anyone used service4service before? any review and feedback, are they a big nationwide group?

no one used it before?

Sunday is a quiet day on the forums. Give the thread into next week for the regular experts to filter back in and you may well find some useful answers.

They are the sort of club that tells you 'up to 65% off dealer prices' for servicing but won't say how much of that percentage it actually is, it could be just 1%. They are also very cagy about giving a 'quote' for a job but will give an 'about' which invariably is more expensive than you are led to believe.

They claim they use genuine manufacturer parts, but I really have doubts for the price they quote

I have had a bad experience with S4S so I cannot recommend anyone to use them.

I had a major service carried out by them on my Land Rover Discovery 3 in May, 2011 for which I paid £277.20.

I was initially satisfied with the service received;

vehicle was collected and returned on time and cleaned by the local servicing agent.

I didn't receive any service check list indicating what had been done and any areas of concern

I contacted S4S who said they would make sure the agent provided it.

Nothing happened and a year later when my service interval indicator failed to show the next service was due I checked with the agent direct.

He admitted that he had not been asked by S4S to do a major service, only oil and filter change and a visual check.

I had my vehicle system scanned and found that the service interval data had been corrupted and would never show the need for service again without amendment.

What was particularly worrying for me was that I had to have new discs and pads all round not long after following a noise from the brakes;

I would expect a proper service to have warned of brake wear and action needed before the next service was due.

I emailed S4S twice to query the work done and they did not respond.

It was only when I posted a negative comment at ReviewCentre.com that the S4S managing director contacted me by phone.

He seemed concerned and said he would check into my concerns but that is as far as it went.

He just contacted ReviewCentre and got them to take my negative post down.

It left a bitter taste and I would never use S4S again nor would I recommend them.

I also had a major service with them.

They offered about 20% discount on the dealer price.

They said on their website and phone the service would be to the manufacturer specs for my car.

After the service I got a grubby bit of paper with some boxes ticked, the car smelt of oily rags.

I complained to them and was told I should read their terms!

they denied they provide services to manufactuer's specs, it was to "their specs". Outrageous.

They would not refund me

I took it to trading standards and my credit card company, I won a full refund! Yipee.

further this company gave me the impression they own the garages.

From what I can see they are just a booking agent that take a % of the payment for their profits.

The garage where my car was serviced I didnt even know existed even though local to me,

it was up some side street in my town, and to think they serviced my merc

One last point.

I also posted on review centre, then Service4service challenged the review and reviewcentre took it down!

Just as with the previous poster here. Odd don't you think?

I will never use service4service again and based on my experience I would advise anyone else to avoid them,

only use a garage that you know and one recommended by a person you trust.

I used Service4Service last month and was happy with the service they provided my Micra with. I'd recommend using them. I arranged for it to be picked up and dropped off at work so I didn't need to take time out of my day. They'd also cleaned and washed it before returning it to me which was a nice touch.

I knew my car had advisories from when it had its MOT earlier this year and the same ones came back. I would've left it with them to repair which they offered at a good price, however, I've got a guy to do them that I know.

Engine was purring like a gooden when I got it back. Hadn't had it serviced for past two years (naughty slap on wrist) but that was due to finance from being a student. Turns out they also do top brands like BMW so when I get my new car I'm taking it there rather than a main dealer - cheaper and pretty much the same service!

 

One last point. I also posted on review centre, then Service4service challenged the review and reviewcentre took it down! Just as with the previous poster here. Odd don't you think?

.

Yet another company who it would seem have one goal in life and that is to rip people off.

Perhaps you should go back to that review site and tell them about your refund and Trading Standards and see if you can get your review reinstated.

Yet another company who it would seem have one goal in life and that is to rip people off.

 

Perhaps you should go back to that review site and tell them about your refund and Trading Standards and see if you can get your review reinstated.

Thanks Conniff, I did take this action and the review was reinstated. It makes me wonder how many negative reviews get taken down on reveiwcentre.

Yet another company who it would seem have one goal in life and that is to rip people off.

 

Perhaps you should go back to that review site and tell them about your refund and Trading Standards and see if you can get your review reinstated.

Wow, so you remove the one good comment on this thread about the company I submitted earlier today. Culling positive reviews of companies are we Conniff?

What raises our suspicions is a new subscriber making a glowing report about a company on a thread about someone having a problem with a company who refuse to take responsibility, this doesn't ring true of a genuine post.

This isn't a review site, it is a self help site for consumers who want some help with where they stand in relation to bad service and how to get recompense if any is due.

It has been decided that tatters posts should be available for all to view.

Members may be interested to note that, in general, this type of positive promotion is usually from someone who is either connected with the subject company or has a vested interest in them.

It may well be that this is case here but members are free to draw their own conclusions but are reminded of these points....

CAG has no vested interest in any company and will always carry posts which detail the problems that have been experienced with various companies.

CAG will always give support and advice to those who have issues with companies where their consumer rights have apparently been violated.

CAG will always highlight posts where it is apparent that there is an ulterior motive behind them.

It may be useful to other members in helping them to make their decisions if tatters can unequivocally confirm that he/she has no underlying connections or interest with the company Service4Service and state this to be the case in the open forum.

Failing that I will leave members to make up their own minds on the glowing post made by tatters.

Don't use Service4Service and save yourself a lot of money and hassle!

I made an online search back at the end of October to find garage able to carry out a service on my Chrysler Grand Voyager which I had just purchased and Service 4 Service came up.

I spoke to them and was assured that they could carry out a full service and mot as required. I

needed this as I am going to Italy next week on the 13th December.

Booking in at the end of October I thought this gave me plenty of leeway.

Service4Service then advised me that I needed brake pads all round, some suspension works and a new brake pipe and the total bill came to some £1250.

I paid and they returned the car

however when I went to use the car later the automatic gearbox had gone into limp mode.

In this mode only 2nd gear, neutral and reverse is available,

I informed them of this and also the fact that the new brake pipe they had fitted was leaking and they came and collected the vehicle.

After a few days they told me that gearbox solenoid pack was faulty and advised me that the repair costs would come to £1450.

I was concerned at the added cost of this but because I needed the car which was booked on ferries and due to go down to Italy, actually across to Sardinia and time was running out I asked them to go ahead.

I was told that the part had to be ordered in and would be about five days to supply.

Then I got an email asking me to pay £700 up front,

having just paid them £1250 for the service I did not understand this request and so I phoned them up to discuss it,

It took a number of phone calls

about 3 days before anyone came back to me and they advised me that the solenoid pack may not cure the gearbox problem.

I asked to speak to a manager and also requested a breakdown of costs and precisely what the fault code/s showing on the diagnostic systems were.

Another few days went by, and i am now into the second week before someone came back to me.

I asked them how the job was progressing as I was quickly running out of time and what was the fault code?

I was told that there was no code just a gearbox error.

Again I was told that the solenoid pack may not be the only fault and that its replacement would not necessarily cure the problem. I had told then earlier that the gearbox worked very well in "limp" mode and that it was unlikely to be the actual problem more likely the solenoid pack they had diagnosed or even more likely an electrical fault, after all it only failed after they had worked on the vehicle.

I then asked how soon was the work going to be carried out and then was informed that after getting the go ahead nearly three weeks ago now they had not even ordered the part. They were obviously worried that this part and the £1450 plus vat bill was not going to cure my car and expressing my severe dissatisfaction [no swearing] they offered to return it back to me

I gladly accepted this and I ordered the spare part at a cost of £200 from an importer up north.

It arrived in the post next day and I spent a couple of days both online and under the bonnet and replaced it myself.

Guess what it did NOT cure the fault.

Again I went back online and this time I bought a diagnostic computer.

This told me that there was a fault code, P0888 and that this was a possible relay error,

Looking through the various Chrysler information sites I was able to identify the relay and swapping it with an adjacent same type relay I tested the vehicle, Hooray it actually cured the problem and I now have a working car.

I am a freelance Air conditioning engineer and had needed a vehicle during the time i was without mine and i spent over £660 pounds in car hire costs, £200 on an unnecessary solenoid pack, a further £160pounds on diagnostic equipment and many days worrying about how I was going to get my car onto the booked ferries down to Italy.

I was a better car mechanic than Service4Service,

do yourself a favour and avoid them like the plague,

they lie, do not know what they are doing and could cost you a lot of money,

better to go to the slightly more expensive Dealers who at least will know their own vehicles.

Do not use Service4Service they are rubbish!

I could tell you a lot more about the terrible waste of time and money but I think you probably get the gist of it.

Warning! Danger Alert! WARNING!

UPDATE: No apology has been issued as at 27.1.19, no explanation for up to 300% mark up on prices. In fact the Sales Manager and Managing Director have tried to convince me that they are quote "mature family men", that the service advisor was once a mechanic for Mercedes - might be true, BUT HE WAS NOT WORKING ON MY CAR! And IS paid commission to upsell work - just google Service 4 Service jobs and see what their role is.

Sales Manager and MD have basically said they can charge what they like, only employ mature men and if I fell for it and paid, that's my problem not theirs.

This is now going forward as a complaint with Which, Consumer Helpline and Trading Standards - who have all been very helpful.

My advise is to use Halfords if you'd like 4 months to pay for repairs - they work out at 150% cheaper AND have ethics, or just go to your own dealer - still 100% cheaper than these greasy people.

Original review (and it only gets worse) below:

Under NO circumstances should you use this outfit - they will seem pleasant at first, and then proceed to rip you off, mark up retail prices by over 100% AND then add VAT. They will add extra work that does not need to be done and their service advisors will pose as mechanics (eg: this, said to me): "well are you a mechanic? Is your friend? No? Well I am a fully qualified mechanic and I am the one who can see whats in your car!" Um no, you cant, you are miles away up North, in a call centre - being paid commission to upsell you and mislead people into having work done that they dont need.

After I complained (CHECK EVERYTHING THEY QUOTE YOU!), things *suddenly* started going wrong with car - expensive things! that had not been picked up before and I know were not there as I photographed my car in full before hand over. I dont know motors but I know dishonesty and I am not the fool they clearly assumed I would be. I asked for all work to be stopped on my car and have laid a complaint with Consumer Helpline who have reported to Trading Standards who have both been very helpful.

The Sales Manager *says* he is looking into this, says all calls are recorded and says he will come back to me - so lets see what they come up with - I sense this will be dragged out but I have no problem taking these guys on with the help of the right channels.

I will keep this review updated, but thought best post now to hopefully help you avoid being fleeced.