Sandown mercedes Basingstoke

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

steve333

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
4,201
Location
Dorset
Car
Cls350cdi in palladium,C200k in tenorite,Slk320 in red.
Hi all,interested in a car sandown mercedes Basingstoke have for sale,anyone on here used them in the past to buy an aproved used vehicle,if so any feedback good or bad would be appreciated :cool:
 
Not used them to buy a car, but did use them 'once' for servicing on the CLK I had as they are only 1/4 mile from my office.

Note the word, 'once' ;)
 
Not used them yet, but will be using them from now on after two disastrous visits to Guildford. Friend of mine has used them for servicing on his SLK32 and they seemed ok. They have a VIP weekend this weekend so pop down and they may have some extra money off the one you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Not used them to buy a car, but did use them 'once' for servicing on the CLK I had as they are only 1/4 mile from my office.

Note the word, 'once' ;)

Do you mind me asking about the obvious bad experience on servicing although I would use my local dealership if I bought the car?
 
Do you mind me asking about the obvious bad experience on servicing although I would use my local dealership if I bought the car?

Don't mind at all. It's a longish story but I'll try to keep it brief.

I should start by saying my beef was more with one of the staff on the service desk, rather than the quality of the service itself, but I was so incensed by the actions of this character, I refused to go back.

Anyhow, on the morning my car was due in for the service, I was clearing a few loose odds and sods from the boot, one of which was a container of washer fluid with about 1 litre left in it. So just for the sake of tidiness, I filled the reservoir and it was just enough to top it to the very brim.

Dropped the car in on the way to the office and asked that it be ready by about 4pm. Walked up there at 4 and past my car in the same spot I'd left it that morning, so looked inside to see if there was evidence it had been serviced. Sure enough, there were the usual paper mat covers and the document wallet was sitting on the passenger seat, plus the car had obviously been cleaned.

Happy with that, I went in to the service desk, announced who I was and was given the work sheet detailing the service and work carried out, together with the invoice. I glanced through and noticed a line saying washer bottle topped up with 3 litres of fluid which I knew couldn't be as I'd only topped it brim full that very morning, so pointed this out to the chap.

Now, call me naive, but I expected the chap to simply say oh sorry, that's obviously just part of the service schedule and our technician must have forgotten to delete it but no, this chap decided he was going to argue with me! He insisted they had topped up the reservoir and the charge would remain on the invoice as he was fed up with people trying to pull a fast one and besides the tech would have left a full container in the car if the reservoir was already full. A really bad move on his part!

I just calmly insisted on talking to the service manager immediately but this chap decided he wasn't going to let it go at that and continued to argue with me.:wallbash: At this point, I ignored him and asked one of the other service desk people, who was obviously listening intently, but otherwise unoccupied, if he would mind fetching the service manager for me, which he did. So the service manager duly arrived and I started to tell him the issue I was having with this chap, who was still trying to argue with me. The manager then told the chap to be quiet and I calmly finished telling him my problem.

The manager then turned to the chap who insisted there would be a container of fluid left in my car if the reservoir was full, so he was sent out to get the car for me. He then said the car was still in the wash bay but he would go and fetch it. I obviously knew it wasn't as I'd walked past it only 10 minutes before, but said nothing. He then disappeared out the back through the stores and I walked over to the side window to see him about 3 minutes later, walking hurriedly over to my car with something very clearly concealed under his jacket.

So he turned up outside the doors in my car and came back in, triumphantly brandishing a bottle of screen wash announcing to me it was in the car, as he'd told me all along. Seeing him coming in, the manager stepped over as I asked whereabouts in the car it was and the chap said, on the passenger seat. Ok, I asked, was the car still in the wash bay as you thought? Yes, he said, they were just finishing wiping it down!

I knew both those things to be a lie, so turned to the manager and said, that's very odd, because I walked in through the rear of your car park from my office just now and saw my car parked exactly where I'd left it this morning. Furthermore, I looked inside to check it had been worked on today and the only thing on the passenger seat was the document wallet.

At this, the chap turned scarlet in colour, looking absolutely crestfallen that he'd been caught out, but then started to argue some more. The manager, to his credit, told him to shut up, took me into his office, apologised and had my invoice reduced accordingly. I never did ask what happened to the unpleasant service fella as I just never returned there. I can't accept anybody accusing me of trying it on to avoid paying and then telling me bare faced lies to cover himself.

Sorry it was so long, but there you have it.:eek:
 
That's not really enough to put anyone off using them for a service though, and less so for buying a used vehicle, surely.

The experience would have pi55ed me off too though I'd have to admit.
 
That's not really enough to put anyone off using them for a service though, and less so for buying a used vehicle, surely.

The experience would have pi55ed me off too though I'd have to admit.

No, I agree. As I said the actual service was ok but I was so irritated by this fella, that I just vowed never to go back.
 
I have been a customer of Sandown in Guildford (where I bought both my current and previous cars) and have used them for all servicing work. I have had one or two problems but they have always sorted things out - on one occasion giving me a large discount on the service work as I had been patient with them while they got to the bottom of the problem (it took several weeks). I don't expect car dealerships/service centres to be perfect - so long as they work with me to resolve issues and are reasonable. So far, Sandown have come up trumps for me. Obviously, I'm talking about the Guildford branch, but I would hope the same would be true across the group.
 
I have been a customer of Sandown in Guildford (where I bought both my current and previous cars) and have used them for all servicing work. I have had one or two problems but they have always sorted things out - on one occasion giving me a large discount on the service work as I had been patient with them while they got to the bottom of the problem (it took several weeks). I don't expect car dealerships/service centres to be perfect - so long as they work with me to resolve issues and are reasonable. So far, Sandown have come up trumps for me. Obviously, I'm talking about the Guildford branch, but I would hope the same would be true across the group.

My local dealership is also of the Sandown group(Poole)- can't fault the service I've had from them in the last 2 years,both buying and servicing,so hopefully Basingstoke will be simular:thumb:
 
My local dealership is also of the Sandown group(Poole)- can't fault the service I've had from them in the last 2 years,both buying and servicing,so hopefully Basingstoke will be simular:thumb:
Get in quick while stocks last! As Tombola said above, there's a VIP event on this weekend where extra discounts are going to be available. You probably have these at Sandown in Poole so know that they're by invitation only. If you're really keen in a particular car, it might be worth your while contacting them and asking for an invitation or maybe taking Thursday off work and paying them a visit.
 
Get in quick while stocks last! As Tombola said above, there's a VIP event on this weekend where extra discounts are going to be available. You probably have these at Sandown in Poole so know that they're by invitation only. If you're really keen in a particular car, it might be worth your while contacting them and asking for an invitation or maybe taking Thursday off work and paying them a visit.

Booked in at Poole for tomorrow pm and arranging Basingstoke for Saturday-thanks again for the heads up:cool:
 
Well they came quick in the post!
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    225.1 KB · Views: 19
Just back from test driving/viewing a gla250 petrol at Poole and discounted that car,not in any way like an suv4x4,felt just like a normal A class albeit a slightly higher driving position so back to ml's,my heart was more with a v6 turbo diesel if I'm honest,been wanting an ml for years so nows maybe the right time,nothing wrong with the gla just not for me and more suited to female drivers in my opinion.
 
Just back from test driving/viewing a gla250 petrol at Poole and discounted that car,not in any way like an suv4x4,felt just like a normal A class albeit a slightly higher driving position so back to ml's,my heart was more with a v6 turbo diesel if I'm honest,been wanting an ml for years so nows maybe the right time,nothing wrong with the gla just not for me and more suited to female drivers in my opinion.
It's best to find out sooner rather than later that a particular style of car isn't to your liking. Roll on the ML - is that the car you saw at Basingstoke?
 
It's best to find out sooner rather than later that a particular style of car isn't to your liking. Roll on the ML - is that the car you saw at Basingstoke?

Test driving the other car I'm interested in at Basingstoke Ron so will report back with my thoughts on that one.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom