Evans Halshaw - any feedback
Discussion
We drove c.200 miles to look at a very well priced Swift Sport at EH for my son, got there to find the car had a polished steering wheel and gear knob very unlike anything else we had seen with mileage plus with scratches and marks on the wheel to suggest it had come from a scrapper, popped the bonnet and found heavily / badly modded engine and signs of major crash repair with non original steelwork. Not convninced the quality checks are right.
If it’s a main dealer selling under the manufacturers approved scheme it should be OK.
If it’s a dealer selling a different brand or a general used car site you need to view first.
Also worth checking it has service history, alloy wheel key and spare keys as to quote EH “if the advert does not directly refer to them don’t expect them”.
If it’s a dealer selling a different brand or a general used car site you need to view first.
Also worth checking it has service history, alloy wheel key and spare keys as to quote EH “if the advert does not directly refer to them don’t expect them”.
Auto810graphy said:
If it’s a main dealer selling under the manufacturers approved scheme it should be OK.
If it’s a dealer selling a different brand or a general used car site you need to view first.
Also worth checking it has service history, alloy wheel key and spare keys as to quote EH “if the advert does not directly refer to them don’t expect them”.
Dont disagree, however EH are all main dealer sites which can create a false sense of security that cars have been inspected and prepped to main dealer standards. If it’s a dealer selling a different brand or a general used car site you need to view first.
Also worth checking it has service history, alloy wheel key and spare keys as to quote EH “if the advert does not directly refer to them don’t expect them”.
bennno said:
Dont disagree, however EH are all main dealer sites which can create a false sense of security that cars have been inspected and prepped to main dealer standards.
This was exactly the trap I fell in to. Cracked wheel, leaking shocks, fuel pump failure all ignored and an “approved used” sticker slapped in the window in the hope nobody would notice. I wouldn’t touch Evans Halshaw with a barge pole. I've sold 1 car to them and bought 2 cars.
The 2 cars I bought were way below average condition. I didn't really notice until having them for a week or so. Looking back I guess they do what they do deliberately and very well.
Neither car had been prepped when I viewed them ("just arrived" apparently) - covering up some bad paintwork and grubby interior.
Was of them was transported 200 miles for me and I guess they implied it would be hard to back out of the deal now.
They were advertised as rock bottom prices, no negotiating, empty tank of fuel and then added admin fees and extras.
I'd view their cars as not being good enough for dealer approved garages and probably just run of the mill auction cars - some you get lucky with some you don't.
Given a choice I wouldn't buy from them again.
The car I sold to them was very easy, got a good price from them and they were very friendly and didn't quibble too much. I would definitely do that again.
The 2 cars I bought were way below average condition. I didn't really notice until having them for a week or so. Looking back I guess they do what they do deliberately and very well.
Neither car had been prepped when I viewed them ("just arrived" apparently) - covering up some bad paintwork and grubby interior.
Was of them was transported 200 miles for me and I guess they implied it would be hard to back out of the deal now.
They were advertised as rock bottom prices, no negotiating, empty tank of fuel and then added admin fees and extras.
I'd view their cars as not being good enough for dealer approved garages and probably just run of the mill auction cars - some you get lucky with some you don't.
Given a choice I wouldn't buy from them again.
The car I sold to them was very easy, got a good price from them and they were very friendly and didn't quibble too much. I would definitely do that again.
Edited by Torquey on Tuesday 4th June 09:40
Go in with your eyes open check the car over thoroughly if there's paperwork missing get them to find it if they can't tell them you'll be looking for money off, they'll try to sell you all the add ons ignore or purchase, you'll decide if they're a good deal for you. Remember your viewing the car not the salesperson or the company if the car's good but the salesperson is a feckless t
t so what it's an hour out of your day to get the right car.
t so what it's an hour out of your day to get the right car.The quality of their cars is an absolute lottery. They are now mostly a dumping ground for their car-buying service but there are diamonds in the rough, especially if you're a cash buyer with no PX.
Whilst they will not haggle, they will follow up the next day with a better PX offer, fees waived and they WILL discount a car on a routine basis (every 1 - 2 weeks) to keep the volume shifting.
I bought a 987.2 from them for relative peanuts which had full Porsche history and was mechanically A1. It was reduced twice in the week after I first viewed it.
On the flipside, I went to see an E92 M3 which had mismatched winter tyres, an aftermarket exhaust and a bad paint job on the rear quarter. It was still in stock 4 months later down from £18k to £14.7k, and had been moved to three different branches.
If you want to be treated like a grown up by a car supermarket, then i'd suggest Motor Point instead.
Whilst they will not haggle, they will follow up the next day with a better PX offer, fees waived and they WILL discount a car on a routine basis (every 1 - 2 weeks) to keep the volume shifting.
I bought a 987.2 from them for relative peanuts which had full Porsche history and was mechanically A1. It was reduced twice in the week after I first viewed it.
On the flipside, I went to see an E92 M3 which had mismatched winter tyres, an aftermarket exhaust and a bad paint job on the rear quarter. It was still in stock 4 months later down from £18k to £14.7k, and had been moved to three different branches.
If you want to be treated like a grown up by a car supermarket, then i'd suggest Motor Point instead.
Bought a car for my grandparents from one of their vauxhall dealers, although the car in question was a used Skoda.
This was a couple of years ago now, but it was advertised as a 'run around', which when I got to the bottom of it basically meant it was a trade sale. 30 day minimal guarantee on engine and gearbox, nothing else. Whenever I mentioned consumer law and the required 3 months from purchase rules he just kept saying that it didn't apply to the 'run arounds'.
Seemed really fishy to me at the time and like a fiddle to get around their responsibilities, so make sure the car you're looking at doesn't fall into that category (this one was only 7 years/20k miles old!) The doors were starting to corrode around the bottom and they flat out wouldn't do them prior to sale, it really was take it or leave it, then pay an admin fee for the privilege. The general experience was pretty painful also...if it weren't for the fact that it was a rare car and perfect for my grandparents there's no way I'd have bought from them.
This was a couple of years ago now, but it was advertised as a 'run around', which when I got to the bottom of it basically meant it was a trade sale. 30 day minimal guarantee on engine and gearbox, nothing else. Whenever I mentioned consumer law and the required 3 months from purchase rules he just kept saying that it didn't apply to the 'run arounds'.
Seemed really fishy to me at the time and like a fiddle to get around their responsibilities, so make sure the car you're looking at doesn't fall into that category (this one was only 7 years/20k miles old!) The doors were starting to corrode around the bottom and they flat out wouldn't do them prior to sale, it really was take it or leave it, then pay an admin fee for the privilege. The general experience was pretty painful also...if it weren't for the fact that it was a rare car and perfect for my grandparents there's no way I'd have bought from them.
Shrimpvende said:
Bought a car for my grandparents from one of their vauxhall dealers, although the car in question was a used Skoda.
This was a couple of years ago now, but it was advertised as a 'run around', which when I got to the bottom of it basically meant it was a trade sale. 30 day minimal guarantee on engine and gearbox, nothing else. Whenever I mentioned consumer law and the required 3 months from purchase rules he just kept saying that it didn't apply to the 'run arounds'.
Seemed really fishy to me at the time and like a fiddle to get around their responsibilities, so make sure the car you're looking at doesn't fall into that category (this one was only 7 years/20k miles old!) The doors were starting to corrode around the bottom and they flat out wouldn't do them prior to sale, it really was take it or leave it, then pay an admin fee for the privilege. The general experience was pretty painful also...if it weren't for the fact that it was a rare car and perfect for my grandparents there's no way I'd have bought from them.
There’s no requirement to provide three months (or any kind of warranty) in consumer law.This was a couple of years ago now, but it was advertised as a 'run around', which when I got to the bottom of it basically meant it was a trade sale. 30 day minimal guarantee on engine and gearbox, nothing else. Whenever I mentioned consumer law and the required 3 months from purchase rules he just kept saying that it didn't apply to the 'run arounds'.
Seemed really fishy to me at the time and like a fiddle to get around their responsibilities, so make sure the car you're looking at doesn't fall into that category (this one was only 7 years/20k miles old!) The doors were starting to corrode around the bottom and they flat out wouldn't do them prior to sale, it really was take it or leave it, then pay an admin fee for the privilege. The general experience was pretty painful also...if it weren't for the fact that it was a rare car and perfect for my grandparents there's no way I'd have bought from them.
Doesn’t change that I’d be reluctant to buy a car from EH. The prep process encourages cutting corners (used to be £300 flat fee no matter what the car needed-meaning the sales department bought nails expecting them to be recommissioned for beans and the service department understandably were reluctant to do so!) and the corporate culture involves lots of pressure to sell, well, everything.
They’d flog you the desk fan, totem pole and front door if they could. As long as you bought GAP for them, mind.
As everyone else has said, avoid them like the plague.
We bought a 2 year old Ford Focus for my wife from them in 2016. When we viewed and bought it (as in paid them the money), it had 2 brand new tyres on the front (I know this because I checked them and was quite surprised), when we collected it 4 days later, the brand new tyres had been swapped for ones that were barely legal. I didn't notice this until we got home and when I complained about it, I was told that I must have imagined it. Needless to say, they didn't budge and so we ended up having to pay to replace them.
...Then the AC compressor seized and they bodged a fix just long enough to clear them of any responsibility. Oh and their warranty is pretty much meaningless so don't bother with that either.
I have vowed never to even entertain buying a car from them and so I would highly recommend that you do the same.
We bought a 2 year old Ford Focus for my wife from them in 2016. When we viewed and bought it (as in paid them the money), it had 2 brand new tyres on the front (I know this because I checked them and was quite surprised), when we collected it 4 days later, the brand new tyres had been swapped for ones that were barely legal. I didn't notice this until we got home and when I complained about it, I was told that I must have imagined it. Needless to say, they didn't budge and so we ended up having to pay to replace them.
...Then the AC compressor seized and they bodged a fix just long enough to clear them of any responsibility. Oh and their warranty is pretty much meaningless so don't bother with that either.
I have vowed never to even entertain buying a car from them and so I would highly recommend that you do the same.
Don't want to fall foul of N&S rules, but IME they're absolute scam artists- they tried to renege on their own legally-binding contract with me when I sold a previous car to them by refusing to honour the contractually-agreed price, then took ~8 weeks and a complain to their UK head office to pay me.
Never again.
Never again.
bennno said:
Dont disagree, however EH are all main dealer sites which can create a false sense of security that cars have been inspected and prepped to main dealer standards.
Evans Halshaw are not all main dealer sites, they run Evans Halshaw Car Shops etc. They also sell non manufacturer approved used cars from Franchise sites so a Ford branch may have a “Ford Approved Used” Fiesta for sale alonside a lesser “Evans Halshaw Approved” one along with some non Ford franchise cars as “Evans Halshaw Approved”Recently bought an Oct 15 Kia from one of their Ford outlets, car wasn't forecourt ready but had been mechanically prepped. Drove ok, they got it ready to collect the following day, didn't get hard sell on any add ons. They were slow to pay my finance off and transfer the V5 into my name though, had to chase a few times. Wouldn't be my 'go to' dealer but I've dealt with worse.
Auto810graphy said:
bennno said:
Dont disagree, however EH are all main dealer sites which can create a false sense of security that cars have been inspected and prepped to main dealer standards.
Evans Halshaw are not all main dealer sites, they run Evans Halshaw Car Shops etc. They also sell non manufacturer approved used cars from Franchise sites so a Ford branch may have a “Ford Approved Used” Fiesta for sale alonside a lesser “Evans Halshaw Approved” one along with some non Ford franchise cars as “Evans Halshaw Approved”Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff