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Gates of St Albans
105 Ashley Road, St Albans, AL1 5DE
st albans
4 (2,760 reviews)
Gates of St Albans
105 Ashley Road, St Albans, AL1 5DE
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My family have exclusively purchased Ford cars since 2005 and the experience of Gates Ford in St Albans has ended that. In February 2026 we had damage to our car wheel after swerving to avoid hitting a pedestrian jumping in front of cars as a prank. As it was wheel damage and not a tyre, we needed a Ford approved garage. We attempted to book into Gates St Albans (our nearest as we live on the outskirts of St Albans). This was a saga in itself as the online booking has to be confirmed and it is almost impossible to find someone to pick up the phone. We added a service and MOT to the booking while we were there. After a month (yes, a month) we had an appointment booked and took a day off work in order to drive to Gates Ford at 8am for the appointment to replace the wheel. On turning up, someone had written into our paperwork that due to the age of the car wheels were no longer available for a Ford Fiesta. That the car would fail it's next MOT as it was running on a spare wheel. They then acted as if they were doing us a favour by cancelling the MOT and service. But no-one had bothered to contact us when they were unable to source a wheel to tell us there was no point coming to the appointment. For clarity - this complaint is not because the car couldn't be fixed. But because someone was unwilling to competently carry out their job and let us know. And when that hadn't happened, they could have done the decent thing and compensated us for the day of annual leave which can't be recovered from employers. In the end, we used the rest of the day in order to purchase a new car. But the failure of Gates Ford meant we were not confident to purchase a Ford again as we risked requiring that garage in the event of another issue. The poor communications means that Ford lost out on a significant amount of money (even second hand cars are not cheap!).
Worst Experience Ever After waiting 3 months since booking my car, the collection date finally arrived. We called the company to confirm that delivery was scheduled for the next day and that the car would be ready for collection. To our shock, we were informed by Lewis Baldwin that the car has now been delayed and is not expected until June. This raises a serious question: If the delivery was delayed, why were we not informed in advance? Instead, we only found out on the day we called — and now we are being told to wait an additional 3 months. This is completely unacceptable and highly unprofessional. Very disappointing service from an unreliable company. I would not recommend this to anyone.
I was booked in to have my stereo removed to obtain the pin number to enable it to be reset, & at a cost of £30. After a technician looked at my vehicle, I was told I was unable to have this done simply, as due to the fact it had a sat nav, the whole console would need to be removed, at a cost of an hour's labour of £162, & the technician explained once they had the serial numbers required they would need to contact Ford for the pin number. I did not rebook my vehicle, but called later to ask 'if' I did undertake the work, how long would it take them to get the pin number from Ford, & the receptionist said they did not know, & for me to call them myself to ask them! I therefore called Ford, & I was told this was not something they could not do? Therefore, after being given the runaround, I called back to speak to the service department to explain this, & after yet "again" explaining the situation, the telephone call was cut off!! I called back for the 3rd time, & asked to speak to the Service Manager, as I was now extremely frustrated in getting absolutely nowhere! I eventually was put through to him, & he did not introduce himself, & I had to ask if he was the Service Manager, & his name. I again had to explain the whole scenario, & was told that he would have to fill out a form with several serial numbers from the radio, & this would then have to be sent to Germany to obtain the pin number, & did not know how long that would take. He told me this could not be done until his return on Thursday 9th April, & I asked him if a team member of the service department could not fill out the form in his absence, if I did decide to have the work undertaken? I was told it was not that straightforward, & was he was not helpful in whether he could get it done sooner for me. I found his attitude to be extremely condescending towards me, & quite rude! He then called me "darling", which I find quite astonishing, & is this the calibre of the "Service Manager" at a flagship dealership?! I have previously worked in the motor industry for many years, & he certainly did not come across as a professional 'Service Manager'. All in all, I found the whole situation very stressful, & I was passed from "pillar to post", & found the whole process extremely unprofessional, & I will certainly not be recommending this dealership.
Gates of woodford dealt with Aaron who was easy to talk too very down to earth had a laugh but very professional. Great experience Aaron was always helpful & always got back to me with any queries I had. I would highly recommend dealing with Aaron his a lovely bloke. I got the car and the colour I wanted for a great price all thanks to Aaron a true professional and a credit to the dealership.
What a load of rubbish! It’s like buying a car off of TEMU! Jaecoo 5 is poor quality drive and clearly made cheaply. I’ve had nothing but issues since I took the car 4 months ago . The customer service since taking their car, has been nothing but poor. Avoiding dealing with the issues and continuously have to chase them up. The car is dangerous to drive and I’ve shown them proof of this, and yet they can’t seem to find any issues with it. Don’t bother wasting your time!
Collins Okoli was very welcoming, polite and respectful. He explained every step as I made the initial enquiry. Explained the ethos of the company which I found useful. He is very knowledgeable in his field of sales and understands the make and model of the car he sells. He kept in touch with me from the time I visited the show room until when I picked up my new car. Hoorah!!!!!!!!!! What was really helpful is that he provided me with the summary of the essential features of the terms and conditions including the finance, which is always very useful as you have to understand those key features and there is never sufficient time to read them at that time. He did my finance compentently that I did not have to feel any pressure. Great customer services, Great service overall. I will recommend Ford Gates to friends and families
I recently purchased my Jaecoo 7 SHS from Gates of Woodford, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience—thanks in large part to Ryan. From start to finish, his service was absolutely outstanding. Ryan was knowledgeable, approachable, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire process. He took the time to answer all my questions, made sure I understood every detail, and never made me feel rushed or pressured. His professionalism and friendly attitude really stood out and made what can sometimes be a stressful experience feel smooth and enjoyable. The whole purchase was handled efficiently, and Ryan kept me updated every step of the way. It’s clear he genuinely cares about his customers and takes pride in delivering excellent service. I’m absolutely thrilled with my Jaecoo 7 SHS and would highly recommend both Gates of Woodford and Ryan to anyone looking for a new car. A truly first-class experience!
I dealt with Tyler Wink from Gates Omoda & Jeacoo Woodford. From start to finish he was lovely, always had time to answer any questions I had to ask. He was very pleasant, welcoming and helpful and I appreciate all the help he gave me. Got my new Omoda 5 last Sunday and I’m loving it!! Would deffo recommend a visit to the showroom if you are in thinking of getting the Omoda or Jeacoo car.
Reviews provided by dealership customers who were invited to provide feedback on their sales experience using TrustPilot.
