Another great Halflords moment.

[Mr M]

"I'll have to look that up on the system"...
"TVR...na it's not on the system" ......

as we head towards the batteries.

"TVR ? ... is that a car ?

[Zippee]

Thats why you need to use the little car shop on Huntingdon Street. Used them several times and the chap has always known about TVR and what donor cars to cross ref against etc.

[Derek Smith]

I returned a battery charger to Halfords due to the fact that a connector had broken. The woman's attitude from the start was that I had, somehow, deliberately broken it. I asked how she came to this conclusion. She said that the plug had broken because I must have kept unplugging it.

By now she had been occupying my life for some minutes and I was becoming a bit exasperated. I asked if, in her no doubt encylopaedic knowledge of all things electrical, she could let me know what other function in life a plug had other than being plugged and unplugged. I was then told I was being rude. I said I may or my not be rude but there was no doubt she was being obstructive and if she continued to ignore the fact that an item I had bought at Halfords had failed there was every chance I might make a complaint. She then got a supervisor over and I was asked to leave.

I went to another Halfords with the full intention of picking up a similar charger and asking what 'this' was for. I assumed I would have been told that it was for plugging and unplugging, it being, after all, a plug. However, a chap came up to me as I walked in and asked if he could be of help. I showed him the charger and the defunct plug and he said: It's broken. I showed him the receipt and he said that the item was no longer stocked (presumably something to do with the plug failing but this was never confirmed) and identified two other chargers, one cheaper and the other slightly dearer, and I opted for the latter. Which is still running perfectly after around 3 years. The only downside being that it didn't have a plug like the first one.

In the original contretemps it was pointed out to me that the charger was over 10 months old. I said this was immaterial. The only time the date of purchase was material was when deciding if it fell in within the 12-month guarantee period. Which it did. That started the decline in my relationship with the woman.

I was going to complain about the first Halfords but in the end I thought it wasn't my job to sort out their problems. I just never returned.

[Mr M]

Oh dear I've mis-spelled something again. Yes don't think I shall be using them for anything other than car wash in the future. Thanks for the tip Tony. I did in fact get a trickle charger from them yesterday but hadn't considered batterys so thanks.

Edited by Mr M on Wednesday 9th December 17:31

[so called]

Derek, I think that your your friendly shop assistant was formaly a Customer Relations employee of Pugcrap.
10 years ago I bought my Wife a 206 Cabrio. It was 11 months old but with very low mileage (140 miles).
The only problem was that there was a cut in the rag top. It was clearly caused by the seal for the roof cover as the end of the seal was ripped and the steel inner was sticking out.
As it was still in warrantee I called Peugot to make a claim.
It was amazing how rude and obnoxious the woman was. Told me that the warranttee didnt pass over from the previous owner. I pointed out the Pugcrap warranttee transfer promise and that the previous owner was Pugcrap.
She said I must have cut it on purpose. I pointed out that I had that week returned from the Geneve Motor Show and that the Pugcrap show car had the same problem.
She said that I had a down right cheek to try to make a claim 3 weeks before the 12 months was up.
I told her what a complete idiot she was and hung up, laughing.
I've told many, many people not to waste their well earned money on Pugcrap and, of course, I'll never consider them again.
I too considered making a complaint but considered, like you, that helping Pugcrap correct their problems would be helping them so didnt bother.

Does this constitute name and shame. I dont realy think my lack of financial support for Pugcrap has damaged them ?

PS - The drivers and passenger A post door seals were badly perished as well, again just like the one in Geneve
PPS - If I spelt Pugcrap wrong I apologise.

[Derek Smith]

so called said:

I've told many, many people not to waste their well earned money on Pugcrap and, of course, I'll never consider them again.

My father taught me a lesson it's taken me many years to apreciate. Now I've cracked it, before entering into such things as confrontations, complaints and aggravation I work out if I really care. If I do, I go for it. If not then the why bother light comes on.

A superintendent who was a real pain, even reporting me for discipline for something which he, and I come to that, know was all I could do. After retirement, I was having a meal in a casino restaurant when he came over to my table, a bit worse for wear, and caused a bit of a scene when I said I'd never seen him before in my life. Whilst I owed him one, I couldn't be bothered. In the end he got thrown out, after I explained to the maitre d' the law regarding drunks on casino premises, and we got money to play the tables. (Which, I seem to remember, I didn't take home.)

My father explained all this to me when on holiday once. A fly was pestering me, buzzing around us when we were eating al fresco. I got a rolled up newspaper and chased the damn thing around the garden of the place we were staying. My father didn't move. When I asked for his opinion on flies he said that he outlived them in any case, so why the bother. When I said that eventually he won't, he said that flies will come well down the list on things that will piss him off then.

[Blown2CV]

one i have had several times recently:

me "i reserved this on the web" [hands over print-off]
half "cheers mate like, i'll go get it like"
me ........
[several minutes later]
them "errr we haven't got it in stock"
me "... but it let me reserve it because you did have it in stock"
them "yea we have one, but that's the display model chief"
me "well, i'll take that one for a discount"
them "errr can't do that boss"
me (inside own head) "i'm not your fking mate and your computer system is a steaming pile of gash"
me "*sigh* thanks" [takes back print-off and walks out door]

[anonymous-user]

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

[Mr M]

Seriously, I want to go back to the days when things were better :-). Sadly it's now.. "where did I put my Horlicks". I don't think that even tastes as good.

Edited by Mr M on Wednesday 9th December 23:12

[Wacky Racer]

so called said:

Derek, I think that your your friendly shop assistant was formaly a Customer Relations employee of Pugcrap.
10 years ago I bought my Wife a 206 Cabrio. It was 11 months old but with very low mileage (140 miles).

140 miles??

[chr15b]

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

[Nigel Worc's]

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

[anonymous-user]

Nigel Worc's said:

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

Seriously... oh well

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/s...

[Nigel Worc's]

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

Seriously... oh well

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/s...

Well there you go, I've learnt something else, its a car shampoo, why didn't you just explain that to the sales person in halfords ?

[anonymous-user]

Nigel Worc's said:

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

Seriously... oh well

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/s...

Well there you go, I've learnt something else, its a car shampoo, why didn't you just explain that to the sales person in halfords ?

Well i suppose its the way all went silent and he stared at me with one of his lips raised. I did say never mind before walking out though.

Plus its not just car shampoo. It's snow foam.

[Nigel Worc's]

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

Seriously... oh well

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/s...

Well there you go, I've learnt something else, its a car shampoo, why didn't you just explain that to the sales person in halfords ?

Well i suppose its the way all went silent and he stared at me with one of his lips raised. I did say never mind before walking out though.

Plus its not just car shampoo. It's snow foam.

LOL, you're a branding chaps dream .... its a car shampoo called "snow foam" !

A specific brand you obviously like, probably for very good reasons, I'm probably a bit older than you, and I have children who are 18,16, & 14.

My two girls actually work in fast food outlets (whilst studying at college), but could just as easily be serving you at halfords etc.

I find that if you don't look down on them, young people love to help, and sometimes...especially if its to do with anything modern, like computer gadgets, some in car audio etc, they actually know more than me, and don't mind explaining it, in a way an old duffer can understand !

[anonymous-user]

Nigel Worc's said:

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

Seriously... oh well

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/s...

Well there you go, I've learnt something else, its a car shampoo, why didn't you just explain that to the sales person in halfords ?

Well i suppose its the way all went silent and he stared at me with one of his lips raised. I did say never mind before walking out though.

Plus its not just car shampoo. It's snow foam.

LOL, you're a branding chaps dream .... its a car shampoo called "snow foam" !

A specific brand you obviously like, probably for very good reasons, I'm probably a bit older than you, and I have children who are 18,16, & 14.

My two girls actually work in fast food outlets (whilst studying at college), but could just as easily be serving you at halfords etc.

I find that if you don't look down on them, young people love to help, and sometimes...especially if its to do with anything modern, like computer gadgets, some in car audio etc, they actually know more than me, and don't mind explaining it, in a way an old duffer can understand !

Without a doubt... and just for the record i don't look down on people no matter what they do. If someone can battle it out in a retail environment then they are brave!

Saying that this particular guys own car was a Rover 200 made to look like a MG ZR (the racing version with big green MG stickers), and it looked damn good. So i did kind of expect him to know. Oh well... not as bad as my local motor factors not knowing what a clay bar was but then thats another story for another thread.

[Nigel Worc's]

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

Shaid GTB said:

Nigel Worc's said:

chr15b said:

Shaid GTB said:

I once made a big mistake at Halfords.

I asked the rep if they have any 'snow foam' in stock!

All went silent, he looked at me like i'm asking him for a date and stated 'whats snow foam mate?'. I replied nothing and just walked out, took a look over my shoulder and he's staring at me almost in disgust

i'm not surprised, if it was as you post, you were plain rude.. not everyone has heard of that product or should expect to know what it is just from the name.

I've absolutely no idea what snow foam is, I'm 48, have held a commision in the armed forces, worked as a police officer, have a degree in electronic engineering, but I obviously don't cut it with that poster.

I have always found halfords employees to be very polite, and as helpful as they can be, they don't always know everything about what I ask, but I don't know everything either !

Strange old world isn't it ?

Why is anyone worried that a person doesn't know what a TVR is ?

Seriously... oh well

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/s...

Well there you go, I've learnt something else, its a car shampoo, why didn't you just explain that to the sales person in halfords ?

Well i suppose its the way all went silent and he stared at me with one of his lips raised. I did say never mind before walking out though.

Plus its not just car shampoo. It's snow foam.

LOL, you're a branding chaps dream .... its a car shampoo called "snow foam" !

A specific brand you obviously like, probably for very good reasons, I'm probably a bit older than you, and I have children who are 18,16, & 14.

My two girls actually work in fast food outlets (whilst studying at college), but could just as easily be serving you at halfords etc.

I find that if you don't look down on them, young people love to help, and sometimes...especially if its to do with anything modern, like computer gadgets, some in car audio etc, they actually know more than me, and don't mind explaining it, in a way an old duffer can understand !

Without a doubt... and just for the record i don't look down on people no matter what they do. If someone can battle it out in a retail environment then they are brave!

Saying that this particular guys own car was a Rover 200 made to look like a MG ZR (the racing version with big green MG stickers), and it looked damn good. So i did kind of expect him to know. Oh well... not as bad as my local motor factors not knowing what a clay bar was but then thats another story for another thread.

LOL, I know what a clay bar is ...... but only because my neighbour, a youngish chap was using one recently.

God I'm getting old, and acting just like my dad, I always said I wouldn't do that ...... I tell my kids to turn their music down too !

[grahamw48]

Well, I'm probably older than you and I deliberately try NOT to be like my father !

In fact my kids have to ask me to turn my (rock) music down, and they're 16, 20 and 22.

I also find that treating retail staff with friendly respect always seems to result in a pleasant shopping experience, regardless of whether they are able to supply my needs.

[Chimune]

Was in Half**ds last w/e. Asked for cooling system flush. Lad went over to one of those laminated books asking what kind of car it was ( it was the Alfa 156 GTA ). I said it wouldnt be in there. It wasnt.

He then went over to his computer system and asked what kind of car it was again. Told him & again it wouldnt be in there, but it was pretty generic stuff.

After he stopped and took a phone call i went back to the laminated book and behold the 147 GTA was there: "Refer to manufacturers handbook".

He was off the phone as i went back to the desk. As i arrived he says:
"Aha - found it ! Refer to manufacturers handbook".

I left having wasted far too long trying to purchase a generic and presumably common product.
He was polite though.........