Evans Hellsure Leeds – Avoid like the plague

[john10001]

My Megane got taken (home recovery non start) to Evans Halshaw Leeds at the end of January, Sunday 27th to be precise. I live in Huddersfield but Renault Dixon closed down some time ago unfortunately - I thought they were not so bad for a Renault dealership.

The next best option for me was to have it taken to Leeds because that is where I work. Even though my car is over 3 years I took the option for it to go to a Renault dealer instead of a local one because it could have potentially been a keycard fault, which I think only they can fix.

It is mission impossible trying to get through on the phones to anyone in their service department & customer service is dreadful.

The Wednesday or Thursday after it got taken in I managed to get through to someone there. Nobody ever bothers calling me to keep me informed. I have to do all the calling.

They said it needed a new battery as it wasn't holding its charge and once that's done they'd be able to see anything else that is wrong with it.

£165-00 for new battery!!! OUCH! WTF! And because mine is only a 1.6 it is £165-00 for 48amp battery. What’s all that about? What’s the need for these special custom sealed Megane batteries with cylon tubing and all sorts of pipes coming from it?

Wish I had now gone to a local garage because I'm sure it would have cost less for this wouldn't it? Plus there was no keycard fault it was only the handsfree sensors not working, which is no great loss and not really necessary to fix anyway.

Would love to know how much anyone else has paid to have the battery in their Megane replaced especially if they went to local dealer instead of main dealer. I'm sure you can get a 48amp battery down Halfords etc for about £50 quid probably even less than that.

Battery dying after four years – is that normal or average or are they usually meant to last longer than this?

Other things that needed doing:

Camshaft Sensor £30
Brake Pads £41
Brake Discs £132

Total charge for parts and work done £611 Inc vat.

A week later I have to call them again on a Wednesday 6 Feb. They said all the work had been done so I just ask them to also fit the new plates I got. Called back the next day on Thursday 7 Feb, they said they had done everything and its ready to collect.

I then went up after work and walked the one and a half miles from where I work in Leeds up to the Evans Halshaw Garage on Rosehip Road to the North of the city. I got there at about 5.15pm on Thursday evening 7th February.

I spoke with the bloke and told him that I’ve come to collect my car. So he gets the paperwork out and the bills for me to pay. So I pay the £611 they are charging for battery, rear brake pads and discs and camshaft sensor etc.

Then the bloke goes to look for my keycard!

15 minutes later at 5.30pm I am still waiting for him and he eventually comes back and tells me he is just going outside to find my car!! Another ten minutes of waiting and he eventually comes back and goes in the back office area again looking for my keycard!!! Five minutes later he comes back out and tells me he thinks that the young lad who had been working on my car has taken the keycard home with him!!!!

So I have paid a £611 service bill for my car that they had told me was “READY” to collect and drive away but clearly wasn’t and I still don’t have the car back.

He said he would telephone me first thing the next morning. So by this time it was 5.45pm and I had to walk all the way back into Leeds and down to the train station and catch the train home to Huddersfield so I didn’t get home till quite late that night.

The next day I had received no call from them just before half eleven with most of the morning gone so I had to call them. Whatever happened to that call first thing???

They said they had lost my keycard and had to order a new one, which would take another week to arrive!!!

The next week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday go by and I hear absolutely nothing from Evans Halshaw.

Friday 15 February 11:20am app I finally get through to their service dept after trying all morning someone actually picked up the phone!

I asked about my car and if they had got the replacement keycard yet that they lost! He went to find out. Came back to the phone a minute later and said they don’t have it yet but they’d give me a call as soon as they do. Yeah right! Sure you will!

I asked how long it is likely to take and the guy said it usually takes 10 to 14 days!!! That’s not what I was told the previous week - that it would only be a week for the new keycard to come through! What a bunch of liars!

Friday 22 February another week further on and I have had absolutely nobody whatsoever from Evans Halshaw telephone me. So this is 14 days later and still no replacement keycard!

Tried to call them yesterday (Fri 22 Feb) a few times. I did get through once and they transferred me to the Renault Service. Bloke answered and I explained that I was calling to find out if they had got the replacement keycard for my car yet that they had lost.

He toddled off to find out and put me on hold. After ten minutes of being on hold I figured he must have gone on a tea break or for lunch so had to call off.

Its not the first time I have been put on indefinite hold. I’ve also been hung up on but the usual is that nobody bothers to answer the phones whatsoever. It just rings and rings and rings. I did try and call back again later in the day but I got through to a robot that informed me that “the operator is not responding” or something along those lines!

So because of their incompetence by Monday 24 February I will have been without my car for 19 days longer than I should have and 30 days in total, which is four weeks and approaching one calendar month!

If I had been told the truth right from the start that it was likely to take such a long time i.e. OVER two weeks to get the replacement keycard not the one week I had been told I could have got a metro pass that would have made my travel costs to work a lot cheaper.

The last two weeks because I was told it would only be a week I have just been buying tickets each day for the bus and train to get to and from work, which costs me £8.30 in total each day.

In total so far it has cost me £91.30 in travel expenses for the 11 working days when I have been without my car longer than I should have all because Evans Halshaw have lost my keycard.

If I had been told the truth about how long it would take from the start to get the replacement keycard I would have bought a cheaper travel pass, for the now 15 days in total I have so far been without my car thanks to Evans Halshaw incompetence.

If I knew that the Renault Dixon dealer was going to close down in Huddersfield I don’t think I would have ever bought this car, and because of the poor service and hassle I don’t think I would buy another Renault car in the future, or any French car for that matter. Think I may go Japanese, or maybe German or Vauxhall in future.

I hope my long winded moan is useful for other people thinking of taking their car there for servicing. I’d strongly advise against it for your own sakes.

Any advice or suggestions on what course of action to take next would be greatly appreciated.

I have actually written three pages letter of complaint to the chairman of Pendragon that is the parent company of the Evans Halshaw brand of franchise.

I said I would be sending this off to him if I didn’t get my car back by Friday 22 February, which I haven’t. I have a funny feeling though that I should wait before I send this complaint letter off because this may not be the end of my experience yet, I have a feeling there is more BS to come.

Due to all the time they have had it, it will now be past its MOT due date. Looks like there is a lengthy queue to get it done there though so when they do eventually get a replacement keycard for me I will take it elsewhere.

If it fails its MOT that will be one more black mark to add to the list against them for my complaint letter because the bloke there had told me that he had checked everything and couldn’t see anything else that needed doing that would prevent it passing its MOT, so we shall see on that eventually!

How do you guys get things moving quickly when you experience this kind of shoddy service and just want your car back?

I suppose I could dispute the £611 transaction with my Credit Card Company and cause Evans Halshaw hassle for a change. Maybe that will shock them into calling me and letting me know what the heck is going on.

I don’t see why they should get paid if I don’t get my car back. You don’t get paid for goods and services NOT received; at least you didn’t the last time I checked. Maybe I go to Trading Standards, Financial Ombudsman, Manager, Area Manager, Car Magazines, and Newspapers…?

Maybe direct to Renault UK? Would they be bothered doing anything though for a car that is over three years? Maybe I should give them a call just to see if anyone at Evans Halshaw has actually bothered to order the replacement keycard from them?

I mean I think I have been pretty patient so far. I have not got mad, but I certainly intend to get even for the crappy service I’ve experienced and the longer it goes on the more even I intend to get.

Anyone know if you can take car dealers to small claims court and sue them for being incompetent? I think I should be compensated for my extra travel expenses plus phone bills and time lost trying to deal with these charlatans.

I think I should get compensated for the half month of car insurance and road tax I am paying for without use of my car thanks to them losing my key. I also think they’ve ripped me off and charged way over the odds for what they have done - way over the odds even for a Renault dealer.

John

Evans Hellsure Leeds – Avoid like the plague.

[IainMW]

What a farce !

If I were you I would do all of what you suggest ASAP. For all the hassle you have had I would be looking for serious reimbursement from Evens Halshaw.

Shear incompetence

I think you have been more than patient, I afraid I would have been down to the garage much sooner to bang a few heads with large blunt instruments!

It might take time to sort out but do not let this drop!

[Phil and Liz]

Evans Halshaw livingston tell me that play in steering joints is within tolerance and acceptable plus will also pass an mot, tempted to get them to mot it and pass it then contact the department of transport, saying that there is play in tha steering.