FOW Trafford
Barton Dock Road, Trafford Park, M41 7TB
FOW Trafford
Barton Dock Road, Trafford Park, M41 7TB
I have bought cars from FOW for over 20 years - it was always such a pleasure to visit, and an almost magical experience. Although we identified the car we wanted this time online, we had seen others in the area which were listed at a much lower price. We were prepared to part exchange a 2014 Jaguar XF with FSH and mint condition (a former police car, so the 2.2L diesel engine had been slightly modified). Your valuer offered us £2,500. Since there was no room for negotiation on the car price, we decided not to PEx. Alex, who assisted us, was competent, but disinterested and unwelcoming – no charisma and poor knowledge of the car, nothing to get us excited about what was an expensive purchase for our 17 year old son. I subsequently sent a couple of emails to Alex asking if the valuer had taken into consideration the year of the car as it has private plates with a 61 reg, not 64. He did not respond. Nor did he ever contact me during the week after we placed a deposit on the car and arranged a pickup date, until we were on the way to collect it. He took us out to the holding area to inspect the car – something needs to be done about the appearance of that route - appalling for customers buying expensive cars. The car looked dusty, there was some white deposit on the window seal on the driver’s side, which I could remove with a wet finger. Why hadn’t that been done? The chrome was dull and had not been cleaned. The steering wheel was sticky, and there was no fuel (previously, FOW had always supplied a full tank of fuel). Nevertheless, the sale went along, with Alex trying to persuade us to consider various finance and insurance options, which I appreciate he was trained to do, but I had made it clear it was a cash sale, and that I had both breakdown and legal cover. It was therefore a prolonged process with no pleasantries or offer of any refreshment. We live in Macclesfield, so a relatively short drive, but when we went to the car the following day, it would not start - just a flicker of the instrumentation. It took RAC a couple of hours to attend and they recognised that the battery was completely flat. They managed to charge it, but then I had to drive for an hour and a half until the engine service light extinguished. If, the RAC mechanic advised, the light was still on the following day, I should ask the retailer to replace the battery. Fortunately for FOW, the battery charged sufficiently, but I suspect it had been neglected on the forecourt for some time. The car is, fortunately, still in warranty. All in all, what should have been a delightful occasion, was an unpleasant experience, and it is unlikely that I will return, nor recommend FOW to friends and family as I had always done before.
Reviews provided by dealership customers who were invited to provide feedback on their sales experience using TrustPilot.