Hi all

 

I thought I would let you know my recent experience with Halfords Worcester.

 

Before getting the tracking done I had replaced the struts (bilstein b4), top mounts, heavy duty meyle drop links, new wishbones and wishbone bushes and meyle heavy duty console bushes. 

 

So the tracking was miles out, I would have done the tracking myself at work but we were full of big projects in bits so I couldn't get my car in. 

 

So I took it to Halfords as it was by my parents so I wouldn't have to wait there. I was booked in for 11am. At 1pm they phoned me and said someone has double booked wheel alignment and mots so they can't do my car but they will rebook for the weekend after and give me a full refund. I was happy with this and so I thought nothing of it, come next weekend I dropped my car off and they said it would be an hour. So an hour later I come back and they said they have adjusted the N/S one but the O/S one is seized on so they haven't adjusted it! But don't worry they will give me a refund. Why they didn't phone me before hand and let me know my car had been sat there for 30 minutes I will never know.

 

So I get home and investiagte, the N/S steering gaiter is twisted up because the ejit that did it did not think to untwist it or cut the cable tie off and fit one after. The O/S one freed off with a bit of heat applied (why did Halfords not do this? We do at work when tracking if it needs it), at this point I noticed both boots were missing their securing clips and rusting inside. 

 

So I fitted two new track rod ends (threaded on the exact same amount as the old ones) and did my tracking Friday. I swapped my wheels around so the brand new tyres were on the front and checked it to start off. It is meant to be parrallell + or - 10 minutes... it was toe out 2 degrees and 30 minutes! You could see how bad it was just looking at the front of the car. So what the hell had they done!

 

To top it off after the 5 days refund period was up I hadn't received one. So I phoned customer services and neither of the bell ends I had dealt with had put a request for a refund through so I had to do it myself and explain everything to the guy on the phone who was very apologetic.

 

So moral of the story, never let Halfords do any work on your car that requires a modicum of brain power.

I thought that was common knowledge not to use halfords.

They can't fit a bulb properly so how would you trust them with anything else?

Not long back and the Mrs watched one of their staff put wiper blades on a ford Ka. We were in a Costa opposite. Long story short this fella went through 3 pairs of blades and various fittings in the mean time I drank a medium coffee and a slice of cake.  So what's that 30 mins?  I changed the fabby front and back in under 5 mins and that includes in packing. 

4 hours ago, JWvrs25 said:

I thought that was common knowledge not to use halfords.

They can't fit a bulb properly so how would you trust them with anything else?

I personally hadn't heard not to use them but since mentioning it to people it does seem that everyone has a horror story with them.

Edited 25 February, 20188 yr by retro

Not surprised to hear this, they are rubbish. All they are interested in is getting your money.

 

Whenever I go in there to buy something (which is not often) they have started asking for your email address, ''for the receipt.'' Since when was an email address needed for a receipt? They give you a bloody paper one anyway! It's just a lie so they can bombard you with adverts for overpriced roof boxes and bike racks.

 

Makes me laugh if I buy a bulb and they say, ''would you like us to fit it sir?''  Bugger off. I can practically build a whole car from scratch, I don't need some clueless shop assisant who has been on an hour's 'bulb changing course' to **** about with my car thank you.

 

A friend once had them fit a new heater control water valve to his Fiesta and when we checked the car at home they had left parts of the bulkhead just lying in the plenum.

 

Gah.

Edited 25 February, 20188 yr by TMB

18 hours ago, TMB said:

Not surprised to hear this, they are rubbish. All they are interested in is getting your money.

 

Whenever I go in there to buy something (which is not often) they have started asking for your email address, ''for the receipt.'' Since when was an email address needed for a receipt? They give you a bloody paper one anyway! It's just a lie so they can bombard you with adverts for overpriced roof boxes and bike racks.

 

Makes me laugh if I buy a bulb and they say, ''would you like us to fit it sir?''  Bugger off. I can practically build a whole car from scratch, I don't need some clueless shop assisant who has been on an hour's 'bulb changing course' to **** about with my car thank you.

 

A friend once had them fit a new heater control water valve to his Fiesta and when we checked the car at home they had left parts of the bulkhead just lying in the plenum.

 

Gah.

 

They ask if you want a bulb fitted because 99% of their customers haven't got a clue whether to push or pull the electric sliding door on entrance

General opinion in "the trade" is to avoid all of the fast fits unless it is urgent (think Sunday afternoon puncture emergency) and use a good local tyre shop for anything complex. Have never been to a fast fit operation, don't trust them to do the job right (have you ever seen them use a torque wrench on wheel nuts - set correctly?)

 

19 hours ago, TMB said:

Not surprised to hear this, they are rubbish. All they are interested in is getting your money.

 

Whenever I go in there to buy something (which is not often) they have started asking for your email address, ''for the receipt.'' Since when was an email address needed for a receipt? They give you a bloody paper one anyway! It's just a lie so they can bombard you with adverts for overpriced roof boxes and bike racks.

 

Makes me laugh if I buy a bulb and they say, ''would you like us to fit it sir?''  Bugger off. I can practically build a whole car from scratch, I don't need some clueless shop assisant who has been on an hour's 'bulb changing course' to **** about with my car thank you.

 

A friend once had them fit a new heater control water valve to his Fiesta and when we checked the car at home they had left parts of the bulkhead just lying in the plenum.

 

Gah.

 

Easy, dig around a bit on google and find the personal email address for the CEO.....

You can't get thicker than a (insert name) fitter!

47 minutes ago, MikeHig said:

You can't get thicker than a (insert name) fitter!

 

You CAN get better than a ........ Fitter. Also Halfords is nicknamed Halfrauds (or even Hellfrauds).

On ‎25‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 08:03, retro said:

So moral of the story, never let Halfords do any work on your car that requires a modicum of brain power.

 

FTFY 

2 hours ago, Jim H said:

 

You CAN get better than a ........ Fitter. Also Halfords is nicknamed Halfrauds (or even Hellfrauds).

 

Or Halfwits

 

4 hours ago, octyal said:

General opinion in "the trade" is to avoid all of the fast fits unless it is urgent (think Sunday afternoon puncture emergency) and use a good local tyre shop for anything complex. Have never been to a fast fit operation, don't trust them to do the job right (have you ever seen them use a torque wrench on wheel nuts - set correctly?)

 

Yes, and they were also the fastest I've ever seen; think 15 minutes to change all 4 tyres, balance the wheels and refit (with one balance machine and one locknut key). OK, they did set the pressures to 30PSI all round rather than 30 front 32 rear.

On 2/26/2018 at 16:49, KenONeill said:

Yes, and they were also the fastest I've ever seen; think 15 minutes to change all 4 tyres, balance the wheels and refit (with one balance machine and one locknut key). OK, they did set the pressures to 30PSI all round rather than 30 front 32 rear.

Liverpool Branch, perhaps.

Warning story. A few years ago, I had typical rear shoe failure problems on an MOT. I'd have done it myself, but it was at the start of my hip problems and I knew what problems my body would give. So I headed off to a fast fit place I'd used before, with no problems. This time I got problems.  They'd removed the old shoes, whilst waiting for delivery of new parts. But not clamped the pistons on the rear drums, resulting in air getting into the system.

cOMMON PROBLEM WITH FAST FIT PLACES. PAY PEANUTS, GET MONKEYS.

8 hours ago, VWD said:

Liverpool Branch, perhaps.

Warning story. A few years ago, I had typical rear shoe failure problems on an MOT. I'd have done it myself, but it was at the start of my hip problems and I knew what problems my body would give. So I headed off to a fast fit place I'd used before, with no problems. This time I got problems.  They'd removed the old shoes, whilst waiting for delivery of new parts. But not clamped the pistons on the rear drums, resulting in air getting into the system.

cOMMON PROBLEM WITH FAST FIT PLACES. PAY PEANUTS, GET MONKEYS.

I see what you did there. It was a local (to my Mum's house) small chain, and the branch manager took the view that 1 customer wanting a big job like that and 5 fitters (himself included) meant 5 men working on it.

On ‎25‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 14:13, retro said:

I personally hadn't heard not to use them but since mentioning it to people it does seem that everyone has a horror story with them.

 

Where the feck have you been the past 15yrs then???...

 

They are as bad as Arnold ..c l a r k....sorry, shark...

I’d rather let my 8 & 5 year old daughters work on my car than halfords

5 hours ago, fabdavrav said:

 

Where the feck have you been the past 15yrs then???...

 

They are as bad as Arnold ..c l a r k....sorry, shark...

 

Do not get me started on the shark!

 

Davy

6 hours ago, fabdavrav said:

 

Where the feck have you been the past 15yrs then???...

 

They are as bad as Arnold ..c l a r k....sorry, shark...

New Zealand 

3 hours ago, retro said:

New Zealand 

 

Ok that is the edge of the world I'll give you that...

Just now, fabdavrav said:

 

Ok that is the edge of the world I'll give you that...

Go any further and you are on your way back to England haha.

On 25/02/2018 at 16:39, TMB said:

Makes me laugh if I buy a bulb and they say, ''would you like us to fit it sir?''  Bugger off. I can practically build a whole car from scratch, I don't need some clueless shop assisant who has been on an hour's 'bulb changing course' to **** about with my car thank you.

 

 

Aren't you a bundle of joy. It's hardly unreasonable for a company that sells and fits bulbs to politely offer to fit one for you.

 

That will be £5 sir.

 

DB

1 hour ago, Dr Zoidberg said:

 

Aren't you a bundle of joy.

 

 

You bet. Victor Meldrew's got nothing on me.

Another firm, same sort of problem. And again, not Halfrauds, but another fast fit ( tyre) place. I picked up one van to replace an out of date lease one. Felt /looked/drove great, till I got it on the motorway. Then  ABS lights came on. Back to lease company, then Ford, and at 50, all that showed on the laptop was that one wheel was faster than others. But at70 - dash was like Blackpool. Ten next day- all became clear. I took the van to the tyre place and manager took one look and quoted "wrong tyre on the rear".  Somehow another branch had fitted the smaller radius of the correct size tyre on the wheel.

I won't mention how some tyre places try to sort out seized up track rod ends - heat, which melts out the grease in the ball joint, meaning new ball joint in no time flat. 

9 hours ago, VWD said:

Another firm, same sort of problem. And again, not Halfrauds, but another fast fit ( tyre) place. I picked up one van to replace an out of date lease one. Felt /looked/drove great, till I got it on the motorway. Then  ABS lights came on. Back to lease company, then Ford, and at 50, all that showed on the laptop was that one wheel was faster than others. But at70 - dash was like Blackpool. Ten next day- all became clear. I took the van to the tyre place and manager took one look and quoted "wrong tyre on the rear".  Somehow another branch had fitted the smaller radius of the correct size tyre on the wheel.

I won't mention how some tyre places try to sort out seized up track rod ends - heat, which melts out the grease in the ball joint, meaning new ball joint in no time flat. 

Heat just makes the rod longer anyway so as soon as it cools down your tracking goes out again