Evans Halshaw...their marketing strategy, so uncaring

Rharni

In 2003 we bought a Citroen Picasso from Reg Vardy, Hartlepool. They were taken over by Evans Halshaw.

Last year we received a steady stream of junk mail form then getting us to buy a new car. Thing is, then they started to text and ring, my husband told them that he would rather they didn't phone. My husband has terminal cancer. His life expectancy is short and we can't afford...or want, to buy a new car.

They rang again, and texted. My husband went down to the garage on a day he was feeling a bit better. as the calls were coming from there and spoke to someone who said he was the Manager. He said sorry, he's send an email to Head Office....wouldn't happen again.

It did. shortly after, post, text and another call. I heard him on the phone and took over the call. I asked that the manager call me asap. Of course he didn't so I called him. His reply to my complaints about them ringing us. He said 'I think in this instance, you have rang us!!'. Not the reply I was looking for.

I demanded, and got, a half hearted letter of apology and assurance it wouldn't happen again. The letter came from the 'manager' who was actually 'Sales Team Leader'.

Guess what....last week...a cheerful young girl on the phone asking us if we wanted to trade in our car for a new one!! I couldn't believe it.

Saying I am angry is a massive understatement. It is distressing for my husband to have to tell people he has cancer that is killing him. He only did that because he was sick of the calls and they weren't taking no for an answer.

This young man is arrogant and very cocky. He is the most unprofessional person I have come across. I think that he thinks it's funny getting someone to call us, I really do.

I am sending letters to their Head Office...I don't know if it will do some good...but it is causing a great deal of distress in our house.

RadoJo

That is really horrible, and I really feel for you and your husband. It must be difficult enough to try and make the most of your time together without being interrupted by people trying to make a quick buck. I don't know how far you might want to pursue this, but the Information Commissioner's Office might be interested (http://www.ico.gov.uk/Home/what_we_cover/privacy_and_electronic_communications.aspx) as they are in breach of the Data Protection Act by failing to stop contacting you when you requested it. I know that Watchdog were also featuring this kind of activity quite a lot last year, so it might be worth contacting them as well. But most of all, it would probably just be nice if you didn't have to do anything and could rely on them doing what you wanted without getting to the point of anger and frustration which must be so hard.

I really hope you can get it sorted - maybe MSEs could spend a day calling their offices with spurious questions about cars they don't want, tying up their phone lines so any real customers can't get through and making them realise that sometimes people can have enough of unsolicited calls! I would be glad to waste some of their time on your behalf if I thought it would help...

ajb69

Have you thought of threatening to call the local paper? That usually cuts through the "operatives" and makes sure that someone with some power deals with your complaint.

I've only had to do it twice, and both times it was a magic word that got my complaint sorted. So I'd suggest you try that and see if it works, even if you have no intention of complaining.

Having said that - this is so appalling, I'd say go to the press anyway - let the company be embarrassed on the public record. I appreciate it's even more an invasion of your privacy, so can see that you would be very reluctant to do this - but they need to be taught a lesson so they don't do this to anyone else....

d

biv

I'm experiencing the same problem. Luckily, they don't call or text me, but they're continuing to send me junk mail despite sending three letters specifically asking them to stop. I even pretended to a relative and told them I was deceased in my last letter.

I'm going to give it one last try, before I drive down to the dealership in person, and complain in the strongest possible terms to the Information Commissioner and any other popular consumer outlets I can find.

What concerns me most, is the nature of these letters. Some of them are really shocking. The letter I've recently received stated;

"IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION, Has your break fluid been changed in the last 2 years" before proceeding to tell me how dangerous it is if I didn't get my car checked out. Of course, they offer to give my car a "free health check". Aren't these scare tactics reserved for dodgy cowboy garages taking advantage of young girls?

This is disturbing. They're practically trying to scare and intimidate people into buying their (vastly overpriced) services. If I didn't know what was including in my services from my local garage, or wasn't too 'well-up' with cars, or even a young person, I'd be horrified.

No other company I have ever dealt with uses such disturbing marketing practices or ignores my requests to stop sending me junk. It stinks.

(p.s. don't have any annual services there - they don't even strip down the breaks anyway!)

incider

Rharni wrote: »

In 2003 we bought a Citroen Picasso from Reg Vardy, Hartlepool. They were taken over by Evans Halshaw.

Last year we received a steady stream of junk mail form then getting us to buy a new car. Thing is, then they started to text and ring, my husband told them that he would rather they didn't phone. My husband has terminal cancer. His life expectancy is short and we can't afford...or want, to buy a new car.

They rang again, and texted. My husband went down to the garage on a day he was feeling a bit better. as the calls were coming from there and spoke to someone who said he was the Manager. He said sorry, he's send an email to Head Office....wouldn't happen again.

It did. shortly after, post, text and another call. I heard him on the phone and took over the call. I asked that the manager call me asap. Of course he didn't so I called him. His reply to my complaints about them ringing us. He said 'I think in this instance, you have rang us!!'. Not the reply I was looking for.

I demanded, and got, a half hearted letter of apology and assurance it wouldn't happen again. The letter came from the 'manager' who was actually 'Sales Team Leader'.

Guess what....last week...a cheerful young girl on the phone asking us if we wanted to trade in our car for a new one!! I couldn't believe it.

Saying I am angry is a massive understatement. It is distressing for my husband to have to tell people he has cancer that is killing him. He only did that because he was sick of the calls and they weren't taking no for an answer.

This young man is arrogant and very cocky. He is the most unprofessional person I have come across. I think that he thinks it's funny getting someone to call us, I really do.

I am sending letters to their Head Office...I don't know if it will do some good...but it is causing a great deal of distress in our house.

These guys give the good car dealers a bad name. If any of these characters call you again, just tell them that you are on TPS and that you will see to it that they are fined. They will soon hang up. Evans Halshaw has a lot of branches that work to a computer screen system called "Showroom". This is how your deal will be presented to you. It is designed to build Management control into the deal as well as extra profit. In your deal, they will add charges for everything from Fuel, Tyre Cover, Gap Insurance and body type of polish such as body glaze. These products can add in excess of £600 to your deal. The salesperson is not allowed to let you leave the building. You have to be "Second Faced" by a Sales Manager. It makes me laugh to listen to people who have had a bad experience with a company only to watch their friends go there afterwards. Bad experience = dont you or your friends go there !

musicmeka

I wasted an hour of my day this afternoon at Evans Halshaw in Walsall. I went there to agree a price for a car of theirs I had seen advertised online - it wasn't at the showroom as a sales rep was apparently using it at the moment. Having listened to about 50 minutes worth of finance packages, scotchguarding (with a demo!), paintwork protection, total gap insurance... I could go on... I was told the price was fixed - this was without being able to see the car to confirm its condition and mileage. When I then said I was no longer interested I was followed to the door in a threatening manner while being questioned as to why I was not interested (despite having explained why) and even when I was driving my (current) car out of the car park I was being 'eyeballed' by the sales rep. I would never consider giong to an Evans Halshaw dealership ever again - from a brief internet search I have now found that this is common practice for this company:mad:.

Takoda

If you are with bt (not sure about other phone companies) you can block their number really easily and then you won't get any more calls from them. Just ring the operator and ask.

pulliptears

Similar problems with them, my Dad died 18 months ago, EH still keep sending the mail despite me calling several times and telling them to stop.

isplumm

Takoda wrote: »

If you are with bt (not sure about other phone companies) you can block their number really easily and then you won't get any more calls from them. Just ring the operator and ask.

You may notice that this thread is 18 months old ....

Pigeongirl

isplumm wrote: »

You may notice that this thread is 18 months old ....

Could still help people currently suffering problems though.

spuds_2

We bought a used car from Evans Halshaw - it took several months to get the MOT cert out of them. They couldn't find it on the day we collected the car and despite many phone calls to the rep nothing happened until I spoke to a senior manager. The car has been okay, but there were several other sales and admin things I wasn't impressed with. Avoid.