John Cooper Works Garages and not a franchised dealer.
2. My mrs old Mini Cooper S. Tried to charge us £40.00 for looking at the car under warranty and blamed the Alta Induction kit on the emissions light coming on. Took it Woodmans( Thanks Dave) and it was a faulty o2 sensor! Swapped under warranty no problems!
Every time I went into the Bolton Williams there was always someone with BMW or Mini losing their rag at what a bunch of useless cretins they all are! :angry:
I bought my car from Halliwell Jones Warrington and they were great when selling the car but hopeless when I asked them to sort out a few niggles.
For this reason, I took it to Williams Rochdale and they did actually manage to sort everything though... and a lot quicker than I and they expected so I was very pleased. The only thing they didn't do was wash the car which I did expect really.
I reckon they didn't tell MINI that the car had been booked in though as I haven't received a questionnaire like you'd normally get within a few days of the car going to the garage.
In future, if I can get a courtesy car I'll probably still go to Woodmans as it just seems too hit and miss whether any of the Manchester dealers will actually do a good job.
The thing is, I know the whole point of any business is to make money but what is the point of having a warrenty if they are not going to carry out the work
I use a lot of differnet manufacturers service centres for the fleet at work the service you got from Williams I would describe as normal to poor. There car park is a state with cars left all over the street most of the time the site is quite large but they always have loads of cars knocking about.
I nealry bought my latest Mini from there but the person I dealt with left so I gave Rochdale another chance.
I have used Rochdale Williams since 2002 and apart from a disagreement with sales (now resolved) they have been good to me. I dont have any non factory modifications though this helps. I have had warranty work and services done pulling to the left anyone? had new suspension fitted as well as the airbag light fix.
When you do get a gargae that goes the extra mile like Woodmans it makes every other garage look bad when really bad service is just the norm in most cases.
On the service side heres an example from VW.
I took a VW in recently and said the Blown Lightbulb illuminates when I start the car but goes out when I press the pedal one of the two reverse lights is blown but replacing the bulb hasnt helped this was chinese wispered to the mechanic and when it came back nothing was done just a note about brake warning lights ? wrong and that the second reverse light is a dummy for european use (Total Nonsense)
One more tip no matter what car make if the receptipon say your cars about to be washed have you time to wait it means were not going to wash your car matey so you may as well take it or we will make you wait 30 to 45 minutes while we throw a pressure washer at it.
One more tip no matter what car make if the receptipon say your cars about to be washed have you time to wait it means were not going to wash your car matey so you may as well take it or we will make you wait 30 to 45 minutes while we throw a pressure washer at it.[/quote]
Every car I have owned they have washed it (I don't ask them they just do it), I left it for the afternoon and they phoned me after an hour and a half. it only takes about 5-10 mins for them to wash it. They normally spray it with a jet wash and quickley sponge it down. And it is normally a good job and keeps the customer happy.
If you give them time they will do it but I have had the its just about to be washed from Renault Ford, Volkswagen and BMW. When Minis were very new I used to get wash dry and carpets shampooed at Howarths now Williams of Rochdale they have even collected my car from work in the morning and dropped it off in the evening.
avoid williams at all costs, my cooper went to bolton to have the front radiator replaced under warranty because it wouldn't stay on. on the second replacment they scratched the bumper trying to fit it scratched the passenger wing mirror and scuffed the passenger front wheel
i did get the service manager sacked though(if u can call her a manager)could not organize a p*** up in brewery
was at manchester today seeing how much they'd offer me for my car
they said had you had a base spec mini cooper s we'd offer the same lol
to them the book is the book regardles of the £15,000 in options lol idiots
granted i dont expect to get much back but to offer me less than what they are asking for a mini one/cooper is just a joke - needless to say i walked away laughing
basically no interest was shown whatsoever
oh and their best price they offered ...... £11,000
guarantee that car would be on their forecourt for £16k+
....yea ok thanks for that best of luck selling those ones/coopers for 14k mate
it may well be the case that all mini dealers stick to their book like its the bible but again i find myself pushed away from Mini Williams.....
I have a Mini One with 17 inch alloys wheels 18 months TLC ext left ecu remap 120 bhp and Williams Manchester offered me £4500 Itold them that I would sell it privately the sales women said they look at it as if its a standard mini one irrespective of how much you have spent on extras. I have been informed by another Mini dealer in the Manchester area that Williams Manchester on Chester Rd sell more minis than any other mini dealer in the country.
When i bought my first Cooper from Williams in Manchester I did because they were cheap. A local search on MINI cherished always found their cars were the cheapest. So basically they are shifting a lot cheap. However this is reflected in their trade in prices too. If you have nothing the trade in then you're on to a winner, providing you can actually deal with them.
Pre-Booked a courtesy car and once I arrived was told we dont have any left! :angry:
Was told it would be ready by lunchtime and they would do it first thing, returned at 1 and the car was still were I had parked it and not serviced :aargh:
Returned 1 hr later to find car serviced but not washed and ABS light not reset
FORGET WILLIAMS MANCHESTER USE DAVID HOLMES STOCKPORT !!!!!
I had a terrible experience with bluebell wilmslow, the salesmen were rude and abrupt, they had us waiting 40 minutes, after we had made an appointment with them for a specific time, and they didn't seem to want to deal with us because we were buying a second hand mini.....but let's face it you are still paying a lot of dosh for a second hand mini so they should be as professional with you for used and new !!
However there is light at the end of the tunnel, David Holmes in Stockport Cheshire did me a great deal on a 2005 mini one, it is immaculate and has low mileage, the sales team were amazing and I would recommend them again and again. Saleswoman Mel was super duper she could sell oil to the arabs she is that nice !!!!!
So for all you readers that live near Manchester......choose DAVID HOLMES !!!!!:wink:
Shame David Holmes could not manage to send an invite for the Clubman launch despite me registering an interest with them. Neither did Manchester though!
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