Halford autocentres

Bongedone

Hi,

My car is due a major service and an MOT. The service could wait another month but the MOT is due next week.

I have lots of Tesco clubcard vouchers to use up. Plenty enough to cover both being done.

Now I've heard some nasty stories about getting MOTs done at these places but are they okay to get the service done?

Basically I'm wondering:

a) Halfords service and MOT
b) Halfors service and MOT elsewhere like a council test station
c) Spend my Clubcard vouchers on something else and avoid Halfords like the plague

Any ideas?

slyracoon

I've used them for MOTs on 2 cars this year, I've normally always gone to an indpendant but Halfords had a 50% MOT offer.

I had no problems and would go back.

Both cars were 10 years old, first was passed without issue, second failed on a headlight issue (clouding of the glass), managed to polish this out myself and the it passed on the retest.

I guess with all chains there will be good and bad examples.

Road_Hog

I used them this year (FEB) on the half price MOT offer. The car was only 3 years old and had been serviced by the dealer two months beforehand, so I knew that they wouldn't be able to find anything to fail it on.

It went through with an advisory on the front windscreen wipers and front pads (no discs) for which they quote me £140 (£120 brakes/£20 wipers roughly). They said that the pads would need replacing within the next month as they were almost worn. Changed the wipers myself (£2.50 from factors) which did need doing and bought pads £20 (reasonable make, cheap cheapies were about £17.

Went to fit them and found the old pads were only half worn. Eventually fitted them this month after about another 8-10K miles and they still had about 6mm on them. If you have an MOT with them, they will get your mobile number and start ringing you up about two weeks later to get any recommended work done. I had about 12 missed calls before they gave up.

colino

I'm surprised at you OP having been a good MSE'r and accumulated useful vouchers even considering wasting it on Halfords "technicians". Your car deserves to be looked after properly so treat it at a local friendly independent and leave Halfords to their bikes.

flashg67

colino wrote: »

I'm surprised at you OP having been a good MSE'r and accumulated useful vouchers even considering wasting it on Halfords "technicians". Your car deserves to be looked after properly so treat it at a local friendly independent and leave Halfords to their bikes.

To be fair, the association with bikes is a little unfair - Halfords bought out Nationwide Autocntres and rebranded them so the vast majority are stnd alone garages and have nowt to do with bikes, or cd players, or car polish!

SteveJW

Wife bought a cheap bike from them a few years ago, just to get to work on.

Wheels needed truing and brakes adjusting, only a 10 minute job to do myself, at least knew it was done correctly

Saw a young lad just after Xmas last year with a new bike from Hal*****, the forks were in the wrong way. And no they hadn't turned round, you couldn't move them. It was how they had prepared and sold the bike

forgotmyname

Its not the store/chain thats the problem is the muppets who work there.

You need to find one that actually knows what a car looks like and how it works.

Not the numpty that applied for the job so he can get discounts on the shiny chrome stuff
they sell. And possible only knows howto TWOC a car.

Lessbutbetter

I got an MOT in the one in nottingham 3 years ago and the guy tried to flog me all sorts. He thought i had no idea what was needed at the time on my car, and tried to get me to buy about half a dozen new parts, which were totally unnecessary. I saw them "do" a pair of Indian lads who could barely speak a word of English, out of £800 of parts and repairs, on what looked like a 2000 Toyota, which wasn't worth the price of the upgrades etc. The guy who owned the car couldn't pay for it all on his card, so the other guy put a couple of hundred on his....very sad situation where i'm not sure if the car really needed all that work, if you know what i mean?!


I'd steer clear

my opinion

[Deleted User]

forgotmyname wrote: »

Its not the store/chain thats the problem is the muppets who work there.

You need to find one that actually knows what a car looks like and how it works.

Not the numpty that applied for the job so he can get discounts on the shiny chrome stuff
they sell. And possible only knows howto TWOC a car.

It IS the company's fault. They employ people with no knowledge or training of the products they sell on minimum wage.

If you want a bike, go to a proper independent bike shop where the staff have many years of relevant knowledge of how to prepare and maintain the bikes they sell.

But you will have to find one first as they have all closed down due to people going to Halfords instead. Then moaning about 'numpty' staff on web forums when it doesn't work.

Lessbutbetter

Basically I'm wondering:

a) Halfords service and MOT
b) Halfors service and MOT elsewhere like a council test station
c) Spend my Clubcard vouchers on something else and avoid Halfords like the plague

Any ideas?

Answer: C

mcjordi

Personally id avoid the chains..
where i go the mot tester says they dont need any work from failed mot's as they do all the HGV repairs so no unescary need to fail anything..
and they only charge me Trade price.. (£30 iirc) havent been up there this year yet..