Start of Rant

Car was in at Benfield Harrogate for a Service and MOT on Friday (13th) . Been out in the car today and the Engine Undertray has come off and lodged it self under the car, had to call the RAC to jack up the car as it had folded it's self in too.

Car now at Benfield waiting repairs Tomorrow. Once this has been fixed and my car is Inspected for damage it is the last time either my car or the wife's will enter Benfields premises...

Every time any of our cars go to Benfield I have to take it back as something has gone wrong

AVOID LIKE THE PLAUGE

End of Rant

You know my feelings about Benfields!!!

Simon

This is why I've long since believed that the whole Full Main Dealer Service History thing was nothing more than a bloody great conspiracy. In general you pay approx £80 per hour for a 16 yr old to change your oil etc as quick as his boss can possibly whip him...inevitably with little or no quality to the whole thing. Of course they need to charge you a fortune in order to fund the legion of almost pretty girls that seem to loiter around in the showroom doing sod-all but offering you terrible coffee...oh and of course the expanse of pointless glass and steel work must take a bit of paying back, and leak heat like a garden shed!

It's always been the small owner run independent mechanic for me...and if he is a VAT registered mechanic your warranty remains valid regardless of what the dealer tries to tell you.

...and i've enough mates in the trade to know what goes on...and it would make you teeth curl!

That's where I bought my car. Never been back since. I use what is now DM Keith York

You know my feelings about Benfields!!!

Simon

Whilst I was ranting in Benfield, showroom full of punters, I mentioned what has happened to your car and they said ""Nothing to do with us. It was the Other garage "", who ever that was

Whilst I was ranting in Benfield, showroom full of punters, I mentioned what has happened to your car and they said ""Nothing to do with us. It was the Other garage "", who ever that was

Thats clever as it went no where near another garage!!!!

I wouldn't use Benfield for anything. My local dealer is Silbury Skoda and they're pretty good although I didn't want to pay dealer rates for my first service so went to Awesome GTi where I got a few other bits done too.

Looks like I'll be joining the Q for the exit too, after my oil change that wasn't (to be confirmed tomorrow)

Has any one used Brookroyds at Killinghall, They useed to be Skoda dealers before the days of Steel and Glass showrooms and still specialize in Skoda. I used to use them when I had the Estelle raly car but that was a fair few years ago.

Simon

Has any one used Brookroyds at Killinghall, They useed to be Skoda dealers before the days of Steel and Glass showrooms and still specialize in Skoda. I used to use them when I had the Estelle raly car but that was a fair few years ago.

Simon

I've heard of some really good reports about them and I bought a couple of cars off them when they were in Killinghall.

It is now owned by Peter Chapman, related to Chapmans of York ( Volvo ) and Chapmans of Pickering ( Skoda ) and I think Balchelors of Ripon . Steve a mechanic runs it on a daily basis and seems to know his stuff

I've been in a couple of times for a chat. Good clean garage and second hand cars on the forecourt reasonably priced

Brookroyds will now be my First choice but don't do warranty work. Looks like that will be done by DMK in York

I assume you mean DMK.

Does warranty work have to be carried out by a Skoda Garage. There is a very good VW dealer in Knaresborough.

Yep, I've had dealings with Benfields in Newcastle and I wouldn't go back or recommend them. Sillbury are much better.

Have you had issues with D M Keith in york as well?

I've not had a problem in the past. Very expensive mind. When it was Martyn Beever it was a far better garage though.

Ive had no problems with Benfield in Harrogate, They have looked after my Fords for 10 years and now they have been looking after my Skoda and Ive no real complaints with them.

Brookroyd are great, Steve who runs the show knows his way arounds Skodas and their facilities are modern, and well presented.

Mention Chris from 'Harrogate Heating' if you go and im sure he will look after you.

Have you had issues with D M Keith in york as well?

I went there to test drive vRSs (diesel and petrol) when I was deciding what to get. The sales staff I saw were uninterested and offhand which was how I ended up at Harrogate where the salesman was excellent. I'm thinking of going independent int he future. FR Pulleyn in Haxby have done brilliant body repair jobs on our cars in the past. I think they were the original owners of what is now DMK. Also had a couple of good dealings with offspring cars at Autosafe on Wigginton Rd roundabout with ring road.

Should add the Benfield Ford in Wetherby, where I bought my Fiesta ST, have been excellent. Still take it there for annual service.

DM Keith in York left an oily rag against my exhaust manifold. Luckily I spotted it hanging down from underneath the car before it caught fire.

FR Pulleyn used to have the Skoda franchise in York, it then changed to Martyn Beever and is now DM Keith.

This is why I've long since believed that the whole Full Main Dealer Service History thing was nothing more than a bloody great conspiracy. In general you pay approx £80 per hour for a 16 yr old to change your oil etc as quick as his boss can possibly whip him...inevitably with little or no quality to the whole thing. Of course they need to charge you a fortune in order to fund the legion of almost pretty girls that seem to loiter around in the showroom doing sod-all but offering you terrible coffee...oh and of course the expanse of pointless glass and steel work must take a bit of paying back, and leak heat like a garden shed!

It's always been the small owner run independent mechanic for me...and if he is a VAT registered mechanic your warranty remains valid regardless of what the dealer tries to tell you.

...and i've enough mates in the trade to know what goes on...and it would make you teeth curl!

Excellent post and good points....Thanks !

Silver's got the correct chronology for what is now DM Keith.

Peter Chapman at Brookroyd, as Auric says, is owned by Peter Chapman who used to have Chapmans of Pickering, which was originally a Subaru/Isuzu Dealers. Peter sold his Pickering set-up to Batchelors of Ripon about 7/8 years ago.

I used Chapmans in Pickering for servicing my Subarus for 15 years, even on cars with 145k on, because they knew their individual clients and what our cars often got subjected to. So they knew what to check, what to strip and clean, etc, on a 'bespoke' basis, even it it wasn't technically in the service schedule. In the first instance they got my car running right because the old Subarus liked NGK plugs - independent mechanic had fitted Champions and it ran like a dog. To me, knowledge of the particular vehicle and car reliability are of the highest importance, and I'm prepared to pay more to ensure that. I have never, ever had any of the horror stories about oily rags on manifolds, loose components, etc.

I'd have to say that the prices have gone up since Batchelors took over but, and here's the important thing, the Service Manager trained under Peter Chapman and consequently the 'small independent' feel is still there. I was on the verge of leaving a couple of years ago, but again an incident where specialist Skoda knowledge got the car sorted turned me back to them again.

It ain't cheap, but for good customer service then for anyone in York it might be worth considering them. Say that Paul Jackson sent you - they service both my car and my Dad's so have a lot to lose if they let you/me down!

I assume you mean DMK.

Does warranty work have to be carried out by a Skoda Garage. There is a very good VW dealer in Knaresborough.

I understand you can use any garage registered for VAT and using correct original parts.

I've just been and picked my car back up from Benfield and had a long chat with the Service Manager and next week he's seeing the General Manager of Benfield Harrogate ( He's on Holiday this week ) to see what can be done to keep me on board, I've told him "Don't get your hopes up"

I'll keep you all posted

I've calmed down a bit now

In my experience the York dealer has been poor and shoddy when doing work in any guise whether it be Pulleyn, Beever or DMK. The DMK in Leeds is far better in my experience although they seem to be a bit overrun and sometimes it shows.

It's annoying as if you have to go to SUK to complain about anything the first question they ask is does it have FSSH thus suggesting that in order to get anything positive from them that it does. Dare to stray from the dealer network and things get 'difficult'.

It's annoying as if you have to go to SUK to complain about anything the first question they ask is does it have FSSH thus suggesting that in order to get anything positive from them that it does. Dare to stray from the dealer network and things get 'difficult'.

6 Dealer Stamps in the book.

In my experience the York dealer has been poor and shoddy when doing work in any guise whether it be Pulleyn, Beever or DMK. The DMK in Leeds is far better in my experience although they seem to be a bit overrun and sometimes it shows.

Just shows how much pot-luck it can be. Staff probably stay the same through all the name changes. If you get good staff and management then it's great, but if not it's an expensive nightmare. As with all customer service it depends on people and their attitude, and it's about impossible to generalise between, in this case, Main Dealers and Independents.

Does warranty work have to be carried out by a Skoda Garage.

'In the event of a vehicle becoming defective due to faulty material or manufacture, it must be promptly returned to an appointed Škoda Retailer or Authorised Repairer where it will be repaired free of charge.'

'Should a defect in manufacture occur with your vehicle during the three-year warranty period and it is within the mileage limitation, any member of the Skoda authorised network will be able to carry out the necessary rectification, free of charge, whether or not they were the original supplying retailer.'